Stationery
Stationery matters because the tools you write with shape how you think. A fountain pen that flows smoothly encourages longer sentences, more exploratory thought. Paper that receives ink cleanly makes visible the rhythm of your hand. Notebooks with good binding stay open while you work. These aren’t luxuries—they’re equipment that reduces friction between thought and page.
This guide covers the fundamentals: how fountain pens work, what makes ink behave well, why paper matters, and which notebooks serve different purposes. The goal isn’t acquisition for its own sake but understanding what works and why.
Fountain Pens
A fountain pen is a controlled leak. The pen holds a reservoir of liquid ink that flows through a feed to the nib, where capillary action draws it onto paper. Understanding this mechanism helps you choose, use, and maintain pens.
How Fountain Pens Work
The reservoir holds ink—anywhere from 0.5ml (cartridge) to 2ml+ (large piston fillers). The ink is liquid, not the thick paste of ballpoint refills.
The feed is the channeled plastic or ebonite piece beneath the nib. Its fins store ink and regulate flow through capillary action. Air must enter the reservoir as ink exits; the feed manages this exchange.
The nib is the metal writing tip. As you write, the tines spread microscopically, releasing ink through the slit. Capillary action between the nib’s underside and the paper does the rest.
Capillary action is the key principle. Ink is drawn from reservoir through feed to nib to paper by the same physics that makes paper towels absorb liquid. The pen doesn’t pump ink—it lets physics pull it.
Nib Anatomy
The nib determines how the pen writes:
Tipping material: The small ball of hard metal (usually an iridium alloy) welded to the nib tip. This is what contacts the paper; the gold or steel behind it is just structure.
Slit: The cut running from the breather hole to the tip. This channel delivers ink. A wider slit flows more ink (wetter writer); a narrower slit flows less (drier writer).
Breather hole: The hole at the top of the slit. Allows air to replace ink in the reservoir and adds flexibility to the tines.
Tines: The two prongs created by the slit. How they move relative to each other determines nib feedback and line variation.
Nib Sizes
Nib sizes indicate the line width:
| Size | Line Width | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| EF (Extra Fine) | 0.3-0.4mm | Small handwriting, detailed notes |
| F (Fine) | 0.4-0.5mm | General writing, most paper |
| M (Medium) | 0.5-0.6mm | Comfortable all-purpose, shows shading |
| B (Broad) | 0.6-0.8mm | Signatures, display writing |
Japanese nibs run finer than Western nibs of the same designation—a Japanese F is closer to a Western EF.
Specialty Grinds
Beyond standard round tips:
Stub: Flat, wide tip. Thick horizontal strokes, thin verticals. Adds character to handwriting without learning italic calligraphy.
Italic: Sharper flat edge than stub. Crisper line variation but less forgiving—requires precise pen angle.
Architect: The opposite of italic—thin horizontals, thick verticals. Unusual, distinctive.
Fude: Bent tip, common on Asian pens. Line width varies with pen angle, allowing calligraphic effects.
Filling Mechanisms
How ink gets into the pen:
Cartridge: Pre-filled disposable plastic tubes. Most convenient; limited ink choices; more expensive per ml. Standard international cartridges fit most European pens; proprietary cartridges (Pilot, Lamy, etc.) don’t interchange.
Converter: A reusable device that fits like a cartridge but draws ink from a bottle. Twist, piston, or squeeze mechanisms. Best balance of ink choice and convenience.
Piston: The barrel itself is the reservoir; a screw-down piston draws ink directly. Larger capacity; fewer parts; can’t switch to cartridges.
Vacuum/plunger: A plunger pushes air out, then draws ink in through differential pressure. Large capacity, dramatic filling action.
Eyedropper: The barrel holds ink directly—no mechanism, maximum capacity. Requires silicone grease on threads to prevent leaking.
Beginner Recommendations
These pens offer good quality at accessible prices:
Pilot Metropolitan / Kakuno / Explorer (~$15-30): Excellent nibs, smooth writing, reliable. The Metropolitan is sleek; the Kakuno is cute and comfortable; the Explorer is triangular for beginners.
Lamy Safari / Al-Star (~$25-35): Iconic design, triangular grip teaches proper pen hold, interchangeable nibs. The Safari is plastic; Al-Star is aluminum.
TWSBI Eco / Swipe (~$30-35): Piston fillers showing ink level through clear barrels. Excellent value for the filling mechanism.
Platinum Preppy (~$5): Absurdly good for the price. Proves fountain pens don’t require investment. Fine nibs that punch above their weight.
Kaweco Sport (~$25): Pocket-sized, classic design, posts to full-length. Good option for carrying.
Care and Maintenance
Flushing: Run water through the pen until it runs clear. Do this when changing inks or if the pen hasn’t been used for weeks. Cold water, not hot—heat can damage feeds.
Cleaning: If ink has dried, soak the nib section overnight. Stubborn deposits yield to pen flush solutions (dilute ammonia).
Storage: Store pens horizontal or nib-up. Nib-down lets ink pool in the cap. If storing long-term, empty and flush first.
Nib issues: Most problems (skipping, hard starts) are solved by flushing. If a nib writes scratchy or skips persistently, it may need alignment—a skilled repair or manufacturer service.
Ink
Fountain pen ink is mostly water with dissolved dye or suspended pigment. The formulation determines color, behavior, and permanence.
Dye vs Pigment
Dye-based inks (most fountain pen inks): Color dissolves in water. Flows easily, cleans out completely, vivid colors. Not waterproof—water will smear or wash away the writing.
Pigment-based inks: Color particles suspended in water. After drying, the pigment stays on the paper even if rewetted. Waterproof and archival. Requires more careful flushing to prevent clogging.
Water Resistance
Between fully washable and fully waterproof, there’s a spectrum:
- Water-resistant: Survives light splashes; leaves ghost image if soaked
- Water-resistant with halo: The dye component washes away, leaving the permanent component (often iron gall)
- Waterproof: Permanent once dry; designed for documents or artwork
For everyday notes, water resistance rarely matters. For journals, addresses, or outdoor field notes, it might.
Sheen and Shading
Shading: Variation in color intensity as ink pools. Where the nib pauses or changes direction, more ink deposits, creating darker areas. Adds dimension to handwriting. Broader nibs and wetter pens show more shading.
Sheen: A secondary color that appears at an angle, caused by dye molecules reflecting light differently than the absorbed color. Red sheen on green ink, for example. Requires heavy ink deposition (wet pens, absorbent paper) to appear.
Shimmer Inks
Shimmer inks contain suspended particles (usually mica) that sparkle. Beautiful effects but higher maintenance—particles can settle and clog feeds. Use in pens that disassemble for cleaning.
Safe Inks and Iron Gall
Modern safe inks: Designed for fountain pens. Neutral pH, no corrosive components, clean easily.
Iron gall inks: Historical formula where iron salts and tannic acid create permanent, dark lines. Modern versions are safer but require more maintenance—the iron component can deposit in feeds over time. Flush monthly if used regularly.
India ink / drawing ink: Usually shellac-based. Will ruin a fountain pen—the shellac dries and clogs irreversibly. Never use in fountain pens.
Popular Ink Brands
Pilot Iroshizuku: Premium Japanese inks. Exceptionally smooth, well-behaved, beautiful shading. Expensive but consistent.
Diamine: British ink maker with massive color selection. Good value, interesting properties, some shimmer options.
Noodler’s: American inks focused on specific properties—bulletproof (completely permanent), water-resistant, color-changing. Variable quality but unique offerings.
Sailor: Japanese inks with strong personalities. Known for interesting color formulations.
Lamy: Basic, reliable inks that match their pens. Nothing exciting, nothing wrong.
Pelikan: German inks with excellent flow. 4001 series is a standard.
Paper
Paper is half the equation. The wrong paper ruins good pen and ink; the right paper elevates everything.
What Makes Paper Fountain Pen Friendly
Fountain pen ink is liquid, not paste. It sits on or soaks into paper differently than ballpoint or gel ink. Good fountain pen paper:
Resists feathering: The ink stays where you put it instead of spreading along paper fibers like veins. Feathering makes lines fuzzy and ruins fine nibs’ precision.
Resists bleed-through: Ink doesn’t soak through to the other side. Some show-through (faint shadow) is acceptable; bleed-through (ink on the back) is not.
Shows ink properties: Paper that’s too absorbent drinks ink before it can show shading or sheen. Better paper lets ink pool and dry slowly enough to reveal character.
Feels pleasant: Surface texture affects writing feel. Too rough catches the nib; too smooth gives no feedback. Personal preference.
What Determines Paper Quality
Sizing: Chemicals (often gelatin or synthetic alternatives) that coat paper fibers, reducing absorbency. Heavily sized paper resists feathering but may feel slick.
GSM (grams per square meter): Paper weight/thickness. Higher GSM means thicker paper, generally more bleed-resistant. 80gsm is standard; 90gsm+ is better for fountain pens.
Cotton content: Cotton fibers are longer than wood pulp fibers, producing stronger, smoother paper. “Cotton rag” paper is premium.
Coating: Some paper has additional surface coating for smoothness. Tomoe River’s famous feel comes from thin paper with careful coating.
Key Papers
Tomoe River (now Sanzen): Legendary thin paper (52gsm original, 68gsm S version) that shows ink properties beautifully. Ghosting but no bleed. Slow drying. Every ink looks its best on Tomoe River.
Rhodia: French paper with smooth, ivory-tinted surface. Reliable fountain pen performance at accessible prices. Slightly waxy feel.
Clairefontaine: The paper Rhodia is made from, also available under its own brand. Bright white, smooth, excellent ink behavior.
Midori MD: Japanese paper with a distinctive texture—smoother than most but not slick. Cream-colored, shows shading well, pleasant writing feel.
Cosmo Air Light: Another thin paper like Tomoe River. Different texture, different ink behavior, but similarly shows ink properties.
Copy paper: Standard 20lb/80gsm copy paper varies wildly. Some works fine (HP Premium, Hammermill); some feathers terribly. Worth testing before committing.
Notebooks
A notebook combines paper, binding, and cover. Each element matters.
Binding Types
Perfect bound (glue): Pages glued to spine. Lies flat poorly, can crack if forced. Common in cheap notebooks.
Thread-sewn (case bound): Signature groups sewn together, then attached to spine. Lies flat, stays open, very durable. Traditional quality binding.
Disc bound: Plastic discs through punched holes. Lies flat, pages removable and rearrangeable. Arc system (Staples), Circa (Levenger), Happy Planner.
Ring bound: Metal or plastic rings through punched holes. Lies flat, pages removable, but rings can snag hands and distort pages.
Japanese stab binding: Thread through holes along one edge. Decorative, lies flat-ish, but can’t access margin near spine.
Ruling Options
Blank: No lines. Maximum freedom; hardest to keep straight.
Lined (ruled): Horizontal lines. Standard 7mm ruling; narrow ruling (6mm) for smaller writing.
Dot grid: Dots at regular intervals (usually 5mm). Provides guidance without visual clutter. Popular for bullet journaling and design work.
Graph (grid): Full lines forming squares. Good for diagrams, tables, structured notes.
Recommended Notebooks
Rhodia Webnotebook (~$20-25): Smooth paper, thread-sewn binding, lies flat, ribbon marker. The benchmark for fountain pen notebooks.
Leuchtturm1917 (~$20-25): Numbered pages, index, two ribbon markers, good feature set. Paper is thinner than Rhodia—more ghosting, some feathering with wet pens.
Midori MD (~$15-20): Minimal design, excellent paper feel, thread-sewn sections. The paper’s texture is distinctive—worth trying even if it’s not for everyone.
Hobonichi Techo (~$25-35 + cover): Planner format using Tomoe River paper. Daily pages with ample margins. Thin pages, significant ghosting. Beloved by fountain pen users despite not being a traditional notebook.
Kokuyo Campus (~$3-5): Budget Japanese notebooks with decent fountain pen performance. Better paper than Western equivalents at the same price.
Maruman Mnemosyne (~$10-15): Smooth Japanese paper, practical features (date lines, page numbers on some models), ring or thread binding options.
Nanami Paper Cafe Note (~$25-30): Uses Sanzen/Tomoe River paper. Maximum ink showing in a traditional notebook format.
Other Tools
Pencils
Mechanical pencils: Consistent line width, no sharpening, good for precision work. Common lead sizes: 0.5mm (standard), 0.7mm (bolder), 0.3mm (fine detail), 2.0mm (lead holder, simulates wood pencil).
Woodcase pencils: Variable line width, requires sharpening, tactile satisfaction. Graphite grades from hard (H, 2H—light, precise) through HB (middle) to soft (B, 2B—dark, smooth). Higher numbers mean more extreme properties.
Blackwing: Premium woodcase pencils with cult following. Smooth cores, distinctive flat ferrule and replaceable eraser.
Erasers
Vinyl/plastic erasers: Clean erasure, leaves minimal residue. Staedtler Mars Plastic, Pentel Hi-Polymer.
Kneaded erasers: Moldable, picks up graphite without residue. Good for lightening rather than removing.
Pencil-mounted erasers: Convenient but often smear more than erase. Keep a standalone eraser for serious work.
Rulers
Metal rulers: Best for cutting. Cork-backed versions don’t slip.
Plastic rulers: Fine for drawing lines. Many include useful scales.
Rolling rulers: Maintain parallel lines while rolling across the page.
Blotting Paper
Thick, absorbent paper for drying ink quickly. Useful with wet inks or slow-drying paper. Press (don’t rub) against wet writing. Practically necessary with Tomoe River paper and wet writers.
Building a Kit
A minimal functional kit:
Pen: Pilot Metropolitan or Platinum Preppy to start. One pen is enough until you know what you want.
Ink: One bottle of a well-behaved ink (Pilot Blue-Black, Iroshizuku Asa-gao, Diamine Oxblood). Cartridges for convenience if your pen accepts them.
Paper: Rhodia dot pad or Maruman Mnemosyne notebook. Something you’ll actually use.
Cloth: A lint-free cloth for wiping nibs and cleaning up.
That’s it. Everything else—additional pens, exotic inks, specialty notebooks—comes from discovering what you actually use and want. The hobby can expand infinitely, but it can also stay simple. A single good pen with reliable ink on decent paper does everything writing requires.