stationery

Brilliant or Ballyhoo — Uniball Zento Signature Model

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

Ballyhoo (noun): excited commotion.

Yes, there has certainly been a considerable amount of that recently. However, I guess the real question lies in whether that’s all there is. Rarely do I see a pen and think it would make for a good blog post. The uniball Zento Signature Model was no different. When you get around to writing about the pens you’ve owned (often for many years), it’s very unlikely a consideration of whether you’ll be simply “adding to the hype” needs to be made.

No mini Christmas village was harmed in the production of this post — a timeline also demonstrating how long I have been mulling over these thoughts…

So when it does come up, what do you do? Well, what any self-respecting blogger does: come up with some sort of hype-stoking title and get on with it. The longer (and yes… more infrequently) I do this, the more convinced I become that these aren’t objective reviews. None of them are. They are clearly just opinions, preferences, or more simply: I like it, or I don’t. We perhaps shouldn’t kid ourselves into thinking there is much objectivity here.

Do we really need another post on this pen? No, we don’t, so let’s get to it.

Origins

Strolling the floors of the Itoya stationery store in Ginza (me sounding like that’s a typical Monday…) with a new A5 Orange Plotter and a stack of associated refills, I stumbled across a display of the uniball Zento line of pens. First thought on the Signature model? Oh, that looks cool. Assuming it wouldn’t be too unreasonably priced, I sought a staff member in the hope of purchasing one. Even back then (our family trip to Japan in March 2025), I received polite laughter in response, and a “sold out everywhere” answer.

It’s definitely number 1 officer… The image I snapped in Itoya in the hope of explaining to a team member what I was after. Perhaps the Signature model on the bottom left was already the only one left in Japan…

Only since have I realised the futility of my question that day, and the expectation I might actually find one in stock during the months that followed.

I was fortunate enough to have received the Signature models you see here from a generous friend who tracked them down online, with considerable more nous than myself: I’ll just wait until they’re back in stock (precisely never at my usual retailers for as long as I’d kept checking). So, here’s to great friends that look out for you, for whom I am forever grateful and appreciative.

With a champagne gold colour and 0.7 mm refill size having recently dropped, I’ve not really continued following along to see if availability has improved to any great degree. A cursory glance online suggests it hasn’t.

The Design

My “oh that looks cool” thinking on that cold, wet day in Ginza? Probably two things: the compact design (reminiscent of uni’s Kuru Toga Dive mechanical pencil), and the stark contrast to the three other variants in the Zento lineup. Looking at other more “premium” barrel manufacturer variations on gel pens has never really piqued my interest, given the refills are the same as in their plastic siblings: “well… it’ll be heavier…” and that’s about it.

Side by side, the difference between the other variants and the Signature model is of course striking. Different on its own isn’t enough, and I refer to my earlier point. We are either attracted to, intrigued by, or indifferent to any pen design. The Zento Signature? Colour me intrigued at the time, a sentiment amplified by not being able to get my hands on one. All I could do therefore was create some sort of scenario in my mind about its feel, practicality, and overall vibe in the hand.

A few of the cheaper siblings — Zento Standard model

Upon feeling, toying with, and using the Signature model? Same, better, or worse than the scenario in my mind? Probably about the same. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pen feel exactly as I’d imagined after seeing images or reading about it online. The exception in this case being the refill — I mean, it’s a uni gel refill of some form and was therefore never going to be a big surprise, nor most likely, a disappointment.

The overall length, weight, and balance are usually where any surprises (be they joy or disappointment) lie. Overall, it’s probably a shade lighter than I expected; un-posted, carries just enough length to be usable on a slanted grip (better if held upright); and posted of course is to my hand, a perfect length.

As for balance?

It’s what I’d call very good. In the past, that might rate a perfect though as my pen journey and thoughts have matured over the years, I’ve come to the realisation there probably isn’t an objectively perfect balance to any pen out there. Particularly as your preferred grip will likely be a degree/millimetre or two (dozen) different to mine. You hold your pen upright and print. I mostly am a 45-degree pen to paper hold, and write in some weird print/cursive hybrid of my own making. Who’s right? Well, you are, of course — but then again, so am I — which is precisely the point.

Given the magnets work perfectly to both cap the pen closed and post it for writing, I’d assume posted is the form of use the manufacturer intended. I’m pleased it does either pretty well, and as a long time non-poster of caps, I almost exclusively post the Zento cap when I use it.

The magnets hold the Signature model’c cap firmly posted

Speaking of the cap, the clip which adorns it is very much a fixed proposition compared with the spring-loaded hinging mechanism on the cheaper models. I don’t find it to be an issue, however have noticed the difference occasionally when clipping over a few pages of paper or notebook cover. Aesthetically, I guess it does suit the design of the Signature model a little better, and the “fidgetability” you lose from the springy clip is more than made up for by the magnetic cap closure.

The Refill

Another hype-first hook here might be to lead with: here is where things get interesting… But to be honest, they don’t. They really don’t. It’s another solid liquid gel-based refill, which I find ever so slightly less enticing than the uniball one refills I’ve been using a lot since that same trip to Japan. Though if I’m honest, sometimes I can’t really decide which I prefer.

I simply find the uniball one refill a somewhat deeper, darker, more fulsome line at the same tip size as the Zento. In considering how to somehow get this on an image, I think the most striking difference I’ve noticed is when both are subject to an angled view under light. It’s pretty clear the one ink formulation provides a much deeper and darker line. When viewed directly overhead, the difference is pretty negligible, and perhaps why for the most part, I’m happy using either.

The further from the lens, the greater the angle and the lighter the Zento refill becomes – negligible when viewed from above

So, both great, just a little different to one another. Given the options in the Zento line up, I don’t really see much of a problem in recommending a try before you buy (the Signature model) approach. I mean, no-one is buying the top-tier pen to try out the refill, are they?

Conversely, go crazy and buy the Signature model straight up, in the knowledge the uniball one refills will slot straight in there if that’s what you prefer. Or failing that, a Signo 207 or 307 for example (great office workhorse — ask me how I know). Anyone still reading this is most likely a refill swapper anyway, and while I haven’t sought an exhaustive list, you get where this is headed. I doubt you couldn’t find something to your liking that would fit.

Reddit tells you many things, however in considering what might work compatibility-wise, Jet Pens’ list of compatible pens for the Zento refill surely also works in reverse.

Finally, if you are a highlighter, the Zento ink will streak ever so slightly when you go over it. Whether the ink has had time to dry seems to make no difference. I typically use Zebra Mildliners to highlight with, and even after several minutes of dry time, it will reinvigorate the Zento ink and streak things just a little. Not so the uniball one formulation.

I’ve noticed a bit of streaking under highlighters in both my Plotter and Traveler’s Notebook refills – probably dependent on both your paper and highlighter most likely

In conclusion

Whether you are part of this whole hyped up Zento world, or perhaps desperately seeking to join it, on the whole the Zento Signature model is indeed a great pen. I love using it and often reach for it when on calls for both note taking and general fidgeting (the size and magnetic cap closure being very well suited to such a practice).

As with anything though — a mismatch of supply and demand inevitably results in one thing: hype. I’m also the first to argue that rarely does anything live up to hype generated solely by supply and demand, and the Zento Signature is no different. Sure, also easy for me to say with two of them sitting on my desk, however do we have an answer to the title of this post? Most definitely.

The Zento Signature hype? It’s pure ballyhoo — all of it. As much as we get nerdy and love our stationery… it’s just another pen. If I made a pretty good pen with an interesting design, I’d continue to control supply as well (whether uni are doing that or they simply cannot make them fast enough, I haven’t a clue).

Beyond the hype and just the pen? It’s brilliant: a fantastic, appealing design that is infinitely fidgetable; pocketable, yet expands to be a comfortable writer; and a great refill, even if others might suit you better.

So, answering my post-title question: it’s both. You just need to separate the pen from the hype, but unfortunately, it’s the ballyhoo that might make it difficult to get your hands on just the pen.

All I would say in wrapping this up, is that the Zento Signature model is worth whatever you’re prepared to pay for it. But of course that applies to everything. Me? I certainly cannot recommend paying above standard retail. Anything more than that and the ballyhoo wins, which is hardly what the Signature model is all about, yet unfortunately is what defines it at the moment.

A Trip to Tokyo — Stationery Adventures

/ Pete Denison / 8 Comments
The grand Tokyo Station

A working subtitle of what follows below might be: goals achieved, opportunities missed, and assumptions confirmed. The next-level summary would then kick down to: families put up with a lot when you are exploring your own niche interests and hobbies. This perhaps adds further context to the tales below.

Along with my wife and our two adult children, I recently spent 11 days in Tokyo. Our initial seven nights being unavoidably extended after our return flight was cancelled due to a cyclone threatening our home city of Brisbane. A stressful hour or two ensued, changing flights and extending accommodation, before we realised the fantastic opportunity we had to spend another four nights in such an amazing location. We were indeed thankful all was okay when we returned home, though many weren’t so lucky with damage, flooding, and power losses from the cyclone.

Aims and Plans

I really had no great plans on the stationery front, other than perhaps a leaning towards obtaining a Plotter notebook set up and having a good look around. I’d taken in some “Stationery trip to Tokyo” blogs and YouTube videos before the trip, however as far as a shopping list was concerned, the Plotter was mostly it. That said, I was always going to add to my Traveler’s Notebook setup, and was excited to visit their locations around Tokyo.

On the flip side, I’d also considered what the stationery side of the trip wasn’t intended to be: a search at all costs tour for Japanese exclusives, fountain pens, or endless inks. When you are talking about a couple of hobbies like stationery and coffee, a trip can quickly turn into family members waiting around for you to sample things or satisfy curiosity. Don’t get me wrong — they’d do it every day of the week, however even for me, our family holidays are far more enjoyable without the pressure of me seeking niche, out of the way stationery stores or cafés.

If you have progressed in this hobby to being all-in on fountain pens, then this post will disappoint you. Yes, I still love mine. However, I am very fortunate to probably have enough, and most of my daily drivers are gel or ballpoint these days. With that in mind, you’ll still find plenty of fountain pens at many of the places listed below, although none returned home with me.

Stationery Places

Loft — Shibuya

One of the first shops tagged “stationery” on our Tripsy itinerary list, largely due to the proximity to our hotel in Shibuya, however once inside it quickly became apparent as to the magnitude of stationery in Japan. My family happily pointed out we spent a good couple of hours in the store, and I didn’t make it off the basement (aka stationery) level. To be clear, while there are seven floors in this behemoth, you’ll find stationery on the basement level, and I do recommend spending some time on the other floors — maybe for a few minutes before heading back to B1…

Loft in Shibuya — leave yourself plenty of time

Checkout: Gel pens, a couple of Traveler’s Passport size refills and miscellaneous items (stickers, glue pen etc). Let’s call this an initial “recon” visit. Too many stores to come, and much of the time was spent on the Side-note below. On a return visit, I did pick up a bottle of Sailor ink to replace my ever dwindling Montblanc Daniel Defoe Palm Green. The Shikiori Rikyucha probably falls on the brown rather than green side of the ledger, though you get that with store lighting, aging vision, and looking at the small colour spot on the packaging. Nonetheless, I do like the colour.

The Lamy M17 Jetstream refill. I duly took my ticket from the display and lined up at the register to claim my “1 per customer” M17 refill. I ended up with the black fine (0.7 mm version). It’s a good writer and what you’d expect from the classic oil-based Jetstream ink. I’ve not yet compared it directly with the M16 refill, which incidentally I only have in medium.

Side-note: Plotter paralysis. A good part of that long stay on the stationery floor was spent at the Plotter display, musing on sizes (A5 was the plan before leaving home) and cover colour. I loved the orange, however wasn’t sure how that might play out in the office. The conclusion being: “think about it” and return another day.

Verdict: Like performing a Google search for “Japanese Stationery” and having the results presented to you in person. It’s vast, an assault on your stationery senses (in a good way) and I’m glad I had the benefit of checking out the other places below in the knowledge I’d easily return to Loft to fill in any gaps before we left.

Traveler’s Factory — Tokyo Station

A Traveler’s Notebook theme also heavily influenced the stationery itinerary of the trip (see also Starbuck’s Reserve and TN HQ below). I run a Bullet Journal type setup in my TN, and thought I might pick up some exclusives from the various TN locations we’d visit.

Traveler’s Tokyo Station – underground north exit
You’ll find many a stamp under this sign

Checkout: A few inserts, stickers, postcards, and a good few minutes spent collecting various stamps from the store in a passport refill you can see on the left of the image. They also had a cool main stamp press which aligned your refills nicely and printed the red and green TN Tokyo Station stamp on the cover (far R in the image).

Traveler’s Tokyo Station haul

Verdict: Tokyo Station itself was an amazing building, and it was fantastic to be able to visit the Traveler’s Store. Being the first of a Traveler’s theme of stops, I was excited for what was to come. A quaint store and an enjoyable visit.

Itoya — Ginza

After my I-need-to-think-about-this moment from the Loft excursion, I received a unanimous vote of encouragement by my family: are-you-serious-absolutely-get-the-orange-Plotter before entering Itoya. That turned out pretty well, as you can see in the image.

Unlike Loft, Itoya’s many floors were all stationery (or at least adjacent), however each were smaller in area by comparison. This saw me a little calmer than in Loft, with things segmented floor by floor, thereby providing a little reset between them.

Checkout: Plotter A5 cover in orange “shrink” (pebbled) leather with an antique gold backplate, along with just about every refill I could get my hands on. Until I can convince my favourite pen shop here at home to bring them into the country, it will either be international shipping for refills or my Japan-based niece as a stationery mule whenever she visits us in Australia.

The Plotter in fabulous orange

Side-note: The beginning of a theme and a little hilarity. Itoya was the first time the Uniball Zento caught my eye, by way of a small advertising display in an array of home office desk setups. The Signature Edition would be the perfect “unique find” to take home, given its design and magnetic cap system. Yes, a gel pen no less — and as you can gather, it was decidedly a non-fountain pen trip. Upon enquiring with one of the staff if any were in stock — the answer was a shake of the head and a “sold out everywhere”. It was the same in Loft and multiple Hands stores we visited along the way. Typical. I had set my sights on a pen that was probably the most popular thing to hit the shelves at that particular moment, with no way to get my hands on one before the end of the trip.

The hilarity of it all? Well, there are four variations of the Zento: the Basic, Standard, Flow, and Signature models. I wanted the Signature, which I’ll now be picking up online as they have just popped up locally on Bunbougu (well the lower tiers at least, the Signature model shows sold out — what a surprise). How’s the new “Zento” ink? Well, that I cannot tell you, as I was that obsessed with hunting the Signature model, I totally overlooked picking up a couple of the cheaper variants which were all available. Did someone say tunnel vision? Oh well, you live and learn.

Verdict: Itoya certainly was a joy to visit (along with the luxury shopping precinct that runs through Ginza) with many floors, lots of stationery, and a good deal more fountain pens. I did a quick whip around the fountain pen floor (well ok… perhaps a couple of laps) before moving onto more pressing Plotter purchasing matters at hand.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery — Meguro

Sure, if you were perhaps a coffee purist this mightn’t be the first stop on your list, however I’d argue it’s essential, simply for a look at the size, scale, and design of this place. I would also add it was here I had one of the best filter coffees of the trip (a Modbar brewed Colombian Pink Bourbon for anyone interested).

Starbucks Reserve – now roasting…
Siphons at the ready if you’d care to sample

But we’re here to talk stationery, and this was peak collaboration time. Starbuck’s Reserve and Traveler’s Company do a fantastic job at providing for those at the intersection of coffee and stationery obsession, and I am certainly here for it.

Checkout: Fairly self-explanatory in the associated image, anchored by a passport sized Traveler’s Notebook and some charm/clip hardware, with some associated passport sized refills and various stickers.

Coffee and collabs – Starbucks Reserve and Traveler’s

Verdict: I love a good collab, and this one was made for me. If you are in the Meguro area, it’s honestly worth stopping by Starbucks Reserve, yes for a bit of stationery (in the corner to your right upon entering), and even if you’re not into coffee, one of those four floors is dedicated to tea. Something for everyone. Loved it.

But wait… there’s more. Adjacent to the roastery is the famous Meguro river, endless cherry blossoms when in season, and if you keep wandering further down a quiet little street, you’ll find…

Traveler’s Factory HQ — Nakameguro

Along with Loft, also an early entry on the stationery list when planning our trip. The Traveler’s HQ. The mothership. Or rather, the quaint little backstreet store that is symbolic of everything wonderful about Japan. There is a quiet hum of customers inside this store which belies the idyllic outer. We did visit on a fairly rainy day, so perhaps things in the surrounding streets were a bit quieter than they otherwise might be. Absolute bliss.

Traveler’s HQ – a quiet back street…
…housing much joy

Checkout: Again, the image tells the story, and my favourites here were the selection of The Superior Labor bags and cases, along with the leather Traveler’s Factory coasters we now have on our side table at home. Some interesting looking refills and stickers were also added to the list — goes without saying.

Traveler’s HQ haul

Verdict: It was great to get along to both the HQ along and the Traveler’s at Tokyo Station. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure whether I was buying store exclusives or not, and really just picked up what looked appealing. If you have a specific list when visiting, I’m sure you’d have no trouble filling it. An added bonus? Visiting both locations removed the need to look at the Traveler’s sections in the other stores, such as Hands and Loft.

Customised indeed – from Traveler’s HQ

One thing struck me upon visiting the store, and that was the feel of the craft and workmanship all around you. Sure, your larger players in the stationery realm have their place, however brands such as Traveler’s and Plotter have their cult followings for a reason (and it’s not just the plan-with-me videos on YouTube). There is a sense of the culture in these products. Everything I found wonderful in Japan is encapsulated by brands such as these. The experience was certainly far more valuable than what I brought back, but of course, we all need those little keepsake stationery souvenirs, am I right?

Hands — Shibuya & Shinjuku

If there was a stationery race on this trip (besides the frantic Zento search…), Hands would be the dark horse, and could rightly stake a claim to victory. Right around the corner from where we were staying, to boot.

For reference, most of what you’d find on the stationery floor in Loft was also available across three or four floors in Hands — minus the people. An easy way to pick up many of the gel pens, stickers, notebooks, and stationery — including Traveler’s and Plotter if you are so inclined. Fountain pens, yes, and a decent array of Pilot CH 912 nib variations if you were in the market.

Certainly not an expensive haul – Zebra bLen; Jetsreams’ Lite touch, One; a Kurutoga; Zebra Clickart markers

Checkout: To be honest, I can’t quite remember, though a good few gel pens, the Zebra Clickart markers, and numerous stickers. A nice addition to the purchases was the Zebra bLen multi-pen, which I picked up in the 2 pen + pencil version. Interestingly I didn’t see many Energels around.

Many stickers and much fun for the travel journal…

Verdict: Your friendly department store (with a wonderful array of stationery and other items) likely kept a secret by the locals so they can avoid the tourist crowds, yet still have just about everything available. We loved our local Shibuya store; however, others were just as impressive, and I picked up a great Apple Watch band at the store in Shinjuku. Definitely worth a look inside when you pass one.

Honourable mentions

7-Eleven — there are more Campus notebooks around Tokyo than I’ve ever seen, and you can easily pick one up at most 7-Eleven stores, along with a reasonable selection of gel pens.

Muji — I didn’t buy anything this trip, however, always good for some stationery basics and great paper in the notebooks.

Kiddyland — Jetstream x Miffy anyone? That and a lot more in here. Release your inner child. You won’t be sorry.

Starbucks — another Campus notebook collab in most neighbourhood stores, a lovely sakura design given they were beginning to blossom during our stay.

I’d also highly recommend travelling with a notebook of some sort, as many of the train stations have their own unique stamps which can be fun to collect along the way. Not to be confused with Goshuin shrine and temple stamps — for these you’ll need a specific notebook, or they can also be obtained on a loose-leaf sheet of paper. More details here.

Most train stations have their own stamp…
I certainly collected a few along the way

No regrets, but perhaps I could have…

Taken more photos of the actual stores, although they will certainly live vividly in my mind. Pictures do speak louder than words. It would have been nice to provide you with some more here. Truth be told, I just don’t think to do it much when I’m deep in discovery or purchasing mode. I’m also a much happier explorer when I’m not thinking “I must take a photo of this for the blog”. In any event, I’m sure you’ll find things covered far better and in more detail elsewhere.

Spent more time buried in fountain pens and been more bullish on seeking those smaller boutique stores and manufacturers. Maybe, maybe not. I needed to get to the more well-known places to see for myself, and I’m certainly happy with what I ended up seeing and buying.

Visited in the summer of 2025, when the Plotter Flagship store opens in Harajuku.

Picked up a Zento in any of the other 3 variants — fool! (We all knew that one was coming, right?)

Signing Off

Glancing through my photos and the stationery items I’ve returned with brings a smile to my face. Sure, as with many trips, you could stay a month and still not get to everything. I had a pretty big list of saved stationery locations before we started, and I certainly didn’t get to them all, however somehow came back feeling as though I’d seen everything I wanted to. Perhaps when what you do see is so amazing, that’s how things turn out in your mind.

Goshuin from the Meiji Jingu Shrine
Sakura at the Sakura-jingu Shrine

My advice? Do a bit of research, save all the locations before you go, and simply immerse yourself in whichever ones you make it to — they’re all fabulous. I don’t think you need to be overly strict or obsessed in finding every possible store, particularly on a family holiday anyway. Of course, that is just the opinion of someone who has been fortunate enough to go, and enjoyed every second.

It’s probably also worth noting that this trip was also about 5% stationery and 95% family fun times, which resulted in one of the most memorable trips I’ve taken. There really is nothing like getting out and walking around. Things are best summed up in the Editor’s Note from the Traveler’s Times I picked up at Traveler’s HQ:

There are many things that are being left behind because of the prioritisation of economic efficiency. However, Tokyo’s charm is hidden in places that might otherwise be lost.

If a trip to Tokyo is something you wish to do, then I hope you get there one day. It’s a fabulous place — stationery goals achieved or not.

The Montblanc 100 Day Writing Challenge

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment

Thinking back, perhaps I should have written about the Montblanc 100 Day Writing Challenge a little earlier, however having started myself a few days late, this post was always going to be a mid-challenge update.

With day 37 just completed, it is of course a fine time to tell us now… Well dear reader, you are indeed correct; however, this blog certainly isn’t known for its cutting edge hot takes on the stationery and writing communities, releases, or events.

Carrying on that tradition, things are going pretty well at a little over a third of the way through, and it’s been an enjoyable diversion in addition to my usual pen on paper ramblings.

The Challenge

I could say “never one to miss a marketing opportunity” about Montblanc, and while that statement is true enough — why would they? There is nothing inherently wrong with a business promoting itself or its products, and the emphasis on ”any tools will do” in the webinar sessions is certainly welcome (though of course you’ll see an array of Montblancs’ used on screen).

The writing challenge ties in of course with the 100th anniversary celebration of the Meisterstuck pen, which also brought a few new pens, other associated products, a Wes Anderson short film, and quite a few other events if social media is anything to go by.

Image courtesy Montblanc

A quick aside: the 100th anniversary pens? Well, nice enough yes, however never has my excitement peaked more than when I thought a re-release of the original versions may have been coming upon seeing some promo photos earlier in the year (for me, it’s the original green version from halfway down this page). To say my disappointment peaked even higher upon realising the anniversary release was simply a modern take paying homage to the originals, would indeed be accurate. Don’t get me wrong, the pens are indeed impressive, though not a patch on the aesthetic of the originals. Time marches on, I suppose.

Finally, the Wes Anderson designed Schreiberling pen does look intriguing, however at an estimated price tag of $2,500, is certainly not for me either.

Anyway, back to matters at hand. You’ll find details of the Writing Challenge through Montblanc’s Inspire Writing series, under Creative Writing Courses on the Montblanc website via the Discover menu (or more easily from the link above).

Having dabbled in some of these webinars in the past, and looked at others (with calligraphy I have intent, yet to date, no action), the 100 Day Challenge seemed both achievable and worthwhile at the same time. Catching up on the kick-off webinar in the “past sessions”, under presenter Brittany DeSantis, I came in a few days late, however quickly caught up given the writing prompts lead to as much or as little time investment as you like.

The Idea

On the surface, exactly as it says on the tin: to write daily for 100 consecutive days. Now for those of us who are well into the thousands of consecutive days writing (journaling, blogging, note-taking or the like), I generally consider the occasional challenge like this one as simply: 100 days of different writing.

The challenge is divided into a couple of parts, the first being Your handwriting and history, comprising 43 days worth of daily prompts, mostly on writing and stationery habits, though also some general life themed questions as well. Part 2 will apparently be delving into lists to “discover more about ourselves and plan ahead” which I believe will begin at the next webinar taking place on July 10.

A daily commitment of about 5–10 minutes is the pitch, and I don’t find it overly burdensome, having limited myself to one page of an A5 Journal for each prompt. Accessible and achievable — always the best way to ensure those who start do a fair job of engaging, continuing, and finishing.

The Prompts

I’ve never been one to use journaling prompts, though at times when I sit in front of a blank page I think perhaps I should. Adding an extra A5 page a day as part of the challenge certainly provides no great impost, and given the fairly straightforward prompts, I’ve not found myself staring at a blank page.

Perhaps the secret is to take the prompts literally if that suits, or simply as a guide if there is a tangent you’d like to work through on a particular day. It really is a choose-your-own adventure. I’m sure if you are a prompt user, then you’ve likely seen them all, however a couple I enjoyed:

  • Your earliest memory of handwriting
  • How your handwriting changes based on what or where you’re writing
  • How your tastes in pen and ink have changed

There are also quite a few around “your favourite…”, along with more inspirational and life-themed questions, however the general Part 1 arc of Your Handwriting & history seems captured well enough through the prompts.

Signing off

Acknowledging I’m a bit late to the party in passing on the message out there about this challenge, there are still two remaining webinars and another two thirds of the writing days still to go. Perhaps it’s something to pick up now or even retrospectively complete at your leisure. I’ve certainly found it an enjoyable and worthwhile endeavour.

Google App Camera Search — A Handy Pen Identifier

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
The Montblanc Ballpix – at the centre of all of this searching

I pay attention — honestly, I do. I even take notes, whether at the time or soon after, yet sometimes things come to pass where the elusive (though likely straightforward) name and model of a particular pen simply escapes me. In some cases it would seem, never to return. Of course, this is unlikely to ever happen when ordering pens online or shopping in a store (receipts, order confirmations etc), but for those acquired like this, or perhaps in an antique or second hand store, you might occasionally be in the same predicament.

When recently considering options for an EDC type of pen to carry with a pocket notebook, I had a few specific requirements, as you’d expect:

  • reliable knock mechanism unlikely to accidentally engage
  • related to the above, a standard top clicking pen would be unsuitable (if not a twist, some sort of side mounted knock mechanism)
  • very light and on the thinner side of average
  • probably a ballpoint for maximum utility

Thankfully, I wasted only an hour or so trawling the internet before realising the very pen was in my drawer awaiting its next occasion of use. It was absolutely spot on in terms of that list above, and not only that, is a really enjoyable pen to use.

Of course, I thought — that’s it! I’ll use this Montblanc… err… ummm… yes, this one(!?). What is it again? It was then I realised I had no idea what it was actually called, probably to the horror of the wonderful pen-friend who kindly passed it on to me. Had I written it down? Did I ever know it? Of course I would have — though I’m not sure, and proceeded to open Safari to get to the bottom of this quandary.

It couldn’t be that hard, surely, as I began searching: ”vintage Montblanc ballpoint with click mechanism in the pocket clip” and every version of a similar term to no avail. It might have been buried in the search results somewhere, but I certainly didn’t find it. In any event, it seemed a little more difficult than it should have been.

Enter the Camera Search function in the Google App on my iPhone.

Point, shoot, search and bam! Results (see screenshots below). Nothing could be easier. I guess depending on what you are searching for, a certain amount of verification might be needed with the results. That said, I’ve not had it fail me so far on any pen, refill, or whatever stationery product you’d care to be looking up. The worlds of analogue and digital colliding with utmost harmony.

Ready… aim…
Fire…
A good bundle of accurate search results

Oh, and the pen? Yes, well, that is a Montblanc Ballpix, and the search yields a good page or more of accurate results similar to this one. As I’ve mentioned in my requirements list above, this pen is perfect for the task at hand. Slim, light weight, perfectly designed to avoid accidental engagement of the refill from the tip. Topping it off is the rather ingenious clip/knock mechanism, preventing it from being placed in a pocket or clipped anywhere without the knock being disengaged automatically — no pocket leaks here. Love it.

Perhaps given most of the search links provide seller links, someone needs to write a bit of a review just for posterity on the internet… Oh, right you are, I guess that would be me. I’ve just added it to the list.

Meanwhile, I highly recommend the camera search feature in the Google app for those times your search terms don’t quite hit the mark. Maybe even for those times when, like me, you are a bit lazy and can’t quite find the motivation to look back through notes when a pen model name escapes you.

A phone and a tech giant — handy companions to the humble pen and paper.

Bouncing Back to Gel Pens

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments
Gel pens! Though one could certainly make the case the Alpaka Pencil Case Pro is the real hero here

Did I ever really leave? Really? Well, no I didn’t — not quite, however the relentless march of everything pen and stationery towards fountain pens is — rightly or wrongly — hard not to fall into. We each have our path (it just seems to be the same one, and boy is it worn…). I’d simply say, progression towards a fountain pen habit doesn’t always need to be at the exclusion of all else.

One area gel pens continue to flourish is in the planner community. Those people gel pen hard — and good on them. There is much joy to be had. Speaking of planners, as I mentioned in a recent post, it was a foray into the Traveler’s Notebook and Hobonichi Weeks which triggered my own renewed vigour towards gel pens. Those Hobonichi Weeks daily entries are not overly endowed with page real estate, that’s for sure.

The pens

Having a certain fondness for the Pentel Energel over the years, you’d be right in thinking these feature fairly prominently in the current line up. Incidentally, I’ve also harboured mostly the opposite feeling towards the Jetstream line of ballpoint pens, and part of this process involved throwing out the last one remaining in my pen drawer. I don’t know, I’ve just never really liked the overall feel when I write with them.

It’s here that we should acknowledge the term ”gel pen” is quite a broad one. After all, we have the EnerGel’s “liquid gel pen”, and the pigment archival quality of Uni’s “Super Ink” being just two manufacturers’ riffs on the category. No doubt there are plenty more, however we’ll go with the origins of the family tree and stick with “gel” for simplicity.

As for tip size, well, 0.38 or 0.4 mm are a little too fine for me, and to be perfectly honest, I feel if more existed, 0.6 mm would be my goldilocks size. In the absence of a widespread, spoilt-for-choice line-up in 0.6 mm, I’ve settled on 0.5 mm as my go-to. There are of course some 0.6 mm options further afield (the Schmidt P8126 refill for example, of which I own several), however there is simply not the any-colour, any-type of pen range which exists in the other sizes.

Delineating at a glance through colour

Colour? Go wild. Anything goes really, and I’ve found within the confines of those daily entries in the Hobonichi Weeks (minimal, tight, feintly ruled lines and separators) colour is my best bet to delineate each one. As you’ll see from the associated image, it carries a certain rainbow-like joy.

Writing performance

Comfort in the hand is fairly important, and the diameter of the Energel I find to be most comfortable. To be honest, nothing I write with a gel pen typically runs longer than a couple of hundred words at a time, so I wouldn’t say there are any real limitations here.

Perhaps the Uniball Signo DX is a little thin for longer than a few bullet points, yet there are all manner of ways to obtain these in a thicker package (say the Uniball 207 or 307 series of retractables). This does bring me to one caveat of my “no real limitations” statement above.

I’ve never enjoyed using a pen where the grip section runs thicker in diameter than the rest of the barrel (or at least that portion of the barrel immediately preceding the grip) — a reverse taper, if you will. Many plastic barrel gel, ballpoint, and liquid ink pens seem to have this design. The retractable Energels and Signo DX you see in this post have successfully incorporated that rubber grip in a way that minimises any perceptible change in diameter. Enough said on that, however it is another (subtle though it is) factor in my lack of fondness for the Jetstream.

When available, my preference is probably 0.5 mm

The need for quick drying (those Energels a tad longer than the Signos mind you), fine-ish tipped, comfortable enough, colour varied pens was satisfied with the fistful I picked up from my local Officeworks. I’ll no doubt work my way back around to others I’ve had before from Zebra, Sakura, and the like.

Signing off

With things rolling (gelling?) along fairly well in the current Hobonichi Weeks / Travellers Notebook combo, I intend to continue this personal resurgence into the gel pen universe.

And I’ll say it once more. In turning my mind to these matters, I cannot help but again question the all-roads-must lead-to-fountain-pens journey of just about every blog, podcast, and social media feed across the stationery community (I’m also guilty as charged…). If we’re talking fit for purpose, in the couple of notebooks I’ve mentioned above, for me at least, fountain pens certainly won’t cut it.

But I digress. Gel pens — how good are they!