November 02, 2026
New here? The Stationery Pulse is a short weekly letter for people who still think on paper. Every Monday I round up what's worth reading in the analog world: pens, notebooks, planners, and the people using them well, then close with whatever's new from Planning Engineered. The full gear catalog lives on the Shelf, linked at the bottom. One letter, once a week. That's it.
I don't need my big planner to know when it's the next birthday or when is the next trip. A notebook that stays with me, my catch-all pocket notebook where I write everything down, keeps the captain's log and has helped a lot with my ADHD and some of the things I tend to forget. I'm taking the time to really think through the problem, and not just jumping to the next tool because it has better features than the last one. It's really utilizing the tools I have in front of me. That's also why I put my EDC kit in one pouch this week, and why the links below are worth a look if you're still building your own setup.
What's new in analog
Sunday Reading for November 1, 2026 (Gentleman Stationer): This is Gentleman Stationer's Sunday roundup for November 1, linking out to the Paper Trail Live event in Nashville, Brad's trip to Japan, Colorverse ink retrospectives, a Kaleidocraft washi wallet review, the new Consul Guardian Nightfall and Pilot's Chanomegumi Light Green. Open it for a quick map of what the pen blogs covered this week, plus the author's admission that he can't pick between the Pilot releases and is leaning dark green ballpoint.
Taking a Photo of EVERY Pocket Notebook I Have Ever Used! (Gare the Bear): Gare the Bear photographs every pocket notebook he has ever used, front and maybe back, on a foam board left over from his March Madness bracket, to build a gallery for his website and merch shop. Watch it if you like seeing a collection get documented in real time, with improvised backdrop fixes and no polish.
October 2026 Planner Update | Hobonichi, Currently Inked, Reading Journal (The Coffee Monsterzco): Coffee Monsterzco admits this October update is thin because she has been in a mental funk for a month and a half, and she shows it anyway. It's for anyone tired of perfect planner content, and it starts with her Hobonichi Cousin pages because they give the best overview of the month. Shop (affiliate): Hobonichi Techo.
What's In My Pen Case? Checking in After Pen Show Season on My Favorite 2026 Finds! (Gentleman Stationer): With the big pen shows behind him, the Gentleman Stationer starts sorting his favorite 2026 finds, led by a seY Pen Tsugaru-Nuri urushi fountain pen made through a collective of independent Japanese artisans. Read it to see what a collector who has narrowed his focus actually bought after five pen shows, a Japan trip and a store to run.
Episode 244: The Finest Italian Plastics (The Erasable Podcast): Episode 244 of The Erasable Podcast is a Fresh Points catch-up where Tim calls the new matte Blackwing Eras his favorite Blackwing ever and Andy tears open a pack of Draplin's Other Worlds "paper portals" on air. Press play if you want pencil and notebook news from hosts who clearly like each other, including the fall Field Notes edition Hunter's Moon.
I Think We've Been Building Our Planners Backwards (Mark Your Pages): Mark Your Pages argues that we build planners for lives we haven't lived yet, then abandon the trackers and monthly layouts a few weeks in. Borrowing the minimal viable product idea from The Lean Startup, it promises a stripped-down planner setup and a 7-day experiment you can run in your own planner.
My Top 5 Stationery Favorites for October (AlexanderWrites): Alexander marks one year of his monthly top five series with a list of what he used most in October, opening with a Kaweco tin that now holds an Inky pen wipe, a Traveler's Company brass clip and other odds and ends in his bag. If you carry a pen kit, his tin-as-pouch idea is an easy one to steal.
New Brand! Consul Guardian Nightfall (Figboot on Pens): David at Figboot on Pens reviews the Consul Guardian Nightfall, an early pen from a new brand by the makers of Benu that aims for understated and elegant, with the Guardian line starting at $330. He covers the parts, measurements, size comparisons, what he likes and doesn't, and a writing sample, so you can judge the pen before spending that kind of money.
The Best White Ink Pens (JetPens): JetPens explains that white pens make writing and artwork stand out on dark surfaces, which makes them useful for artists and crafters. Open it if black paper or dark cardstock is where you want your lettering to show up.
Quote of the Week: Tomorrow (Well-Appointed Desk): This Well-Appointed Desk post pairs a Henry Rollins quote about making it to tomorrow with a night-before-Halloween joke, then asks what actually gets you through the day. Read it for a short prompt to name the pet, person or finished task that carries you forward, and to add your own quote in the comments.
My HONEST Advice After 10 Years of Journaling 💜 (JashiiCorrin): JashiiCorrin shares ten tips from ten years of journaling, starting from her first bullet journal and the point that a good notebook matters mainly because it has to survive months of daily use. It's for people who keep abandoning journals, since she says outright that this isn't a hunt for the perfect pen and notebook.
JetPens Paper Sampler Introduction (JetPens): JetPens built its Paper Samplers so you can test high-quality papers across different weights, colors, sheet styles and textures. Open it before buying a full notebook or pad, since trying the paper first is cheaper than guessing.
Links marked (affiliate) support Planning Engineered at no extra cost to you.
From the channel
New on the blog:
A note from my other project: Ríos de Oro, coffee from my family's farms in Caldas, Colombia, ships free in the US on orders of $40 or more, and gift cards start at $10. riosdeoro.com
That's it for this week. See you back here next Monday.
The Shelf is the full catalog: 172 products across 12 categories, from pens and inks to notebooks, covers and planners.
Want the short version? The Planning Engineered resources page is the start-here list.
Luis