What I actually use
This is the exact gear on my desk right now — not aspirational picks, not sponsored recommendations. What I actually reach for every single morning. I update this page quarterly when something changes.
* Affiliate links — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only list things I genuinely use.
What leaves the house with me every day. These have survived job sites, client meetings, and airports.
My main daily carry journal system. Waxed canvas cover holds up to 4 TN-sized notebooks — I keep a weekly planner insert and a notes insert inside it at all times.
Shop on AmazonA waxed canvas carrier for up to 4 pocket-sized notebooks, with elastic bands, bookmarks, and a pen slot. Compact enough to fit in a bag or inner jacket pocket — holds the notebooks I'm actively using.
Shop on AmazonHolds 3 pens, my EDC card, and a few sticky notes. The analog version of a desktop dock — everything organized, nothing loose.
Shop on AmazonA leather cover system that takes refillable inserts. The most tactile part of my daily carry — the smell alone is worth it.
Paper RepublicAlways in the back pocket. For anything that needs to leave my head before it disappears. I go through about one pack a month.
Shop on AmazonThe pens I'm currently rotating. I change this section most often — it's the most active part of the hobby.
Piston-fill, demonstrator body so I can see when ink is running low. The most reliable daily writer I've found under $50. Currently inked with Diamine Oxblood.
Shop on AmazonThe pen I recommend to anyone starting with fountain pens. Consistent, smooth, and inexpensive enough that you won't be afraid to actually use it.
Shop on AmazonDeep burgundy-brown that reads as dark but has excellent character on cream paper. The ink that convinced me this hobby was permanent.
Shop on AmazonAlways on my desk, always within reach. The best scratch pad for fountain pens — the paper handles ink without feathering or bleed-through.
Shop on AmazonMy system is built around one principle: everything important gets written down, and the paper decides the day — not the phone. Here's how it works in practice.
Morning planning (15 min)
Coffee first. Then I open the Lochby Voyageur, review yesterday's open items, and write today's three non-negotiables in ink. The act of writing them makes them real.
Throughout the day
Field Notes in the pocket for anything that needs to be remembered. I dump it into the Voyageur at the end of the day. No sticky notes, no phone notes — one place.
Weekly review (Sunday, 30 min)
I use the Paper Republic for longer-horizon planning — quarterly goals, project tracking, and anything that doesn't fit on a daily page.
Every planning session starts with a cup of Ríos de Oro. It's not a brand partnership — it's my family's coffee. My brother Juan and I import directly from our family's two farms in Caldas, Colombia. La Lucia and La Esperanza have been in the family for over 50 years.
Washed process, 24–36 hour fermentation. Tasting notes: bright citrus, dark chocolate finish. Roasted in Colombia and shipped within a week.
Order from riosdeoro.com50+
Years family farming
2
Farms in Caldas
<1wk
Roast to shipment
Direct
Farm to your cup
Stay updated
I update this page quarterly. Subscribers get a note whenever I make a meaningful change to my setup — new pen, new planner system, something I dropped.
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