On The Paper Trail...

Episode 9: Fountain Pen Nib Sizes, Explained

We're less than 10 days out from an epic trip to Japan, so in this week's episode, we decided to talk Japanese fountain pen nibs and the differences in nib size designations across different regions, as well as the availability of specialty grinds. We also discuss why Fine Medium is the ONLY appropriate nib size (j/k), and answer listener questions about choosing the correct combination of nib, ink, and paper for your specific writing experience. Don't miss your chance to come hang out with us in person October 16-18, at ⁠On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/blogs/news/on-the-paper-trail-live]! Event details have been made public, and ⁠Weekend Pass⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/on-the-paper-trail-nashville-event-weekend-pass] and ⁠Day Pass⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/on-the-paper-trail-nashville-event-day-pass] event tickets are now available to purchase. 1. Dr. Grip Ballpoint (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/pilot-dr-grip-limited-gel-ink-retractable-rolling-ball-pen] 2. ⁠⁠Opus 88 Savannah Zebra (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/opus-88-mini-pocket-pen-savannah-zebra] 3. ⁠⁠Benu Pixie (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/benu-pixie-aqua-glow] 4. ⁠⁠Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-custom-823-fountain-pen]. 5. ⁠⁠Laurett's Ballpoint (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/lauretts-waka-ebonite-ballpoint-pen]. 6. ⁠⁠Traveler's Company Ballpoint (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/travelers-company-brass-pens]. 7. ⁠⁠Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-mr-fountain-pens]. 8. ⁠⁠Lochby 6-Ring Binders.⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-paper/new-lochby-field-binder-multiple-sizes] 9. ⁠⁠Lochby Tomoe River 6-Ring Refills.⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-paper/lochby-6-ring-binder-refills-tomoe-river-68gsm] 10. ⁠⁠Tono & Lims New Arrivals.⁠⁠ [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-inks-and-refills?category=Tono%20%26%20Lims] 11. ⁠⁠New Lamy Safaris.⁠⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/products/lamy-safari-neon-yellow-fountain] 12. ⁠⁠Grandpa's Basement (Clearance).⁠⁠ [https://vanness1938.com/collections/grandpas-basement-1]

Episode 8: 2026 Planners and Notebooks Quarterly Review

This week we check in with our 2026 planners and notebooks to see whether they're still working for us now that we're 1/4 of the way through the year. (Wait, how did that happen?) We talk about what's working with our current planners and notebook systems, what may not be working, and what, if anything, we need to change about our current stationery setup. We also discuss upcoming stationery-themed travel, and we might have more details on our On The Paper Trail: Live in Nashville Event that will take place in Nashville October 16-18! Show Notes and Links 1. Mark's Inc. "Days" Ballpoint (via Vanness Pens). [https://vanness1938.com/products/marks-inc-days-wooden-0-5mm-ballpoint-pen-turquoise?_pos=2&_sid=44a5e5531&_ss=r] 2. Diamine Spring Green (via Vanness Pens). [https://vanness1938.com/products/diamine-light-green?_pos=4&_psq=Diamine%20Spring%20Green&_ss=e&_v=1.0] 3. Pilot Grancé (via Vanness Pens). [https://vanness1938.com/products/pilot-grance-light-blue-with-gold-trim-fountain?_pos=5&_sid=17748c8fb&_ss=r] 4. Pilot Custom 912 with PO Nib (via TGS Curated Shop). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-custom-912-fountain-pen] 5. Pilot Prera (via TGS Curated Shop). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-prera-fountain-pen] 6. Bungubox Dandyism Ink (via Vanness Pens). [https://vanness1938.com/products/bungubox-dandyism?_fid=b04407d56&_pos=5&_ss=c] 7. On The Paper Trail Episode 1. [https://youtu.be/MmGdFOvo-7U?si=r6_D1iIF9KQBQOhv] 8. Wonderland222 Back to Tomoe River Announcement. [https://wonderland222.com/blogs/test/returning-to-tomoe-river-paper-2027?srsltid=AfmBOopN2W9wkLdB9iaU3NggjSU8nTYL5xi2s1Hj97n1kfhupJLYBPfE] 9. Ask TGS: Flying with Fountain Pens. [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2022/3/11/your-questions-answered-flying-with-fountain-pens] 10. Lisa's Shipping Update Video. [https://youtube.com/shorts/23nr7ZejS_c?si=I-scSwPtDE_fAOuZ]

Episode 7: Underappreciated Stationery Gems

In this week’s episode of On The Paper Trail, we discuss a topic that we both love: Underappreciated Stationery. For a variety of reasons, a wide range of exceptionally good stationery items don’t get the attention that we think they deserve. In some instances, entire brands can be overlooked. We each pick items from three categories (pens, paper, and ink), and generally discuss why certain stationery can fly under the radar. Additionally, we discuss our upcoming On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville weekend event, currently slated for October 16-18! We chat about our vision for this event and how we plan to create an event we would personally want to attend, with a more balanced approach to shopping, seminars/classes, and opportunities to socialize! Show Notes and Links 1. Pilot e95s (Lisa’s Weekly Pen). [https://vanness1938.com/products/pilot-e95s-burgundy-and-ivory-with-gold-trim-fountain?_pos=1&_psq=Pilot%20e95s&_ss=e&_v=1.0] 2. Blackwing Matte (Lisa’s Weekly Pencil). [https://vanness1938.com/products/palomino-blackwing-pencil?_pos=1&_sid=4673d3e95&_ss=r] 3. Midori Soft Color Spiral (Lisa’s Weekly Paper). [https://vanness1938.com/products/midori-a5-dot-grid-ring-notebooks?_fid=8d3663fb4&_pos=21&_ss=c] 4. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/lamy-2000-fountain-pen] 5. Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/uni-style-fit-meister-5-multi-pen] 6. Life Noble Note A5 6-Ring Paper (Joe’s Weekly Paper). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-paper/life-noble-note-6-ring-binder-refills] 7. Kaweco Perkeo (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/search?options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&q=Perkeo&type=product] 8. Lamy Pico Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/products/lamy-pico-neon-pink?_pos=6&_sid=3f24de243&_ss=r] 9. Conway Stewart (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/products/conway-stewart-churchill-spitfire-pen?_pos=8&_sid=ea3cdfdb1&_ss=r] 10. Ohto Ceramic Rollerball Pens (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/ohto-cr02-ceramic-rollerball] 11. Lamy Swift Capless Rollerball (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/lamy-swift-capless-rollerball-pen] 12. Jetstream Prime Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/uni-jetstream-prime-ballpoint-pen] 13. Levenger Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-paper/levenger-freeleaf-notepads] 14. Yamamoto Ro-Biki (Underappreciated Paper Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-paper/yamamoto-ro-biki-notebooks] 15. Original Crown Mill (Underappreciated Paper Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/search?options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&q=Original%20Crown%20Mill&type=product&type=product] 16. Wearingeul Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/products/wearingeul-ink-color-swatch-sheets?_pos=24&_sid=d835be146&_ss=r] 17. Callifolio Ink (Underappreciated ink Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/search?options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&q=Callifolio&type=product] 18. KWZ Old Gold (Underappreciated Ink Pick). [https://vanness1938.com/products/kwz-standard-old-gold?_pos=1&_sid=156f44954&_ss=r] 19. Laban Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-inks-and-refills/laban-greek-mythology-inks] 20. Papier Plume Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick). [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/curated-inks-and-refills?category=Papier%20Plume] When they're not podcasting, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com] and Lisa over at Vanness Pens [https://www.vanness1938.com]!

Episode 6: Live at San Francisco Stationery Fest!

What's the difference between a "Stationery Fest" and a traditional pen show? Tune in this week and find out, because we had the opportunity to record Episode 6 of On The Paper Trail in front of a live audience at the inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest [https://www.sfstationeryfest.com/]! Topics include our impressions of the show, how we got into stationery in the first place, plus a Q&A with audience members in which they picked our brains about pens, inks, paper, and more. Note that in the video we were in the room with audience members and interacting with people off camera, so we have had to adjust the audio and repeat questions at times. Show Notes and Links 1. San Francisco Stationery Fest [https://www.sfstationeryfest.com/] 2. Arkansas Pen Show [https://www.arpenshow.com/] 3. Bonecrusher Studios [https://www.bonecrusher7studios.com/] 4. Pens by Pasquale [https://pensbypasquale.com/] 5. Nagasawa at Vanness [https://vanness1938.com/collections/paper-main-menu?filter.p.vendor=NAGASAWA&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=&sort_by=title-ascending] 6. Wearingeul Testing Cards [https://vanness1938.com/collections/paper-main-menu?filter.p.vendor=Wearingeul&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=&sort_by=title-ascending] 7. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-roterfaden-shop] 8. Olive Octopus Ink [https://oliveoctopus.ink/]

Episode 5: Are You a User or a Collector of Stationery?

Do you consider yourself a user or collector of stationery? Maybe a bit of both? In the fifth episode of On the Paper Trail, we talk about a topic that draws strong opinions and maybe even a little bit of judgment in the stationery world. Whether you use every pen, bottle of ink, or rare notebook that you own, or maintain pristine archives for posterity, how we view our stationery is intensely personal and will differ from person to person. We also discuss events at the upcoming Arkansas Pen Show and the San Francisco Stationery Fest! Show Notes and Links 1. Nagasawa Exclusive Pens [https://vanness1938.com/collections/NAGASAWA?sort_by=best-selling&filter.p.product_type=Pen&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=] (Lisa's Pen) 2. Pilot Custom Urushi [https://vanness1938.com/search?type=product&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&options%5Bunavailable_products%5D=last&q=Custom+Urushi] (Lisa's Pen) 3. Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-custom-74-lavender-fog] (Joe's Pen) 4. Uni Zento [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/uni-zento-standard-5mm-and-38mm-sizes] (Joe's Pen) 5. Pilot S20 Ballpoint [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop/pilot-s20-ballpoint-pen] (Joe's Pen) 6. Roterfaden TGS_25 A5 Slim [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-roterfaden-shop/roterfaden-taschenbegleiter-tgs-25-special-edition] 7. Laurett's Pens [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/the-curated-shop?category=Laurett%27s] 8. Troublemaker Inks [https://vanness1938.com/collections/fountain-pen-ink-by-brand?sort_by=best-selling&filter.p.vendor=Troublemaker&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=] 9. Wearingeul Paper [https://vanness1938.com/collections/paper-by-brand?sort_by=title-ascending&filter.p.vendor=Wearingeul&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=] 10. Nagasawa 6-Ring Refills [https://vanness1938.com/collections/paper-by-brand?sort_by=title-ascending&filter.p.vendor=NAGASAWA&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=] 11. Episode 2: Matthew Chen Talks Kodachi Nibs [https://youtu.be/xp5kJpziX5c] 12. Akkerman Standard Ink Bottle Example [https://vanness1938.com/products/akkerman-05-shocking-blue?_pos=1&_fid=f3cffa870&_ss=c] 13. Akkerman Dutch Masters Ink Bottle Example [https://vanness1938.com/products/akkerman-dutch-masters-rembrandts-karmozijn-crimson] 14. Arkansas Pen Show [https://www.arpenshow.com] 15. San Francisco Stationery Fest [https://www.sfstationeryfest.com] When they’re not on the road, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer [https://www.gentlemanstationer.com]and Lisa over at Vanness Pens [www.vanness1938.com].