Notebook Systems: Introducing Laconic Tokyo

May 6, 2023

If I had to describe the Laconic Style notebook system, I would best characterize it as a modular, full-size A5 version of the Kokuyo Jibun Techo. (For those unfamiliar, the Jibun Techo is a dated planner/journal system that combines elements of the Hobonichi Techo with the “tall/slim” format of the Traveler’s Notebook.) The beauty of this particular notebook system is it’s customizability. You can choose from ten different 60-page A5 notebook refills, including four different planner formats (daily, weekly, monthly, or “100 days” with two days on each page), four “productivity” formats (To Do, Meeting, Spreadsheet, and Gantt Chart), and two "Lifestyle/Creativity” formats (Thinking and “My Life,” which some may recognize as similar to the “Life Book” component of the Jibun Techo).

Laconic Notebook Covers A5 — The full range of colorful Laconic covers!

While Laconic makes their own plastic notebook cover, capable of holding two refills, the beauty of this system is that the standard A5 size allows you to expand far beyond that using a system cover/organizer like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter or the Lochby Field Journal (which holds up to six of these softcover A5 refills). For example, you could select a Monthly Calendar, Weekly Calendar, and Daily Journal for your “Planner” section, and combine that with Meeting, To Do, and a “Thinking” refill for brainstorming sessions. All of the planner refills are undated, and therefore flexible for those who might skip a day/week/month every now and then.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Cover — You can fit up to two of the A5 Notebooks into the Laconic Style plastic covers.

So how’s the paper? I’ve been testing a Monthly refill since I first spotted these at NY Now back in February, and I would compare the paper to standard Rhodia or Kokuyo Campus. It will work fine with most fountain pens in fine or medium nibs, though extremely wet inks and wider nibs (and particularly a combination of the two) will see some bleed-through. That said, I’m not sure it will be an issue for those drawn to this particular planner, because it’s plainly intended for those who write small. (To that end, a Lamy 2000 EF nib with Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Kai gave me no issues.)

Bonus: Laconic Style Bookmarkers

Honestly, even moreso than the notebook system, what really caught my eye were these Laconic “Bookmarkers,” a set of eight different bookmarks in various formats that allow you to take notes while you read or write in your journal.

The Bookmarkers are sold in packs of 24, and fold over the page to prevent slippage. It’s also occurred to me that the “Planner” and “To Do” bookmarks could be taped or pasted into a bullet journal or other notebooks to add functionality. Personally, the “Reading Memo” layouts appeal to me the most, but I’ve kept a set of each for myself and since I churn through bookmarks fairly regularly I’m sure they’ll get plenty of use.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Bookmarks — As with most notebook systems, all of the Laconic products are designed to work together.

Takeaways and Further Reading: Where Does Laconic Fit in the overall universe of notebook systems?

In the grand scheme of things, Laconic probably fits somewhere in between a single notebook system (each of these refills can be carried individually) and a modular notebook system, because you can combine them in a multi-refill cover to create a planner/organizer/journaling system tailored to your own needs. Laconic Style covers, notebooks, and bookmarkers are available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and they’re actually quite inexpensive, starting at $5 for a pack of 24 bookmarks, and individual notebooks priced at $6.

Laconic Style Zippered Cases — The largest Laconic Zippered case is large enough to accommodate an A5 notebook or two.

I’ve previously written several pieces on “System Techo” and the different types of notebook systems available. If you’d like to read more, see below:

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We are an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Laconic. Please note that due to scheduled travel, orders placed after noon, U.S. Central Time on Saturday May 6, 2023 will have a 3-5 business day processing time. As always, we appreciate your support and slightly delayed orders will include extras!

Need a Flexible, No-Pressure Planner for 2023? Try Undated.

December 29, 2022

Many of us (myself included) are hesitant to commit to a traditional “dated” planner for various reasons. Personally, I don’t need to use a planner every day, so for the past few years I’ve taken a pass on things like Hobonichi or Jibun Techo because I feel bad about purchasing an expensive bulky notebook or journal that I won’t use as intended. Instead, I’ve opted for undated, or “open” planning tools that allow me a bit more flexibility to use them during the months and weeks I need more structure, and skip weeks or months when I don’t. The best part? You don’t need to purchase and commit to your planner in October or November when many dated planners are released, because you can start anytime! Personally, I’m spending this “dead week” between Christmas and New Years closing out my notebooks and planners from 2022 and setting up what I plan to use in 2023. I’ll do a full-length post on this topic next week. For now, if you’re in the market for an undated planner to kick off the New Year, we have several options available in our shop (and a couple of dated options too, if you prefer that format)!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. Don’t forget that through January 1 at 11:59pm CT, you can take 10% off most brands in the shop using the coupon code “LOYAL10” at checkout! Year-end inventory count starts in two days so all of your purchases help us make it easier to close out 2022!

Traveler’s Notebook Diary Refills. We have dated and undated Traveler’s Notebook diary/planner refills in both the Standard and Passport sizes. My personal favorite is the Traveler’s Weekly + Memo layout, which uses a week-to-two-pages format with a weekly calendar layout on the left and space for notes on the right. (And if you’re looking for a versatile modular notebook system, we have Traveler’s Notebook covers in both sizes available.)
Write Notepads Weekly Planner. This landscape-style wirebound notebook is a favorite for intermittent planning on a weekly basis. Write Notepads makes excellent fountain pen-friendly paper, and the landscape orientation makes it easy to sit this underneath your keyboard while you’re working.
WMS & Co. Calendar Pads. Similar to the Write Notepads Weekly Planner, WMS & Co. makes tear-off calendar pads in both full-page and slimmer “keyboard” size. Whether you use them for planning or for daily list-making and notetaking, these pads are versatile tools that come with different color gilded edges.
Midori MD “Codex” Day-to-a-Page Notebook. One of the most popular Midori products in our shop is the MD “Codex” notebook, a 360+ page bound journal that comes in a dot grid or blank paper layout and allows you a full A5 page for each day of the year. Use it as a journal, or combine with the Midori MD Diary Stickers to add planner functionality to a Bullet Journal.
Midori MD Calendar Stickers. These diary/calendar stickers are made from fountain-pen-friendly Midori MD Paper and can add monthly calendar functionality to any notebook or journal. Since these are undated, you can use them every month or just when you need them.
Midori MD Multi-Year Journals. For those who enjoy “micro-journaling” (my personal term for jotting just a few sentences about each day), these Midori MD hardbound books are a joy to use, in either three, five, or ten (?!?) year formats. Each day of the year has a separate page, allowing you to compare that specific date to prior years as you write, but the years themselves are undated, so if you decide to take a year off you can easily pick back up again.
Lochby A5 Planner Refills. While intended to pair with the excellent Lochby Field Journal, these slim A5 refills feature 68gsm Tomoe River Paper and since they are standard A5 size, can fit different notebook covers. They use a monthly + weekly undated layout that is quite versatile.
Soumkine “Agenda” Planners. While unfortunately Soumkine is stepping away from the business of making analog tools, we still have some remaining stock of their hardcover slim “Agenda” undated planners (which can also be used as a slim notebook). The paper is excellent.

For an option outside the T.G.S. Curated Shop, fans of disc-bound systems may want to consider William Hannah UK, which I’ve been test-driving for the past couple of months. I plan to post a full review, but I’m impressed both with the paper quality, the disc system, and the cover itself. The system is no inexpensive, but you do get what you pay for. Happy shopping!

Prepare for the New Year! Take 10% Off All Planners and Diaries, Automatically Applied

December 27, 2021

Are you like me, spending this week getting organized for the close of 2021 and the start of 2022? Do your planners need a refresh? From today through Sunday, Jan. 2, take 10% off all planners, dated (2022) and undated, in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, including offerings from Midori, Traveler’s Company, Field Notes, and Stalogy. No coupon code is needed, as the discount will automatically be applied at checkout. Enjoy the last week of 2021, stay healthy, and best wishes for 2022!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all products sold in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. You can view a selection of our top selling products here.

If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Write-Notepads-Weekly-Planner-Field-Notes

Workflows Update: Why I'm Choosing an Undated Planner for 2021

December 5, 2020

A few weeks ago I wrote about how pretty much all of my work “systems” broke down in 2020. Working from home full time revealed the ugly downside of working analog in a tight space: paper, lot’s of it, and not the good kind. Rather, I found myself overwhelmed with what I call “junk paper”, such as copies of memos, e-mails, letters, etc. that I tended to print out to read, mark up, and never use again.

My work circumstances also revealed a lot of pointless redundancies. For one think, I’ve realized that it probably makes very little sense for me to keep a traditional paper planner. I have far too many appointments, tasks, and reminders that I need to manage on a daily basis for it to be practical. Given that so much comes in through e-mail, it’s more efficient for me to manage these types of tasks electronically rather than transcribing entries back and forth between my phone and a planner.

That said, I don’t want to give up planning on paper entirely. The value of sitting down to write out your primary tasks and goals can’t be understated, yet I don’t need to do it every day, or even every week. Instead, I tend to lean most on this technique when I’m overwhelmed and need to prioritize. An undated planner offers the flexibility I need without having to worry about “wasting” blank days and weeks in a planner that uses a dated format. Used this way, the undated planner may even last me for more than a year.

Favorite Undated Planner Options

Fortunately, undated planners have surged in popularity over the past few years, and you now have multiple options when looking for something that meets your needs. Today, I’ll take a look at a few different options.

Write Notepads Weekly Planner. This landscape spiral-bound notebook offers a large, week-on-two-pages format that offers plenty of space to manage tasks and even schedule your days down to the hour if that’s how you’d prefer to use it. I have one of these set aside for 2021 and plan to rely on it heavily, as Write Notepads paper is among the most versatile for all types of writing instruments, and landscape notebooks fit perfectly beneath a keyboard.
Traveler’s Notebook. You can’t understate the versatility of the Traveler’s Notebook system. Perfect for those looking for a highly customizable, compact notebook, TRC (“Traveler’s Company”) sells a range of undated planner inserts that you can include alongside standard notebook refills. My favorites include the Weekly “Free Diary” (a week-on-two-pages layout), but there are daily and monthly versions as well.
Field Notes Undated Weekly Planner. Prefer something less fussy, durable, and ultra-convenient? Field Notes’ simple 56-Week undated planner features a spiral binding and a sturdy chipboard cover. It’s also arguably the most portable of anything on this list.
BaronFig Mastermind Week Pad. Don’t care about saving your planners for posterity? Baron Fig’s weekly planning take on the standard Mastermind Desk Pad (another personal favorite) comes three pads to a pack for just $9 - a full year’s worth of weekly planning. Once you finish a week, tear it off and start fresh! I’ve used these periodically at work, but my job usually requires something with a larger format and more writing space.
Midori MD Notebook Journal (A5 Dot Grid). For the ultimate in unstructured, undated planning, you can always go the Bullet Journal route, and this Midori A5 Notebook Journal with blank dot grid pages and the place for the date in the upper right-hand corner will serve you well. Of course, you can substitute your own favorite brand of journal or preferred ruling, if dot grid isn’t your thing.

Where to Buy

You can find some of the options discussed above currently in stock at the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Others can be found at our sponsor Vanness Pens, or purchased directly from BaronFig. In addition to shopping for yourself during the waning months of 2020 (yay!), planner-style notebooks make great gifts for stationery enthusiasts and professionals during the ongoing holiday season.