It’s that time of year again, when I close out the year by looking at what I liked and what I didn’t, not just in my capacity as a pen reviewer and retailer but as an enthusiast in my own right. I thought it might be fun to kick off the year-end review process with a list I’ve never done before - one where I took stock of my own collection and listed those products that surprised me with how much use they received, and others where usage was down. Note that this shouldn’t be considered a “good/not good” list - it’s more a personal reflection on how my own preferences are changing. As you’ll see, I’m not happy that a couple of things appear in the “Five Down” section, and will be making some changes to get true favorites back in rotation.
The Schon DSGN Emojis just make you want to pick up and use the pens!
Five Up: Products I Used More Than Expected
Plotter Binders and Accessories. It’s no secret that I went all-in on the Plotter notebook system/system techo in 2022. I’ve been regularly using all sizes from A5 down to the Mini 5, and I see this trend continuing into 2023. While I personally use Plotter more as a notebook/binder system than a planner, given the range of available refills and accessories you can deploy this one however you want.
Schon DSGN and Opus 88 Fountain Pens. A solid 60% of my usage over the past several months has consisted of pens by either Schon DSGN or Opus 88, and I don’t see that changing. These versatile everyday writers hold a lot of ink and feature JoWo No. 6 nib compatibility, which I’ve used to swap in custom-ground Franklin-Christoph nibs as well as nibs by brands such as Platinum and Pilot using the Flexible Nib Factory housings.
Naginata-style Nib Grinds. I have a larger review of Naginata-style grinds in the works, but I’m having trouble bringing it together into a coherent piece because there are so many different styles and variations on this Japanese blade-style grind that writes similarly to an architect nib but with fewer sharp edges. Regardless, this style of grind has become a staple in my everyday writing rotation.
Ballpoint Pens. If I had to call out three specific ballpoints that I’ve been using more than most, I would say it’s the needle-tip Traveler’s Brass Ballpoint, the Gravitas Pens “Ultematum” Twist, and the Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball with a Parker-style .5mm Jetstream refill. I’m firmly on “team ballpoint,” and recently wrote about how I consider it an unfounded myth that ballpoints aren’t for “real” pen enthusiasts.
Galen Leather “Magnum Opus” 12-Pen Cases. One of my favorite acquisitions from 2021 was the natural leather “Magnum Opus” 12-pen case with the magnetic closure, and this year I picked up a dark grey zippered version at the D.C. Pen Show. Since I’m a regular attendee at both pen shows and meetings of my local pen club, I’ve been carrying at least one of these two large pen cases to meetups on a weekly basis, as they are a very secure (yet attractive!) way to move multiple pens.
As hard as it was to part with some of the Blackwing Volumes editions where I loved the design (such as the “Bauhaus” edition pictured here), the fact that they sat unused in a box for years didn’t bode well, and others would use them much more.
Five Down: Products That Saw Much Less Use Than Expected
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens. This one is NOT a reflection of any sort of changing sentiment for the Lamy 2000, which remains one of my favorite pens, but is more the result of my personal collection getting too large for me to rotate through everything as much as I’d like. This changes immediately, with at least two Lamy 2000 fountain pens going back into rotation as of January 1, 2023.
Blackwing Pencils. I accumulated more Blackwing pencils than I could ever use in five lifetimes, much less one, so I sold off 90% of my stash. I’m no longer a Volumes subscriber, and I’m happiest with the standard dark “MMX” Blackwing and the Natural pencil with the extra-firm core. I simply don’t use a high enough volume of woodcase pencils to justify holding on to anything more than my absolute favorites.
Tomoe River Paper. Partly due to the paper’s (temporary) discontinuation, partly due to my discovery of Midori MD Cotton paper, I’ve used a lot less Tomoe River despite liking the new Sanzen product. I’m still waiting to see whether a new 68gsm version reappears, as that particular paper is one of my absolute favorites of all time, and since I have a healthy stash I’ll be looking to get 68gsm Tomoe back into rotation in 2023.
Liquid Ink Rollerballs. Though some people love them, the liquid ink rollerball is probably my own least-favorite writing option. Don’t get me wrong, I have “rollerball” pens that I absolutely love, such as the Caran d’Ache 849 mentioned above and the Baron Fig Squire, but nearly all of them have ballpoint or hybrid gel refills substituted for the rollerball cartridge. I’ve found that most rollerball inks tend to bleed-through and feather on basically every paper out there, though the Montblanc and Caran d’Ache options fare much better than most.
Leonardo Momento Zero Grande. While NOT a knock on the MZG in general - I still think it’s a great pen - I included this one on the list because I found myself with four or five of these pens in my possession after I fell in love with the materials. The problem is, the MZG simply doesn’t fit my hand as well as the standard Momento Zero, so I recently made the decision to begin selling off the larger pens and consolidating my collection into what I will actually use. “Zero Regrets.” (Sorry.) I still have one currently for sale in the “Gently Used” section of the website, and have at least one more in my collection that I will list at some point in the near future.
Stay tuned for more year-end review content, including lists of my favorite products reviewed, favorite products acquired, and favorite shop additions!
Overall, I’m really happy with how this is aging!
This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links, and the Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely via purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, the Gently Used Store, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. The Patreon Program will be undergoing a bit of a revamp in 2023, as I’m going to look to add in new content such as weekly updates and mini newsletters, in addition to the current benefits. This week in the Patreon, I posted my entire “currently inked” lineup, which gives you a sense of just how many pens I’m evaluating at any given time! We appreciate all your support.