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 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.

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 5: Are You a User or a Collector of Stationery?

Do you consider yourself a user or collector of stationery? Maybe a bit of both? In the fifth episode of On the Paper Trail, we talk about a topic that draws strong opinions and maybe even a little bit of judgment in the stationery world. Whether you use every pen, bottle of ink, or rare notebook that you own, or maintain pristine archives for posterity, how we view our stationery is intensely personal and will differ from person to person. We also discuss events at the upcoming Arkansas Pen Show and the San Francisco Stationery Fest!

Note: During the podcast, we discussed the sign-up link for the live-audience episode at the upcoming San Francisco Stationery Fest. Apparently that link is missing from the show website - if you’re interested in attending please sign up directly using this link.

Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠Nagasawa Exclusive Pens⁠ (Lisa's Pen)

2. ⁠Pilot Custom Urushi⁠ (Lisa's Pen)

3. ⁠Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog⁠ (Joe's Pen)

4. ⁠Uni Zento⁠ (Joe's Pen)

5. ⁠Pilot S20 Ballpoint⁠ (Joe's Pen)

6. ⁠Roterfaden TGS_25 A5 Slim⁠

7. ⁠Laurett's Pens⁠

8. ⁠Troublemaker Inks⁠

9. ⁠Wearingeul Paper⁠

10. ⁠Nagasawa 6-Ring Refills⁠

11. ⁠Episode 2: Matthew Chen Talks Kodachi Nibs⁠

12. ⁠Akkerman Standard Ink Bottle Example⁠

13. ⁠Akkerman Dutch Masters Ink Bottle Example⁠

14. ⁠Arkansas Pen Show⁠

15. ⁠San Francisco Stationery Fest

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.