Once again, my R2 unit and I will be heading across the country. This time, we are visiting Portland for the Pacific Northwest Pen Show and to help Dromgoole’s sell lots of ink, pens, paper and stationery. I don’t arrive to PDX until 7pm on Friday so look for me bright and early Saturday morning on the show floor. I’ll be bringing an assortment of Desk-designed stickers, stamps, washi tape and of course, Col-o-ring! See you soon!
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Clearly after Ana and I read Inky Wandering’s post, we both had the same thought! I broke mine into two groups of five. The first are the lower end pens that I just can’t quit. The second batch are the slightly higher end and more sentimental. In no particular order, here are my 10!
I love all of my Kaweco AL Sports, but this one might be my favorite color! The pen is easy to carry, doesn’t roll away from me due to the hexagonal cap, can be used with a cartridge or a converter, and rarely hard starts unless I’ve written it out of ink. While the plastic ones are fun, something about the metal warms my heart (and my hands)!
I know TWSBIs don’t excite everyone with their stock nibs and plastic bodies. But I love me an Eco and this one is so much swankier! The Diamond Mini gives you all the fun of the demonstrator, with metal accents and an even better feel in my tiny hands. This one NEVER hard starts. And since I’m an intermittent user, the fact that it writes every single time I grab it, makes it one of my favorites. This one was limited edition and I keep waiting for more so I can collect them!
I’m sure this one is going to be controversial because it’s a knockoff of a Sailor ProGear Slim. And I do have two of the real deal, but I can’t help it. This one has a medium nib that is so juicy and it just makes me happy to write with it. It is sacrilegious, but I find myself reaching for it even more than my Sailors.
I love me a TWSBI. Mostly for the same reasons I highlighted above – they’re fun to look at, and always write when I pick them up. I have 4 or 5 on my desk at almost any given time. So I’ve included the White and Rosegold here as maybe the prettiest I own, but there are more!
These two Pilot Metro Pops were among my first fountain pen purchases and I still love them deeply today. I selected the Green because it is a medium nib and right now that’s my jam. Again, a relatively inexpensive pen that feels good in my hand and always writes. Plus the design is fun!
This pen wins for a combo of favorite color + favorite style Franklin Christoph + chef’s kiss nib. Ana wrote the post and took the photo on this one, but mine is more or less identical. Franklin Christoph was my first exposure to a more indie brand and different materials, and the color on this one just stole my heart. The nib was ground by the late Jim Rouse, and expertly tuned by the Nib Doctor, Audrey Matteson and it writes like BUTTAH. And while the Pocket 45 no longer exists, this is my favorite model from FC. I’ll never let this one go.
I have a thing for teal pens ok? I actually REALLY love the M205 limited edition models that Pelikan brings out each year. I also own the Ruby Star and I’ve ogled many others. But this one is my perfect color pen and I have so many inks that match (including the ink of the year – Apatite!) It writes smoothly, is comfortable in the hand and my dad is a Pelikan aficionado, so I think of him when I write with it.
Carolina Pen Co. + Regalia Nib
My Jonathan Brooks’ Carolina Pen Co. in a steely/blue grey glitter was my 40th birthday present to myself. Shortly after I purchased it at the Chicago Pen Show of 2018, I was able to purchase a flex nib from Regalia Writing Labs and the combo has been together ever since. I pair it with Akkerman #7 Queen’s Night Blue and it’s just perfect!
Although this pen is obscenely large, much too large for me to write with, it will never leave the island. It was my grandfather’s and the story of the acquisition and subsequent non-use is quintessentially my grandfather. Read the linked post up above to get the gist of it. It also still has lifetime guarantee paperwork – priceless!
It’s July already and we are halfway through 2026. So, I thought it would be a good time to stop and evaluate my current journal/planner/notebook set-up in an official Techo Kaigi (stationery meeting).
I started the year with a B6 Aura Estelle Daily (5053), a Mark’s EDiT B7 semi, a Creeping Moon B6 Tarot Journal, a Pineider “Hollywood” A5 lined notebook and a personal-szied Filofax. Some of these are ging strong, others fell out of use almost immediately (more ambition than time or energy, I suspect) and other notebooks have come into use. So let’s review…
B6 Leather cover from Etsy vendor (no longer in business), iron-on transfers from Hot Dang Press, Draco clip from Creeping Moon.
STILL in REGULAR ROTATION
The Aura Estelle has ended up working quite well for me so far. I have stuffed it to the gills with paper ephemera in the form of stickers, washi, and personal ephemera like photos and other bits. As such it already feels extremely floofy. The used portion is measuring about 25mm thick with the unused portion measuring about 11mm with total planner thickness including covers at almost 40mm (about 1.5″) so far. This has lead me to consider using a half-year style journal/planner next year ro reduce my overall heft. Unfortunately, I love the layout and format of the Aura Estelle so I may stay in this same notebook next year I’ll just prepare some arm curls to build up my upper body strength to carry it around.
The side view, full-floof of my Aura Estelle B6 planner
I continue to be loyal to the B6 as it provides enough space (usually for a day-per-page) without being overwhelming. If you haven’t tried the B6 size, its about 5×7″ compared to the standard Hobonichi A6 which is closer to a 4×6″ (these are rough size info that is common to most Americans. I know these are not specific numbers, just giving a ballpark) — it’s a little more space without being huuuge.
The Mark’s EDiT B7 Semi continues to be my catch-all. The fountain pen friendly paper and 300+ pages make it easy to grab and know I have plenty of space to jot a quick note, reminder, list or idea and still have many pages left. I gave my clear cover to someone at a pen show who really wanted a B7 Semi but I had sold out of the versions with the covers so I gave her mine. I’ll be getting more Mark’s EDiT notebooks in the shop soon so hopefully, I’ll be able to replace my cover. In the meantime, the paperboard cover is durable enough to survive being jammed into my backpack, tote back and such. The plastic cover did make it feel impervious to coffee stains and other natural disasters though.
The Pineider Commonplace journal was abandoned within a month or so as I wasn’t reading as much non-fiction that lends itself to a more structured style of notetaking. I still have it and if I decide to deep dive on a topic again, I may pull it out but for now its in storage.
Creeping Moon Journal. Lovely paper but I’m just not working on esoteric deep dives right now.
Since I do most of my day-to-day tarot racking in my planner/journal, I really have not been using the more singular-purpose Creeping Moon B6 journal as much as I’d hoped. Again, it has not been ditched but put aside until I take on a more specific project around tarot like a deep dive or other sort of study.
Updated use
I started the year with the Filofax Original personal sized in black for work-related tasks. It is larger than my Plotter which gave me room to keep freelance notes and blog/Patreon/shop projects all in the same notebook. However, I had no sooner set it up then my needs for work-related content seems to have shifted or I just wasn’t using it for this purpose. So, the Filofax just sat since January.
The last few days, I’ve seen the appeal of resurrecting the ringbound planner for notetaking and tracking various projects more diligently. So I am brining back into rotation. I have cleared out some clutter, added some different papers and will be updating the tabs to make it feel fresh and new.
However, I’ve seen some people recently using ringbound planners in more creative ways so I may throw caution to the wind and turn mine into more of a play space at some point. I like the idea of pasting in inspiration from various sources — be it Pinterest or books and magazines — as well as using the binder to store ink swatches, pen tests and other stationery related tracking. In the past I’ve had other places where I kept these sorts of things but I like the flexibility of the 6-ring binders for being able to use different papers, rearrange the pages and generally just muck about.
Newly Added
I’ve added some pocket notebooks for junk journals and creative spaces. Some of these books I custom made from random scraps and paper I had floating around and others were existing Field Notes that are being put to use for various detritus collecting. I find that junk journaling and collage work is a great way to use and use up the notebooks that are not as fountain pen friendly.
I am pasting in random bits, quotes, ideas and just playing. I have one that is my travel journal with scraps and notes from various trips, one I am using for letter bits from friends and family and I am in the process of building one to save stamps from my father-in-law’s letters since he uses lots of wonderful vintage postage and it seems a shame to throw them away.
I also have a notebook I’ve turned into a mini, portable “Grimoire” with various tarot, astrology, and herbal notes. Its a commonplace book but witchy! It seemed like less commitment and less pressure than making some epic tome à la Charmed.
1990s TV Series Charmed Book of Shadows
Conclusion
So, overall, most of my journals and notebooks are continuing to be used and I am finding that its okay to swap books in and out as the need arises. If I go deep on a specific concept, I may pull out the Pineider notebook agin to write down insights. I also belive firmly in the notion that should your life change, your planning, ournaling and note-taking meay also need to change. If I were to go back to a full-time, in-office job (not gonna happen but its an example), I might need a different planner or jouranl for “in the office” or for work-specific tasks. Since my life trajectory has not changed significantly since January, my system has continued to work despite the occasional hiccup.
Do you swap notebooks in and out? Are you planner monogamous or have you jumped around this year?
Last week, I saw this in the Substack newsletter published by Greta Johnsen.
In the spirit of abundance and also fatigue, I have a question for you this week: what can you take off your plate? Are you doing something you “have” to do that you could actually let go of? Does the idea of doing less excite you? LEAN INTO IT. Maybe you can cancel a plan, or say no to something you feel obligated to do. Maybe you can give yourself permission to be ever so slightly less easygoing and a little more aligned with what you actually want to do. This isn’t bitchiness for the sake of being bitchy, it’s about spending your energy where you want to, about enjoying the fullness of the season without overextending yourself.
This has lived rent-free in my brain since I read it. I thought today would be a good day to share it with you. With a potential long weekend, consider resting, relaxing, hanging out with people you like instead of trying to tick off everything on your honey-do list.
Take that to-do list and cross off a couple things, move some others to “do later”. Give yourself a chance to breathe, play, relax. I am saying this for myself as well.
Play more, rest more, say no to things you don’t want to do. We are all stretched to our limits so its time to take time for yourself.
Inspired by a post on Inky Imaginings, I decided to accept the challenge and pick the 10 fountain pens I’d keep. I’m glad I didn’t have to include non-fountain pens in this list.
This was a fun adventure and it was interesting to see that, for the most part, I picked similar pens from the last couple challenges but the model or color may have changed. I think when I think about only having 10 pens, I chose more neutral exterior colors so I could choose any color ink. When I choose a distinctly colored pen body, I want to choose an ink to match. If I only have 10 pens, I want to be able to use ALL the inks.
From left to right: SchonDSN Brass Faceted, Esterbrook J-Series, Vintage Platinum Fountain Pen, Lady Sheaffer Skripsert XXXV Damask Gold on Silver with “Brilliants”, Pelikan M600 “Ghost”, Sailor ProColor Custom, BENU Skull & Roses, Sailor Pro Gear Slim Starburst Galaxy, Kaweco White Iridescent Sport and at the bottom Platinum Carbon Desk Pen
The Modern Pens
When I started collection pens for this challenge, I wanted to feature both modern and vintage pens. I am such a Sailor fan, I had to pick two Sailors but there are other modern pens that made the cut.
1. Sailor Pro Gear Slim
I own about 6 different colorways of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim but if I could only keep one, I’d save the Starburst Galaxy model. Even though I have two versions of the the Nagasawa Original Pro Gear Slim (Gakuen-Toshi Fresh Green) I continue to go back to the lovely, everyday useful Starburst Galaxy. It has shown up in my 21 Pen Questions and You Can Only Keep One lists in the past so clearly, I continue to favor this pen. It’s my version of a Black Pen Society pen… they never said it couldn’t have sparkles!
2. Sailor ProColor Custom
This is a pen that I love to use, love the silliness of an inexpensive ProColor (originally a $60-ish pen with a steel nib) that was upgraded with a gold-tone 21k gold nib (approx $200 upgrade). It’s the only 21k Sailor nib I own and it really is a great nib.
3. Schon Dsgn Brass Faceted “Ferrara Rocher”
I continue to love this pen . Its a hand carved brass faceted model of the Schon Dsgn which makes a marvelous pocket pen. But there is an emotional attachment too. The nib is a custom Franklin-Christoph nib that Audrey ground so its got an extra special nib. Then both of my best friends bought the same pen and we all put F-C nibs on ours. So, every time I use it, I think of my friends — the ones who made the pen, modified the nib and write with the same model.
4. Kaweco Sport White Iridescent
I love the color of the Kaweco Sport White Iridescent. Its one of the first experiment that Kaweco took making unique material colors. This is another pen that I had Matthew Chen grind a custom nib from a BB stock nib making the nib twice as expensive as the original purchase price for the pen.
5. BENU Skull & Roses
The BENU Skull & Roses is another pen that I was excited to purchase because it was so fun but then I had Richard Binder modify the nib to an extra fine Waverly style nib. Silly pen with an equally extreme needlepoint nib. I think every time I get a special nib grind on a pen, it becomes even more special to me.
6. Pelikan M600 “Ghost”
This has been my go-to “big girl pen” the white-on-white stripes are timeless and the nib is beautiful. Even the EF nib is still a little wide for me but with only 10 pens, it gives me the chance to get it custom ground in the future.
The Vintage Pens
Esterbrook J-Series
One of the first fountain pens I ever purchased was a vintage Esterbrook J-Series. The one I bought finally became unusable due to cracks so I replaced it with this model (and several others). I love the classic Esterbrooks and they continue to remain my favorite pens. They were beautiful, customizable and priced for the every user.
Lady Sheaffer Skripsert XXXV Damask Gold on Silver with “Brilliants”
Picking ONE Lady Sheaffer Skripsert is so hard! I have so many including prototypes, an entire retail display filled with pens and so much more so I chose the most classic, coveted design. The “wedding ring” style is one of the designs people look for most often. Its unique, beautiful and such a “ladylike” pen. One day I’ll do a post revealing the whole embarrassing collection. Someon asked if I was “still collecting” Skripserts and I had to admit I seldom find a design I don’t already have.
Platinum Vintage Fountain Pen
I am not sure the specific model but this pen that looks like my beloved Sheaffer Skripserts. The surprise besides the 14k nib is the turquoise grip section when the cap is removed. This is a beautiful pen that writes as beautifully as it looks. These Japanese “ladies” pens have become my new collecting focus. The remind me of the “jewelry quality” of the Skripserts with beautiful, often 14k nibs.
The Weirdo
Platinum Carbon Desk Pen
I still love my original Platinum Carbon Pens. The new versions that do not have the “fingernail nib” (partially hooded) and do not seem as fine so I covet the older models. This is my favorite drawing tool, filled with Platinum Carbon Ink so that it is 100% waterproof for multimedia creations.
So, that’s my “only 10” collection. If you could only have 10 fountain pens, what would you pick?
I live in the middle of the country so I seldom see the sea. To make up for this, I spend July in my “mermaid month”. I seek out art, films, books, colors and anything else that feels like ocean breezes, sand dunes and salty hair. Patrons received printables for this month filled with this year’s Jazz Mermaid including calendar inserts for planners and desktop and phone wallpapers. If you want to embrace your mermaid month too, consider subscribing to our Patreon. You’ll get our bi-weekly podcast, printables and more.
Check out our Patreon where you can get inspiration, gossip and free printables that include a biweekly podcast and more. Your patronage supports this site. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!
For a few months now I have pledged to re-dedicate myself to journaling without any real direction. So I decided that for July I’m going to structure things a bit differently.
I keep seeing Instagram challenges with 31-days of prompts so I went looking to see if there was one for journaling. And wouldn’t you know it, I found a great list of July journal prompts over at BaronFig from 2024. The thing I love about this list is that there are 50 prompts to choose from. That means if I’m not feeling one, I can just skip on to the next.
A few of the ones I want to tackle?
What are your goals for the second half of the year?
Share your favorite summer recipe.
What is your favorite summer activity and why?
What is your favorite summer song and why?
What are your top 5 summer bucket list items?
I’ve gathered my pens and all my stickers (especially my date dots) and I’m ready to go. I’ll report back in a few weeks with how it’s going. Anyone want to join me?
