What We Use

Because the tools we use can change frequently — depending on purpose, availability, and mood — this is a dated list of what we are using most recently.

Patrick Rhone — 02.28.2025

This is not the totality of what I use. That said, hese are the things I use right now on a daily basis.

• Pentel EnerGel RTX Gel Pen – Needle-Point – 0.5 mm – Indigo Black | JetPens — I’ve been a bit obsessed with these for the last few months. They’ve become my main daily drivers. Most of my fountain pens (which I still love) lay clean and un-inked. I have 5 colors that I switch between in my Daily Log and switch between them daily

• Kaweco Classic Sport Fountain Pen – Green – Fine | JetPens — The one fountain pen I do have inked and break out for journalling and note taking. I think what I love most is not just it’s small size and portability,

• Frictionless Tools Capture Cards – Red — I still have a large stash of these that I acquired before the maker decided to move on to other things. I still use them sparingly and carefully to make the reserve last as long as possible. These are my index cards of choice. More sturdy than the standard variety. I like the grid design. Takes fountain pen ink better too. I use these for my daily task list and to jot down a quick temporary note here and there.

• Nock Co. Sinclair Case — To keep all my pens together and hold some index cards as well. Another company that, sadly, has ceased operations. That said, a similar design can now be found here: Sinclair Model R

• Hobonichi Techo Planner — For going on 12 years now. I use this as a daily log — recording tasks completed, appointments attended, and occurrences observed. It is the only journal I have ever managed to keep every day, consistently. In fact, I have not missed a day since I started mine on December 16, 2013 (pretty proud of that). The main reason for this success is that it simply is a joy to use. The paper is, perhaps, the best I’ve ever written on. Also, it’s well designed, functional, and has little bit of whimsy thrown in here and there. It just makes me unreasonably happy every time I use it.

• Nanami Seven Seas “WRITER” A5 Journal — I’ve been using this for for years now for a combination journal, note book, and a place to hold my master task lists. It’s perfect.

Shawn Mihalik — 2025.02.27

• Fountain Pens — To date, I’ve accumulated 18 fountain pens, all of which see regular or semi-regular use. Right now, my most-used pens are, in no particular order, the Montblanc 149 Origins Editions, Montblanc 146 Glacier, Pilot Vanishing Point LS, vintage Conklin Crescent Filler (circa 1913–1920), and Kaweco Brass Sport (this one comes with me whenever I leave the house—the brass means I just put it in my pocket, and it’s developing a beautiful patina).

• Kaweco Special Mini Mechanical Pencil — Occasionally, if I get just the right combination of nib, ink, and paper, I can annotate nonfiction books with a fountain pen. But most of the time, I use this adorable little pencil from Kaweco. I bought a clip for it, and it tends to stay affixed to whatever nonfiction book I’m reading at the time. (I also frequently use the Retro51 Tornado Crossword Edition to do, well, crosswords)

• Galen Leather 5-Slot Pen Case — When I want to bring any of my nicer pens with me for working out of the house, they usually travel in this case. At home, I store my uninked pens in either a Galen Wooden Display Box or a Galen 20-Slot Leather Pen Case. On my desk, currently inked pens and other writing instruments are in a Walden Woodworkers Desk Organizer.

• Galen Everyday Book — I always carry a small notebook in my back pocket, in this kick-ass cover from One Star Leather Goods.

• Leuchtturm1917 with 120gsm paper in a Galen A6 Notebook Cover — I use Leuchtturm notebooks for a variety of purposes. Right now, I have the official Bullet Journal variant as my, well, bullet journal, where I keep my to-do lists, project notes, and plans. I also have separate Leuchtturms for individual writing projects.

• Vita Mortis Hand-Bound Notebook —This is my current journal. I bought it from the maker at an occult crafts fair in Burbank. It’s beautifully handmade, with solid paper.