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Journal Bits: December 2025

2025, a year of collection and journaling in review...

This year, I have moderated both my collection and journaling habits.

Collection-wise, I have stopped buying a pen just because the price was right. Instead, my pen purchases were more on what I really like as long as the prices were reasonable enough for my budget.

From January to December, I had added three Sailor King of Pens (KOP) to my collection. These are two Pro Gear KOP limited editions; the Sailor X Satelite Crayon Project Eleuthera Island and Teatime Around the World "Matcha" as well as a 1911 (a.k.a. Pro Fit) regular edition. I bought all three of these KOPs at discounted prices and really enjoyed using them. 

SAILOR King of Pens (KOP) Pro Gear X SATELLITE CRAYON PROJECT, Fountain Pen  of the Seas, Eleuthera Island, 10-9691-448, (21K), M Nib

A Platinum 3776 Century Kanazawa Gold Leaf "Matsu-Tora" with fine nib and a Platinum 3776 Century "Hong Kong - 香港限定" special edition  with medium nib, a Pilot Custom 742 Green Demonstrator and a Bungubox X Sailor 1911L Realo Norwegian Wood with medium nib were all added to my collection in 2025.

I did not forget to add more Pelikan fountains pens to my collection too. And there were quite a few of these that were purchased as the year progresses, These are a M1000 Renaissance Brown (M nib), a M815 Metal-Striped Blue (F nib), a M805 Blue Dunes (BB nib) and a M800 Stone Garden (EF nib). I also added another Lamy 2000 (OB nib), this being my second Lamy 2000.

To complete my collection of the MONTBLANC Meisterstück "Around the World in 80 Days" series, I parted with more cash for the third and final edition (Steam Train, 2025).

Moving forward into 2026, I must say I will be spending much less than I spent in 2025 on my open collection. I have pretty much bought most of the pens in my wishlist except for the Pilot Custom Urushi Prussian Blue. 

In the new year in 2026, I will be switching from the Hobonichi HON cousin for my journaling and revert to a combination of a Hobonichi A5 Cousin cover with a Dingbats A5 soft-cover notebook instead. This is because of my preference for the thicker Dingbats paper to prevent "bleedthroughs and ghostings" when I am using my fountain pens for journaling.

Daily notes-taking and calendar tracking will be switched from a Hobonichi Weeks to a Traveler's Notebook (TN) Passport-sized system with a TN Monthly and standard TN blank inserts.

2025 is also the year when I discovered the awesome Zebra Sharbo X Multi-Pen series. 

I now have a Sharbo X CB8 "Mecha Godzilla" special edition, a Sharbo X CL5 regular edition and a Sharbo NU "Godzilla" special edition in my stash of pens and writing materials.

2026 will be the year when I will buy less, spend less and instead use more of what I already have in my collection.

Looking forward to a fruitful year of journaling and penmanship in 2026! 🖋


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