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Way back in 1911, Kyugoro Sakata was shown a fountain pen from England by a visiting sailor. He was impressed, but wondered, why wasn’t Japan making pens this good? So he decided to do just that - make fountain pens to the very highest standards, right there in Japan.

Sailor have never just stuck with continuing with what they do well, though, they have a strong culture of innovation. They were the first to produce a ballpoint pen in Japan. They were the first to mass produce injection-moulded plastic pens in Japan too, and created the first Japanese ink cartridges. They were the first in the world to make fountain pens with 21-carat gold nibs, and have since sold a million of them.

Sailor were also the first to make a fude pen - a Japanese type of brush pen, especially good for writing Japanese characters with style. When fountain pen sales were falling in the 1970s, Sailor were there with fashionable brightly-coloured pens, and the world’s slimmest fountain pen, to match the style as the 70s rolled into the 80s.

And now, while many respected fountain pen companies are reducing their range of nibs to cover only what sells best, Sailor still provide a range of speciality nibs, catering to those who love fountain pens for the nib, where the ink meets the paper.

Some of these are real specialities, handmade by just one person at Sailor, available in limited quantities, on quite specific pens. But even on their more mid-range regular fountain pens, they offer unusual nibs like the Music nib and Zoom nib. The Zoom is especially interesting, writing different line widths depending on the angle you hold the pen - keep it upright for a medium to broad line, but lower it towards the paper, and it becomes very broad.

Those who love pens often try many types, eventually finding fountain pens are their favourites. And while tastes vary hugely, it does seem that those who love fountain pens often try many different ones, with many settling on Sailor pens as their favourites.

Not too long ago, Faber-Castell were celebrating 260 years since their founding in Nuremberg by cabinet maker Caspar Faber. 'Many people don’t know this,' says Count Charles von Faber-Castell, 'but Faber-Castell has been around longer than the United States of America. Our company was actually founded before the enthronement of Catherine the Great and even before the invention of the steam engine. Therefore our company has been around during many monumental historical events – however we also have a rich history of our own.'

Graf von Faber-Castell is the luxury arm of Faber-Castell, in some cases making elaborate hand-crafted fountain pens in very limited editions; in others, making the most basic of items, like simple wooden pencils, but making them perfectly.

The company started out as a pencil manufacturer, and pencils remain a major part of their business, so much so that they have their own forest in Brazil, a third of which is home to hundreds of indigenous species with the rest providing 86% of the wood they need. When you're the producer of two billion pencils a year, you need your own personal forest!

One of the best known Graf von Faber-Castell products is the Perfect Pencil. It's a combined pencil extender, tip protector and sharpener, made with the finest of materials and craftsmanship.

Adds Count Charles: 'The Perfect Pencil is the centerpiece of our Graf von Faber-Castell Collection. This particular product was based around a pocket pencil that was created by my ancestors in the 19th century.'

They also produce their highly sought-after Pen of the Year - a very special edition each year, usually inspired by historical events or achievements, and made from rare materials by the very best artisans in their field. Previous editions have included the Aztecs, Knights and the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. Some editions from previous years are still available - if we list them, they should still be orderable, but just contact us if you'd like us to confirm stock is available in the UK before you order.

January, 2022. A Friday. A grey and uninteresting Friday. But one that was about to become VERY interesting indeed, because two Cult Pens team members were about to be admitted into the portals of Diamine HQ in Aintree, Liverpool. We felt like Charlie Bucket and Grandpa Joe on the steps of the Chocolate Factory. And in we went!

It was a compendium of colour, a smorgasbord of the small bottles and boxes we know and love and marvel over, though it was the fabulous Christine and Phil - rather than Willy Wonka - who were on hand to give us the guided tour. It was great to see them in person on their home turf. And probably for the best - Willy Wonka probably doesn't know nearly as much about ink.

Diamine is steeped in history (and ink) and has been running in one form or another since 1864 - yes, 1864, a very long time ago - so to say they have a wealth of experience is an understatement. A book shown to us by Christine demonstrates its long and fascinating history, and also explains why Diamine is so good at what they do - and yes, we did request a copy to share with you all!

The means of getting the ink mixed, made and marching out the door is down to a combination of machinery and the human touch. The ink mixers are all custom-made and tailored for specific types of ink, and can deal with batch sizes from 5 litres right up to an astonishing 200 litres! And still in place is Phil’s old mixer. While it’s still used occasionally for one specific mix, it’s kept more for sentimental reasons, because it was the first mixer Phil ever used as a 17-year-old apprentice! Nothing lasts forever, though, and it will soon be decommissioned. There’s also a bottle filler, which reduces spills, and a fancy doodah – a capping machine actually – that tightens lids on the smallest ink bottles. And every single member of staff has their own filling machine!

But all else that happens at Diamine HQ is done by hand. And carefully watched over as well. The care and attention that goes into ink-making is clear to see, perhaps in part because it's very much a family business, with husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces, nephews and lots more involved, with around a third of the team being related in some way. There is a lot of love as well as ink going into every bottle! This is Karl mixing inks.

The building we were shown around wasn't the only building though. There was another. But we weren't allowed into that one because that's where all the Secret Squirrel ink experimenting goes on. Maybe there were Oompa-Loompas in there! So we didn't get to find out exactly how all this magic alchemy occurs because, well, it's magic isn't it? Or at least a trade secret.

But it was nonetheless a brilliant visit, which filled us with wonder and delight at just how amazing Diamine are at what they do. Oh, we did get to see one raw ingredient; here it is:

No, we didn't know what it was either.

But never mind. We're super-proud to be stocking the entire Diamine range at Cult Pens and very excited to be working with a business so filled with history, expertise and passion for their product, not to mention innovation. Their Ink-Vent calendar was inspired, and we were pleased to see the individual bottles from the previous edition being picked and packed ready to ship.

And here's Team Diamine all together:

It's Michael again. We've talked about notebook covers before. Back when we first started stocking TRAVELER'S COMPANY, I half-joked that I was bound to end up switching to a Traveler's Notebook at some point, it was just a matter of time. Well, it took me longer than I expected, but eventually it happened, just a few weeks ago. So what made me change? I've always loved the look of them. The simplicity is beautiful, the leather is just so nice, and there's something iconic about the design. The size had put me off, though, being a bit too big for my pockets. And the Passport size would work, but seemed a bit too small. But I started to find the 90x140mm notebooks I was using a bit too small, especially with my favourite broad nibs, and most of the notebooks I had in that size weren't great with fountain pen ink anyway. I don't go far without my bag, and I take my iPad everywhere with me, which set a precedent for carrying something that was too big for a pocket - if my iPad went everywhere, why couldn't a slightly larger notebook?

The Sizes

There are two sizes of Traveler's Notebook - standard and passport. The passport size is small, the size of a passport, not too surprisingly. It's like a shorter version of the fairly common pocket notebook size of 90x140mm, coming in at 90x124mm. They're good if you want a little notebook with you for quick notes, and want it to fit in most pockets. Not so good if you want a bit of space for your thoughts or notes. These are often combined with inserts that hold cards, and other little pockets, to make an alternative to a wallet or purse.

Standard sized Traveler's Notebooks are quite big - too big for most pockets, though they might fit in a larger jacket or coat pocket, and would fit in most bags. The paper size is an A4 sheet folded in three, as is common for fliers and simple information leaflets. Opened out as a spread, using both sides of the paper, the notebook is over A5 in size, which is quite a bit of space for lists, notes, or even mind-mapping.

My Usage

A little aside on the photo above left - the building in the background is a minor landmark in Exeter, not far from Cult Pens. It's known as The House That Moved. Because it moved. It was built around 1430, but in the 1960s it was in the way, and due to be demolished. The decision was made to save it, by jacking the whole building off the ground, and moving it to where it now stands.

As much as I want to get fully into bullet journaling, I have to accept that paper isn't going to work for that for me. I'm all in on digital organising, where I can search, make backups, type quickly, include links, copy and paste, and have everything synced to whichever device I'm using. I know. I work in a pen shop, I really should be more analog. But the part where paper really does still work best for me is thinking. If I want to think something through, paper and pen make that easier. So my choice is to fill in the places where digital doesn't work so well. One notebook for thinking, with no structure to it, just scribble whatever seems to help at the time. That book contains straightforward writing, lists, mind maps, etc. Then I have a weekly planner, undated, that I use pencil in, so it can easily change when plans change, as they so often do. For that, I use the Perpetual Diary Weekly insert, with the week on the left side of each spread, and squared paper on the right. The days can be planned on the left, while the right is for anything that spans multiple days, or just plans for that week overall.

The Inserts

If you're buying a Traveler's Notebook, you're probably also going to be buying Traveler's Company inserts, to match the size. Fortunately, one of the things they're well-known and well-loved for is the range and quality of their inserts. The basic notebooks are available in plain, lined, squared and dot-grid. The paper works well with all types of ink, including fountain pens. They're well-made and good quality. There's also quite an assortment of different diary or planner layouts, mainly undated so you can use them whenever you need to. Other inserts may come and go, but at the moment there are such oddities as the Sticker Release insert made from sticker backing paper for carrying or collecting stickers; pads for writing letters, and even washable paper (though we're not entirely sure why a machine-washable notebook is so useful!)

My Favourite Accessories

Accessories are a very personal thing, and my favourites won't be yours. Well, maybe they will. I love the leather pen holders, though they're too narrow for my favourite fountain pens. I've used two of them to hold a 0.2mm Pentel Orenznero pencil, which is perfect for use in the weekly planner insert, which really needs small writing that I can change later. Two pen loops seems like overkill, but it keeps the pencil very steady, so it doesn't get in the way. The cotton zipper case is lovely, and adds a zipped compartment on one side, and one large pocket and three card slots on the other. I keep mine around the back, wrapping behind all the other inserts. It holds a folding 30cm ruler, a tiny sharp knife, and an assortment of cards and cash. By taking a lot of the load off my wallet, I can have just a very slim wallet in my pocket. And a bit of searching on Etsy found a tiny little Bulbasaur charm to hang on the elastic closure. I've seen people say these are a help when getting hold of the elastic. To be honest, I think it gets in the way slightly more than it helps, but it's so cute.

Flexibility

Probably the best thing about a Traveler's Notebook is that it's so flexible that it becomes entirely yours, just what you need. If you happen to want three different lined notebooks for different types of notes, and nothing more, you can have just that. But if you want your notebook to double-up as a weekly planner and an extended wallet, it can do that too. And it can keep your pen handy too. If scrapbooking is your thing, there are double-sided stickers available to stick receipts, tickets, or almost anything else into your notebook. Well, within reason. It's a pocket notebook, don't try sticking an armadillo in there, even a small one. It won't go well for anyone involved. Like to sketch when you're out and about? There's a sketchbook insert, and even a watercolour paper insert. Prefer to plan a month or just a day at a time? There are daily and monthly inserts too.

What Makes TRAVELER'S COMPANY Different?

Plenty of other brands make similar covers now, and while Traveler's Company, or Midori as they were known then, did a lot to popularise them, they weren't the first to make a leather cover for one or more notebooks. So what makes them different to most others?

• Quality. Some others are every bit as good, but many aren't. The quality of the leather used by Traveler's Company is really, really nice. They last, and you'll find many people online showing off their Traveler's Notebooks that have been used for many years. Ageing nicely. Related to the quality, the leather is thick and strong, and ages well. Yes, it will get scratched and scuffed as you carry it, but that looks good.
• Simplicity. While some brands add pockets and pouches, or multiple elastics, Traveler's Company have kept things simple. One elastic loop to hold everything, and add pockets if you want to, but it's your choice.
• Closure. Many others have the closure through the spine, Traveler's Company have it in the middle of the back. Before getting one, I thought the knot would get in the way, but in use, I don't find it a problem.
• Metal Toggle. No, not a band name, though that could work too. There's a little metal disc at the top of the spine that grips the elastic, keeping things secure. Another part I thought would get in the way, but really hasn't at all.
• Sizes. Most others stick to a more standard size, like A5, A6, or 90x140mm. These have the advantage of more notebooks being available, but the Traveler's Company sizes have their advantages too. The Passport size is more likely to fit in your pocket than almost any alternative, and the Standard size certainly fits into compartments in my bag that an A5 notebook cover wouldn't.
• Inserts and Accessories. The huge range of notebooks and other inserts and accessories really turn your notebook cover into something more personal to you, more specific to your needs. Some brands may use more standard sizes of insert, but even putting them all together, it's no match for the range of inserts offered by TRAVELER'S COMPANY.

The Brass Collection

We've only talked about notebook covers and accessories so far, because that's what TC are best known for. But they also make a range of brass products that can be used separately, though they do pair especially nicely with the Traveler's Notebook covers. Brass and leather have some properties in common - they're both long-lasting and age nicely - gathering the patina of use, rather than trying to be unchanging. They show the story of how you use them, your own story. The various brass clips can hold your notebooks open for easier use, or mark up sections you need quick access to, or mark up places you want to refer to in your archive; but they could just as nicely make any other archive of papers look good while organising it better. The pens and pencils are a lovely brass take on the classic Japanese 'short pen', where most of the pen fits inside the cap when it's not in use, for easier pocketing, but make full-length writing instruments for comfort when you use them.

• See our range of TRAVELER'S COMPANY products.

A guest blog from our friends at Tree of Hearts

'Dear Auntie Mabel, thank you for coming to our wedding. It was very kind and we liked your present. Lots of love.' NO! No, no, no! That's a thank you, to be sure, but it's a bit... well... uninspiring, to say the least and a bit of a [insert name here] sort of thing. Auntie Mabel may be a long distant relative who might not know you from a bar of soap, and she may have given you the sort of present that is likely to languish undisturbed in a dark corner of the understairs cupboard until your golden wedding anniversary, but she made the effort to celebrate your day. She deserves a little more thought when it comes to thanks, doesn't she?