Five Reasons I Prefer Undated Planners and Calendars

I’ve tried to love dated planner systems, whether it’s the Hobonichi Techo, the Jibun Techo, or even the dated version of the Traveler’s Company Weekly + Memo, but my specific planning needs change so frequently that I have a hard time sticking to a single system continuously through the year. I much prefer being able to switch between different undated books and inserts. For example, there are times when I need a full day-to-a-page layout, other times when I want a week-on-two-pages layout, and yet others when I don’t need a planner at all and roll with a blank notebook. Here are what I consider the five key benefits of an undated planner system:

1. No “Planner Anxiety”: You Can Skip Days/Weeks/Months Without Wasting Paper. The obvious benefit is that by using an undated planner, you can skip time for things like vacations or less-busy periods without leaving blank pages. As a result, you can use your planner longer (if it’s a bound book) and avoid wasting the unused dated sheets (if you use a 6-ring binder or other loose-sheet system).

2. You Can Choose Your Start Date. Did you start a new job in the middle of the year? Did your scheduling needs change? Do you simply want to try organizing your time a bit differently and experiment with a new method of organization? With undated planners you don’t have to wait until the New Year nor purchase a dated book that’s already half-expired.

3. You Can Use a Blank Week or Month to Help Plan a Standard Routine or Schedule. I personally do this when I’m trying to set a fixed work schedule or workout routine. You can take an undated week and pin it to your wall or pinboard with whatever “repeating” information you need to include and use that as a reference when setting up subsequent weeks.

4. You Can Easily Keep Two Calendars Side-By-Side. This is one of the biggest advantages for my own personal situation. For example, with undated calendar pages, I can take two consecutive “months”, date them both for May, and have two calendars that track different things (i.e., a schedule or appointments calendar, followed by a content calendar for T.G.S.).

5. The Flexibility to Explore Different Formats and Layouts. Over the years I’ve found that companies tend to be a bit more creative with their undated planner layouts. If the company doesn’t have to worry about the dated planner “expiring,” they can experiment with different formats, and you can even use them all and jump back and forth between them as your needs change, as noted above. Case in point is the Laconic Tokyo series, which we’ve carried for a while and features all sorts of unusual refills and inserts that include “Gantt Chart,” “Spreadsheet”, “Think”, “Life” and more. They’ve recently released these in a 6-ring A5 binder format, in addition to the softcover A5 notebooks that fit notebook systems like Lochby and Roterfaden.

For as many people out there who love choosing and buying their annual dated planner, in the years I’ve spent running this site, I’ve also found that just as many - if not more - prefer the undated variety. Though we still carry some dated planner refills (such as the annual Traveler’s Company releases) in our own shop, undated planners outsell the dated versions by a fairly wide margin. If you value flexibility above all else, and therefore consider yourself “not a planner person” since dated planners sometimes seem rigid and inflexible, you may want to consider the more notebook-like undated experience.

I’m actively looking at consolidating and building out this product segment - not only do I value it and use it extensively in my own personal life, but I think it’s underutilized and receives far less publicity and attention than the trendier dated planners that seem to take over social media each year. There’s much less FOMO around the undated planner systems, allowing you to spend time experimenting and choosing the system that works best for you without the pressure to buy into a system before they sell out for the year.

Laconic also makes their own binder, at a fairly low price point, which offers a way to test out the six-ring system to see if it works for you. For those who want to use fountain pens, I would say that Laconic paper works fairly well with nibs fine-medium (maybe slightly better than Kokuyo Jibun Techo paper), but you may see show-through with broader nibs and wetter inks. I personally use multi-pens in my planners.

Joe's Picks: Five Favorite Inks From Pilot's Iroshizuku Lineup

I had someone come into the shop the other day and ask: “All these inks are overwhelming. If you could pick five to show me, what would they be?” That’s a hard question to answer, especially for someone who’s been into fountain pens and inks for well over a decade and have had so many inks rotate through my pens that they all start to blur together! It’s easier for me to point people to one or two preferred brands, based on their experience level and specific needs, and recommend a handful of inks within those lines. Pilot’s Iroshizuku line is one of my go-to overall recommendations for experienced and novice users alike.

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I’ve been using Iroshizuku inks for over a decade now, and even after all this time it remains one of my favorite workhorse fountain pen inks, with reliable performance and an interesting range of colors. Generally regarded as a safe, low-maintenance ink that works well in nearly all fountain pens, you could live comfortably in the Iroshizuku line without exploring much else, especially since Pilot has also issued a large number of the inks in cartridge form. See below for the five colors that have carved out a permanent role in my personal collection, which I was somewhat surprised to discover has a pretty good variation across the range, and actually includes some brighter tones as opposed to my preferred muted shades. Wherever possible, I’ve linked to past reviews of each individual ink, which may contain additional photos.

1. Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. The first Iroshizuku Ink I ever purchased remains a go-to workhorse that I usually have loaded into at least one pen. At first glance, it appears like a simple blue-black with hints of teal, but on certain papers you can get a bit of red sheen, and the ink has some depth that I still find myself admiring 10 years later.

2. Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. Another classic that was my “signature” ink for a couple of years before I went through a dark red phase. Yama-Budo defies characterization. Many people call it a purple, some call it a magenta/dark pink. I’m a fan of of these off-red shades, so however you describe it, it’s really nice to use to mark-up or annotate documents when you don’t necessarily want an eye-searing red.

3. Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku. One of the newer Iroshizuku inks, from the second-most-recent batch of releases, Sui-Gyoku rapidly became my favorite teal. Leaning more bright green than blue, it’s easier on the eyes than a pure turquoise and still dark enough for me to use professionally.

4. Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. The first cult favorite from the Iroshizuku lineup, Kon-Peki topped many “best of” ink lists for years. A bright cerulean blue, it became popular because it offered a safer alternative to certain vivid, heavily pigmented blue inks that caused clogging issues for fountain pen users.

5. Iroshizuku Syun-Gyo. I was shocked to see Pilot add a red-black to the Iroshizuku line in their most recent refresh. Like Yama-Budo, Syun-Gyo defies characterization, with some people seeking more brown than black, and more purple than red. Either way, I love these muddy, muted shades because I find that they add character to my handwriting.

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All Pilot inks show a lot of depth, but Tsuki-yo (second from top) remains a favorite, because it has so much depth.

If you’re interested in exploring the Iroshizuku line for yourself, we carry the full lineup of inks in our shop, in both bottle and cartridge formats, and we also stock a curated selection of Pilot fountain pens. Our brick and mortar store is open this weekend from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Joe's Picks: Five Underappreciated Stationery Items Across Five Different Categories

For today’s post, I thought it might be fun to offer five different “picks” from five different stationery categories, highlighting what I’d consider to be underappreciated products that don’t get as much attention as they perhaps should. Most aren’t trendy, and some have been around for quite a while. Someone asked me this question the other day when I was in the shop and I thought it might make for an interesting exercise on the blog.

Some of these picks highlight a specific product, while others name a brand or product line if the individual items are heavily dependent on personal preference (i.e., ink color). Note that this isn’t a “best of” list, but rather my response to the question: “What should I try that often goes overlooked?”

1. Fountain Pens. Pilot Kakuno. No, it’s not just for kids! (Though it’s a great first fountain pen to give anyone, regardless of age.) Because of the smiley-face nib, the Kakuno tends to get written off as a novelty, but it features the same excellent nib as the Pilot Explorer, Metropolitan, and Prera. I have one of the red and grey models, and for a no-nonsense cartridge pen that comes in at under $20, the Kakuno should get way more mainstream attention than it does.

2. Fountain Pen Inks. Anything by Taccia. I won’t pick a color here, but I’ve repeatedly discussed here how Taccia inks are criminally underrated. While certain Ukiyo-e inks (such as Sabimidori and Aomurasaki) receive most of the attention, the standard Taccia line is excellent and competitively priced. The offbeat “Jeans” line has some interesting blacks and blue-blacks.

3. Notebooks. Quo Vadis Habana. One of the brands from within the Exaclair family, the Quo Vadis Habana is a go-to for personal journaling. Slightly larger than standard A5, the Habana contains Clairefontaine paper, but be sure to opt for the bright white dot grid version, as I’ve had mixed results with the ivory lined version in recent years. Featuring a leatherette cover, I’ve always considered this particular notebook higher-end than the Rhodia Webnotebook. The “Webbie” is also good, but I prefer the Habana’s slightly larger page and better paper.

4. Ballpoint Pens: Bic Cristal. I always get criticized for being a proponent of this mass-produced pen, but I consider it a classic of modern consumer design and actually like how it writes. I’m not alone: The original creator of Spoke Design used to make the “Baux Pen”, which is an aluminum upgraded barrel for the Bic Cristal refill that I still love. I guess there’s not enough of a demand to keep these going full time, though the website says they might be coming back in 2025?

5. Rollerballs/Gel Pens: Anything by Ohto. Ohto is a Japanese company that specializes in lower-cost rollerballs and needle-tip gel and ballpoint pens. I also strongly suspect that they are the “white label” manufacturer for many similar products on the market. The pen bodies themselves are nothing fancy, but the refills are always fantastic and the overall price makes for an attractive value proposition. Examples include the CR01 and CR02 Rollerballs, as well as the Jotter-inspired Flash-Dry gel pens.

Unpacking Our First Curated Stationery Box: Check Out T.G.S. on YouTube

We recently did something special, and offered our Patreon supporters a limited run of 10 Curated Stationery Boxes with the same theme as today’s post. Each box included around a half-dozen hand-picked items that fall into what I consider the “underappreciated” category, whether they’re long-existing items buried in manufacturer’s back-catalogs or newly released items that haven’t received much attention. If you’re interested in getting in on the next round, be sure to check out our Patreon program.

If you’re ever in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please stop in and see us! We’d love to welcome you in store and answer any questions you may have. The Gentleman Stationer is open this week Thursday (1-6) and Friday (1-6) and Saturday from 10-4. Our site is entirely self-supported through the shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

The Updated 2025 "Best Pens" Page Is Live!

Longtime T.G.S. readers know that I update the “Best Pens” list annually, typically around the T.G.S. Anniversary in mid-to-late April. I’m a little late this year, but not by much, and in any event this year was more of a maintenance update because as the list matures, there’s simply not as much movement between the categories. I’ve made a few adjustments to account for pens moving between the different price points - who knows what the coming year will bring - but I always enjoy this exercise.

As with previous updates, the last 10 or so lists remain live so that you can see how my opinions and tastes have changed over time. View the 2025 Best Pens List and prior lists here, and if you see something you like, please consider supporting us by shopping our store* or pledging via Patreon. We’ve recently launched a T.G.S. Discord forum for Patreon members, and so far it seems that everyone has enjoyed being able to interact in a much more user friendly format that what Patreon can offer with its build-in features.

*The “Best Pens” list goes back to at least 2017, and predates our shop by several years. You’ll see that these lists have informed how we built out our own retail operation, as I knew when I opened my own shop that I would only want to sell stuff that I could readily recommend to other people.

5 Reasons Why General Stationery Is Important at Pen Shows

Pen Shows and “Stationery Fests” have been drawing growing numbers of attendees, as more people discover these events and, in general, turn to analog as a way to push back against ever-encroaching digitalization of life. When longstanding events - pen shows in particular - start to change, you always hear a certain amount of griping. A few years ago the complaints centered around how shows were focusing more on modern pens, as opposed to vintage fountain pens. Today, you’re more likely to hear talk about the growing presence of “stationery” (i.e., not just pens, but the broader category of journals, planners, letterpress cards, pencils, and more), and the fact that fewer vendors are showing up with pure fountain pen displays. While some may not like this development, for several reasons, which I discuss below, I don’t think that it’s a bad thing at all. Great, in fact, because it helps grow our community!

1. General Stationery Expands the Community By Drawing in People with Different Interests. I’ve long believed that if we want pen shows to continue to grow and be sustainable, they need to expand their appeal beyond the fountain pen enthusiasts who started the shows and who have continued to form the core of show attendance. Opening up the shows to different types of vendors by encouraging existing vendors to bring a broader range of products to shows creates a broader and more stable attendee base.

2. A Range of Less Expensive Items Allows More People to Participate in the Fun. While there certainly are less expensive fountain pens, some people - especially new pen and paper enthusiasts - aren’t yet comfortable spending even $15 or $20 on a pen. Having a selection of excellent stationery products in the $2-5 range encourages newbies to participate in the show experience and lets everyone had the chance to take home something fun, whether it be a fine-tipped Japanese gel pen or a roll of washi tape.

3. Expanding into Non-Fountain Pens Makes the Show Experience (and the Entire Industry) Less Sensitive to Price Fluctuations. So what happens if prices skyrocket due to tariffs or other price pressures, and there are high-end fountain pens are less economically accessible? Well, because general stationery (gel pens, ballpoints, washi, notebooks, etc.) can be relatively inexpensive, demand for these products might be less sensitive to the price swings that could be coming. (i.e., a gel pen increasing from $3 to $3.75 feels like less of a big deal than a $400 fountain pen increasing to $500). I suspect that if we see steep price increases due to the tariffs that were just announced, traditional pen shows could start to feel more like general “stationery festivals” catering to a more cost-conscious consumer. Of course, some would argue that buyers on the higher end are less price-sensitive to begin with, so all we can really do is wait and see what actually ends up happening.

4. For Those of Us Who Use Our Pens Everyday, We Like to See Complementary Products and Accessories in Person. And, perhaps, view them together with the accessories we plan to buy or already own so that we can better pair our planners, notebook covers, pen cases, and more. In recent years, I’ve been most excited to see more case and bag manufacturers (like Rickshaw) attend shows and give people all sorts of options for bringing home their new pens.

5. Encouraging Vendors to Diversify What They Sell Leads to a Better Result for both Vendors and Attendees. I’ve always wondered why people try to sell the same pens and ink that everyone else at the show is carrying. Be unique, which not only gives people a reason to shop with you (and remember your table) but also offers attendees a fun show experience. My tables at the recent Arkansas show were somewhat unusual, in the sense that I decided to bring those things particular to my shop, like Roterfaden, Anterique, Tom’s Studio Lumos Fineliners, and assorted multi-pens. (I know I’m not the only one who carries these things, but at shows they do tend to be under-represented.) I’m planning something similar for Atlanta this weekend!

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Ask for the “special washi”. I have lots of it.

So what’s in store for the Atlanta Pen Show? For starters, I’ll be bringing what’s left of my current Roterfaden stock, my Traveler’s Notebook setup, Lochby cases, and all of my recently arrived Uni gel pens and Jetstream Multi Pens. I’ll have some fountain pen options as well, and maybe some washi tape surprises! While the Atlanta Pen Show website is a touch behind schedule, and I can’t see an official layout, I understand that I’ll be next to Hinze Pens in the first room.

Is there anything you all would like me to bring to the show? Anything you wish dealers would bring more of to pen shows and events in general? Drop a comment! Also, we will have regular hours tomorrow (Thursday) in our Nashville shop from 1pm-6pm before I have to take off for Atlanta.