Thursday Drops: Traveler's Company 2025 Planners, Plus New Blackwing Pencils and Notebooks!

Yesterday marked the launch of the 2025 Traveler's Company Planners/Diaries, and you can get yours now in the shop, along with all of the 2025 accessories including folders, pencil boards, and more! We also have the Diamine Inkvent “Black Edition” Calendars available for preorder, which should ship or be available for pickup in the store later this week as soon as they arrive.

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The latest Blackwing Volumes release includes both a pencil set and legal pads.

The biggest new arrival was two huge boxes of Blackwing restocks and new limited editions, including the Volume 71 Pencil and limited edition legal pads. We also have Blackwing Spiral Notebooks, Reporter Notebooks, and yes, the Canvas Pouch that’s long enough to hold 36 unsharpened Blackwing pencils. Happy Shopping!

1. Traveler’s Company 2025 Dated Planners. It’s planner time again, and this week Traveler’s Company released the 2025 diary refills in three Standard formats (Weekly, Weekly + Memo, and Monthly) and two Passport (Weekly and Monthly).

2. Traveler’s Company 2025 Limited Edition Folders. This year’s accessories feature a peace and love theme dubbed “Love and Trip,” and you have both Standard and Passport folder options to hold all of your travel papers and/or trip mementos.

3. Traveler’s Company 2025 Limited Edition Pencil Boards. The pencil boards are always popular, as they share the same annual theme and allow you to add a harder writing surface to your Traveler’s Notebook for working on the go. Available in Standard and Passport sizes.

4. Traveler’s Company 2025 Custom Sticker Set. Personalize your Traveler’s Notebook, refills, and accessories with the annual sticker set that includes a variety of stickers, labels, dry transfers, and more.

5. Traveler’s Company Tokyo Refill. This year’s limited edition notebook theme was “Tokyo”, and while those are sold out, we do have remaining stock of the MD Paper Refills with the Tokyo-themed decor on the cover.

6. Diamine Inkvent “Black Edition”. Already? Yes - go ahead and pre-order yours so that you’re prepared to play along starting December 1 (or earlier, if you’re into spoilers). These will ship as soon as we have them in our hands, probably later this week.

7. Blackwing Spiral Notebooks. We recently received a shipment of the new Blackwing Spiral Notebooks in A4, with extremely sturdy chipboard covers and four ruling choices. I’m a fan of Blackwing paper - it’s good for all but the very wettest fountain pen nibs, and especially pleasant to write on with a tactile pencil.

8. Blackwing Reporter Pads/Notebooks. I’m always on the lookout for a reporter-style notebook with quality paper and durable construction. Featuring the same Blackwing Paper and ruling choices as the Spiral Notebooks and “Illegal” Pads.

9. Blackwing Volume 71 (Frank Lloyd Wright) Limited Edition Pencils. The latest limited edition Blackwing Volumes set feature a combination of lacquer and natural wood, inspired by Wright’s Usonian home design. Extra-firm graphite for long, sharp points!

10. Blackwing Volume 71 Legal Pads. In conjunction with the release of the Frank Lloyd Wright Pencil, Blackwing has also released a limited edition legal pad, featuring a slightly larger 9” x 12” format (“Arch A”), sold in a set of two pads with different grids, both rectangle and triangle/isometric. I love the red binding and tan ruling!

11. Blackwing Volume 746 (Golden Gate Bridge) Limited Edition Pencils. These gorgeous red/orange limited editions, which may be my favorite Blackwing Volumes release to date, are back in stock.

12. Blackwing Canvas Pencil Pouch. Yes, these are long enough to hold unsharpened Blackwing Pencils, and 36 of them at that!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content please give us a follow and consider supporting us by shopping with us directly or pledging via Patreon. Many thanks!

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New Arrivals: Pre-D.C. Restock on Traveler's Notebooks, Maruman Mnemosyne, and Life Specialty Papers

The post-move restock has commenced! This morning we received 12 giant boxes containing a long-awaited restock of Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks and pads in most formats and rulings, as well as a restock of Life paper including Bank Paper writing pads and letter pads, Typewriter Paper, Airmail Paper and more. For those of you who have asked about the Midori MD and MD Cotton Letter Writing Paper, that arrived as well with a shipment of Traveler’s Notebook starter kits in all colors and sizes. Keep checking back, and I plan to post more progress photos of the shop as it comes together. Many thanks for all your support, and I hope to see many of you at this week’s upcoming D.C. Pen Show!

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Life Typewriting Paper always sells out quickly, so I bought a lot this time.

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The shop shelving and displays are starting to go in and we’re thrilled!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Travel Chronicles: Actually Traveling with a "Traveler's Notebook"

As befits its name, the Traveler’s Notebook makes a fabulous traveling companion, or so I’ve found on more than one occasion over the past month. Since I’m on the road for a brief long-weekend trip before a hectic week that includes Fountain Pen Day and my eventual return to the office, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the specific setup that I’m using in my personal Traveler’s Notebook, namely the accessories.

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Accessories - Folders, Cases, and Card Holders for the Road

For me, the accessories are the most important items for a “travel” rig since they transform the Traveler’s Notebook from a “notebook” to a functional travel portfolio/wallet. I’m currently outside the U.S., so I need to carry more documentation that I typically would on a domestic flight, including a passport, customs documents, cash, etc., as well as multiple credit cards, identification, and paper copies of my itinerary and confirmations. Here are the various accessories currently in my Traveler’s Notebook:

• Zippered PVC Case. While I always use the clear PVC zippered case to hold things like stamps, paper clips, and Book Darts, this weekend I used it to carry my Passport and customs receipts while moving through the airport. It’s a convenient - yet relatively secure - way for me to keep these documents handy. (I wouldn’t recommend storing these documents in your notebook when you’re not actively using them. Keep them in the hotel safe or concealed on your person!)

• Traveler’s Notebook Pocket Stickers. Like the PVC Zippered pouch above and the folder discussed below, you can add pockets to the front and back covers of your Traveler’s notebook to hold printed copies of confirmations and itineraries, cards, and more. They aren’t necessary for the particular cover I’m using on this trip (more on that below), but I have them in both of my Standard leather covers.

• Traveler’s Notebook Sticky Notes. I’m a sticky note addict who is never without a healthy supply of them. I make “side notes” to myself when I’m journaling, annotate books that I’m reading, and most importantly, leave last-minute notes to the dogsitter while I’m running out the door late for my flight. Though I might not use them regularly when I travel, I can’t bring myself to leave them at home.

• 2024 Limited Edition Plastic Folders and Pencil Boards. I didn’t realize how useful pencil boards (and journaling stencils in general) were until I began using one of my Atelier Musubi notebooks as my personal journal. Not only does it allow you to change up the ruling as you work your way through a blank notebook, but here it helps in situations where you don’t have a sturdy, level writing surface, especially for a fountain pen. A pencil board can also “firm up” the softer Traveler’s Notebook cover, creating a better platform for writing while standing.

• Brass Binder Clip. Whenever I’m writing on the go, and especially when I sometimes have to write standing up, on an airline seatback tray table, or other cramped space, I rely on the Traveler’s Company Brass Binder clip to help hold the notebook open, to mark my place in a specific refill, and even to just clip papers together. This clip is actually one of my most-used stationery accessories across the board, as I switch it between different systems and also carry it in my Roterfadens and Plotters.

You can read more on my personal Traveler’s Notebook Setups here, and if you’d like a tutorial on how to install and connect different refills in the Traveler’s Notebook covers, I’ve also done posts on that in the past.

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My favorite notebook cover ever. No I won’t part with it.

For those Who Ask, No, That’s Not an Official Traveler’s Notebook Cover and This One is Unfortunately Unobtainium, Though I Hope That Changes.

It’s actually an older Roterfaden model cut in an A5 slim size, which is no longer made. I love it because it easily fits Traveler’s Company and other similarly sized refills, and I’m hoping that Roterfaden will agree to bring it back. You can, of course, clip Traveler’s Company refills and accessories into the regular A5 Roterfaden covers, and you can take advantage of their stitched-in card pockets for credits cards and IDs.

This is a very short trip, as I’ll be back Monday, so no delays to regular content, etc. Maybe I’ll do one-more travel-related post on my return?

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It’s a toss-up for me whether the PVC Zippered Pouch or the Brass Clip is the more overall useful stationery accessory.

The canvas slots on the inside cover of this particular Roterfaden transform this cover into an excellent oversized travel wallet.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. The Gentleman Stationer is also an authorized retailer of both Traveler’s Company and Roterfaden products.

Pocket Fountain Pens, Part II: Further Reflections on Pocket Carry

Back in January, I wrote a piece in the “Workhorse Pens” series that I had been thinking on for quite some time, titled the “Considerations and Pitfalls of High-Capacity Pocket Fountain Pens.” The specific focus of that article was what I refer to as “pocket ink tanks,” namely high-ink-capacity pocket pens with either a piston, vacuum, or eyedropper filling system. While it can be extraordinarily convenient for those of us who do a lot of writing to carry a full 4ml of ink around in our pocket - and some of these pens do indeed seemingly write forever - there are all sorts of caveats that you need to consider in order to avoid a pocket ink-splosion.

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Yes, pocket pen converters do exist! Kaweco (left) and Sailor (right).

But what about pocket fountain pens that use a standard ink cartridge-converter filling system? Are they any “safer”, and to what extent are they subject to the same risks and considerations as the so-called ink tanks? The short answer is that cartridge-converter pocket pens are fairly low-maintenance and easy to use, but still require some attention in order to ensure an enjoyable writing experience. A few thoughts and observations:

• Because cartridge-converter pens hold less ink, there’s proportionately less risk of a mess, but still a risk of a mess. Trust me, if a fountain pen ink cartridge explodes, it will cause a big mess. (Especially if you put it through the washing machine.) But it’s not 4ml worth of mess, and the ink is doubly contained, both within the cartridge, and then again within the barrel of the pen. If your pocket fountain pen has o-rings set into the cap and barrel threads, you’re even less likely to ruin your bag or clothing provided you’re always careful when uncapping the pen after travel.

• Cartridge-converter pocket pens are less prone to burping and leaking into the cap. Because the ink is held inside the cartridge or converter, which in turn is inside the barrel, it’s more insulated from temperature fluctuations, which can cause “burping” - i.e., what happens when warming ink expands and gets pushed out of the nib and feed. There’s no way to eliminate the risk entirely, especially if you carry a fountain pen in your pants pocket, but I’ve had much less trouble with cartridge-converter pens than those that use the barrel itself as the ink reservoir.

• Be mindful of condensation in the cap and the pen getting jostled around. No matter how careful you are, you can’t outsmart the laws of physics and thermodynamics. If you carry a fountain pen in your pocket, it’s really just a plastic or metal tube of ink that writes via a “controlled leak” through the nib and feed. If the pen gets bumped, or you’re particularly active, a drop or two of ink might leak out into the cap or onto the nib. If the pen warms up in your pocket, you might see some inky condensation on the nib. There’s no avoiding these things, so no matter what kind of pocket fountain pen you are using, use some caution when you uncap it for the first time to avoid getting any stray drops onto your clothes, desk, bag, etc.

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The nib on the Sailor Pro Gear Mini Sapporo - you can see some dried ink that leaked out onto the nib when I was carrying it on my Plotter Mini 5 in my pocket on an airplane. It’s minimal, to be sure, and there was no real mess, but it’s a factor to consider.

A Few Examples of Low-Maintenance Pocket Fountain Pens

I pocket carry fountain pens all the time, both cartridge-converter pens as well as the pocket ink tanks. I generally won’t hesitate to carry any of my more compact fountain pens in my pocket as long as I’m conscious of not doubling up with keys, knives, etc. Of course, the quintessential cartridge-converter pocket fountain pen is the Kaweco Sport, which has a low barrier to entry and ease-of-use, as well as tons of different materials and finishes to choose from. Honestly, if you hear the term “pocket fountain pen,” most people immediately think of the Sport, to the degree that pen has almost become synonymous with the product category.

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Two-toned grey? Sign me up.

It’s not the only option, however. A favorite of mine - though at a higher price point - is the Schon DSGN Pocket 6, which comes in a wild array of finishes, is compatible with Ian Schon’s in-house Monoc Nib, and features durable metal construction (complete with o-rings to protect against leaks). I’ve also had good luck with the Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen, based on a traditional “bullet pencil” design. And of course I recently reviewed the Wingback Fountain Pen.

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So what inspired this article? This past weekend at the Dallas Pen Show, I picked up a Sailor Pro Gear Sapporo Mini from my friends at Vanness Pens, who I was helping at their table. They are the exclusive U.S. retail partner for Japanese stationer Nagasawa, and brought with them a wide range of Nagasawa-exclusive Sailor pens that included this Pro Gear Sapporo Mini in “Mouette” two-toned grey. (“Mouette” is the French word for seagull, and the pen is adorned with a couple of different seagull motifs, including on both the nib and cap finial.) This particular Sapporo Mini came with a smaller Sailor converter (win!), and it clips perfectly to the pen loop on my Plotter Mini 5. I’ve been carrying this pen all week in my pocket alongside the Mini 5, which doubles as my wallet, and so far I’ve had no issues. This version of the Sapporo Mini doesn’t have a threaded end-cap, so it posts easily for quick deployment, likely earning it a key role in the pocket rotation going forward.

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Sailor Sapporo Mini on the Plotter Mini 5, and as you can see, there are no threads on the end cap of this version.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links.

Shop Update: Olive Traveler's Notebooks Are Back in Stock!

Late last week we received a small shipment of the Standard Olive Traveler’s Notebook Covers. Since Traveler’s Company sets up their own table at the San Francisco Pen Show and sells directly there, I probably won’t be bringing these with me unless someone places an order for pen show delivery. We also have a few of the matching Olive Pen Holders, as well as Sticker Release and Accordion Refills in both Standard and Passport sizes, as these were recently added to the standard Traveler’s lineup. Orders will ship until close of business on Wednesday August 23, and even though we’re traveling anything placed over the weekend will probably still fall within the 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks!

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The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all Traveler’s Company products, including the Traveler’s Notebook system as well as the Spiral Ring Notebooks and Watercolor Sketchbooks.