My Favourite Pens and Paper (2024)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.พ. 2025
- For those curious, here are my favourite pens and paper and why I chose each one.
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#PenAndPaper #Notebooks #MontBlanc
TH-cam is glorious. The fact that this gentleman creates his valuable videos for anyone at all to view. What a wonderful thing to have discovered a little corner of the interwebs where such oddball souls as us. God bless and keep you all
Thank you, Jonathan.
I agree!
I'm also a fountain pen user, and my pen of choice is the Japanese Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point. What sets this pen apart is that it functions like a ballpoint pen with a click mechanism, eliminating the need for a cap. I find caps to be an annoyance because they are an extra piece to manage, and they can easily roll off your writing surface or get lost. Since it's a Japanese pen, the quality is excellent.
Like Carl, I use paper before transferring my notes to digital formats. My go-to is the Rhodia Web Planner, where the left page is dedicated to each day of the week, and the right page features a grid for general notes. I just ordered the Maruman Mnemosyne Notebook for planning purposes.
the vanishing point is probably one of the best pens ever made design wise. great choice mate
Oh! I used to use Namiki. Now this is making me want to buy a new one!
Thank you. Many good points and tips.
Thank you 🙂
Great video thanks!
Thank you, Karen.
Great clip.
May I suggest you put a MB 147 traveller FP with a fine nib (with its traveller case ) on your wish list.
The 147 is actually the 146 with a cartridge ink system.
Imagine that would be great do for your travelling life.
That would free your 149 up for a medium, broad etc nib swap.
Bought my 147 with travel case, NOS, at a considerable discount to the new price.
Took a while to find, but worth the wait.
OOh, funny you should mention that, I have the 147 on my wishlist 🙂
Carl, you are absolutely right about slowing down. Writing is key in my life and part of my daily "therapeutic" routine since what you can call an awakening.
This organic experience not only forces us to think deeper and slower but is also a fantastic tool to connect us to the present moment. I cannot spend one more day without writing.
According to the kind of pens you love and the nib widths you use on Rhodia paper, I can only highly recommend you to try a Pilot 823 in M and a Pelikan M805 in F (or even EF, they write broad).
Those will make you look at your Montblanc differently, trust me on that ;)
Hi Michael, you put into words precisely what I discovered when I returned to the paper.
I do have a Pilot 823, and it's a very nice pen. There's just something about the stiffness you get with a Montblanc fine nib. (That could be as I am left-handed, though)
correct some paper will allow the ink to bleed...not a great experience...true point....i m glad you made it...
Hello Carl,
Thank you for this very interesting video.
Years ago, a board member filled his fountain pen with an inkwell during a meeting. I was very impressed by that. After the meeting, he explained to me that he chooses a different colour of ink for each year so that he can quickly see which year his notes are from and whether his signature is the right colour and therefore genuine.
I have only been writing with a fountain pen for 5 years now. I can fully understand your enthusiasm.
It's funny you should mention signature ink colours. One of my former legal mentors told me to always use the same shade of ink for my signature (and the same pen). That way, I will always know it was my genuine signature.
I love the idea of a different colour each year.
Great video, I use a fountain almost exclusively now but still need to find a good notebook. At the office I just use a spiral notebook because the notes don't get lost and when it is full I can recycle the paper.
Funny, I use pretty much the same paper products for the same purposes. For pens I don't like the Lamy 2000 or the Montblancs very much, give Graf von Faber-Castell a try, they are the OG fountain pens - like Breguet is for watches. Or If you do not want to spend a fortune: TWSBI, simply the best steel nib pens. For pocket notebook I'm settled with the Smython The Panama - it even outperforms all Japanese offerings. One tip: I use one notebook as my daily log (right now my pocket notebook), all other books have a number and page numbers, so I can cross reference between books ("> 15.75" = "s. book 15, page 75").
Thank you for the tips. 🙂
Breguet is washed
Some of my favourite fountain pen friendly paper has been in children's notebooks bought from Lidl. Not a very professional look, but beautiful paper at a bargain price.
Muji notebooks also have lovely paper, and a minimalist look.
I am so glad you said something about whether your hand writing is good or bad, because I have developed a benign tremor in my hands and my writing went to crap. I still think better on paper.
Sorry to hear that, Chris. It's true, though, that your handwriting is not essential. It's the motion of putting pen to paper and allowing your thoughts to flow.
The more I know you, the more I like you. 😊
Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Megan.
@@Carl_Pullein it's MegaNotOfThisWorld and I am not a female. LOL. 👍
But you are welcome.
Wow your right were I ended up when I was doing some paper+Fountain pen discovery. MD notebooks are amazing and very lay flat. The only thing that is a neg is the cream which I like with dark inks but your other colors really change. That A4 Dot is actually an A4+ which caught me off guard as it is A4 tear out which seems great if your going to move to another notebook. Mnemosyne has so many sizes its better variety than Rhodia plus they have lots of top ring and really small options. The other option I use is the campus smart ring paper options. The A4 is great for planning and I can more them around much easier in these systems. That Rhodia A4+ dot I can use my smart ring puncher and put that paper into my smart ring systems. Kokuyo and Maruman make great hard and soft smart ring options. MD and Mnemosyne fit in Galen leather slim covers. Goulet pens had a paper testing pack that allows you to try out some passport and smaller sizes. Stalogy I have a love hate with, great but thin.
Thank you for this video. I was always curious about your fountain pens. Fully agree with you on the Lamy 2000 , I simply love them for their design and function and recently I acquired my grail pen Pelikan M1000 fine nib and loving it too, though the Pelikan fine is lot more thicker than the Japanese pens like Pilot or Sailor. And nothing beats like writing on paper with a fountain pen. I simply love the smell of a freshly opened notebook or even novels
Me too! The smell of a brand-new notebook cannot be beaten 🙂
calling out moleskin for poor quality paper feels personal but so true - such an overhyped brand. Tomoe River is my fav
As I recall, Moleskin was once a great paper. I have started using notebooks made with Mitsubishi Bank Paper, and I ignore Moleskin products.
I’m really enjoyed watching this being a fountain pen and stationery lover/addict. I have all the notebooks you talked about and I totally agree they are brilliant for fountain pens😊
Great vid, regarding great writing paper can you recommend a smaller pocket notebook please?
Field Notes are great if you're not using a fountain pen. If you are, I'd look at Rhodia, Midori or Leuchtturm1917. They have some great A6 / A7 notebooks.
I love your TH-cam (actually I caught myself thinking "ooooh, Carl has a new one!" 🙂 I also love fountain pens, have multiple, and my favorites are my TWISBY demonstrator and the Pelikan M1000. Paper-wise I love Tomoe River paper. Some favorite notebooks are the Nanami Seven Seas and the Hobonichi's. However...... have you ever considered any E-Ink tablets for note-taking. I recently started using the Supernote Nomad (writing area similar to B6 paper size) and I have to say that I actually like it very much so far. While the writing feel obviously is not comparable to writing with a fountain pen, it is quite smooth and the tablet offers the additional ease of note storage, organization, and retrieval. I am interested in your thoughts regarding E-Ink tablets. Cheers!
For me, using pen and paper is a way to slow down and get away from digital tools. I've tried all sorts of e-ink devices but found none can replicate the gorgeous feel you get with a fountain pen on good-quality paper.
I'm stocked up on Tomoe River paper ready to start my next journal.
@@Carl_Pullein yes, I agree to that: nothing beats the feel of a great fountain pen nib on nice paper. For work I now use the Supernote E-Ink tablet, which works great and has the pros I mentioned. For private I also still prefer the fountain pen/paper combo. And yes, Tomoe river.....
This video it´s a great theraphy 😁🖋
Thank you. 🙂
Great review. 😊.. are you in South Korea.
Thank you. I am. I've lived in South Korea for 22 years 🙂
I never mastered fountain pens so it’s a fantastic to see a fellow left hander not only using them but being so passionate! BTW my pens of choice are 1970’s Parkers.
Some of my favourite pens at school were the Parkers. I used the fountains pens then too.
Pro-tip for highlighting ink on paper from fountain pens: Pick up Prismacolor Premier colored pencils or Faber-Castell Goldfaber pencils. Less smear if a little wet and little to none after initial drying!
Thank you for the tip 🙂
+1 on the Rhodia & Maruman Mnemosyne (just picked one up based on your previous video). One of my favorite paper & pen combos for meetings is a Rhodia Orange Meeting Notebook and Lamy Pico Pen in Orange. As a fellow lefty, fountain pens aren't really my jam.
Rhodia's are excellent notebooks.
@@Carl_Pullein@Carl_Pullein, Your mastery of the fountain pen as a lefty is impressive and inspiring!
Journalling - ive watched multiple Carl youtubes that recommends keeping a journal, but HOW and WHAT? Is there a 'course' oŕ detailed explanation of how to journal and what to think/write about?
Hi Jules, When you start a journal, it's like meeting a stranger for the first time. At first, you are a little reserved and don't give up too many of your inner thoughts and feelings. Over time, as you get to know the person better, you open up. The same thing happens with journaling.
I tell people to begin by writing about the weather and perhaps what you did yesterday. Then, as your habit grows and you become comfortable, you'll begin writing your thoughts and feelings, and the journey becomes very interesting.
What kind of ruling do you use and recommend these notebooks and journals (5mm dot grid, 5mm squared, unruled, 8mm ruled or 7mm ruled)?
My preference is for 7mm ruled paper. That fits my handwriting perfectly.
We need to geek out about this stuff, Carl. I’m a BIG fountain pen user myself!
OOh YES PLEASE!! Time to get you on my podcast 🙂
@@Carl_Pullein Count me in!
What type of paper/note-pad would you recommend for taking uni notes?
My favourite pen, at the moment, is a Pilot V5... even though I currently don't use it all that much!
My wife's at university and she's using the Mnemosyne A4 lined pad. If you prefer something smaller, they have the A5 and B5 sizes available.
@@Carl_Pullein that's good to know, ta. I shall have a shufty at them. 🙂
Carl, have you seen the Montegrappa 007 Special Issue Fountain Pen? Hate to give you another Grail pen, but maybe for your next book. - Jeff
Hahah I did see it. It was a struggle to keep my credit card in my pocket LOL.
Aha, brilliant - just the topic I wanted to research and your video top suggestion Carl by YT algorithm
That's fantastic! Hope I've been able to help.
I started using fountain pen last year. Here in Brazil they are very expensive, so I’m using a Lamy safari. I would like to know what you think of those pen.
BR from Brazil
Lamy Safari's are excellent pens. I've had a few over the years.
Paper planner - which one has lovely paper for the fountain pen?
Ooh, good question. I know Midori's MD Planner is excellent for fountain pens. Not sure about others.
Pls check out Smythson paper. I am sure it will change your entire perspective of a feather weight good paper.
Hahaha, next time I'm in London, I will be purchasing some 🙂
Moleskine paper is definitely the worst of them all. Sad, because they do have the largest choice of sizes and whatnot. But any pen bleeds on them but rollers . The others you mentionned are somewhat hard to put a hand on, well at least here in canadasthan.
Finally!!!
Have you ever considered testing the refillable Rhodia Exabook?
No. My paper "testing" days are over LOL - I have far too many notebooks to use now.
@@Carl_Pullein Actually, it's not about the paper. It's a hardcover for the soft cover Rhodia Paper Notebook that you have already tested and like.
Test japanese Rollbahn flexible ;) (from Delphonics) you thank me later haha
Carl - have you ever tried the bullet journal method? You are the reason why I decided to switch to planning my life on paper and I can't thank you enough for that! Life changing!
I did a long time ago. I really enjoyed it, but I got very little work done. I think I have a perfectionist inside me, and I enjoyed setting up the bullet journal so much that I didn't do any work.
Interesting video covering a lot of ground Carl! I use my Waterman fountain pen at home, but for work, where pens have a habit of disappearing, I use a Chinese "Mont Blanc homage" the Jinhao X 159 ($15) and, even better, the Asvine P20 (about $30). The Jinhao takes cartridges which is perfect for the work environment. If I'm in a meeting the X159 looks the goods and the writing experience is much better than it has any right to be, considering its price.
Ah, yes. I wouldn't take any of these "special" pens out of my home office. The Lamy does go with me everywhere, though.
Ha, ink? Great vid; thanks!
Ooh, ink's a dangerous hobby to have. I have far too much hahahaha
Midori has covers for their notebooks There’s a clear plastic, a pale-pink-ish paper/cardstock and a leather cover. The paper one is more stiff than the plastic but both are useful when writing on uneven surfaces. I’ve never tried the leather.
That's true. I've had no trouble with them without, though.
Back in the day I used to use fountain pens, Sheaffer and Cross. Now I want to check out the maruman mnemosyne B5 notepad. For the Midori MD notebook, it looks like you prefer unruled - blank pages. That would be too dangerous for me, but I'd like to try the ruled version. Thanks Carl.
My preference are lined notebooks. The MD notebooks only come in ruled as an A5 variety. 😞
Have you tried dip pens .. ?
Hahaha not yet. But will be soon 🙂
Always fun to see fellow fountain pen fanatics check in. I collect and use vintage Sheaffer pens. I find that using a vintage pen with Sheaffer Skrip ink or Parker Quink means I don’t have to treat it like a pet. I can use any old paper and it’s fine. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer lovely paper, but I don’t need it to get good performance from my pens.
When I dusted off my fountain pens earlier this year, I decided I would care more about the paper quality. As I was looking through my old notes from a few years ago, I noticed that many of the Quink and Skrip inks I'd used had faded. In the my old Rhodia and Clairefontaine books, the ink was still looking as if I'd written it yesterday,
@@Carl_Pulleinare you saying it was the ink or the paper?
that I am not sure about. I suspect it was combination of both as the MontBlanc Racing Green ink I used around ten years ago had faded slightly too. (Although not as much as the Quink or Skrip
This video has 10,000 views. Time for another fountain pen! 😉
Hahaha I would have to ask my wife. 🙂
I see Ronnie the Rhino is nicely chillin in the background 🤣
Hahaha He's a very happy Rhino today too 🙂
@@Carl_Pullein it’s about time he had something to be happy about 😆
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