2022 Year-End Review, Part IV: Series & Editorials

Of all the 2022 year-end review posts, today’s installment is the one I most looked forward to because a major goal of mine for the year was to focus less on writing pure “review” content and more on archiving/consolidating 8+ years worth of stationery-related experience and knowledge in order to make it more accessible to readers both new and experienced. As I worked my way back through everything I wrote this year, I think I exceeded my goal! Given the volume of editorial/lifestyle/series posts, I’ve broken this portion of the 2022 Year-End Review into different sections to make it easier to navigate.

Updated Review Archive, Best Pens, and Holiday Gift Guide

Last year, I launched a navigable archive of all past T.G.S. fountain pen reviews, organized by brand. It’s now been updated to include pen reviews from 2022. The “Best Pens” recommendation page, as well as this year’s Holiday Gift Guide, are also up to date.

Guide to Notebook Systems

In 2022, I dove into the world of “notebook systems” / “System Techo”, which honestly took my focus off of pens and inks for the second half of the year. That’s not altogether a bad thing, because I did need a break from “collecting,” and I needed to think hard about how I was using all of the various notebooks and planners I had in rotation. Look for a post after the New Year on my setup for 2023.

• Guide to Notebook Systems, Part I: What is a Notebook System/System Techo?

• Guide to Notebook Systems, Part II: Plotter is NOT a Planner!

• Guide to Notebook Systems, Part III: Traveler’s Notebook and the “Modular” Approach

• Guide to Notebook Systems, Part IV: Single Notebooks, or the “Non-System System”

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The addition of a “Perspective” Nib by Gena Salorino brought this Pelikan M800 “Stone Garden” back into rotation for me.

Mini-Collections and Review Series

I only purchased a handful of pens this year for my personal collection, focusing more on having nibs customized to enhance certain pieces that I already owned. I managed to review four of the grinds, and have several more custom grinds on the way and/or in rotation.

• Mini-Collections: Fancy Pencils Are a (Relatively) Inexpensive Guilty Pleasure

• Exploring Custom Nibs: The Esterbrook Needlepoint by Kirk Speer

• Exploring Custom Nibs: Predator Hybrid by Marc Bacas

• Exploring Stock Custom Nibs, Part II: Nagahara Needlepoints from Franklin-Christoph

• Exploring Custom Nibs: Custom Nib Studio “Perspective” Grind

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The DesignPhil table at the 2022

2022 Pen Show Recaps & Travel Posts

2020 and 2021 injected a lot of uncertainty into the future of pen shows, including concern over whether the “show circuit” would survive. I attended a handful of shows in 2021, and it clearly wasn’t the same. The 2022 pen shows - especially those on the back end of the calendar, went a long way towards allaying most people’s concerns about the future of pen shows. San Francisco, in particular, was an exceptionally well-run and memorable experience!

• 2022 Baltimore Pen Show

• 2022 Atlanta Pen Show

• 2022 Chicago Pen Show

• 2022 Washington D.C. Pen Show

• 2022 San Francisco Pen Show

• 10 Things to Do at a Pen Show Other Than Buy More Pens

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Questions about traveling (particularly flying) with fountain pens topped my list this year.

How-To Posts and Responses to Reader Questions

I made a conscious effort to be better about responding publicly to more frequently asked reader questions, specifically topics of interest to those considering purchasing their first fountain pen or who recently acquired their first pen and have questions about using it in certain scenarios. Cleaning and travel-related questions top the list of inquiries received.

• Your Questions Answered: Flying with Fountain Pens

• Fountain Pen Maintenance: How I Clean My Fountain Pens

• Pen Problems: How Do You Organize Your Pen Collection?

• Practical Planning: How I Use Planners

• Hacking Stationery: Don’t Be Afraid to “Personalize” Your Products! (They’re Yours, After All)

• To Eyedropper or Not to Eyedropper, That Is the Question

Three favorite ballpoint pens. Check out the post below, for details!

Stationery Lifestyle Posts & Industry Trends

Finally, I try to find space in the rotation every other month or so to write a personal reflection on topics of interest to me in the stationery community. While I plan to continue writing these posts on the main site, I also plan to add some exclusive content to the T.G.S. Patreon Program in 2023, which will likely be along these same lines.

• Enjoying a (Sometimes) Expensive Hobby Amidst Economic Uncertainty

• In Pursuit of Balance: What’s the Sweet Spot for “Oversized” Pens?

• My Annual Paen for the Ballpoint Pen and Ranking My Favorite Ballpoint Refills in 2022

• On So-Called “Hot Takes” and Exploding Myths About Pens

• Consolidation, Consolidation, and More Consolidation: The State of the Personal Collection

Further Reading

If you missed the first three installments of the 2022 year-end review, check them out here! Part I: Five Up, Five Down in the Personal Collection, looked at five products I personally used more than expected in 2022, as well as five I used a lot less. Part II discussed my favorite products reviewed over the past year, and Part III looked at the top ten products by volume in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. I may have one or two more as I round out the year, so stay tuned!

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