Accessorizing Your Notebooks with the Traveler's Company Brass Lineup

Most people who are familiar with the Traveler’s Company family of products recognize the Traveler’s Notebook and related refills and accessories. Less familiar, perhaps is the “TRC Brass” lineup, which includes vintage-inspired brass accessories such as pocket pens and pencils, clips, a ruler, bookmarks, and perhaps my favorite of all, an old-school brass pen case. All of the TRC brass products will last a long time and develop a patina as they age, allowing you to create your own stationery heirlooms.

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Check out these and other Traveler’s Company products in the T.G.S. Curated Shop! Remember that all domestic U.S. orders over $75, and international orders over $250 ship free.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all products sold in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.

Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen: A New Twist on a Vintage Form Factor

Before 2020 broke bad, one bright spot was the proliferation of good pocket fountain pens, after years of there being, well, the Kaweco Sport and not a whole lot else. I’ve already discussed my love for the excellent Schon DSGN Pocket Six, and today I’ll turn my attention to Traveler’s Company’s new twist on an old format.

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The Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen (shown here in the special “Factory Green” finish) builds on TRC’s “Brass” lineup that originally held just the bullet pencil - a modern reissue of the classic pocket writing implement from the early 20th century. Over the past couple of years, Traveler’s Company has slowly built out the line to include a ballpoint pen (which I wrote about last week), a rollerball, and now a fountain pen. I started out as skeptical as anyone of TRC’s ability to incorporate a decent fountain pen writing experience into this form factor, but again I was pleasantly surprised.

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I found the TRC Brass Fountain Pen to have good length and balance when “posted” (which is really the only way you can write with it). As with the Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoint, the TRC Brass Fountain Pen features a clip and a loop, if you’d like to attach this pen to a lanyard or keyring. The integrated clip makes all of the TRC pens quite functional, if like me you regularly clip your pens to shirt pockets and the front of notebooks.

While the Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoints feel solid, they are still relatively inexpensive writing instruments that rely on the same metal ferrule system used in vintage bullet pencils. The fountain pen receives a bit of an upgrade, featuring a brass “bullet” section that makes the fountain pen feel like a more elegant, and likely more durable, writing instrument. The nib appears to be a JoWo No. 5, based on feed design and performance. While I’ve not experimented myself, I’ve heard anecdotal reports of JoWo No. 5 nib units being interchangeable with the one that ships on this pen. In any event, the included nib is stamped “Fine” with the Traveler’s Company Logo, and I’ve found it to be a smooth and reliable writer. This pen refills with short international cartridges. While I imagine Kaweco and Monteverde mini-converters will also fit, I typically rely on cartridges for most of my pocket pens due to issues with reliability and low ink capacity.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

No product is harder to do correctly than a pocket fountain pen, and the industry is littered with examples of poorly executed attempts and good ideas that simply never caught on. Occasionally, someone will absolutely nail the form factor, and what’s great is how Traveler’s Company has managed to make a pocket fountain pen that actually looks nearly identical to their Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoint, drawing on a beloved vintage design to create an instantly recognizable aesthetic that captures the personality of the company. I’ve long been a fan of the Traveler’s Notebook and related accessories, and TRC has clearly put a lot of effort into expanding its product line in a way that maintains quality and doesn’t dilute the brand identity.

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company pocket pens and pencils, including the Brass “Bullet Pencil,” the Brass Ballpoint, and now the fountain pen, priced at $75. Currently, the fountain pen is only available in the “Factory Green” finish but I will be looking to stock more in the near future, along with additional Traveler’s Company products.

Further Reading

Last week, I wrote a short piece describing the Traveler’s Company Pocket Ballpoint. I also have a periodically updated standing piece discussing some of my other favorite Pocket Pens, which you may find helpful. While I haven’t had enough time with the TRC pens to justify adding them to the larger Pocket Pens index, they will probably make an appearance on that list in the future.

Disclaimer: As noted above, I am an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company products. As a general matter, I only sell products I’m willing to stand behind, but everyone has different needs so I strongly encourage everyone to do their own research as opposed to relying solely on my opinions as expressed in this blog.

An Overlooked Gem? The Traveler's Company Brass Ballpoint Pen

A couple of weeks back I posted the “travel kit” that I had packed to take with me on vacation. As usual, I was overly optimistic in thinking I would write through three fully inked fountain pens, though I did manage to get a bit of journaling in over the course of the week. (This wasn’t necessarily due to a lack of motivation, but rather a lack of privacy/space, as the rental we stayed in turned out to be MUCH more cramped than anticipated.) I ended up spending much of my free time reading, with my annotation pen of choice being the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint that I kept clipped to the front cover of my book, even on the beach.

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Traveler’s Company (sometimes referred to as “TRC”) is the maker of the ubiquitous Traveler’s Notebook, formerly sold under the Midori mark but spun off around 2015 into its own group of products that includes not just the Traveler’s Notebook but a line of related accessories, including writing instruments.

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A vintage bullet pencil from the 1940s on the left, compared against the modern Traveler’s Company version.

The TRC “Brass Pencil” (formerly known as the “Midori Bullet Pencil”) has been around for several years, and regarded as the modern bullet pencil that most closely imitated the vintage form factor. Although it’s a high-quality writing instrument, the market for true bullet pencils is somewhat limited, and TRC apparently decided to expand the form factor by releasing ballpoint, rollerball, and, yes, even fountain pen versions.

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Today I plan to take a closer look at the TRC Brass Ballpoint. In order to maintain the traditional “Bullet Pencil” form factor, TRC developed a woodcase insert to hold the refill, which is a needle-tip hybrid ballpoint refill that I found thoroughly enjoyable to write with. Reminiscent of a Uniball Jetstream, it dries quickly and maintains a very fine line for a ballpoint pen. Best of all, the refill is relatively inexpensive, clocking in at $1.80 for one that should last you a very long time. I wrote with this pen daily for a week and have barely put a dent in the ink.

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The Traveler’s Company ballpoint refill writes like a cross between the Jetstream and the Hi-Tec-C. Honestly, it may perform better for many people.

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The TRC Brass Ballpoint is also available in the matte “Factory Green” finish, a special edition.

Otherwise, I enjoy the Traveler’s Company Ballpoint because it retains the vintage-style charm of a classic bullet pencil in what many will consider a more functional everyday format. This pen is comfortable to use - it feels exactly like writing with a rounded pencil - and the clip, brass construction, and overall light weight make it an excellent travel companion or pocket pen for when you’re out and about.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I’m not a hardcore “everyday carry” enthusiast, I have a soft spot for pocket pens, and lean heavily towards ballpoints for most of my on-the-go writing. The trouble with ballpoints - and pocket ballpoints especially - is that it can be difficult to find a decent fine-point refill. If you write small, and/or prefer needle-tip pens, consider giving the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint a try.

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company pocket pens and pencils, including the Brass “Bullet Pencil,” the Brass Ballpoint, and now a fountain pen. The TRC Brass Ballpoint starts at $30. In addition to the standard brass versions, I also carry the “Factory Green” pens. Look for additional write-ups on the rest of the line as I put my demos through their paces!

Disclaimer: As noted, the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.