Things I like
Writing
I love pens and good paper
Fountain Pens
Pilot Vanishing Point ($160) - There has never been a better all-around daily pen in history. The click is satisfying, the nib takes a beating, you can throw it anywhere you want and it will write even after some time off. I’ve brought mine all over the world and write with it nearly daily after 5 years of having it. There are some Chinese knock-offs I think JinHao had one that was so close you could interchange parts but the Japanese Pilot way outdoes it. The nib is much smoother and flows ink much better. I got mine for $160 but they’re up to $180 now.
Pilot Metropolitan ($20) - The best intro pen, better than the Lamy Safari IMO. It has a finer nib and better flow and doesn’t feel as cheap as the Lamy’s plastic. Great pen and you can beat the hell out of them.
Pencils
Blackwing ($5) - Excellent pencils, great shape and I love the rectangular eraser. You can really get into their whole ecosystem if you want and get their sharpeners and eraser spares but the pencils themselves go a long way on their own. I have no 2 lead but the real draw is the quality of the pencil so I think any lead will do.
Mechanical Pencil - Pretty much anything will do so long as it’s 0.7mm and has an eraser. I used a brand called Poppin in college that I only ever saw in the Iowa State MU bookstore and have never seen since. The pencil was fully gold colored and just the right size. I thought it looked nice to have that alongside my black Pilot Vanishing Point. They’re $16.50 for a set of two and the quality doesn’t warrant that so they’re purely an aesthetic choice for me.
Modern Pens
Rotring 300 Ballpoint - Such a solid feel, great pen, fun to write with, just amazing to carry in your pocket. Having that weight in your pocket is so nice, it’s like carrying a soothe-stone with you. I never liked the cartridges that came with these pens, it might be because I’m used to fountain pens that I expect a really smooth writing experience but I always felt like I had to press really hard to get this pen to write. I’d like to get a refillable cartridge that takes fountain pen ink and try that in this pen. Otherwise outstanding writing experience. I’d love a 300 Fountain pen but they were $400 last time I checked because they stopped being made in the 80s.
Paper
Rhodia Rhodiarama Soft Cover ($30) - Rhodia is an incredible brand owned by Clarefountaine and made in France, they’ve got great paper and really consistent quality. To my knowledge these specific notebooks are discontinued as they do not show up to purchase on Goulet’s website anymore but the stationary stores online still carry them as of September 2025 so there are a few left. I use mine for daily task lists, bullet journaling, and whatever else I need a quick place to take notes. Love the 90g coated paper, nothing feels smoother. Takes fountain pen ink like none other and always feels great to write in. I’ll probably stock up on a ton of these and have them for the next few years. After all the rest are gone the closest replacement for the Rhodiarama is probably going to be the webnotebook series. And as if it needs to be said obviously we’re using dotgrid ruling.
MD Paper MD Notebook Light - Great paper for drawing, Field Note sized, probably A6 but maybe a little thinner and taller than true A6. If they had notebooks with rules I would probably try this brand for everyday bullet or regular journaling but they don’t offer that. Japanese, simply, quality, can’t beat it.
Rhodia Classic Side Staplebound A4 Notebook - Black Dot Grid. Nothing on earth beats this notebook. The size of it fully spread out is like looking out into an open field; the entire world before you. I think in college I used to get them for $5 a piece and I would clean out the store in Des Moines. They’re $7.70 now, still a steal. For a long time I had 6 or 7 of them stocked up ready to go but I sullied many of them by writing for classes or work notes in them. I exclusively use these for journaling (my feelings) and brainstorming now. Rough outlines, todo lists sometimes go in but they usually get transferred to the bullet journal afterwards.