Each year during the month of December, I write a series of posts recapping various things from the prior year, one of which is the most popular content as determined by views received. This year I’ve broken the review into two categories: Content Published or Updated in 2025, and Overall, including older content that continues to receive a lot of traffic. The value of this exercise to me is to see what readers are enjoying, and in the case of the older stuff, to see what content needs to be revisited and updated!
Most Popular Posts, 2025 Content
Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper. It’s probably not a surprise that this “evergreen” post, which I refresh and update every year, gets the most views by far. As I test out and explore new papers, expect it to be updated further!
Joe’s Picks - Five Favorite Inks from Pilot’s Iroshizuku Lineup. I’ve been asked to do more posts like these with other ink lines, but it’s so hard to choose! Iroshizuku was easier because I’ve been using the ink for well over a decade.
My 2025 Techo Kaigi: A Mostly Fond Farewell to Hobonichi. While technically a 2024 post, it addressed my 2025 planner/notebook setup so it remained relevant throughout the year. Look for another post like this one soon, before January 1.
Is the Uni Zento Gel Pen Worth the Hype? The Zento took the pen world by storm this past year, especially with the capped “Signature” barrel essentially disappearing from standard retail and reappearing on the secondary market for astronomic prices. Personally I think the mid-level “Flow” version offers the best value, and I do enjoy how the Zento writes.
The Kaweco Perkeo, on Its Own Merits. This post surprised me a bit with how much traffic it received this year, but given price increases, economic pressures, and a flood of new enthusiasts entering the hobby, it probably shouldn’t come as a shock that lower-cost pens are drawing attention.
Most Popular Posts Overall (New and Old Content)
Top 5 Mechanical Pencils: For When You Really Want to Write Small. Wow, my most popular post for 2025 is a 7-year old mechanical pencil ranking that is hopelessly out of date. Herein lies the value of doing this annual year-in-review exercise! All of the recommendations in this post remain good ones, but I would have a bunch of recommendations and substitutions, and a few of the mentions are no longer available or have been updated to new models.
The Best Pen for When You Only Want One Pen. Another post from way back (2018) that I should probably revisit, this post looks at “one pen carry” (which for me is more of a thought experiment since I switch things up so often). Some of the pens featured here are no longer available, but the multi pen remains my top choice for this type of setup.
My Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing, Five Years Later. This post remains accurate, though from a recommendations standpoint I need to revisit it because the market has changed and many pencil brands have revamped their lineups and discontinued certain models.
First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe Is a Steal. Like my review of the Perkeo above and the Pilot Explorer below, I suspect interest is being driven by the combination of quality and price point, with people looking for a reliable everyday writer that won’t set you back more than $30.
The Pilot Explorer Is a Low-Cost Workhorse. Regardless of price point, Pilot pens always perform, and the Explorer remains my go-to recommendation for those looking for a no-nonsense writer that for now comes in a wide range of colors. A key selling point of both the Swipe and the Explorer is that they ship with a converter, so that you can use either cartridges or bottled ink right out of the box.
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