Bag Dump of Ballpoint, Rollerballs, and Gel Pens

Travel Interlude: First Bag Dump of 2025, Plus a Travel/Pen Show Week Promo

March 5, 2025

It’s been a while since I did a “Bag Dump” post, probably because I haven’t traveled much in the last six months. For a short 2-day trip like this one, I still carry a fair amount of stationery, especially when the travel relates to a work conference where I’ll be taking a lot of notes. Because this trip doesn’t involve a pen show (sorry, Baltimore!), you won’t see any fountain pens featured here, and this particular Rickshaw Sinclair Model-R permanently holds a fistful of workhorse rollerballs, ballpoints, fineliners, and gel pens, which is what you see above from left to right:

Rickshaw Bagworks Sinclair Model-R Pen Case in Saffron Yellow. One of my absolute favorite pen cases for travel, the Sinclair Model-R (and previously, the Nock Co. Sinclair) makes a great modular case that’s simple to move between bags.
Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Gel Pen. A review in process, and one where I keep going back and forth on how much I like the product. Some days, I love the Drehgriffel; on other days I wish it were slightly larger. Stay tuned.
Lamy 2000 Rollerball. I’m not a proponent of the Lamy 2000 fountain pen for air travel, since hooded nib pens don’t generally don’t handle the pressure change well and tend to burp ink into the cap. Given how much I love the overall design of the Lamy 2000, however, one of the other Lamy 2000 formats always comes with me. Here, I’ve hacked a .5mm Ohto rollerball refill by taping a small piece of paper to the end to make it longer, so this is a rollerball pen with a fine refill that doesn’t feather or bleed. Perfection? Possibly.
Tom’s Studio Lumos Pro Duo Fineliner, with Leather Rollstop/Grip. You all know how much I use these things, so I won’t belabor the point, but I added the rollstop to ensure this one doesn’t end up rolling off the table onto the floor. I don’t want to be that guy crawling up the aisle at a conference in the middle of the presentation looking for his pen. I swore that would never happen again.
Gravitas Twist Ultemate Ballpoint. A pen that I picked up some time ago but have held off on reviewing while Gravitas worked through some production issues. It’s back in the queue for future commentary.
Uni Jetstream Prime Lite Touch 3 Multi Pen. I don’t go anywhere without at least one Multi Pen. The recently released Lite Touch 3 made the cut for this outing.
Lamy Swift Retractable Rollerball. Stay tuned on this one, as it has a few cool aspects that I’ve never seen on another pen. (Like a retractable clip?) I received a couple of these pens with the large rotating Lamy display I ordered earlier this month, and I plan to have more to list in the coming weeks.
Montblanc Classique Ballpoint with Monteverde for Montblanc Gel Refill. Yes, you can turn your Montblanc twist ballpoint into a gel pen. These Monteverde for Montblanc gel refills are still around, and very good.
Pilot S20 Ballpoint. While I love my Jetstreams, Pilot’s “Acro-Ink” is excellent, and the Pilot S20 might be my favorite ballpoint for long writing sessions.
Notsu Vegan Leather Notecard Holder. It fit perfectly inside the Sinclair, what do you know? I plan to have this with me at my conference to discretely jot down any non-conference related thoughts that may be worth retaining.

Travel Notebooks: Plotter, Midori 5-Year, Lochby Field Journal Mini — So what about notebooks? With me this week are the same three notebooks I picked to start 2025 (the Musubi is very close to completion), along with the Lochby Field Journal Mini, which sadly will be out of stock for a while, from what Lochby tells me.

And What’s a Pen Show Week Without a Promo? This Time on Notebook Systems!

If I’m attending a pen show, I’ll always have something on special to compensate for the fact that I’m away from the shop for a few days (until Friday), and also to let those who can’t attend the actual show to get in on the fun. Even though I won’t be at the 2025 Baltimore Pen Show, I thought it might be fun to do a flash promo on notebook systems through Friday, March 7. Take 10% off notebook systems, including Traveler’s, Midori, Lochby, Laconic, and Stàlogy, using the code “TRAVEL” at checkout. I hope you use them for something fun!

Filson Bag Under Seat — I’ve switched things up some lately, but since I prefer aisle seats with little under-seat storage, this week’s travel companion was my classic Filson Twill Briefcase.

Did you like this post? The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. To accompany this post, I filmed a short “unpacking” video (a true “bag dump”), which you can now view on the YouTube Channel!

Youtube bag dump video thumbnail showing pens laid out on a desk with a pen case to the side.

Cornelissen is an art supply/calligraphy dealer that has been in business in some form since 1848.

Travel Interlude, Part II: Stationery Shopping in London, a Photographic Recap!

October 9, 2024

While a full recap of my adventures will have to await my return, along with a spread of what I’ve picked up on my travels, I thought it might be fun to live post some of the pictures I’ve taken in real time. My main observation regarding stationery stores in London (and most other boutique shops, for that matter), is that most are thoughtfully curated and laid-out, as opposed to the warehouse-style displays that you tend to see in the U.S. I’ve found the shopping experience to be pleasant and less-intense, and it was quite fun and even relaxing to shop for an afternoon! I’ve not had that experience in quite some time.

So far I’ve visited four main stores that sell stationery and related goods: L. Cornelissen (a calligraphy and art supply dealer); Present & Correct (a heavily curated stationery store with a thoughtful selection of unusual notebooks, writing implements - mostly ballpoints and pencils - and desk accessories); Choosing Keeping (probably the most “traditional stationery store” of the bunch); and the London Graphic Centre (a classic art/student supply store that sells the Freitag line of bags, which I’m still debating). I’ll post my full recap of what I purchased when I return, as most of it is so carefully wrapped and packaged that I want to have an opportunity to photograph the unboxing as well!

Present and Correct Shop Window, London, UK — Present & Correct features one of the more thoughtfully curated selection of stationery and office items I’ve ever seen in person.

Choosing Keeping Storefront, London UK — I of course had to photograph both sides of the iconic Choosing Keeping Storefront.

Choosing Keeping London Window Display — On the round table in the background you can see the iconic Choosing Keeping Notebooks, of which I purchased two.

London Graphic Centre Storefront — London Graphic Centre is right around the corner from Choosing Keeping.

Freitag Bag Display London Graphic Centre — In our stationery community they are best known for their selection of Freitag bags, which are made from recycled truck tarps, car seat belts, and water bottles, making them both waterproof and generally indestructible. I'm still considering, but seeing that I experienced near-disaster last night after being caught in the rain with a bag of paper, I'm leaning towards "yes".

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. While our Brick and Mortar Shop is closed due to travel, regular online orders are still being processed and shipped by our helpers. 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!

Travel Prep 2024, Part II: Choosing Pens for Travel

September 28, 2024

Continuing my mini-series of posts relating to upcoming travel, I thought I’d post my pen “packing list” for next week’s trip to London. You’ll notice a trend: I’m going for low-maintenance writing instruments focusing on ease-of-use, and plan to travel with everything in a single Rickshaw Sinclair Model R. Per my post from Wednesday, paper/notebook carry for this trip will consist of my Traveler’s Notebook and Hobonichi Weeks, and I should have plenty of room to bring stuff home!

Rickshaw Sinclair Model R Vanness Model — What's going with me? My Rickshaw x Leigh Reyes Vanness Pens Exclusive!

Traveler’s Company Ballpoint Pen or Anterique Mini/Brass Mini Ballpoint. I have a certain category of pens that I consider my “reading” pens, which I can easily clip to the front cover of a book - especially when I’m on the beach or on an airplane. These pens aren’t intended for long writing sessions; rather, I use them for underlining, annotating, and other marginalia. I’ll probably bring at least two with me.
Anterique Brass Ballpoint Pen. These full-size low-viscosity ballpoints have a nice weight to them as well as an excellent .5mm refill that writes well on all types of paper, and which is quite convenient for travel. Some of you have asked recently about refill compatibility for these pens: While the stock refill is excellent, you can also use Bic-style “butterfly” refills, though you may need to adjust the length. For example, I have the pen shown here equipped with a slightly trimmed-down Ohto Needle-Tip refill.
T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works mk1. You didn’t think I was going to leave this one off the list, did you? While you can read more about why I love the Sunderland mk1 in the full review, It’s durability, ability to post, and comfortable grip has long made this pen a go-to travel companion, as well as an excellent everyday writer that is easy to use in meetings.
Tom’s Studio Lumos Write Fineliner. One of the reasons I love these refillable fineliners is that they give me a way to use my fountain pen ink without having to worry about spills, leaks, or carrying refills. The Lumos pens refill using a cotton wick system, and the “Write” version comes equipped with firmer fineliner tips intended for writing, though you can always opt for the Lumos Pro and Lumos Pro Duo pens, which include a full set of 11 tips to choose from. I can’t emphasize how convenient these are. I’ve only had to refill my own pens once in about 6 months, since fineliners are much more efficient with their ink consumption than fountain pens.
Vacuum Filler Fountain Pen. I’m going to list a general category here in slot number five. I will bring one fountain pen with me on the trip, and it will be a vacuum filler (probably my Pilot Custom 823), which should easily last me a week even if I were writing exclusively with this one pen every day. Vacuum fillers also have the shutoff valve that you can close to prevent ink from leaking into the cap on the airplane.

Anterique Brass Mini as a Beach Pen — I took an Anterique brass mini pen on my last beach trip, and it's portability served me well.

Still Looking for Recommendations: London and the U.K.

I’m currently planning to be in London, U.K. in early October (but, alas, not for the London Autumn Pen Show). If you have any recommendations for shops I can visit or only-in-the-UK stationery brands I should explore, please drop a comment or send me a message! I’m currently planning to visit Choosing Keeping and Present and Correct, but would love to keep a full day (or two) of exploration on the calendar.

The physical shop will be temporarily closed to the public for the following two weekends due to the aforementioned international travel. Online orders will continue to ship while I am away. Please keep checking this page for updated opening hours and our public schedule.

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

Traveler's Notebook and Hobonichi Weeks — Left, my Traveler's Notebook (last year's L.E.), and a Hobonichi Weeks in a Galen Leather cover.

Travel Prep 2024, Part I: Choosing Notebooks for a Long Trip, Plus a Hobonichi Update

September 25, 2024

Next month, my family and I will be taking our first significant international trip since before our daughter was born (11 years ago!). While I spent a significant amount of time outside of the United States when I was younger, I’m looking forward to visiting - and revisiting - certain cities now that I have a keener interest in all things pen and paper, as well as more free time and financial ability to explore than I did when I was a broke student. Now let’s get down to the first fun part of planning any trip: What pens and paper do I plan to bring with me?

Traveling with Stationery: A Stripped-Down Travel Kit

I’ve dramatically changed my approach to travel stationery over the years. Whereas I used to regularly fly with three or four different notebooks - sometimes using them all, sometimes not - I’ve moved towards a much leaner setup, especially on personal trips. For this upcoming week, I plan to bring two notebooks: (1) a multi-refill cover such as a Traveler’s Notebook or Roterfaden A5; and (2) my Hobonichi Weeks. The multi-refill “modular” cover allows me to carry different rulings and paper types in a single “book”, and I may even leave one of the slots open since I know I’ll be picking up some new items at stores I plan to visit. More on that below. The smaller Weeks will serve as a trip planner/journal that I can easily carry around town, especially with a Moterm cover I have that includes slots for cards, passes, etc.

Hobonichi Weeks and Traveler's Standard Comparison size — I love the idea of having these two relatively compact notebooks be my travel carry for the week. We'll see if it actually happens.

Which cover I choose will really just depend on need. The advantage of the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter binder is that I can carry full-sized notebooks. If work is busy enough to where I will have to travel with my current work planner (the A5 Hobonichi Cousin), then I will likely bring one of my two A5 Roterfadens to fit the Cousin along with a couple of slimmer A5 notebooks. Otherwise, I would prefer to bring a Standard-sized Traveler’s Notebook, since the narrow size is more compact and fits easily into a shoulder bag.

Hobonichi Weeks Layout Week on Two Pages — The Weeks layout is perfect for planning a week in an "at a glance" format, especially when managing a travel schedule.

I also plan to bring my Hobonichi Weeks, as I’m already using the week-to-two-pages layout for planning tours, meals, and visits with friends. This upcoming trip is looking fairly busy, so I want to be sure that we’re not overscheduled on specific days and we leave plenty of “open time” for exploring. I love the compact size of this hardcover notebook, and I have plenty of blank pages left in the “Mega” version that I want to use up before the end of the year, perhaps as a travel journal?

A Note on Hobonichi Planners

I know that “Hobonichi Season” has kicked off and a few people have asked me for recommendations. This year I picked up three sizes: the A5 Cousin (as a work planner/time-blocking journal), an A6 Hobonichi (as a personal journal), and the Weeks (as a compact “capture” book that I used to habit-track, record exercise, reading, etc.). I don’t normally use three Hobonichis, and I intended this year to be a grand experiment to compare three popular sizes and expand my general frame of reference. I’ve therefore not used them all consistently, but I have been writing in one book or the other at any given time for most of the year. For 2025, I believe I will likely retire the A6 version, and possibly the Cousin. While I enjoy the paper and the aesthetics, I just don’t believe that how I personally tend to plan and write justifies the expense and bulk of the day-to-a-page books, especially where I have such a large stash of other journals and notebooks at home that would serve me just as well.

Hobonichi Planner A6 Format — I've used it on and off for several years, but I don't feel that I really benefit from the Hobonichi's structure for standard journaling, in the sense that I don't require a full dated page.

I’m more on the fence about the Hobonichi Weeks. I do like having a record of how I spend each day during the week, with space for general notes on what I’ve been thinking about and doing, as well as tracking habits and disciplines I’m trying to cultivate. I’ve come to realize that any sort of reflection, for me, doesn’t need to be recorded at length on a daily basis, and if I do need to expend more than a few lines, I’d rather write in a more open-format journal than in a dated “planner” where I end up with lots of blank space. The decision I’ll be making is whether to pick up another Weeks or go back to the Traveler’s Notebook Weekly + Memo 019 insert, which I’ve used extensively in the past.

Looking for Recommendations: London and the U.K.

Updated Shop Hours for the Coming Weeks

This week is Pelikan Hubs, so the shop will be opening slightly earlier on Friday (9/27) at 12pm and closing slightly earlier at 5:30pm so that I can make it to the Nashville Pelikan Hub by 6 to set up. I may also have extended hours on Sunday (9/29), since the physical shop will be temporarily closed to the public for the following two weekends due to the aforementioned international travel. Online orders will continue to ship while I am away. Please keep checking this page for updated opening hours and our public schedule.

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