On The Paper Trail Episode 16: Journaling for Mental Health, Part I

September is National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Month, so for Episode 16 we decided to talk about a topic that's close to both of us: Journaling for mental health and techniques we both find helpful for self care. Part I discusses our own techniques, and Part II will discuss additional journaling techniques that we may not use all the time but have tried in the past and break out periodically. Of course, we also make time to discuss the recent San Francisco Pen Show, new shop arrivals, and upcoming events!

Disclaimer: Our discussion in this episode is highly personal and specific to us and our own individual situations. Journaling is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you need help, or feel that you need to talk to someone, we strongly encourage you to speak with a mental health treatment professional.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠National Suicide Prevention Month⁠

2. ⁠Pilot S20 Ballpoint⁠

3. ⁠Kuru Toga Wood Mechanical Pencil⁠

4. ⁠Mark'Style Tous Les Jours Ballpoint Pen⁠

5. ⁠Midori Planners⁠

6. ⁠Vinta Ink⁠

7. ⁠Pennonia⁠

8. ⁠Roterfaden Restock⁠

9. ⁠Schon DSGN Lil' Dipper⁠

10. ⁠Art of Creation Panel Discussion⁠

11. ⁠Dallas Pen Show⁠

12. ⁠On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville⁠

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

On The Paper Trail Episode 15: The Art of Creation Panel Discussion (Recorded Live at the 2026 San Francisco Pen Show)

Many thanks to everyone who turned out for our live Thursday night event in San Francisco! Episode 15 of On The Paper Trail features "The Art of Creation," a panel discussion at the 2026 San Francisco Pen Show with three independent makers in the stationery industry. We had the opportunity to ask our guests about their creative process, followed by an audience question and answer session. Please note that this was a live panel recording, and the audio may be uneven in parts. We have attempted to optimize it as best we can.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Featured Guests

Ian Schon of Schon DSGN, a manufacturing company based in Philadelphia making fountain and ballpoint pens. Schon DSGN pens each have a unique look and feel, some pens being heavier made out of brass or copper and others from super lightweight Engineered Plastics or Anodized Aluminum.

Iris Au of Glassophy, which aims to express its ideas through the art of glass lampworking. Glass lampworking is a technique that uses heat exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius to soften glass into suitable shapes, allowing for various shaping techniques such as dotting and scribing, combined with other precious materials like gold, Silver, and artificial opal.

Daryl Lim, Founder of Atelier Musubi, Singapore-based maker of small goods and specialty notebooks.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

On The Paper Trail Episode 14: Favorite Fountain Pen and Ink Pairings

Do you ever feel that some fountain pen and ink combinations work especially well together? Have you found that switching inks can make a pen write better? Today we talk about how to pair fountain pens and inks to optimize your writing experience. We each go through three of our favorite pen and ink combinations, and discuss why we like specific inks in specific fountain pens.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠Joe's DC Pen Show Recap⁠

2. ⁠Vanness Hummingbird Green Ink⁠

3. ⁠Platinum Classic Fountain Pen Ink⁠

4. ⁠Galen Leather Legacy Collection⁠

5. ⁠Leonardo Momento Zero Pura Fountain Pen⁠

6. ⁠Leonardo Momento Magico Fantasy Series⁠

7. ⁠Lamy x Uni Kuru Toga Inside Mechanical Pencils⁠

8. ⁠OnionBrand Leather Notebook Covers⁠

9. ⁠Pilot Iroshizuku Ink⁠

10. ⁠Joe's Inks from Japan⁠

11. ⁠TWSBI ECO Bahama Yellow⁠

12. ⁠Kyo-no-Oto Ink⁠

13. ⁠Callifolio Ink⁠

14. ⁠San Francisco Pen Show⁠

15. ⁠Dallas Pen Show⁠

16. ⁠On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

On The Paper Trail Episode 13: Permanent Inks for Our First Ink Episode!

Our first fountain pen ink episode, where we discuss permanent inks! In this episode you'll learn about document inks, pigment inks, and iron gall inks, including relative waterproofness and lightfastness, pen care, and more. Fountain pen ink is a huge topic, so expect more ink-related episodes as we break things down into manageable chunks.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠Sunderland MK1⁠

2. ⁠Roterfaden TGS_25⁠

3. ⁠Lochby Mini Pocket Journal⁠

4. ⁠Joe's 10 Fountain Pen Post⁠

5. ⁠Custom Nib Studio⁠

6. ⁠Pilot Grance Fountain Pen⁠

7. ⁠Kaweco Pearlescent Green Perkeo⁠

8. ⁠Galen Leather A4 Folio⁠

9. ⁠Document Inks⁠

10. ⁠Kakimori Pigmented Inks⁠

11. ⁠Diamine Forever Inks⁠

12. ⁠Platinum Pigment Inks⁠

13. ⁠Platinum Iron Gall Inks⁠

14. ⁠KWZ Iron Gall Ink⁠

15. ⁠Diamine Registrar's Ink (Iron Gall)⁠

16. ⁠Results of Our Water Test⁠

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

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We even did some water tests!

On The Paper Trail Episode 12: Our Favorite Papers!

With a podcast called "On The Paper Trail," it was only a matter of time before we talked about our favorite papers and how we use them! In Episode 12, we discuss paper rulings, spacing, texture, bindings, and other factors that affect how we select which paper we use every day. This week's customer questions address understandably confusing paper-related topics such as the meaning of a "lie flat" notebook and the differences between international paper sizes and the less exact sizing standards used by U.S. manufacturers over the years.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Episode 12 Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠Pilot Kakuno (Lisa's Pen)⁠

2. ⁠Pilot Iroshizuku Ku Jaku (Lisa's Ink)⁠

3. ⁠TWSBI ECO Rootbeer Fountain Pen (Joe's Pen)⁠

4. ⁠Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (Joe's Pen)⁠

5. ⁠Joe's Japan Ink Recap Post (For Photos of the Inks Being Discussed)⁠

6. ⁠Kobe Nagasawa Inks⁠

7. ⁠Kakimori A5 Notebooks⁠

8. ⁠Kakimori Pens⁠

9. ⁠Kakimori Inkstand Inks⁠

10. ⁠Midori MD Cotton Paper⁠

11. ⁠Nakabayashi Logical Prime Paper⁠

12. ⁠Maruman Basics

13. Maruman Mnemosyne Hardcover⁠

14. ⁠Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper (T.G.S. Paper Resource)⁠

15. ⁠On the Paper Trail Live in Nashville Event Page

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.