Story Supply Co. | From the Pen Cup

I started my third Field Notes Storage box this week. That’s a picture of a portion of the first two boxes, crammed with as many completed pocket notebooks as I could jam in there. I keep a “personal” and “work” notebook running all the time, and enjoy using not just Field Notes, but also Nock Co., Story Supply, Write Notepad & Co., and Log & Jotter notebooks. It takes me about a month to fill a work notebook, and a little longer, on average, to fill my personal notebook, depending on what’s going on. I’m dealing with some complicated stuff lately and nothing makes me feel better than to sit down and carefully write out my notes as a way to clear my head and organize my thoughts. Once I do that, I can exhale and let go.

This is where the value in pocket notebooks lies. In capturing the daily tasks and appointments, joys and frustrations, accomplishments and works-in-progress, one tiny check box at a time.

Here are my notebooks. They are both nothing and everything.

Here is my life.

seeing more pens in one place than you’ve ever seen before.

For visiting favorite vendors.

[Scott Franklin, of Franklin-Christoph]

For adding to your already healthy stash of ink and pocket notebooks.

For meeting the very nice guys who make those notebooks.

[Story Supply Co.’s Vito Grippi and Gabriel Dunmire]

For finding the pen that calls your name…

and meeting the man who made that pen…

[Carl Fisher, of Fisher of Pens]

AND the man who made the material for that pen.

[Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Pen Co., and his wonderful wife, Elizabeth]

For having a little nib work done.

[Dan Smith, The Nibsmith]

For helping a friend at home get started with this fountain pen ~~obsession~~ hobby.

For testing the patience of your “not really into pens” husband.

(In all honesty, he did very well. Better than I do at car shows, where I’m “over it” after an hour or two. When we got home Sunday night, he did say, “Well…I think I’ve seen enough pens to last me a few years.” Fair enough.)