Tools & Guides
Resources for intentional planners
Study guides, analog tool recommendations, and books that have shaped the way I think about planning, engineering, and building a deliberate life.
Morning Ritual
Ríos de Oro Coffee
Before the pen touches paper, the coffee is in the cup. Colombian beans from my family's farms in Caldas, two farms, over 50 years, roasted fresh and shipped to the US within a week. No warehouse, no middlemen.
farming
shipment
farms
Stationery & Tools
Analog Tools I Recommend
The physical tools that have become part of my daily planning practice. Each one chosen for a reason, not nostalgia, but precision.
*These are Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This page is the short list. Every product I have used on camera, with a verdict on each, lives on The Stationery Shelf.
Start Here
If you buy just one thing
New to analog planning? Skip the rabbit hole. This is the three-piece core I'd hand a friend to get started: a binder, the inserts that go in it, and a pen that makes writing feel good. Everything below builds on it.
MeePlus Binder
A ring binder you build into a planner that flexes with you. Add, remove, and reorder pages anytime.
MeePlusKaweco Sport*
Pocket-sized fountain pen that makes you actually want to write.
AmazonPlanning Engineered Planner Templates
The planner pages I designed to drop straight into the binder. Printable PDFs, built for focus.
ShopCurrently Inked
The pens in rotation right now, not a best-of list. It changes.
Conklin Endura Deco Crest
A 1920s art deco revival in blue and rose gold.
AmazonConklin Hippocrates
Rod of Asclepius engraving, the single snake, which is the true medical symbol.
AmazonMontblanc Donation Pen Herbert von Karajan (2003) Fountain Pen
An ivory piano keyboard runs around the base of the cap. Discontinued since 2003, so this one is a record rather than a recommendation.
MontblancMonteverde USA Innova Ti (Titanium) Numbered Edition
A numbered edition in titanium.
AmazonPilot Vanishing Point
Capless and retractable. My daily driver.
AmazonKaweco Sport
Pocket length capped, full length posted. Mine is the Olivine.
AmazonKaweco Liliput
Aluminium pocket fountain pen. Smaller than the Sport.
AmazonTWSBI Eco
Piston filler in a clear body.
AmazonNotebooks & Planners
Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket)
The leather cover my Field Notes live in. It wears in rather than out.
Paper RepublicField Notes
Always in the back pocket. Cheap enough to actually use.
AmazonTraveler's Company Notebook (Regular)
Standard size, run with Lochby Tomoe River inserts.
AmazonLOCHBY Tomoe River Notebook (TN size)
TN size, Tomoe River 68gsm dot grid. What goes inside the Traveler's.
LOCHBYMeePlus SlimPad
The personal-size ring system I print my own inserts for.
MeePlusPens & Writing
Kaweco Sport*
Pocket-sized, capped, and reliable. Clips into any cover without adding bulk.
Amazon In my bagTWSBI Eco & Go*
Demonstrator body, smooth writer, great ink capacity. The pen that converted many skeptics.
AmazonTraveler's Company FP*
Made to pair with the Traveler's Notebook system. Slim, elegant, and writes beautifully out of the box.
AmazonTraveler's Company BP*
When a fountain pen isn't the right tool. Smooth, confident line for quick notes and signatures.
AmazonTraveler's Company Pencil*
For sketches, calculations, and anything that needs to be erasable. Pairs perfectly with the notebook system.
Amazon In my bagZebra Sarasa Grand Vintage*
The gel pen that writes like butter. Vintage ink tones that look refined on any paper.
AmazonZebra Sarasa Vintage Set*
A curated set of muted, vintage-tone colors. Great for color-coding a planner without it looking like a highlighter explosion.
Amazon In my bagBig Idea Design Baseline*
Satisfying bolt-action mechanism, machined precision. The pen for when you want writing to feel like an event.
Amazon In my bagTombow Fudenosuke*
Firm tip, excellent control. My go-to for headers and titles in notebooks and planners.
AmazonTombow Dual Brush Pen*
Two tips, endless color options. For lettering, color-coding, and adding visual structure to a spread.
Amazon In my bagZebra Mildliners*
Muted, ink-friendly highlighters that don't bleed or overwhelm a page. The only highlighters worth using with fountain pens.
Amazon In my bagPilot Vanishing Point*
A retractable fountain pen with a click deploy. One-handed like a ballpoint, writes like a real nib. The one I reach for at the desk.
Amazon In my bagTraveler's Company Brass Ruler*
A solid brass ruler that builds a patina with use. Heavy enough to stay put, short enough to live in a notebook pocket.
Amazon In my bagPentel Multi 8*
A 2mm lead holder that carries eight colored and graphite leads in one barrel. Color-codes a spread without a fistful of pencils.
Amazon In my bagTraveler's Company Brass Pencil*
A compact brass pencil that extends to full length in hand and ages with a patina. Pairs with the notebook system.
AmazonPaper
Graded on a real fountain-pen test: feathering, bleed, ghosting and how the ink sits. The letter is the measurement.
Rhodia Dot Pad (A5, 80gsm)
Bright white, smooth and consistent. The safe first notebook.
AmazonTomoe River FP 52gsm A4 Loose Sheet (White)
Thin enough to see light through, and it still takes the wettest nib.
AmazonMidori MD Notebook
Cream, slightly toothy, understated. My pick, and my favorite of all time.
AmazonLeuchtturm1917 Medium (A5)
Dot grid and structure. Best with fine and medium nibs.
AmazonCases & Carry
What holds the pens. All of it gets carried, so all of it has been dropped, squashed and rained on.
Galen Leather Flap Pen Case for Five Pens
Five pens, flap closure, no rattle. Leather that gets better with use.
Galen LeatherALPAKA HUB Pouch Pro
Six slip pockets and five elastic loops. The one that keeps a bag honest.
AmazonLOCHBY Quattro
Waxed canvas, four slots, rolls flat. Takes a beating.
AmazonALPAKA Elements Tech Case
Cables, chargers and the small things that otherwise live loose.
AmazonFocus Tools
Time Timer*
A shrinking red arc shows exactly how much time remains. No noise, no distraction, just visual focus. Transformed how I work through deep tasks.
AmazonDesk Cube Timer*
A flip-cube timer for Pomodoro sprints. Set it, flip it, and the countdown starts. No screen and no notifications to pull you off the page.
AmazonAirPods Pro*
Active noise cancellation that erases the room when I need to drop into deep work. The fastest way I have to tell my brain it is time to focus.
AmazonReading List
Recommended Books
Books that have shaped how I think about planning, engineering, career, and living deliberately.
*Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Free Downloads
Free Printables
Low-ink A5 sheets that fit a six-ring binder. Print them at home, no email required. If they earn a spot on your desk, the weekly newsletter below has more.
The Thinking Page
A two-page framework for working a decision or problem all the way through by hand: name it, dump it, sort fact from assumption, find the turn, make the move.
Download PDFPen & Ink Test Sheet
Test a pen, nib, and ink together, with feathering, ghosting, and sheen checks in one grid.
Download PDFInk Swatch Card
Swatch and label your inks so you can compare colors before you fill a pen.
Download PDF