Weekly Drops: Uni Style Fit Meister 5, Even More Multi Pen Madness, and the Annual Pen Show Weekend Discount!

The good thing about travel delays (as long as you can snag a place to work) is that you get some site updates done! Yesterday I managed to get the Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pens listed, along with all the refills in tip sizes ranging from .28mm to .5mm. The Style Fit has been around for so long that many people forget it exists, but it’s one of the best gel multi pens on the market for those who prefer a classic conical tip over a needle-point like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto. We also have refills for the Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens with the contoured wood grips, as well as Pilot Acroball D1 refills that will fit the Pilot Legno 2+1 as well as other D1 multi pens like the Lamy 2000, the Lamy ST, CP1, and Logo.

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We also have plenty remaining Yamamoto Bullet Jotters, though we are sold out of the new Canopus paper refills. (We have the other 5 remaining varieties, including Meringue.) I will also have a small number of the jotters at the D.C. Pen Show, assuming I actually manage to get on a plane.

AND, since it’s Pen Show Weekend, take 10% off most orders with “PENSHOW10” at checkout. (Certain brands cannot be discounted so the discount will not apply.) Note: If you are wanting to order a Roterfaden A5, I brought my entire remaining stock with me to the pen show. Be sure to place an order by tomorrow so I can remove it from pen show stock and hold it for shipment upon return.

If you’ve been following my social media, you’ll have heard that I had to miss the first day of the D.C. Pen Show due to flight delays, which ended up with a cancellation/rescheduling of my travel to Friday afternoon. It’s weather-related, so nothing to be done, but it means that my Friday afternoon workshop is cancelled. I should be there all day Saturday and Sunday, fingers crossed! Also, Brick and Mortar shopping in Nashville is closed Friday and Saturday, due to pen show attendance. Shopping available by appointment Tuesday and regular hours next Thursday-Saturday (8/7-8/9).

1. Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi-Pen. For those who prefer a conical tip gel pen over a needle-style like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C or the Pentel Energel, the Uni Style Fit is worth checking out. We have multiple color options in the 5-slot “Meister 5”, and 16 different refill color options from which to choose.

2. Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens. Pilot’s low-viscosity “Acro-Ink” is excellent, and should get equal air time as the Uni Jetstream. In addition to the Acroball/Dr. Grip multi pen refills (which we now stock), I understand that people have been able to get Uni Style Fit refills to fit this pen as well, though I’ve not experimented extensively. Stay tuned!

3. Pilot Legno 2+1. The Pilot Legno 2+1 is a three-slot multi pen that has room for two D1 refills and a mechanical pencil. The wood barrel features a contoured shape and comes in three different tones: red, black, brown, and mahogany. This version of the Legno multi pen has become one of my favorites, especially since the red and brown barrels match the Pilot S20 ballpoint and mechanical pencil, allowing you to build a set.

4. Pilot Acroball D1 Refills. We also have Pilot Acroball refills for the Legno 2+1, which are universal D1 size so they will also fit other D1 multi pens we carry.

5. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Jotter. These Bible-sized bullet portfolios hold two pads of specialty paper, which are perfect for stand-alone notetaking or for hole-punching and inclusion in a Bible-sized planner.

6. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Jotter Refill Pads. As with their paper samplers and select looseleaf paper packs, Yamamoto offers an expansive range of different papers that fit the Bullet Jotter, including Soliste, Sheep Clouds Bond, Slight White, Sanzen Tomoe River, and new additions Meringue and Canopus. (Apologies, but Canopus is currently sold out and I am working to get more.)

7. Yamamoto Paper Specialty Japanese Papers (A4 Looseleaf). We received a restock of the Yamamoto A4 looseleaf sample packs, including additional Slight White, Light Force, and Soliste.

8. Maruman Spiral Notebook Basic Notebook (Now with 150-sheet Options!). We now have the 150-sheet versions of the Maruman Basics Spiral Notebook, in both B5 and A5 sizes.

9. Notsu Notecards and Notecard Systems. The popular Notsu notecards are back in stock, including the Centre Rise box sets, packs of 50 loose notecards in multiple formats, and vegan leather notecard holders.

10. Toyo Stainless Steel Boxes. A popular new addition to our desk/office accessories lineup, these steel boxes from Toyo can hold anything from small office supplies like sticky notes and paper clips to small ink bottles. Toyo boxes come in various sizes and stack easily.

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Look at all those Style Fit refills!

Complementary Notebook Systems and Stationery: Yamamoto Bullet Jotters

Of all the notebook systems, planners, and related products on the market, what I really appreciate is a brand or system that doesn’t lock you into a specific format, allowing you to experiment with different types of paper and to mix-and-match refills. It’s a big reason why I like flexible cover-based systems like the Lochby Field Journal series, the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, and binder and disc-based systems that you can really unlock by buying a hole punch and using whatever paper you choose. In my Notebook Systems 101 workshops that I’ll be holding at the upcoming D.C. Pen Show next week, how different planner and notebook systems interact and complement one another will be a major topic of discussion.

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To that end, I wanted to spotlight a new product from Yamamoto Paper: The “Bullet Jotter,” which is a Personal/Bible-sized notepad holder that can be used as a stand-alone product or as a companion to a Bible-sized binder from brands such as Plotter. This small portfolio measures roughly 4.5” x 7.2”, lies completely flat, and holds two pads of Bible-sized paper (one pad of Soliste and another of Sheep Clouds Bond are included). You can use the notepads as is, and the paper can also be hole-punched for filing, as shown below in my Plotter.

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I used a Carl/Plotter hole punch to add the sheet of Sheep Clouds Bond to my Bible-size Plotter.

Yamamoto, a Japanese paper distributor, has sourced six different Japanese papers to fit the Bullet Jotter (or to use as individual notepads). In addition to the Soliste and Sheep Clouds Bond, there are pads of Sanzen Tomoe River, Canopus, Meringue, and Slight White. Some of these already have been made available in Yamamoto’s sampler packs and A4 looseleaf sets, but Canopus and Meringue are new papers that I look forward to exploring.

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As of this morning you can get the Yamamoto Bullet Jotter, refills, and plenty of other Yamamoto papers in our shop. We’re somewhat frantically trying to get a ton of new inventory listed before the D.C. Show, and these might come with us. Please note that we are open today (Saturday) for in-person shopping, and will be open Thursday for limited hours before closing next weekend for D.C. You can keep track of updated hours here.

TRAVELER's Notebook vs. Yamamoto Ro-Biki: What's the Difference?

Since I’m becoming something of a notebook system specialist (Check out our new resource here!), I sometimes get questions about how the different systems compare to one another. While the Traveler’s Notebook is the most widely known “tall narrow” notebook format, there’s another option out there: The “Ro-Biki Note” series of notebooks from Yamamoto Paper. Online photos can create the perception that these two systems are related and/or interchangeable, and that’s not necessarily the case. Here are a few key differences:

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The Ro-Biki canvas cover is actually more of a wrap. It ships with a velcro strap that not only closes the cover but also allows you to secure pens and other accessories in the outside pocket.

• Different Measurements. While both Traveler’s Notebook and Ro-Biki are the same height (8.25”), the Traveler’s refill notebooks are roughly 4.25” wide, and Ro-Biki notebooks are 3.75” wide. This means that Ro-Biki notebooks will fit in a standard-size Traveler’s Notebook cover but a Traveler’s refill will be too wide for the Ro-Biki canvas cover (unless you trim the Traveler’s refill down).

• Different Paper. Both brands use excellent paper that works well with a wide range of writing instruments - including fountain pens. Traveler’s Company mostly uses Midori MD paper for its standard refills (both companies share the same corporate parent), while also offering a wider range of options including watercolor, sketch, and ultralight Tomoe River paper. For the Ro-Biki notebooks, Yamamoto has chosen a soft cream-colored paper that I’ve seen identified as either “Chiffon Cream” or “Soliste” (which is one of the select papers in Yamamoto’s latest round of A4 packs). Again, both brands use good paper and this will come down to personal preference.

• Different Build/Aesthetics. Traveler’s Company uses a cord-based system to hold the refills inside a basic leather cover that closes with an elastic band. The Ro-Biki is a bit more unique, in that Yamamoto has commissioned a cotton canvas cover that incorporates a zippered case and pockets along the outside. If you enjoy the Ro-Biki paper and notebook dimensions, you might find that the Ro-Biki also offers more built-in functionality out of the box, though this comes at the expense of customization. Those looking to avoid leather might also prefer the Yamamoto option.

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I might take a Ro-Biki to the beach next week, since I can take it to the pool and down to the water without worrying about water getting splashed on leather.

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Sorry, some of my writing had to be blurred here, for personal reasons.

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Ro-Biki notebooks attach to the canvas cover by sliding the back cover of one notebook into a pocket, and then attaching additional notebooks to the “anchor notebook” using two supplied rubber bands, which are very thin and unobtrusive. Oh, and can we also get a shout-out for reticle grid? It’s one of the more underutilized rulings, IMHO.

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Regardless of which stationery pouch I’m carrying, I have post-it notes, stamps, and document flags with me.

Takeaways and My Personal Thoughts

Traveler’s Notebook and Yamamoto Ro-Biki Note are different products that I suspect will appeal to different users. Traveler’s Notebook is more of a truly customizable system/system techo, while I’d characterize Ro-Biki as a notebook with a bit of built-in functionality in the canvas cover (which may be perfectly adequate for many users). Update: I’ve published a YouTube demonstration of me setting up the Ro-Biki, plus a size comparison with the Traveler’s Notebook.

Personally, I love Yamamoto’s Soliste paper, and I’ve enjoyed using one of the Ro-Biki reticle-grid notebooks for testing. This was enough to make me grab one of the covers for myself, as I already have Soliste hole-punched in my Plotters for general writing and the Ro-Biki Note paper has the same soft feel to it. (I’d love to confirm whether these are indeed Soliste notebooks - stay tuned.) Whatever paper it is, it’s handled all my inks quite well, and it makes me want to keep writing with it.

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As of today, we have Yamamoto Paper Robiki covers and Robiki-Note notebooks in stock, and of course we continue to offer the full Traveler’s Notebook lineup and the new similarly sized Lochby Voyager Journals. Come see us in-store this week, starting tomorrow and Friday from 1-6, and Saturday from 10-6. Next week (July 13-20) we will be on vacation so get your shopping in before then!

Discovering Unusual Paper: "Paper Tasting" Sets from Yamamoto Paper

It’s easy sometimes to get stuck in a rut with hobbies and interests, and many times over the years I’ve found myself bored with my stationery routine, using the same pens, pencils, and especially paper without much variation. The good thing about paper is that if you write enough you will use it up and need more, which offers you endless opportunities for experimentation (as long as you keep writing). Japanese distributor Yamamoto Paper offers a seemingly endless array of unique and uncommon Japanese papers, and sells them in convenient sample packs of pads and loose sheets.

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Each Yamamoto Paper Tasting Sampler includes a cover sheet with a short description on the manufacture, history, and usage of each of the three papers. It will also indicate Yamamoto’s opinion on how each paper reacts to different types of ink.These sorts of opinions are incredibly subjective, and as I’ll discuss more below, your own opinion may differ wildly (which is part of why these sorts of samplers are so much fun). Photos of additional information included with each Paper Tasting Sampler are included in the gallery below.

I’ve purchased many different paper sampling or “Paper Tasting” products from Yamamoto Paper over the years, starting back in 2022 at the San Francisco Pen Show where they had a setup at their table that allowed you to assemble a small box of samples of different papers in square sheets. I bought two full boxes, and I’m now well into my last one which I’m working through sparingly. I use them for small notes, and have found that they fit well inside a six-ring plotter binder if I punch them with three holes. What I plan to write about today, though, is Yamamoto’s “Paper Tasting” series. These relatively inexpensive sets of three bound notepads are organized by paper texture, color, and/or other properties such as translucency, and are released in different “volumes” as Yamamoto acquires new papers, and other papers are discontinued.

Among the most recent set of releases is this new set of “Gray” papers (Volume 4). I’m a fan of unusual paper colors such as gray and blue, as these tones add some visual depth to written correspondence and often showcase different undertones in fountain pen ink than standard white or ivory. The current Yamamoto “Gray” paper sampler comes with three different paper options: First Vintage Ash (B7 pad), Half Tone Color Abyss (A6 pad), and Kona Wrap Sky (B6). The latter two papers are blue-grey, so directly fall within my own personal preferences.

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When I test papers, I often choose fountain pens that will “challenge” the paper. Shown here is a Pilot Custom 823 ground to an architect nib, a very wet Parker 61 with a medium 14k nib, and a relatively wet Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu with an ebonite feed that delivers a lot of ink to the page.

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My two favorites from this sampler pack are the Half-tone Color Abyss (Top) and Kona Wrap Sky. I would probably flip Yamamoto’s descriptions in terms of fountain pen friendliness. All of these papers are indicated as working well with fountain pens, but I wouldn’t consider the First Vintage Ash (below) to be the best of the bunch. Again, there’s no substitute for your own experimentation.

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First Vintage Ash didn’t bleed through, but there was some feathering with the architect nib on this fibrous paper. I assume that Yamamoto values dry time over the lack of feathering, thus explaining why this particular paper received the highest marks of the three for fountain pens? This strikes me as a better pencil paper than anything, given the texture.

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The largest pad in this assortment (Kona Wrap Sky, in B6) will probably get the most use, as I will use it to write letters and for general notetaking. This paper showed zero feathering or bleedthrough, and it has a wonderful cool blue-gray tone.

So are these papers purely “samples”, or are they usable? It depends on how you use your paper. I’ve personally always found great practical usage for my Yamamoto Paper, and these particular papers are bound into pads so they are incredibly useful for things like short notes and even written correspondence, if you like the A6 and B6 sizing. I’ve also turned the smaller pads sideways and hole-punched them to add notes to my binder systems.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

For me, trying out different papers, even one-offs or papers so rare that I likely won’t be able to find them again, is one of the most enjoyable parts of the stationery hobby. These Yamamoto Paper samplers are an easy way to do that. I appreciate that these aren’t just loose sheets of paper, and the fact that they’re bound into small pads makes them much more usable as notepads, writing tablets for letters, or even small sheets that you can hole-punch and add to your binder system.

As I noted above, we currently have seven different Yamamoto “Paper Tasting” Samplers available in the shop, alongside the packs of larger A4 looseleaf papers (which of course can be cut down to different sizes using a paper cutter). Patreon members should check this week’s Patreon feed or the “Announcements” section of the Discord for a special Yamamoto Paper Sampler offer.

If you’re ever in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please stop in and see us! We’d love to welcome you in store and answer any questions you may have. The Gentleman Stationer is open this week Thursday (1-4) and Friday (1-6) and Saturday from 10-4. Our site is entirely self-supported through the shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Select Japanese Papers from Yamamoto, Iroful Paper, Tomoe River and More!

If there’s one request we get, it’s for more fountain pen friendly paper, especially paper designed to show off ink. Of course, the gold standard for years has been Tomoe River (which is back in stock!) but of course there are so many more excellent options that have now reached the U.S. market. Sakae Technical Paper, known for it’s Tomoe River notebooks and pads, has developed “Iroful,” an incredibly ink-friendly paper that comes in blank, .5mm dot, and .5mm grid layouts, in both A4 and A5 looseleaf, as well as A5 notebook formats.

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Yamamoto Bank Paper and Tomoegawa Tomoe River (not Sanzen) A5 writing pads are back, along with A4 looseleaf packs of various Japanese Specialty Papers including different Tomoe River varieties, OK Fools, Slight White, Kin Kaku Den, Soliste, and Typewriter Paper. Though the specialty paper packs ship in packages of 50 A4 sheets, note that by cutting these sheets in half you will have 100 sheets of A5 paper, should you wish to hole-punch them for use in a disc-bound or ring-based notebook system.

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.