Planner Pens: Picking a Pen for the Plotter

September 14, 2022

Brace yourselves, because as I hinted in my San Francisco Pen Show recap, a lot of notebook/system-Techo-related content is headed your way in the coming weeks. I thought I’d kick things off with a quick photographic response to the burning question that many of you have been asking via e-mail, DM, and in the blog comments: What pens fit the various Plotter leather pen loops?

Plotter A5 (bottom), Plotter Narrow (Middle), and Plotter Mini 5 (Top). If Plotter is reading, all I need now is a Bible Size and a Mini to complete the set (well, that and the “Square”). I promise I’ll figure out a way to use them all. (Maybe.)

Before we get started with pen comparisons, I need to do an overview of how Plotter works from a setup perspective. One of the key features of the Plotter system (which is either a benefit or a drawback, depending on how you like to purchase your planners), is that Plotter is completely customizable, meaning that you purchase the cover, refills, and all desired accessories separately to create the notebook that works for you. While the Plotter system does not ship with a pen loop, you can add one by purchasing the “Leather Penholder with Lifter” accessory refill specific to your size leather binder.

Pens that Fit Plotter A5, Narrow, Bible Size, and Mini Pen Holders

The product listing for the Plotter A5 penholder states that it will fit pens up to 13mm in diameter. The listings for the Bible Size, Narrow, and Mini penholder accessories indicate that they are supposed to be the same size as the A5, and since I personally own both A5 and Narrow-size Plotters, I can confirm that they are roughly identical. That said, these penholders are leather, so in real world testing, there is definitely variation in how tightly individual penholders are sewn, and the leather may stretch over time depending on the size of the pens that you keep in the loop. For example, both the Platinum Plaisir and the Nahvalur (f/k/a Narwhal) Original Plus fountain pens fit the pen loop on my Plotter Narrow, while neither came close to fitting the tighter pen loop on my Plotter A5. Here are several examples of how different pens fit, with pictures. (Narrow is on the left, and A5 on the right, with the exception of the Nahvalur that wouldn’t come close to fitting the A5.) If something fits both my A5 and Narrow “easily,” I can only assume it will work with most Plotters, except the Mini 5 discussed separately below.

Pilot Decimo (Fits both A5 and Narrow Easily)

Gravitas Ultematum/Polycarbonate Twist (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Schon DSGN Full Size and Engineered Plastics Fountain Pens (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Fairly Easily)

Waterman Carène (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Platinum Plaisir (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Nahvalur Original Plus (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint and Rollerball (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Pens that Fit the Plotter Mini 5 Pen Loop

By far, I’ve received the most questions about my Plotter Mini 5, the smallest of the Plotters and the one I’ve been carrying as a combination wallet/pocket notebook. According to Plotter USA, the Mini 5 pen loop holds pens up to 9mm. As you might imagine, finding a suitable pen to fit this tiny notebook has been more challenging, and for the most part I’ve simply clipped a variety of pocket pens to the outside of the loop. (This technique also makes for quicker deployment - something I find advantageous for most forms of pocket writing.) To be honest, the only pen I’ve tried that actually fits inside the pen holder is the Kaweco Liliput, though it’s not pictured here because I don’t own one and borrowed one at pen club to test. Here are a few that I’ve actually been carrying in the Mini 5, all clipped to the outside:

Penco Perfection “Light”

Pokka Pen with Add-on Clip

Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint

Pens such as the Lamy Pico, Schon DSGN Pocket 6, and Kaweco Sport are too wide to fit inside the loop. I suspect the Fisher Space Bullet Pen might work, but don’t have one on hand to test.

Fisher Space Pen Shuttle Pen — Given that the Fisher Space Pen “Shuttle Pen” fits (even though it’s too long for actual carry in my pocket), I suspect the bullet pen will fit as well.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This post isn’t intended to be comprehensive, but rather to provide examples of what pens fit the Plotter pen loops. As you can see, the A5/Bible/Narrow/Mini pen loop is fairly versatile, while the Mini 5 somewhat more restrictive. My experimentation, of course, is limited to those pens that I have on hand in either my personal collection or the shop. Your mileage may also vary depending on your particular leather pen loop and how aggressively you try to stretch it.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using my Plotters over the past few weeks, and it’s prompted me to undertake a relatively deep reconsideration of how I use my notebook systems and the role of notetaking in general. As I mentioned, you’ll be seeing more Plotter-related content soon! For more information on Plotter and to purchase if you’re interested, visit the Plotter USA website, which is currently the sole retail source.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the TGS Curated Shop and pledges made via the TGS Patreon Program. While certain of the links contained in this post are links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, this post does not contain third-party affiliate or sponsor links.

The Nahvalur Nautilus in Stylophora Berry (left) shown with the Original Plus in Gold Ocellatus.

In the Shop: Welcome Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal), with a Welcome Promotion!

September 13, 2022

It’s always a fun day when new pens arrive for the shop, and yesterday a huge box of Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) pens showed up. We’re starting out with two models: the Nahvalur “Original Plus” and the Nahvalur Nautilus, both of which bring something unique to the current shop lineup as we build our our fountain pen offerings.

Nahvalur Original Plus Vacuum Filler Fountain Pen

Introducing the Nahvalur Original Plus

You may recall that I previously reviewed the Narwhal “Original”, a piston-filler fountain pen offered at the $45 price point in four brightly colored swirled acrylics. While I very much enjoyed that pen, the materials used in the “original Original” were a bit loud for my taste, and I was intrigued when Nahvalur switched things up a bit by launching the “Original Plus” series with some major modifications. First of all, Nahvalur has introduced a vacuum-filler mechanism, similar to those found on pens such as the PenBBS 456 and TWSBI Vac700R / Vac Mini. Second, while the new “Original Plus” keeps the same general four-color scheme as the “Original,” Nahvalur has opted for transparent acrylic with more subtle colored swirls, and I love the new look. While all four colors (“Altifrons Green,” “Melacara Purple,” “Azureus Blue,” and “Gold Ocellatus”) look great, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add yet another yellow demonstrator to my collectionn (though the blue is calling my name).

Nahvalur Nautilus Stylophora Berry Ebonite

Introducing the Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite

I’ve picked up two different versions of Nahvalur’s ebonite piston filler, the Nautilus, over the past several months, and I came away so impressed with the value this pen offers that I had to go ahead and add it to the shop as well. First of all, ebonite pens are still somewhat uncommon outside the custom pen world, despite the fact that it’s the original material from which most early fountain pens were made. I have several ebonite pens in my collection, ranging from the inexpensive to the luxurious, and the feel of this material is difficult to reproduce in any other way. Second, the design of the Nautilus intrigued me, especially the “porthole” ink windows. You’ll be seeing much more of the Nautilus in the months to come, as I had C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens add a mini-Nag grind to one of mine at this year’s San Francisco pen show.

Where to Buy and an Inaugural Promotional Offer

As of this morning, you can purchase both the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nahvalur Nautilus in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. The Original Plus ($55) is available in all colors and nib sizes, while the Nautilus ($160) is currently available in Stylophora Berry ebonite. Since both pens are bottle-fill only, we also have several different ink options available in the shop, and to kick off the festivities we plan to include a complimentary ink sample (my own random choice, but it will be something quality and I will try to select a color to match your new pen) with all Nahvalur pen purchases through Monday September 19, at 11:59pm. Be sure to let us know what you think of the ink that we include - we’re “test driving” a few different brands as we think through future expansion!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Nahvalur!

Daily Carry Improvements — In the coming weeks you’ll be reading a lot about updates and upgrades to the daily carry!

Sunday Reading for September 11, 2022

September 11, 2022

April Went to DC and SF Pen Shows 2022: Part I (via Penguin’s Creative). April write’s up the first part of her August Pen Show travels, one of the handful of us to hit both shows!
Kilk Orient Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Kilk is a Turkish penmaker who I’m starting to see all over the place. They have an interesting design, and I’d love to get my hands on one at some point.
Happy Birthday to Me! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Happy birthday Kimberly! I fully support the “Birthday Pen” concept.
Crystal Clear: Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (via a fleeting ripple). An often overlooked workhorse pen, the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 piston filler is an excellent option for those looking for a pen that simply disappears as you get work done.
Early Thoughts on the Tibaldi No 60 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). Tibaldi has definitely gotten some traction with their recent releases of vintage-inspired designs and materials.
The Bits and Bobs of My Teaching Bullet Journal: Meeting Logs (via mnmlscholar). I enjoy reading about others’ work notebooks and how stationery gets used every day.
Aurora’s Matera and Deserto Are Gorgeous and (Nearly) Flawless (via UK Fountain Pens). Is Anthony back? Even if it’s only temporary, it’s great to see him back (and these are some very pretty Auroras).
Pilot Acroball Ballpoint Pen (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Pilot’s Acroball was conceived as their answer to the Uniball Jetstream. It’s a good pen, but has never taken off to the same degree.
Pelikan Edelstein Apatite (via Pen Addict - Sarah). While I’m not a huge fan of Edelstein ink, I do know that many of you look forward to Pelikan’s annual release. This one doesn’t seem very exciting, to be honest.
Pen Show Magic: The SF Pen Show 2022 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Julia has a guest post recapping her experiences at this year’s San Francisco Pen Show!

We’re giving away this Sinclair Model-R pen case. Be sure to check out the details. Giveaway closes at 11:59pm tonight.

In Case You Missed It… DON’T MISS THE GIVEAWAY!

This week on the blog, I offered my first impressions of the Nock Co. Sinclair Model R, which Nock brought back in collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks and revealed at the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show. Most importantly, don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the giveaway to win one of these cases - either by commenting on the Giveaway post or liking the Instagram post.

I also reviewed two new red inks I’ve been using recently: Laban Ares Red from the Greek Mythology Series, and Dominant Industries “Romania Red,” which is a good replacement for the legendary Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock.

This Week in the Curated Shop

Shop news included the arrival of some new cover and case options from Midori, including a new “vertical A5” notebook sleeve/portfolio in natural undyed goat leather. We’re also happy to announce a full restock of the Penco “Perfection” bullet pen series, in both the chrome, brass, and matte black and “Perfection Light” formats. Hightide hourglasses in 30 and 15-minute intervals also made a return to the shop and are selling fast. Stay tuned as we re-up favorites and bring in some new arrivals!

[UPDATE: As of Monday, September 12, 2022, we have added Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) to our selection of brands! Please check out the “Original Plus” vacuum fillers, with more on the way!]

Traveler's Company

Penco Pens

Hightide

TWSBI

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens.

TWSBI Demonstrators with Red Ink — For me, red inks nearly always go in a demonstrator, preferably an orange or yellow one.

Red Ink Research: Laban Ares Red and Dominant Industry Romania Red

September 10, 2022

It’s been a while since I updated everyone on my never-ending quest for the “perfect” red ink. (Yes, even though I’ve swabbed and sampled literally dozens of red inks over the years, and have probably 12 or so “keeper” bottles in my collection, I’m still looking.) Given that most of my recent attention has been devoted to pen show travel and building out the shop, I’ve acquired less for personal use, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still exploring. Today I’m going to look at two inks that I picked up in recent months: Laban “Ares Red” from their Greek Mythology series, and Dominant Industry “Romania Red.” Both are excellent, but the latter might be my favorite since it seems like a very close match to my now-rapidly-dwindling supply of Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock.

Laban Ares Red

Though I’ve not gotten around to reviewing the inks until now, at the Baltimore Pen Show I picked up nearly all of the Laban “Greek Mythology” Inks from various retailers. These inks were released in two series, and since I’m a longstanding mythology enthusiast there was simply no way I would pass up having all of these inks in my collection. To my knowledge, Laban hasn’t released a line of inks prior to this one, and they are surprisingly good.

Ares Red (named after the Greek god of war) is a bright red similar to classic Sheaffer Skrip, though perhaps slightly richer in tone. I had tempered my expectations somewhat, given that many people claim to have experienced slow dry times with this particular ink. That was not the case at all for me, as I’ve found Ares Red to be extremely well behaved. It dries relatively quickly, and I’ve had no feathering or bleeding in a few different pens and nib sizes. To pair with this particular ink for this review, I chose the new TWSBI ECO in Transparent Yellow, in an extra-fine nib. I have no qualms about using red inks at work, since I annotate a lot of documents, and this shade of red is perfect for markups. (I also have a thing about putting red inks in demonstrators - I especially love it when the demonstrator is orange or yellow.)

Dominant Industry Romania Red

If you’re looking for a deeper red that could be a good everyday writer, you should definitely try out Dominant Industry’s Romania Red, apparently an attempt to clone Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock. “Romania Red” even has a touch of the greenish-gold sheen that Hitchcock can develop around the edges on certain papers. Like the Ares Red, this ink did not give me any trouble in terms of dry time, bleedthrough, or feathering. Either would make a good workhorse ink, and I had this one inked up for review in a TWSBI Smoke and Rose Gold RGII Diamond 580 with a medium nib. Like Laban, Korean inkmaker Dominant Industry has impressed with their overall lineup, and I have several bottles currently in rotation.

Note that the Hitchcock has just a bit more sheen to it than the Dominant Industry version. It’s not an exact match, but perhaps the closest I’ve seen, especially in everyday writing. The paper used for the writing samples is Midori MD Cotton paper.

Where to Buy and Further Reading

We stock the Laban Greek Mythology Series, including Ares Red, in our own Shop, and our friends at Vanness Pens currently carry the Dominant Industry Romania Red. Laban Inks are priced at $25 for 50ml, and Dominant Industry inks $17 for a 25ml bottle. This pricing is fairly standard, though I’d say Laban falls on the inexpensive side on a per-ml basis, while Dominant is in line with the pricing for other imported inks.

Laban Ares Red and Dominant Industry Romania Red Comparison — A side-by-side comparison so that you can see how these will look in everyday writing.

Do you have a special ink color that you’re constantly exploring? If so, you may want to check out this series that I put together last year, in which I swabbed all of the various inks in my collection and laminated the sample sheets. If you visited me at the D.C. Pen Show, these are the sheets I had at the table!

This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or affiliates. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Thursday Drops: The Return of the Hightide/Penco Pocket Pens, Bookstands, Hourglasses, and More!

September 8, 2022

When I announced this summer that I was taking a pause to refocus the shop, the most requested line to bring back was the Hightide line of desk accessories, including the Folding Metal Bookstands and Hourglasses, as well as the Penco line of “Perfection” Bullet and Drafting Pocket Pens in all finishes, ranging from simple acrylic to chrome, brass, and matte black.

Penco Perfection Ballpoint Drafting Writer — The Penco Drafting Writer ballpoint is a pocket drafting pen that ships with what I believe is an Ohto needle-tip refill.

We have also received full restocks of Lochby (which means the Quattro four-pen case is back in stock!) as well as what might be the last shipment of Soumkine hardcover Agendas in the Charcoal cover.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Penco “Perfection” Light Bullet/Pocket Pens. I have been carrying one of these inexpensive pocket pens clipped to my Plotter Mini-5 notebook for the better part of a week. Lightweight and versatile, they accept D1 refills and ship with something that feels like a hybrid gel/ballpoint refill (possibly a Jetstream). They come in multiple colors and the blue-grey/light blue is a stunner.
Penco “Perfection” Brass Bullet Pens. Perfect for those who like the format of the Fisher Space Pen “Bullet” but want something more substantial. These also take the same D1 refill as the Perfection “Light” bullet pens, and come in three different finishes of chrome, brass, and matte black.
Penco Drafting Pencil. Who wants a pocket-sized drafting pencil in .5mm lead size? (Raises hand.)
Penco Drafting Ballpoint Pen. While sold separately from the pencil, this similarly styled drafting pen ships with a needle-tip D1 refill (and is of course also compatible with other universal D1-sized refills).
Hightide Hourglasses/Sandglasses. The first “cult hit” that we stocked in the Curated Shop, these beautiful hourglasses (yes, they’re actually made from glass) come in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals. I use them for anything from pomodoro-style work intervals, to timing breaks, to meditation. Honestly, they’re relaxing simply to watch on your desk.
Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands. While conceived as a bookstand that allows you to hold a book upright while reading, cooking, etc., they fold up for easy transport and can pull double duty holding a notepad while you transcribe notes, or even a tablet. Nearly all colors are restocked.
Lochby Quattro Pen Cases. The Quattro sold out extremely quickly following an appearance at the 2022 D.C. Pen Show. It’s now back in stock, along with all of the other Lochby cases and refills.
Soumkine “Oh My 307’ Agendas. These undated hardcover planners (which are an open system, so they can also be used as a notebook) feature fountain-pen friendly paper in a “tall/narrow” hardcover format. Soumkine is reworking their product line, and I don’t believe this particular notebook will be brought back, at least for now, so I’m trying to get these while I can.
Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Edition 4 Ballpoint Pens. This year’s Caran d’Ache CYS pens are available for purchase, and all of the colors are good. I don’t think I can pick a favorite. (Some of the Edition 3 remain and are on sale.)
Caran d’Ache 2022 Limited Edition 849 Ballpoint Pens. In addition to the Claim Your Style pens, Caran d’Ache has released two other special finishes, one in “Dark Violet” and another in “Pastel Yellow.” Both are in stock and like all Caran d’Ache pens, ship with the excellent “Goliath” ballpoint refill.