Notebook Review: The Theme System Journal

February 26, 2022

In these early morning hours, I’m struck by the thought that I should most likely be writing in my journal instead of online writing about journaling, but thus are the perils of stationery blogging! I will say that it’s much easier to build a morning or evening journaling routine , especially at first, when you have a quality personal journal with some, but not too much, structure. That’s where the Cortex Theme System Journal shines.

Built around concepts discussed in the “Yearly Themes” episodes of the Cortex podcast, the Theme System Journal offers “a simple framework for daily journaling”, allowing you to adapt it to your personal themes and how you choose to track your own individual needs and goals. While I won’t go into the intricacies of the “Theme System” in great depth, it’s built around the concept of planning for and organizing your year around broader “themes” instead of more traditional “goals” or “resolutions”. That’s not to say that you can’t have specific goals or resolutions within the context of each “theme,” but the idea is that themes are more adaptable as the year goes on, allowing you to adjust and stay on track even if a particular goal or resolution doesn’t work out. it’s an approach I’ve taken over the past couple of years, as reflected in my "Intentions for 2022” series of posts that I published around New Year’s Day. To learn more about the Theme System, check out the Theme System website or give the Cortex Podcast a listen. But you don’t need to do an intensive study of “the system” to find the journal useful as a stand-alone product. Its layout is fairly intuitive and I could see use cases beyond personal and professional development journaling.

Layout and Functionality

The notebook is broken down in to several different sections, including four “Theme” Pages where you can develop your Annual/Quarterly/Monthly themes; 90 daily journal pages, though these are undated so you can journal more or less frequently should you choose; 12 “Daily Theme Pages” that allow you to track specific tasks/habits/guideposts or anything else that you might like to follow on a daily basis; 13 pages for notes; and two pages for an index. The version that I currently have is from the first run, which does not have the blank pages for notes, just the theme, journal, and tracking pages with the index template inside the back cover.

I hope you understand that nearly all of my journaling themes are highly personal and/or work-specific, so I won’t show you actual pictures of the journal in use here, but I can tell you that I find the layout to be both intuitive and flexible, Again, you can check out the Theme System website for actual examples of “themes” and how one would incorporate them into the layout if one were strictly following the system.

What I will do is show you how I’ve chosen to use the daily journaling page, which consists of four unlabeled boxes. I use the first box for short gratitude journaling, or briefly noting things I’m thankful for or which made me happy that particular day. The second is for a quote that I found particularly interesting or inspiring, since I’m trying to read at least 30 minutes every day. The third is my “anything” box, where I typically recount a few of the day’s significant events and how they relate to my annual themes/intentions. Finally, the fourth is a short box where I try to summarize how I’m currently feeling about things in a single word or short phrase.

I’ve been using the Tracking Pages mostly for general habit tracking, as opposed to anything specifically theme-related.

I’m honestly not sure what I would use the index for, so it will probably remain blank. I tend to journal chronologically, though I assume that if I ever wanted to organize my journaling by highlighting those entries that touched on a certain subject, I could use these pages.

Specs and Build Quality

Whether you use it for Theme System-style journaling or not, this is a great notebook built around functionality, and was originally developed in collaboration with Studio Neat, makers of the Panobook and Totebook. Like the Totebook, the Theme System Journal has a similar soft cover featuring a debossed Cortex logo, a lay flat thread sewn binding, and Munken Lynx 100gsm paper that so far has handled every fountain pen and every ink I’ve used in this notebook. I’ve heard that others have managed to make this paper bleed and/or feather, but no matter how hard I’ve tried, I have never experienced any issues. For functional everyday journaling, this notebook is more than adequate.

Theme System Journal in Lochby Field Journal — As you can see here, the Theme System Journal is only slightly smaller than the Nanami Seven Seas Writer.

The Theme System Journal is what I call “A5-ish” size, meaning that it’s slightly smaller than a standard A5 but not so much that it won’t fit most A5 notebook covers. I have had success using my Theme System Journal in both an A5 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter and a Lochby Field Journal (pictured here).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Two months in, the Theme System Journal has taken hold and I can see this as a long-term replacement for the A6 Hobonichi Techo, which I used for years before I found myself wanting something with just a bit more structure and space to write. Do I journal every day? No, I have mornings where I’m just not inspired, but I would say I’ve stuck with it a solid 5/7 days through the first two months of the year.

You can purchase the Theme System Journal directly from Cortex Brand, with orders fulfilled via Cotton Bureau. The Theme System Journal costs $25 for a single notebook, but you can save $5 if you purchase a subscription, which will ensure you get a notebook each quarter. While there have been stock shortages of the Theme System Journal in the past, I understand that supply issues are now resolved.

I purchased the Theme Journal featured here with my own funds, for my own use. This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and I was not otherwise compensated for this review. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Thursday Drops: New Arrivals Throughout the Redesigned Curated Shop!

February 24, 2022

We recently redesigned our entire online shop in order to make it easier to navigate and to give ourselves room to grow by bringing even more exceptional stationery products on board. This past few weeks have seen a dramatic expansion of our selection of woodcase pencils and pencil accessories, as well as a new notebook and case system from Lochby. Be sure to check out these and more!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of WMS + Co. and other brands we stock. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Curated Pens & Pencils

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils. Often regarded as one of the best woodcase pencils on the market, the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni is now available in 2B, B, F, and HB grades, both individually and by the dozen.
Tombow MONO 100 Pencils. The similarly high-end Tombow MONO 100 is a favorite of writers and artists, also stocked in 2B, B, F, and HB grades and sold individually and by the dozen.
Erasers! Those of us who know the frustration of having a crappy eraser stuck to our wood pencil can appreciate a quality stand-alone rubber eraser. We now stock Tombow erasers suitable for multiple scenarios, from the general purpose Tombow MONO to the MONO Light (suitable for delicate papers), to the Dust Catch, to the MONO Sand Eraser.

In addition to the notebook systems discussed below, we’ve recently aded the Soumkine Universal Planner to the Shop!

Curated Paper & Notebook Systems

Lochby Notebooks and Cases. Made from vegan-friendly waxed canvas, the Lochby series of notebooks and cases include the A5-sized “Field Journal”, the smaller “Pocket Journal”, as well as the Quattro four-pen case and Tool Roll (which of course can also hold pens and a wide variety of writing instruments). The Field Journal and Pocket Journal each ship with 68gsm Tomoe River refills, which are standard A5 and pocket sized and can be used in any other compatible notebook cover or system.
Midori MD Notebooks and Paper. One of the most popular Japanese notebook systems on the market, and for good reason: Midori makes a versatile range of notebooks, notebook covers, writing pads, and accessories such as Diary Stickers and Sticky Memo Pads (recently added!). For those looking for something a bit more traditional and open-format than Traveler’s Notebook.
Traveler’s Notebook. We have the full range of Traveler’s Notebook Covers, Refills, and Accessories in stock, including all of the Standard MD Paper Refills, Specialty Paper Refills (including Tomoe River “Lightweight Paper”), and the “B-Sides and Rarities” collection. If you’re interested in learning more about Traveler’s Notebooks, check out this post on how I’ve set mine up, as well as this post showing how to connect multiple refills and accessories inside the cover.

Curated Desk & Reading Accessories

I’m a person of many interests, and many hobbies, and while pens and ink are first and foremost my main distraction in what little spare time I still have, reading is a close No. 2. For that reason, when we set out to form The Curated Shop, I knew that it would always stock a healthy selection of bookmarks, book stands, and related desk accessories such as desk trays and even hourglasses. If you spend any time at all in The Curated Shop, be sure to check out this section, which as always been my personal favorite.

Curated Washi Tape and Enamel Pins

I’m currently working on expanding our selection of interesting washi tapes and enamel pins, and I absolutely love this product category because it offers a fun and inexpensive way to express yourself at the office and at home in your notebooks and journal.

Monarca Drillog Lochby Tomoe River 68gsm

First Impressions: Monarca Inks

February 23, 2022

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ink available in today’s fountain pen market, and even I have trouble keeping the various brands straight (not to mention the literally hundreds of individual colors out there). To me, those brands that stand out are those that make an effort to cultivate a true sense of identity, often by drawing on their place of origin. Such is the case with the latest arrivals, a series of nine inks from Monarca Stationery inspired by the colors of Mexico’s landcapes.

Monarca Inks wet swatches — Monarca color swatches, still wet. The inks dry fairly quickly but these were wet swatches with the side of a Drillog on Tomoe River Paper.

The colors themselves are gorgeous - a balanced mix of dark and vibrant with a special edition shimmer ink (Rey Jaguar) thrown in. Colors include: Manglar (Mangrove), a dark green; Mar Caribe (Caribbean Sea), a bright turquoise; Nopal (Cactus), another green; Cardona (Cactus Fruit), a burgundy/red with sheen and shimmer; Arena Blanca (White Sand), a light sandy brown; Cenote, a deep blue with sheen and shimmer; Cielo Cruel (Cruel Sky), a shading grey-blue; and Tierra Colorada (Red Soil), a deep reddish brown.

Monarca Stationery Cardona — Cardona, a dark burgundy-red inspired by cactus fruit, is one favorite that I plan to get into rotation soon. Writing samples in this post were all done with a Drillog Metal Dip Pen (in a much better .8mm kindly sent to me by the manufacturer), on 68gsm Tomoe River Paper in a Lochby Notebook.

I’ve very much enjoyed the design work that Monarca put into packaging their ink. The boxes themselves look like works of art, with images of the Mexican coast, rainforest, and semidesert, depending on which scene inspired a particular color. Each box contains a bottle of 30ml ink along with a banak wood ink stand/pen rest, particularly helpful if you are using these inks with a dip pen. The one downside I’ve noticed with Monarca inks is that the mouth of the bottle is very narrow, making it impossible to fill even medium-gauge fountain pens like the Pilot Custom 823 unless you decant the ink into a different bottle or a sample vial. (You will likely also have to do this once the ink level in the bottle gets low, given it’s tall, narrow shape.)

Monarca ink swatches when dry. The most interesting of these inks, even if not my preferred colors for everyday use, are the Arena Blank and Rey Jaguar.

Monarca Stationery Real World Writing Test Parker 51 — For a “real world” writing test, I loaded Cielo Cruel and Mar Caribe into two Parker 51s from my collection (original vintage on the right, Nick Pang Fantasy 51 on the left). So far, they’ve performed well on nearly all papers but I will follow up after some long-term use.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While this is just a “first impressions” review, and I’ve not had an opportunity to extensively test all inks in the Monarca lineup, Cielo Cruel and Mar Caribe have shown themselves to be excellent daily writers, with no feathering, no bleed-through, and relatively quick dry times. I look forward to rotating the rest of these inks through my pens, especially some of the more unusual colors such as Arena Blanca and Rey Jaguar.

You can purchase Monarca inks directly via the Monarca Stationery Etsy shop, or via authorized U.S. retailers including Dromgoole’s and Amarillo Stationery. Ink is currently sold either individually in 30 ml glass bottles starting at $20 USD ($24-29 for shimmer inks), or as part of a full set containing all nine inks for $180. Smaller four-color bundles are also available. Despite having to travel from Mexico and clear customs, shipping was incredibly fast.

Disclaimer: I received the set of nine inks featured here from Monarca Stationery, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review, and this post does not contain third-party affiliate links. Many thanks to Monarca for making this review possible!

Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 2B Dozen — We’ve recently added the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni and the Tombow MONO 100 to our lineup, both of which are among the highest-quality Japanese wood pencils on the market.

Presidents' Day Pencil Promotion!

February 21, 2022

To celebrate Presidents’ Day, in addition to our recent launch of several new brands of pencils and pencil accessories, we’re offering a free gift with the purchase of any dozen pencils from the T.G.S. Curated Shop! No coupon code is necessary to take advantage of this promotion - for every dozen pencils purchased, you’ll receive a unique vintage American pencil, an uncommon limited edition, or a high-quality Japanese pencil from the T.G.S. Archives! Offer applies to both a “mixed dozen” (any dozen pencils purchased individually) as well as pencils sold by the box. Promotion ends today (2/21) at 11:59pm Central U.S. Time.

The Tombow 2558 is a solid choice for a yellow office pencil, available in both HB and B grades.

Tombow-Mono-Eraser — Tombow MONO Erasers!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop stocks a wide variety of woodcase and mechanical pencils, as well as quality sharpeners and erasers, in addition to a heavily curated selection of paper and notebooks, desk and reading accessories, and fun stuff like pins and washi tape. We appreciate your support!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we stock. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Sunday Reading for February 20, 2022

February 20, 2022

Schon’s ‘Full Size’ Fountain Pens Have That Special Something (via UK Fountain Pens). One of my biggest regrets about missing the 2022 Philadelphia Pen Show last month was the fact that I didn’t get a chance to pick up one of Ian’s full-size metal pens. If you haven’t already, check out his latest model and set of finishes.
Wancher Bakelite Seven Treasures (via Dapprman). Wancher resurrected a vintage penmaking material, Bakelite, for this series, which could have been great, but to put it mildly, the results were not up to expectations.
Where the Day Meets the Night: Gioia Alleria Crepuscolo (via A Fleeting Ripple). Gioia Pens have not caught my interest, until now. Something about the material on this one and the more understated trim.
Shifting Towards Pens and Inks that Get Me Excited (via mnmlscholar). Inking up a new set of pens with inks that inspire me and/or that I haven’t used in a while is one of my favorite techniques for breaking myself out of a “pen funk”.
The Good and the Bad… But at Least They’re Not Ugly (via Quieter Elephant). A survey of several matte black pens currently on the market, none of which I’ve tried. As the title notes, some of these were good, some bad, but all look very nice.
Noodler’s Anti-Feather (X-Feather Blue) (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Noodler’s “X-Feather” or “Anti-Feather” series was designed to function on very poor quality office paper and other thin paper that can’t typically hold fountain pen ink. I’ve never tried it, since the color range has been limited to black, but this blue caught my eye.
Wearingeul Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde (via Rants of the Archer). Ok, now that South Korean manufacturer has officially taken over my Instagram pen feed and my local pen club, I need to place an order.
Ti Click EDC Pen Orange Cerakote Review (via Writing at Large). I love Cerakote pens, and I’m happy to see BigiDesign (from my home state) issuing this Cerakote-Titanium beauty.
You Need a Platinum Preppy Wa. Or Six. (via UK Fountain Pens). This pen took a while to catch on, surprisingly, but once people found it, they flew off the shelves of the Curated Shop. I hope Platinum keeps doing things like this with the Preppy, or even the Plaisir, because the limited edition game at this price point can be a lot of fun.
In Praise of Ink Cartridges (via Well-Appointed Desk). As I’ve grown in this hobby, I’ve tossed aside the misconception that cartridges aren’t for “serious” fountain pen users. They definitely have their place, and Ana highlights some of the best brands here.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog was a busy one! I (finally) released a review of the TWSBI Vac700R fountain pen, along with a piece comparing pen rolls vs. pen cases, including the advantages and disadvantages of one over the other. Finally, I updated the “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper” resource that looks at different levels of compatibility with fountain pen ink.

New in the T.G.S. Curated Shop!

The big news this week was our launch of Lochby, a line of pen cases, notebook covers, and pen/tool rolls in waxed canvas. We also added additional reading accessories from WMS + Co, plus a batch of the Soumkine Universal Planners! Look for more great additions in the weeks and months to come!

Caran d'Ache

Lochby

Soumkine

TWSBI

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales.