On The Paper Trail...

Do you consider yourself a user or collector of stationery? Maybe a bit of both? In the fifth episode of On the Paper Trail, we talk about a topic that draws strong opinions and maybe even a little bit of judgment in the stationery world. Whether you use every pen, bottle of ink, or rare notebook that you own, or maintain pristine archives for posterity, how we view our stationery is intensely personal and will differ from person to person. We also discuss events at the upcoming Arkansas Pen Show and the San Francisco Stationery Fest!
Show Notes and Links
Nagasawa Exclusive Pens (Lisa's Pen)
Pilot Custom Urushi (Lisa's Pen)
Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog (Joe's Pen)
Uni Zento (Joe's Pen)
Pilot S20 Ballpoint (Joe's Pen)
Roterfaden TGS_25 A5 Slim
Laurett's Pens
Troublemaker Inks
Wearingeul Paper
Nagasawa 6-Ring Refills
Episode 2: Matthew Chen Talks Kodachi Nibs
Akkerman Standard Ink Bottle Example
Akkerman Dutch Masters Ink Bottle Example
Arkansas Pen Show
San Francisco Stationery Fest
When they’re not on the road, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer and Lisa over at Vanness Pens.

Have you ever been to a pen show? Joe and Lisa visit the 2026 California Pen Show, one of the larger pen and stationery events in the U.S., and recap everything they saw. This two-part episode includes a pre-show discussion on how vendors prep for a show and decide what to bring, while the post-show recap talks about impressions of the event and the different brands and vendors in attendance. The YouTube episode includes footage of the event itself and a short vendor tour that follows the podcast portion, including visits to Stationery Stack, Laurette's Japan, Bungubox, and more!
YouTube Episode 4
Show Notes and Links
California Pen Show Website
List of Pen Show Classes and Seminars
Nagasawa 6-Ring Binder Refills
Brelio 6-Ring Binders
Roterfaden TGS25 Pre-Order
Musgrave Pencils
Stationery Stack
Nagasawa Stationery
Nagasawa Kip Leather
Notsu Index Cards
Bungubox
Laurette's Japan
Galen Leather

Joe and Lisa take a trip to visit Pilot USA headquarters and come back with a lot to report! In the third episode of On the Paper Trail, we not only discuss our Pilot Tour, but take on three questions from the "12 Pen Person" questions challenge, answer reader questions about appraising and selling pens, and talk about the upcoming California Pen Show and a live recording at the San Francisco Stationery Fest!
Show Notes and Links:
Pilot Grance (Lisa's Pen)
Midori Stand Notebook (Lisa's Notebook)
Uni Kuru-Toga Pencils (Joe's Pencil)
NOLTY PAGEM Freelog (Joe's Notebook)
New TWSBI Black Marble and Bronze
Vinta Nandito Ako
Yamamoto Canopus Paper
T.G.S. Cloud Rickshaw Exclusive
Post with Picture of Our Giant Pilot Markers
Joe's Trip to NYNow and Shoppe Object (via Gentlemanstationer)
12 Pen Person Questions (via Olive Octopus)
Recap of Lisa's SF Pen Show Panel
Reddit r/WritingPrompts
California Pen Show
San Francisco Stationery Fest
To watch the podcast live on video, check out the On The Paper Trail YouTube Channel. The video of Episode 3 includes some bonus footage of the trip to Pilot Pens USA!
Catch up with Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer, and Lisa over at Vanness Pens! There you can find links to all their respective social media accounts.

Welcome back to another episode of On the Paper Trail! We originally had intended to record Episode 2 live from The Gentleman Stationer shop in Nashville, where we were planning to co-host an in-person weekend with Matthew Chen of Matthew’s Nibworks (@pactagon on Instagram). Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, and we ended up snowed/iced in with Matthew, who was kind enough to sit with us for a brief interview in which we discuss the ins and outs of nib customization. Topics include the difference between nib tuning and nib grinding, the most popular nib grinds and why you might want to get one, and Matthew's favorite creations.
Show Notes
Pilot Custom 912 with Waverly Nib (Joe's Pen)
TWSBI ECO Rose Gold (Lisa's Pen)
Matthew Chen (Matthew's Nibworks)
Matthew's Grinds, including Specialty Grinds
Arkansas Pen Show, Part II: Watch Matthew Grind a Nib
We also did a separate YouTube Live with Matthew in which he directly answered listener/viewer questions.
When they're not traveling, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer, and you can find Lisa over at Vanness Pens!

Welcome to On The Paper Trail! In our initial episode, we introduce ourselves and then dive into a thorough discussion of our 2026 notebooks and planners, and how we plan to use each one. We also answer a common customer question on Lamy pens, and talk about where you can see us in person at upcoming pen shows and other stationery-related events.
Show Notes and Links
On The Paper Trail Episode 1 Video (Watch the Video on YouTube)
Wonderland222 B6 Core Horizontal
Wonderland222 A5 Core Stacked (Vertical)
Brelio A5 6-Ring Binder
Roterfaden Recycled Leather A5
Roterfaden TGS_25 A5-Slim
Writing on in 2026 (Pen Addict - Kimberly)
Matthew's Nib Works
California Pen Show
Arkansas Pen Show
San Francisco Stationery Fest
When they're not podcasting or traveling, you can find Joe over at The Gentleman Stationer, and Lisa over at Vanness Pens.