Five Items for A Pencil Travel Kit (Mechanical and Woodcase)

In this week’s post on pen cases, I mentioned that I use stationery pouches to hold my pencils, as well as any ballpoints and gel pens that I generally take with me on the road for my everyday working needs. Since I rely fairly heavily on pencils, and because pencils have their own set of accessories separate and apart from any sort of pen, I thought it might be fun to break down my preferred pencil travel kit. I’ve photographed two setups that I use - one when I’m using mechanical pencils (which is most of the time on the road), and another for when I’m using mainly woodcase pencils.

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Woodcase pencils will require a longer pouch. Blackwing makes a specialized canvas pencil pouch long enough to hold an unsharpened Blackwing Pencil, which is probably the longest pencil you would want to carry.

1. Mechanical or Woodcase Pencils. First up - the pencils themselves. Lately I’ve been traveling exclusively with mechanical pencils. I generally write smaller for work purposes, so the finer .5mm lead size suits my hand. My current carry for this week is a Lamy Safari .5mm pencil in Scarlet and a .5mm Pentel Sharp Kerry in light green, and I almost always have at least one Uni Kuru Toga thrown in. While I still love a good woodcase pencil, due to their inherently messy nature I don’t work with them on planes and therefore rarely travel with them. If you do decide to travel with woodcase pencils, you will need a different set of accessories, including a sharpener and possibly a point protector.

2. Erasers. Very few pencils have decent integrated erasers, so I always carry a separate handheld eraser in my pencil pouch. In my opinion, the best ones are made by Pentel and Tombow. Currently I am using one of the Pentel erasers by Craft Design Technology, and the excellent Tombow Mono comes in a sizes ranging from small (tiny) to Jumbo (friggin’ huge) depending on how much you can carry.

3. Pencil Caps or Point Protectors. If you prefer woodcase pencils to mechanical, you may want to consider a pencil cap to protect your pencil points. Personally, this isn’t something I’ve worried much about over the years, though we’ve sold so many of the Viarco spring-loaded caps that this is obviously an in-demand item that people use.

4. Mechanical Pencil Leads. Be sure the lid tightens securely, otherwise you’ll have a dusty mess on your hands because loose mechanical pencil leads simply won’t hold up in a pouch. Uni makes these metal cases that have a sliding closure, which are a favorite of mine for travel.

5. Pencil Sharpeners. NJK out of Osaka, Japan makes the best portable long-point sharpener on the market, especially for the money. While the Blackwing One-Step Long-Point sharpener is probably my favorite handheld sharpener overall, it’s slightly too large to carry in a pencil pouch.

You can and should design your own “carry kit” to fit your specific needs, but I get so many questions about what I use day-to-day that I wanted to do a couple of layout posts showing exactly what items I carry for which purposes. I will plan on doing a few more of these bag dump-style posts and possibly even some posts on how I set up and format my notebooks and planners.

The Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch (another regular carry), plus the metal lead case linked to above.

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.

2025 Year-End Review: Five Favorite Posts from 2025

Since I’ve launched the store, and have to deal with marketing and selling products every day, the most enjoyable writing for me hasn’t necessarily been product reviews but rather posts on what stationery I like to use and how I use it in my own life, because I still write a lot. For my five favorite posts of 2025, I’ve chosen more editorial-style writing discussing how analog fits into my own life and workflow and the products I personally enjoy and why.

Joe’s Personal Favorite Posts from 2025

1. Everyday Notetaking and Creating an “Idea File”: On Perforated Field Notes and Index Cards. This has been a great year for fountain pen friendly index cards, and rediscovering the utility of being able to jot down ideas and file them away without having to keep track of where things are in a notebook.

2. Comparing Low Viscosity Ballpoint Pens: Jetstream vs. Acroball vs. Anterique vs. Ohto. Low-viscosity ballpoints feature an ink that’s basically the best of both worlds: the permanence of ballpoint ink with most of the smoothness of gel. Many planner enthusiasts prefer low-viscosity ballpoints because they write a dark, fine line that comes in handy when filling out smaller sections of planners like the Hobonichi Techo and Jibun Techo.

3. Five Reasons I Prefer Undated Planners and Calendars. This year I went undated for most of my planning, but as you’ll see in some forthcoming content, I’m going with a hybrid approach for 2026 as I find a dated planner useful for certain business purposes.

4. Complementary Notebook Systems and Stationery: Yamamoto Bullet Jotters. These Yamamoto Bullet Jotters are an excellent counterpart to a Bible-sized 6-ring binder, especially if you prefer writing on a bound pad as opposed to in the 6-ring binder itself. I often mix and match notebook systems to take advantage of the best aspects of each and customize them to my specific needs.

5. 2025 San Francisco Pen Show Recap, Part II: Panel Takeaways. The 2025 San Francisco Pen show was one of the better stationery show experiences I’ve had, content-wise. The topics discussed during the various panels I attended inspired much of the content I’ll be working on for the next year, including our recently launched podcast/video project, which now has it’s own home so please follow along.

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 and see any products we sell directly at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee! Also, please visit our Holiday Gift Guide page if you would like guidance on stationery-related gifting, and we’re also happy to discuss in-person.

2025 Year-End Review: Most Popular T.G.S. Posts, Both New and Old

Each year during the month of December, I write a series of posts recapping various things from the prior year, one of which is the most popular content as determined by views received. This year I’ve broken the review into two categories: Content Published or Updated in 2025, and Overall, including older content that continues to receive a lot of traffic. The value of this exercise to me is to see what readers are enjoying, and in the case of the older stuff, to see what content needs to be revisited and updated!

Most Popular Posts, 2025 Content

1. Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper. It’s probably not a surprise that this “evergreen” post, which I refresh and update every year, gets the most views by far. As I test out and explore new papers, expect it to be updated further!

2. Joe’s Picks - Five Favorite Inks from Pilot’s Iroshizuku Lineup. I’ve been asked to do more posts like these with other ink lines, but it’s so hard to choose! Iroshizuku was easier because I’ve been using the ink for well over a decade.

3. My 2025 Techo Kaigi: A Mostly Fond Farewell to Hobonichi. While technically a 2024 post, it addressed my 2025 planner/notebook setup so it remained relevant throughout the year. Look for another post like this one soon, before January 1.

4. Is the Uni Zento Gel Pen Worth the Hype? The Zento took the pen world by storm this past year, especially with the capped “Signature” barrel essentially disappearing from standard retail and reappearing on the secondary market for astronomic prices. Personally I think the mid-level “Flow” version offers the best value, and I do enjoy how the Zento writes.

5. The Kaweco Perkeo, on Its Own Merits. This post surprised me a bit with how much traffic it received this year, but given price increases, economic pressures, and a flood of new enthusiasts entering the hobby, it probably shouldn’t come as a shock that lower-cost pens are drawing attention.

Most Popular Posts Overall (New and Old Content)

1. Top 5 Mechanical Pencils: For When You Really Want to Write Small. Wow, my most popular post for 2025 is a 7-year old mechanical pencil ranking that is hopelessly out of date. Herein lies the value of doing this annual year-in-review exercise! All of the recommendations in this post remain good ones, but I would have a bunch of recommendations and substitutions, and a few of the mentions are no longer available or have been updated to new models.

2. The Best Pen for When You Only Want One Pen. Another post from way back (2018) that I should probably revisit, this post looks at “one pen carry” (which for me is more of a thought experiment since I switch things up so often). Some of the pens featured here are no longer available, but the multi pen remains my top choice for this type of setup.

3. My Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing, Five Years Later. This post remains accurate, though from a recommendations standpoint I need to revisit it because the market has changed and many pencil brands have revamped their lineups and discontinued certain models.

4. First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe Is a Steal. Like my review of the Perkeo above and the Pilot Explorer below, I suspect interest is being driven by the combination of quality and price point, with people looking for a reliable everyday writer that won’t set you back more than $30.

5. The Pilot Explorer Is a Low-Cost Workhorse. Regardless of price point, Pilot pens always perform, and the Explorer remains my go-to recommendation for those looking for a no-nonsense writer that for now comes in a wide range of colors. A key selling point of both the Swipe and the Explorer is that they ship with a converter, so that you can use either cartridges or bottled ink right out of the box.

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 and see any products we sell directly at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee! Also, please visit our Holiday Gift Guide page if you would like guidance on stationery-related gifting, and we’re also happy to discuss in-person.

My Favorite Pencils: 2025 Edition

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve published any sort of “Favorite Pencils” list - lately many of you have been reminding me of this fact - so it’s time to revisit what is probably my second-most-used category of writing instruments. For purposes of this list, I’m going to mix woodcase and mechanical pencils to actually reflect what I’ve been using on a daily basis.

Note that this list is not intended to be a “Best Pencils” recommendation list, though I think all of these are very good. If you’re looking to get into quality writing pencils for the first time, check out our “Best Pens” Guide (which has a “Pencils” section). Today’s post is more of a discussion of what I personally have been enjoying, which is not necessarily what I would recommend to someone else.

1. Lamy CP1 “Twin Pen.” I’ve only recently discovered this 2-stage “multi pen” that combines a .5mm mechanical pencil with one D1 ballpoint. It’s an interesting format, and one that I’ve been using more around the shop. It lets you switch quickly between a pen and pencil, and since there’s only one pen option, there’s no paralysis-of-choice with respect to which ink color you’re going to use.

2. Camel Pencils. While the integrated eraser is cool, the two main reasons I love Camel pencils for everyday writing are (1) the relatively dark, not overly-smooth graphite and (2) the rounded hex barrel and smooth clear lacquer, which makes this pencil incredibly comfortable to hold. I also still have a personal stash of an old C.W. Pencil Enterprise 2B exclusive, which features a round barrel.

3. Blackwing Matte (i.e., “The Original,” MMX, "Black”). The original “new” Blackwing remains my favorite, even over the Blackwing 602. While the closest graphite equivalent is a 4B grade, the Blackwing Matte is remarkably non-smeary for a pencil this dark and I use it for writing in addition to sketching. Blackwing has also recently released red and green-barrel versions, and the soft core has been incorporated periodically into the Volumes series.

4. Pilot S20 .5mm Mechanical Pencil. I’ve raved about the S20 ballpoint, but I’ve only recently been able to get my hands on the mechanical pencil version. Both have the same “inverted hourglass” silhouette, which molds to my hand. The S20 Ballpoint and S20 Mechanical Pencil are rapidly becoming almost as critical to my everyday carry rotation as the Lamy 2000 fountain pen and Multi Pen.

5. Uni Kuru Toga KS or Alpha Gel Switch. I’ve tried the more expensive versions of Uni’s flagship mechanical pencil, like the Kuru Toga Dive, but I keep going back to the basic (and inexpensive) Kuru Toga KS and Alpha Gel models because I don’t have to worry about misplacing them around the house and the shop, or when I travel. While not a necessity, the Kuru Toga’s lead-rotation mechanism ensures that the point wears evenly, which not only keeps the lead sharp but reduces breakage. As I’ll discuss further below, I’ve been experimenting with softer mechanical pencil leads up to 4B, so this has come in handy.

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Why the move towards mechanical pencils? A lot of it has to do with convenience. As I’m moving around the shop, checking inventory, working on purchase orders/accounting, etc., it’s easier to work in pencil, and sometimes I don’t want to stop to manually sharpen a woodcase pencil. Though I tend to prefer darker graphite, I’ve brought in some mechanical pencil leads in softer grades. Currently, I probably wouldn’t recommend anything beyond 2B to customers for everyday writing, but if you are adventurous, I’ve personally been able to use 4B!

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Writing samples on the wonderfully toothy Appointed paper (great for graphite). Wood pencils sharpened with a NJK long point sharpener.

The last time I did a list like this was in January 2021, four-and-a-half years ago. Since today’s list looks completely different, it might be reasonable to ask whether I no longer enjoy the pencils on earlier versions. That’s not the case at all - I actually still use many of those pencils - but my life has changed quite a bit, and so have my needs, thus the greater emphasis on mechanical pencils. This is a great time to be a pencil fan, and I believe that overall selection and quality has increased in recent years, making it much more difficult to pick favorites.

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2025 Mid-Year Recap: Five Favorite Reviews from the Year So Far

Typically I’m on vacation during the middle of June, which means that I take a break from content in favor of a mid-year recap looking back at favorite reviews, product launches, new discoveries, etc. from the first six months. Though I’m not currently away (day job conflict forced me to cancel a trip, then promptly got rescheduled), I always enjoy doing these retrospectives, so I’ll continue the trend this week and pretend that I’m not working! Up first are five favorite product reviews from the first six months of 2025, in no particular order.

1. Workhorse Pens: Pilot S20 Ballpoint. The S20 has easily been my favorite discovery from the past year. The contoured shape is quite comfortable, and the slim profile makes this a great “planner loop” pen. I’ve also added the mechanical pencil and the striated wood version of the Legno multi pen, both in dark red, to form a matching set. As an aside, I think I’ve grown to prefer Pilot’s Acro-ink over Jetstream Ink, though the former is harder to find in the same diversity of refill formats as the Jetstream.

2. The Jetstream Prime Lite Touch 3: Can Uni Improve on the Jetstream Experience? While I love my Uni and Pilot 4+1 Mechanical Pencils, the format is too large for some people. I’ve spent a lot of time this year digging deep into the multi pen world, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Lite Touch 3.

3. Yes, Micarta For Me! I finally added some Micarta pens to my collection, all from smaller makers. Variations on Micarta have become quite popular in pen circles over the past couple of years, with makers such as Skogsy and Hinze specializing in designs that incorporate Micarta.

4. Ink Review: Taccia Utamaro Aomurasaki Is the Deepest of Purple-Blacks. I’ve been using more “new-to-me” inks lately, and of all the new inks that have run through my fountain pens this year, Aomurasaki was the favorite so far. It’s a dark purple-black-grey that’s understated enough for work but interesting enough to use regularly without becoming boring.

5. Notebook Review: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook. I’ve been searching for a good “standard” notebook to use for work that represents a good combination of quality and cost-effectiveness. I’ve settled on this “Basic” spiral notebook from Maruman which is a step down in price from the Mnemosyne line and still features quality paper with a variety of different rulings.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.