On The Paper Trail Episode 9: Fountain Pen Nib Sizes, Explained

We're less than 10 days out from an epic trip to Japan, so in this week's episode, we decided to talk Japanese fountain pen nibs and the differences in nib size designations across different regions, as well as the availability of specialty grinds. We also discuss why Fine Medium is the ONLY appropriate nib size - only half-kidding - and answer listener questions about choosing the correct combination of nib, ink, and paper for your specific writing experience.

Don't miss your chance to come hang out with us in person October 16-18, at On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville! Event details have been made public, and Weekend Pass and Day Pass event tickets are now available to purchase.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.

Show Notes and Links

1. Dr. Grip Ballpoint (Lisa's Pen).

2. Opus 88 Savannah Zebra (Lisa's Pen).

3. Benu Pixie (Lisa's Pen).

4. Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen).

5. Laurett's Ballpoint (Joe's Pen).

6. Traveler's Company Ballpoint (Joe's Pen).

7. Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens.

8. Lochby 6-Ring Binders.

9. Lochby Tomoe River 6-Ring Refills.

10. Tono & Lims New Arrivals.

11. New Lamy Safaris.

12. Grandpa's Basement (Clearance).

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.

New Arrivals (Pilot Metropolitans!) and On The Paper Trail Live Event Tickets Are Available!

Lots of fun new arrivals landed this week, for which a couple of you received a sneak preview in-store on Saturday: We now have the Pilot Metropolitan (or the MR as it’s known in certain markets). The Metropolitan is an excellent entry-level to mid-range pen from Pilot, which comes in classic colors like black and silver as well as the colorful “Retro Pop” line. We currently stock not only Metropolitan fountain pens, but also the rollerballs and ballpoints. The Metropolitan rollerball takes a Pilot G2 gel or other similarly sized refill, and the ballpoint accepts the Dr. Grip refill, which is great because that means you can use the finer-tip “Cocoon” cartridge that ships with the Pilot S20. All of these pens make great everyday workhorses.

On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville Event Tickets Are Available!

If you’ve been following our podcast, you may have heard that we are hosting our first “On The Paper Trail Live” Event in Nashville from October 16-18. While there will of course be shopping opportunities, along with exclusive products, we are looking to host a community-oriented event focused on opportunities to connect with vendors and other people who are enthusiastic about paper, pens, and the analog lifestyle. Listen to Episode 7 of On The Paper Trail for a more in-depth discussion of what this unique weekend will entail!

The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cool Springs (Franklin). Both weekend passes and day passes are available. Stay tuned for the full schedule of classes, workshops, and vendors. All details regarding location, accommodation, and ticketing can be found in this post.

Come see us this week in-store! We will be open 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday.

On The Paper Trail Episode 8: 2026 Planners and Notebooks Quarterly Review

This week we check in with our 2026 planners and notebooks to see whether they're still working for us now that we're 1/4 of the way through the year. (Wait, how did that happen?) We talk about what's working with our current planners and notebook systems, what may not be working, and what, if anything, we need to change about our current stationery setup. We also discuss upcoming stationery-themed travel, and we might have more details on our On The Paper Trail: Live in Nashville Event that will take place in Nashville October 16-18!

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.

Show Notes and Links

1. Mark's Inc. "Days" Ballpoint (via Vanness Pens).

2. Diamine Spring Green (via Vanness Pens).

3. Pilot Grancé (via Vanness Pens).

4. Pilot Custom 912 with PO Nib (via TGS Curated Shop).

5. Pilot Prera (via TGS Curated Shop).

6. Bungubox Dandyism Ink (via Vanness Pens).

7. On The Paper Trail Episode 1.

8. Wonderland222 Back to Tomoe River Announcement.

9. Ask TGS: Flying with Fountain Pens.

10. Lisa's Shipping Update Video.

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 7: Underappreciated Stationery Gems

In this week’s episode of On the Paper Trail, we discuss a topic that’s close to both of us: Underappreciated Stationery. For a variety of reasons, a wide range of exceptionally good stationery items don’t get the attention that we think they deserve. In some instances, entire brands can be underrated. We each picked items from three categories (pens, paper, and ink), and also talk a bit about why certain stationery can fly under the radar.

Additionally, we discuss our upcoming On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville weekend event, currently slated for October 16-18! We talk a bit about our vision for this event and how we both wanted to create the type of event we personally want to attend, with a more balanced approach to shopping, seminars/classes, and opportunities to socialize!

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.

Episode 7 Show Notes and Links

Note: We discuss a LOT of individual products this week, therefore this longer list has been moved to the bottom of the post.

1. Pilot e95s (Lisa’s Weekly Pen).

2. Blackwing Matte (Lisa’s Weekly Pencil).

3. Midori Soft Color Spiral (Lisa’s Weekly Paper).

4. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen).

5. Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen).

6. Life Noble Note A5 6-Ring Paper (Joe’s Weekly Paper).

7. Kaweco Perkeo (Underappreciated Pen Pick).

8. Lamy Pico Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick).

9. Conway Stewart (Underappreciated Pen Pick.

10. Ohto Ceramic Rollerball Pens (Underappreciated Pen Pick).

11. Lamy Swift Capless Rollerball (Underappreciated Pen Pick).

12. Jetstream Prime Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick).

13. Levenger Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick).

14. Yamamoto Ro-Biki (Underappreciated Paper Pick).

15. Original Crown Mill (Underappreciated Paper Pick).

16. Wearingeul Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick).

17. Callifolio Ink (Underappreciated ink Pick).

18. KWZ Old Gold (Underappreciated Ink Pick).

19. Laban Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick).

20. Papier Plume Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick).

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 6: Live at the Inaugural Francisco Stationery Fest!

What's the difference between a "Stationery Fest" and a traditional pen show? Tune in this week and find out, because last Friday we had the opportunity to record Episode 6 of On The Paper Trail in front of a live audience at the inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest! Topics include our impressions of the show, how we got into stationery in the first place, plus a Q&A with audience members in which they had the opportunity to pick our brains about pens, inks, paper, and more. Note that in the video we were in the room with audience members and interacting with people off camera, so we have had to adjust the audio and repeat questions at times.

Show Notes and Links

1. San Francisco Stationery Fest

2. Arkansas Pen Show

3. Bonecrusher Studios

4. Pens by Pasquale

5. Nagasawa at Vanness

6. Wearingeul Testing Cards

7. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter

8. Olive Octopus Ink

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.

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.