On The Paper Trail...

Have you ever written with two fountain pens of the same model and same nib size, only to notice subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle) differences in line width? As retailers, we get questions about this topic all the time, and have experienced this ourselves in our own personal collections, so we wanted to talk about why this happens and what you can do to help ensure you get the nib closest to your desired line width. We also talk a bit about upcoming pen shows and events, including the DC, San Francisco, and Dallas Pen Shows, as well as our own On The Paper Trail Live Event in Nashville!
Show Notes and Links
Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen)
Pilot 4+1 Wood Multi Pen (Joe's Pen)
Nagasawa Odyssey Starseeker (Lisa's Pen)
Savannah James Stickers (Lisa's Stickers)
TGS Roterfaden Restock
OnionBrand Notebooks
TWSBI ECO Rootbeer Fountain Pens
Coffee Stickers
Opus 88 Cloud Dancer Fountain Pen
DC Pen Show
SF Pen Show
Dallas Pen Show
On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville

Joe and Lisa are back from their recent stationery trip to Japan, and ready to discuss all of the things they discovered while they were there! Join us as we recap two weeks in Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Osaka, and more, including visits to stores like Itoya, Kakimori, TRAVELER'S Factory, Nagasawa, Loft, Hands, Kingdom Note, Toyooka Craft, and other favorites. Are we going back? You bet.
Show Notes and Links
Opus 88 Sapphire Demonstrator (Lisa’s Pen)
Pilot Kakuno (Lisa’s Pen)
Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (Joe’s Pen)
Pilot Custom 845 Urushi (Joe’s Pen)
New Arrivals From Galen Leather
Tom’s Studio Ori Highlighters
Toyo Steel Boxes
Anterique Pens
Kakimori Make Your Own Notebook
Kakimori Make Your Own Ink
Toyooka Craft
Joe’s Japan Trip Blog Recap (Visits to Itoya, Ancora, TRAVELER'S Factory)
Joe’s Japan Trip Blog Recap (Kakimori Notebook and Ink Bar)
Joe’s Japan Trip Blog Recap (Ink Shopping in Tokyo)
Joe’s Five Favorite Things He Brought Home from Japan
Get caught up on previous episodes, and also find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details.

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! Event details have been made public, and ⁠Weekend Pass⁠ and ⁠Day Pass⁠ event tickets are now available to purchase.
Dr. Grip Ballpoint (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Opus 88 Savannah Zebra (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠
⁠⁠Benu Pixie (Lisa's Pen).⁠⁠
⁠⁠Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Laurett's Ballpoint (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Traveler's Company Ballpoint (Joe's Pen)⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens⁠⁠.
⁠⁠Lochby 6-Ring Binders.⁠⁠
⁠⁠Lochby Tomoe River 6-Ring Refills.⁠⁠
⁠⁠Tono & Lims New Arrivals.⁠⁠
⁠⁠New Lamy Safaris.⁠⁠
⁠⁠Grandpa's Basement (Clearance).⁠⁠

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
Mark's Inc. "Days" Ballpoint (via Vanness Pens).
Diamine Spring Green (via Vanness Pens).
Pilot Grancé (via Vanness Pens).
Pilot Custom 912 with PO Nib (via TGS Curated Shop).
Pilot Prera (via TGS Curated Shop).
Bungubox Dandyism Ink (via Vanness Pens).
On The Paper Trail Episode 1.
Wonderland222 Back to Tomoe River Announcement.
Ask TGS: Flying with Fountain Pens.
Lisa's Shipping Update Video.

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
Pilot e95s (Lisa’s Weekly Pen).
Blackwing Matte (Lisa’s Weekly Pencil).
Midori Soft Color Spiral (Lisa’s Weekly Paper).
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen).
Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pen (Joe’s Weekly Pen).
Life Noble Note A5 6-Ring Paper (Joe’s Weekly Paper).
Kaweco Perkeo (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Lamy Pico Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Conway Stewart (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Ohto Ceramic Rollerball Pens (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Lamy Swift Capless Rollerball (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Jetstream Prime Ballpoint (Underappreciated Pen Pick).
Levenger Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick).
Yamamoto Ro-Biki (Underappreciated Paper Pick).
Original Crown Mill (Underappreciated Paper Pick).
Wearingeul Paper (Underappreciated Paper Pick).
Callifolio Ink (Underappreciated ink Pick).
KWZ Old Gold (Underappreciated Ink Pick).
Laban Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick).
Papier Plume Ink (Underappreciated Ink Pick).
When they're not podcasting, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer and Lisa over at Vanness Pens!