More Thoughts on (Relatively) Inexpensive Stationery

Building on Wednesday’s post and accompanying YouTube video about why many of us love inexpensive pens, I’ve been thinking more broadly about the role that the less expensive stationery products play in my everyday rotation. While I firmly believe that all stationery - even the very nice pricey stuff - needs to get used at some point, because that’s what it’s made for - even I balk at using more expensive paper for things as routine as grocery lists, meeting notes that won’t be retained, draft markups, and other “junk paper” that I never intend to keep. Similarly, when I’m forced to write on cheap recycled copy paper at work, I don’t necessarily want to use my nicer inks in a context where they’ll just feather and bleed, and where I won’t get much enjoyment from the writing experience. So although I do tend to use the more “upscale” stuff for most of my personal journaling and longhand professional writing, here are five categories of relatively inexpensive stationery that I tend to keep on hand for the more mundane tasks:

1. Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Levenger, and Maruman Mnemosyne Paper. These paper brands handle most ink types relatively well, and the paper is fairly priced so that I don’t feel self-conscious about using it as scrap paper. Sure, I do sometimes still get comments from co-workers such as “You spent $8 on a legal pad?!?”, but honestly, if you care about a baseline level of quality in the tools you use, you learn to tolerate the attitude. (Sometimes I like to gently remind people that the legal pad I’m using still costs less than the coffee/beer they’re consuming during the course of our conversation, and will last 30x as long.)

2. .5mm Mechanical Pencils. For everyday office work, I’ve been relying more and more on mechanical pencils because I can use them for pretty much anything, without thinking about how they’ll perform on the paper. As you saw in Wednesday’s video, I’m a fan of the Pentel Sharp Kerry since it has a cap and slips easily into my pocket. The Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch is an underrated writer, which also comes in a .3mm for those who write very small.

3. Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen with EF Desk Pen Nib. This particular pen requires a bit of a hack, but if you take the EF steel nib from the Platinum Desk Pen and swap it into a Platinum Plaisir fountain pen, you get an excellent everyday writer that works quite well on less expensive paper, especially when you pair it with Platinum Carbon Black or Blue-Black cartridges (both great “cheap paper” inks).

4. Standard Blue, Black, or Blue-Black Ink. Speaking of ink, I always have one or two workhorse fountain pens inked up with very basic water-based “pen company” inks that I know will behave moderately well no matter how they are used. All of the Waterman Inks, basic Pilot Blue, Black, and Blue-Black, and the Platinum cartridges linked above are all rock-solid options.

5. Low-Viscosity Ballpoint Multi Pen. Alongside my mechanical pencils, a versatile three or four-color multi pen is always in my rotation. While not the most inexpensive, the Lamy 2000 4-color is my main workhorse, supplemented by various Jetstream Multi Pens and the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto gel pen. The ballpoints come in handy for when I need to sign documents in permanent ink (not an infrequent occurrence), and the Coleto Multi Pen when I need a pop of color.

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My Platinum Plaisir Frankenpen (Top) and a green Pentel Sharp Kerry I’ve had for years.

As someone who makes a chunk of their living writing about and selling stationery, people often expect that I use the most expensive stuff available, and that’s far from the truth. Most of what I use day-to-day falls well under the $30 price point (and sometimes sub-$20). It’s one reason I’m not overly pessimistic about the future of our hobby in the face of inflation and rising costs. Even if we end up having to scale down, there’s plenty of great options to be had for not a lot of money!

Thank you for reading! The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our in-person location, you can view directions and up-to-date hours here.

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Offbeat Blue Inks: Trying Darker Teals and Turquoises

While blue ink is often the “safest” fountain pen ink out there - both for your pens and your reputation at the office - using a standard blue as your daily driver can eventually start to feel stale. I love my Waterman Blue, but given how much writing I actually do on a daily basis, I always try to keep a steady stream of “alternative blues” at the ready to avoid ink burnout. One of my favorite color families to explore are dark teals and turquoises, which add variety and possibly even a touch of sophistication to your notes and/or signatures.

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Did you know that it was National Rubber Duck day at the Philly Pen Show last weekend?

Lately, I’ve focused on four inks for my core “office” rotation: Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku, a new release which might be my current favorite from the line; Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku, an old favorite which shares many of the same tones as Sui-Gyoku, only slightly darker; Laban Poseidon Green, which I consider a blue ink despite how it’s marketed; and Wearingeul Wayfarer, a shimmer ink with subtle pink sparkles that can also be used as a standard ink if you fill the pen without first shaking the bottle.

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For my “office paper” writing sample, I chose Clairefontaine Seyes/French-Ruled.

None of these inks would typically be considered exciting, but for work they strike an appropriate balance. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean “boring” - you just have to know where to draw the line. My own rule of thumb is that the ink you use in the office shouldn’t overshadow or distract from the substance of the work you are trying to do. (i.e., You want the person whose memo you are commenting on to focus on the substance of your edits, not the fact that you wrote said edits in fluorescent orange shimmer ink.) On most standard office paper, and to the fountain-pen-uninitiated, these inks will appear blue. When you’re back at your own desk, however, writing on your quality paper of choice, you’ll enjoy the bit of dark red sheen on the Iroshizuku Inks, the shading on the Laban Poseidon Blue, and if you’re really daring, the faintest hint of pink/red shimmer on the Wayfarer!

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Writing samples on Tomoe River paper in a Hobonichi A6 Journal.

General Takeaways and Where to Buy

If I recommend an ink for “office use”, it’s because I’ve found the ink to dry relatively quickly, and to resist bleeding and feathering on all but the cheapest of papers. All three meet these requirements, and they’re also relatively inexpensive. The Iroshizuku and Laban inks are priced at under $25 for a full 50ml bottle, and while Wayfarer is a bit pricier at $22 for 30ml, you do tend to pay more for inks with special properties like shimmer. I have to add that I love the look of the Iroshizuku bottles, and have for years kept at least one on my desk at the office as a conversation piece.

If you enjoy our content and are interested in any of the inks featured, we would greatly appreciate your support by visiting and purchasing via our shop. We carry both Pilot Iroshizuku and Laban Greek Mythology Inks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and for brands we don’t carry (such as Wearingeul), we would refer you to our friends at Vanness Pens!

Every so slight shimmer can be work-appropriate. Just know your workplace!

Editor’s Note: Why Should You Care About Ink Color?

Whenever I write a post like this one, I receive questions and comments about “why I care what people think” about the ink I use in the office. First of all, let’s be realistic - while there are workplaces that would tolerate the use of glitter/shimmer ink on professional correspondence, many do not. You know your office and what you can get away with. For many of us, simply writing with a fountain pen - and the “messiness” it entails - pushes the envelope in and of itself.

Second, many professions (like law) require the use of certain ink colors for specific purposes, with blue the most common for signatures and official documents. In my experience, standard blue ink tends to be the most universally accepted and to behave the best on the widest range of different paper, including cheap recycled copy paper. Teals and turquoises, such as those shown here in today’s post, have mostly similar ink formulations so the performance does not change dramatically.

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 greatly appreciate your support!

"Boring" Can Be Better: In Defense of Standard Stationery

Sometimes what’s fun from a hobby perspective isn’t always what’s best for everyday use. That multichromatic triple-shading ink with shimmer? Probably not the best choice for quick meeting notes or signing closing paperwork on your mortgage. That triple-broad double-eagle reversible stub architect nib? That’s gonna bleed through a legal pad. While most of us enjoy our crazy stationery, it can’t take us everywhere.

The most common questions I get, both here on the blog and in-person when I’m behind a table at a pen show, concern what pen/ink/paper I can use everyday, without worrying how it’s going to perform. I often recommend that those planning on using their pens for everyday writing keep at least a couple of “workhorses,” or pens designed to write, without regard to unique design, collectibility, etc. I feel so strongly about this that I’ve devoted an entire series of articles on the blog to this topic, which I’ve compiled into an archive that’s constantly being updated.

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So-called “safe”- dare I say “boring” - inks don’t have to be ugly, especially if you like muted shades. It’s when you get into super-saturated colors and special properties when things get tricky.

But while pens get the most attention, more critical components of “everyday writing” are ink and paper. With fountain pens, I would say that ink is the key variable, since you often cannot control the paper you’re forced to use in a context such as the office. You therefore need to have a handful of “workhorse” inks in addition to your “workhorse” pens, that you can use knowing that they will likely perform decently on most paper options. Back in 2020, I even put together a sample pack of some of my favorite inks, including Waterman Blue, Sheaffer Skrip Red, and Lamy Black. While I may consider running that one back in the future, I’m not sure that recommending specific inks is all that helpful or necessary. For the most part, standard inks made by major pen company such as Waterman, Lamy, Sheaffer, Pilot, TWSBI, etc. will generally be “safe” to use in most pens and on most papers, and even boutique lines such as J. Herbin and Diamine - both made by ink companies that have existed for a very long time - are extremely reliable provided you stick to the water-based core lineup for your office writing, as opposed to inks with special properties such as shimmer that can be unpredictable on anything other than high-quality paper.

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“Boring” is relative. I’d consider all three of the inks pictured here to be “safe” inks in the sense that they water-based inks from longstanding, well-regarded brands. The Herbin “Vert de Gris” is a new discovery that I spent all day yesterday using at the office.

Advantages and Considerations When Using So-Called “Boring” Inks

So why don’t quality, reliable inks get more attention? Honestly, the fountain pen internet and social media tends to be driven in large part by people who either don’t actually write with their pens everyday, or use their inks for art and journaling where practical considerations are less relevant. When those creating the content consider the inks “boring,” they don’t get promoted and fall by the wayside. But I’m here to tell you that sometimes “boring” has a lot to offer! Consider:

• Ease of Cleaning. While some exceptions exist (pinks and purples in particular tend to be hard to clean no matter what), I value inks that flush out of pens quickly when you refill or change colors. Most of the brands I mentioned above take little to no effort to flush, and shouldn’t stain most materials, vintage or modern.

• Expense. Looking for an ink that you’re going to use a lot? While ink isn’t the most expensive part of this hobby, if you write through several converters a week like I can when I’m really busy, you probably don’t want to be stocking up on ink at $50 per bottle. Most of the inks I consider workhorses are less than $20 for 30-50ml.

• Permanence. People tend to treat “permanence” (more specifically, the lack thereof) as a negative rather than a positive when it comes to fountain pen ink, but I’ve come to believe it’s overrated. While it’s nice to have some water resistance, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve spilled water or a drink on some notes, and completely lost what I had written. On the other hand, I’ve frequently spilled ink when filling pens, when a pen leaks during travel, or when I accidentally drag a shirtsleeve across some writing that’s not quite dry. If it’s permanent ink, it’s probably going to stain. On the other hand, a few weeks ago I spilled a sample vial of Iroshizuku Tsukushi onto the rug in my office. I ran the rug through the washing machine and the ink washed out completely on the first try. On the other hand, I spilled a bottle of permanent blue-black on some carpet several years back and had to recarpet the room. Personally, I’ll take the safe/impermanent/washable option for those inks I plan to use everyday, but I’m also a klutz.

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Oops.

Now here’s the part where I sort of contradict myself: When I first entered this hobby, it used to be a reliable rule-of-thumb that if you were looking for a “safe” ink (i.e., to use in a finicky, valuable, or vintage pen) any ink made by a “pen company” was generally suitable. Today, I still get e-mails from people asking whether “X” shimmer ink is safe for vintage pens, since it’s made by “X” pen company. Having seen the rapidly expanding market for fountain pen ink, including inks that shimmer, sheen, and multi-shade, pen companies are expanding into these more specialized offerings. So while you can take the “pen company manufacturer rule” into account, it’s no longer something you can solely rely upon, and you have to do some homework. I generally advise people that if you want to purchase a particular ink for use everyday, and you want the ink to be versatile enough to use in as many different pens, on as many different papers as possible, it’s wise to avoid inks with special properties.

Come Visit Us At an upcoming pen show!

As I mentioned above, I’m getting ready to visit this year’s Baltimore Washington International Pen Show, as well as the Arkansas Pen Show the following week, and at both shows I’ll be conducting a free workshop tentatively titled “Stationery for Daily Use with the Gentleman Stationer,” in which I plan to discuss pens, inks, paper, and notebook systems appropriate for managing your daily life and work. The class will be similar to the “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens for Home and Office” seminar that I held at the last Baltimore Show I attended as a vendor, back in 2020.

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We will also plan to bring a curated selection of pens, inks, and notebooks with us to both shows, so you’ll have the opportunity to test out many of the goods in our shop in person. We hope to see you there!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program, and is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including certain ink brands mentioned in this article.

A New Ink for the New Year: Birmingham Ancho Chili Pepper

Last year I placed my first order with Pittsburgh-based Birmingham Pen Company, and ended up with a handful of interesting colors. The first ink I reviewed was Angelfish, one of their “Rich” formulation inks, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that this sheeny blue ink dried quickly and didn’t bleed, smear, or feather in the same way that many other super-saturated inks have a tendency to do. I’ve actually had Angelfish inked up since I reviewed it, and would even go so far as to call it a potential workhorse.

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A second Birmingham ink I’ve enjoyed is Ancho Chili Pepper, one of those colors that defies description, in that it’s a greenish-brownish-grey, which on some papers shows purplish or red undertones, especially when still wet. Ancho Chili Pepper features Birmingham’s “Crisp” formulation, meaning that the ink has been crafted to perform well on “a variety of premium, mid-range, and discount papers.” For me, this screams “workhorse ink,” and I can confirm that this ink largely lives up to its promises.

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The brown and reddish tones are most visible when the ink is still wet. As it dries, Ancho Chili Pepper takes on a more green-grey hue.

For one thing, the muted color fits me perfectly, in that it not only falls into my one of my personal favorite color schemes (dark greens, or should I say “green-ish inks”), but it’s the sort of office-appropriate muted color that stays interesting while not being overly ostentatious. I’ve found this ink performs quite well on high-end and mid-range papers, though I did experience some minor bleed-through and a touch of feathering with cheap copy paper. (I suspect it might perform better in a narrower nib - my long-term test pen has been a medium TWSBI Diamond 580 Rose Gold II, and I’ve found the rose gold plated TWSBI nibs to write a wetter line than their steel equivalents.)

I always opt for the smaller, 30ml bottle, but if you really enjoy certain colors you can purchase as much as 120ml of ink in an eyedropper bottle for only a minor upcharge.

I continue to be impressed with Birmingham inks, which can only be ordered directly from the Birmingham Pen Company website, including Ancho Chili Pepper. Most inks are available in 30ml, 60ml, and 120ml bottle options, and Ancho Chili Pepper is reasonably priced at $13, $16, and $19, respectively. The inks are hand-mixed in small batches, so certain colors go in and out of stock, but keep checking back if what you want is not available at the moment.

I purchased the ink featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal use. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. T.G.S. is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens and Pencils for Life

If I had to declare a mission statement for The Gentleman Stationer, it would be to help people find the best tools that inspire them, both personally and practically. In the context of pens, you’re mostly talking about selecting the best “everyday writer,” or to use my own preferred term, “workhorse.” This year, for the first time ever, I’ve been asked to host a seminar at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, and I couldn’t think of a better and more timely topic. If you’re attending the show and are around at 2:30p.m. on Saturday, please stop by for my class “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Tools for Home or Office”. It’s 100% free, and all are welcome.

The past several years have seen an explosion in terms of the variety of pens, inks, paper, notebooks, mechanical pencils, woodcase pencils, pencil sharpeners, pen cases - hell, even run-of-the-mill office supplies like sticky notes and paper clips. In an era where the pen is supposedly “dead” (remember THAT article?), or where handwriting should no longer be taught in schools (that one didn’t last either), I get multiple e-mails a week from readers who express a sense of overwhelm trying to make sense of the ever-expanding variety of nibs, inks, and paper when all they want is a high quality but-not-too-expensive set of versatile writing tools that can be used in everyday life situations.

These everyday writers will be making an appearance at The Gentleman Stationer table at the BWI Pen Show. Stop by and try one out!

The “Workhorse Pens” Series as a Guide to Choosing an Everyday Writer

Over the years I’ve written a loosely connected series of articles that I refer to as the Workhorse Pens series, which I like to think of as a catalog of my best fountain pens for everyday writing. So far, these have included the Lamy Studio, Lamy Safari, Faber-Castell e-Motion, Lamy 2000, and the Montblanc 146, with the list expanding as I continue my own personal explorations. I even wrote a separate piece on how you can choose your own workhorse, with some additional pen recommendations. Finally, some of the most popular content published on the blog has included “Five Best Fountain Pen Inks for Everyday Writing,” and “Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing.” In Baltimore, my goal is to bring this aspect of the blog to you.

I will have most, if not all, of the “Workhorse Pens” available for readers to experience in person, as well as some favorite ballpoints, rollerballs, multipens, and mechanical pencils - all tools that I regularly use in my own life. While I probably can’t bring multiple bottles of ink for testing, I may try to scrounge up some donations from vendors at the show. Woodcase pencils are much more portable and I plan to have some at the table.

I don’t want this class to actually be a class - I’d much prefer it if show organizers abandoned the traditional pen show “lecture” format, complete with a podium and rows of tables, in favor of a roundtable that promotes sharing and discussion. I’m going to do what I can to make the experience much more approachable and hands-on.

I’ll also have blog swag for sale, along with a few other choice items.

What to Expect at the TGS Table at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show

In addition to the class, 2020 marks the first year that I’ve ever booked a table at a pen show, and I honestly have no idea what to expect. First and foremost, I just want a predictable place to sit down and make it easier for people to find me and say hello. I’ll be there to take requests, answer any questions readers may have, or just visit. In terms of things available for purchase, I plan to have some TGS-branded goods (stickers, coasters, and buttons) along with a handful of gently “loved” pens from my collection and possibly some special surprises. While it’s never been my intention to be a full-service stationery retailer, I’ve been on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate with makers and offer my readers a curated set of goods that furthers the philosophy driving this blog. Baltimore may be a start.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone as pen show season kicks off in full force!

UPDATE: Since I ended up with enough buttons, coasters, and stickers to fill all the Patreon Orders and my suitcase for Baltimore, I have a limited number of full Swag Packs and Stickers ‘N Button backs available for purchase in the TGS Store. If these run out I will restock after the show.

Note: Any pens that remain in the TGS Store as of Wednesday of next week will be packed up and taken to the Baltimore Pen Show for sale. If you have had your eye on anything, grab it now. Also note that this post contains affiliate links.