Guides

The Platinum Preppy and Plaisir explained — the Slip and Seal cap, the nib sizes, eyedropper conversion, and why they're the best value in fountain pens.

The Sailor Pro Gear and Pro Gear Slim explained — nib options, sizing, the Shikiori range, and how they compare to Pilot and Platinum equivalents.

Practical advice on starting a journaling habit — the right notebook, what to write, how to maintain it, and why most people quit and how not to.

The best fountain pens for drawing — fine lines, reliable flow, and inks that work with or without watercolour. A guide for sketchers and illustrators.

A5 Cousin, A6 Original, Weeks, HON — the complete guide to choosing your Hobonichi Techo format as a UK buyer, with honest comparisons from TJS.

The best fountain pens for students — durable, affordable, easy to maintain, and genuinely better for note-taking than ballpoints. A UK guide.

The best fountain pens in the £50–100 range — where you start to encounter gold nibs, piston fillers, and the first genuinely luxurious everyday writers.

Outstanding fountain pens for under £50 — from the Pilot Metropolitan to the TWSBI ECO. The best value in the hobby, clearly ranked.

Iron gall inks are the oldest fountain pen inks — and the most waterproof. The best modern iron gall inks for fountain pen use, safely and effectively.

Cartridge, converter, piston, vacuum, eyedropper — every fountain pen filling system explained clearly, with the pros and cons of each.

Fine tips, vivid colours, quick dry — the best gel pens for Hobonichi, Leuchtturm, and any other planner. A guide to the tools that make planning…

Japan produces the world's finest pens, inks, and notebooks. This is The Journal Shop's complete guide to Japanese stationery — brands, products, and…