The Well-Appointed Desk

It’s only Wednesday and already this week has been an adventure. Monday was the Monday of all Mondays and deserves no more acknowledgement than that. Tuesday, however, I got to see one of my favorite authors speak. John Scalzi was in town to promote his new book Monsters of Ohio. He is very fun to hear speak and my pal Mai and I got to celebrate our second anniversary as friends — we met at the LAST Scalzi book event in town, if you can believe it. A big shoutout to Mai for inviting me into her found family. As a result of meeting her, I’ve met a bunch of other people who I now call friends too.

Then this morning, as Bob was leaving for work we found a Luna Moth caterpillar winding his way along our porch bannister. I lured him onto a twig and took him to our backyard which seemed like a better, safer place to call home. Maybe, in a few weeks or in the spring, I will get to witness out little caterpillar in his full glory.

Why yes! Our caterpillar looked just like Heimlich from A Bug’s Life.

Have you seen or done anything interesting this week? Let me know in the comments!

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In Tools

Did someone say refills?

Laura CameronNovember 10, 2026Leave a comment

One of the most popular posts on The Well-Appointed Desk is our ultimate guide to refills. Over the years we get lots of feedback and updates from folks on refills that may no longer be available. To that end I’ve gone back and updated where I can. If you spot anything amiss that needs a fresh look, please let us know

Otherwise, grab all your refills!

Special thanks to Cult Pens for tipping us off to the changes.

In feature

It’s Fountain Pen Day!!!!

AnaNovember 6, 2026November 3, 20262 Comments

Happy Fountain Pen Day! Thanks for being a reader of The Well-Appointed Desk! We love this community and are so honored to be a part of it.

We are offering a special coupon for our shop for Fountain Pen Day 2026. Receive 15% off any order over $25 with the code FPD2026 all day Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 (through 11:59pm CDT).

Orders over $75 qualify for free shipping but I cannot coupon stack so you have to choose which discount is better. Domestic shipping only. Sorry!

Thanks so much for all your support over the years and Happy Fountain Pen Day!

In Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week: This is Me

AnaNovember 5, 2026October 23, 20261 Comment

I fell in love with the musical film The Greatest Showman when I watched it on a flight a couple years ago (so much so, I made a sticker sheet inspired by it). I sat in the center seat on the plane bawling my eyes out as Keala Settle belted out “This is Me” that I think speaks to anyone who has ever felt unseen, ridiculed, belittled or worse.

This quote is for everyone out there who needs to be seen, to brave and to be accepted just as they are.

It was hard to pick part of this song so please go listen to the whole thing. It is an anthem to stand proud.

If you have an inspiring quote you’d like to share, please leave it in the comments and maybe I’ll feature it in a future Quote of the Week post. Thanks!

In Link Love

Link Love: Make It So.

AnaNovember 4, 2026November 4, 20261 Comment

Many of our friends mourned the passing of the Sir Patrick Stewart this week. He was a kind man (so says one of my pals who met him at PlanetCon in KC a few years ago), a talented actor and the embodiment of role he played as Cpt. Jean-Luc Picard. I am not usually affected by celebrity deaths but Sir Patrick Stewart’s roles have touched this Trekkie-nerd’s heart. So, I’ll be pouring a cup of Earl Grey, hot, in his honor.

Pens:

New Month, Time to Rotate Those Pens (via Fountain Pen Chronicles and More)
Acrylic Markers (via Liz Steel)

Ink:

Diamine Appletini Ink Review: A Bright Apple Green Ink (via Pen Chalet Blog)
Ferris Wheel Press swatch testing Summer-Autumn 2026 (via Nick Stewart FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART)
Ink Battle: Wearingeul and J. Herbin (via Rachel’s Reflections)
New Inks: The Wet Pen Ochre Sea Star and Penn Cove Mussel (via CJs Wunderkammer)
Colorverse Colorvents Past (Part 2) (via Dime Novel Raven)

Notebooks & Paper:

(9) Enjoying the breathing room with MD Diary 1Day 1Page (via The Penguin Post)
How to Create the Ultimate Master Packing Checklist in Your Bullet Journal (via Archer and Olive Blog)
Larger Notebooks from My Collection (via Notebook Stories)
JetPens Paper Sampler Introduction (via JetPens Blog)
Abstract Watercolor Bubbles Mail Art: Recording + Recap (via The Postman’s Knock)
2027 Planner Lineup Overview (via JetPens Blog)
“Tend Your Inner Garden” [Stalogy 365 Days Notebook] collaboration (via Baum-kuchen)
Creative Flipbook Ideas: How to Make and Use a Flipbook for Penpals & Journals (via Archer and Olive Blog))

Art & Creativity:

TPK’s Holiday Calligraphy Worksheets: A Guide (via The Postman’s Knock)
All of TPK’s Free Calligraphy Worksheets: A Master List (via The Postman’s Knock)
This Architectural Designer Left Conventional Blueprints Behind To Draw Breathtaking Fantasy Cities You Wish You Could Move Into (via Design You Trust)
DIY Canvas Carrier for weirdly Sized Canvases or Paper (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)
Pencilvember is On! (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
Apple-Pine: On My Table: Beginning of November 2026
Amaryllises (via Apple-Pine)

Pen Events:

On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville (via Olive Octopus)
Scriptus 2026 (via Wonder Pens)

Other Interesting Things:

6 ways to find some calm in daily life (via Flow Magazine)
Arkivism is a search and visual discovery engine for million… (via Kottke.org)
The Ten Best Captain Picard Episodes of Star Trek (via Kottke.org)
My Work Stationery (via Casual Crossings)
You Need This for Your Washi Tape! | Kaleidocraft Wallet Review (DWRDNet on YouTube)
On The Paper Trail Episode 19: Pen, Paper, & Ink Problems (Terminology Part 2) (via The Gentleman Stationer)
P S Y C H O ! (a mixtape) (via Austin Kleon)

Now more than ever, we could use your support. If you enjoy our content, consider joining our Patreon where you can get inspiration, gossip and free printables. All subscribers also get access to our biweekly podcast and more. Your patronage supports this site. Without the support of our Patrons, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Tools

#5stationeryhottakes

Laura CameronNovember 3, 2026November 3, 20269 Comments

A few weeks ago on her podcast (join the Patreon to hear it!), Ana gave her spicy hot takes about stationery. Today I decided to share my 5 hot takes!

NUMBER 1: Pens with plastic barrels and steel nibs with prices of $300-$400 are too expensive for me. Look I’m a fan of a lot of different kind of pens, and I’m not going to name specific brands. But at base, I have fallen out of love with plain plastic barreled pens with steel nibs that have huge price tags. Note, I’m not talking about resin blanks that artisans in our community are making. Pens I once idolized are now completely out of my price range. That’s ok, but it also leaves me questioning what the value of some of these pens really are?

NUMBER 2: As a corollary to that, I’m really getting back into the less expensive pens I was into at the beginning of my pen collecting. Earlier this year I wrote about using my Pilot Metropolitans again. I had a great time adding nail decals to my Kakuno and using it. I have always loved my TWSBIs because I ink them up and they continue to write, no matter how long I put them down for. And I don’t personally enjoy Lamy Safaris, but I know SO MANY people who do. The bottom line is you don’t have to buy expensive pens to love this hobby.

NUMBER 3: I’m kind of over shimmer inks. They are SO pretty, but they always clog my pens. And, given that I write with fine and medium nibs most of the time they never show the shimmer that I so love in the swatches. Most recently I was disappointed by Dominant Industry Sunset in my Jinhao with a medium nib. It barely writes and shows up only as light purple with none of the rust sheen. Give me a shading ink, or sheening ink like Waterman Tender Purple.

NUMBER 4: Miss me with Tomoe River 68gsm. Sure the paper shows all the properties of the ink beautifully. But it’s so thin I can only write on one side. And now it’s in rare supply, and some batches are questionable. I’ll stick with Midori and Rhodia.

NUMBER 5: I’m over my collecting phase. When I first came to fountain pens, I was excited. I wanted to try everything. I had a decent amount of disposable income to spend and a huge case of FOMO. These days, I look at everything I have and worry a bit about overconsumption. I have a drawer full of ink, more pens that I could ever use. I’m more selective now. I’m weeding out the things I desperately wanted and then don’t really use. I’m trying to buy all things with more intention. I don’t say any of this as criticism to anyone else’s habits. You are wherever you are in your journey and as long as that’s good for you, then go for it. But as for me, I’m less tempted by what’s new these days and more interested in using what I have.

So there are my thoughts. What are your hot takes?

In Planners & Organizers, video

November Planner Set-Up: Back to what works

AnaNovember 2, 2026October 28, 20264 Comments

I rolled back my biggest changes and went “back to basics” — for me anyway. This is a quick video just talking through what changed and what I did to fix it.

Most of the items listed in the video: