Pens

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 202

Japanese pen store

Jet Pens

Japanese pens are simply the coolest pens on the planet. Whether for writing notes, manga, or drawing, Japanese pens are the best. The finest are .18mm while the widest are brush pens that will allow you to practice your kanji. They also come in colors that will never see the inside of a Staples or and Office Depot.

The best place to get them is a web site called Jetpens.com. Given the exotic character of the merchandise, the prices are fine, but the extras, such as Japanese stationary, erasers, pen holders, and notebooks are simply amazing. Where else can you buy erasers that are also a game of balancing the erasers in an ark on your desk? And the colors, ranging from yellows and pinks to the office standards, are just awesome.

In the end, it is a very cheap way to gain a bit of understanding of a very different culture, while also getting some really cool pens. — Michael Aaron Dennis

Like many others I have an unhealthy obsession with office supplies, especially mechanical pencils. I’m always looking for the perfect pencil. JetPens.com offers a great selection of mostly Japanese pens, pencils, highlighters and supplies. Many of the name brands they offer are familiar in the U.S. (Pilot, Pentel) but you won’t find any of these at your local office supply store. JetPens also carries the hard-to-find Uniball Paper Clipper and Clips – a reusable paper binding system. — Amy Kahle

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Affordable and reliable technical pen

SKB Pens

This is the only pen I have owned that is suitable for writing technical notes. It has a .5mm point, which allows me to write small details such as subscripts and fractions. It is a ballpoint so it doesn’t bleed which is an annoyance I’ve encountered when writing small details with other pens. It doesn’t gum up as my Zebra ballpoints tended to do and so is suitable for drawing diagrams. It can write continuously without drying up and flows well over the paper. Most .5mm pens I’ve used dry up after writing for a while and are so sharp that they end up scratching the paper.

It’s also affordable. Unfortunately, while it only costs $1 a pen there is only one supplier in the US (that I’m aware of) and you have to buy twelve pens at a time.

You can buy it in black, blue, red, purple, or green with a .5mm point. You can also get it in black with a .7mm point. — Daniel Woelfel

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Freeflowing fountain pen

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

Most fountain pens are appealing for their authoritative weight and the prestige of pushing an antique technology around the page. However, the Lamy Safari pen (designed by Wolfgang Fabian) re-thinks the fountain pen with comfort and accuracy in mind. It comes with a sturdy ergonomic grip similar too, but not as comfy as, the Dr. Grip. The pen is also made out of plastic making the weight (and cost) much less than a traditional fountain pen.

The Lamy weighs in at a meager $20 with ink costing about $2 to $5 dollars a bottle. The Safari is also frugal on ink; it runs a much smaller and tighter line than many pens meaning that the ink dries faster on the page, but do beware using ink from a different pen in the Lamy can clog it. You can see the ink cartridge at all times because a small part of the casing has been hollowed out.

Finally, the refillable cartridge snaps into place in the pen and is refillable through the pen’s stylus hence you don’t have to take everything apart when you want to refill (you do have to unscrew the top of the pen to get to the cart’s screw, but not the bottom) and also eliminating that first air bubble you get when placing traditional carts back in the pen. The plunger is operated by a screw action on the top making it easy to hold the pen in place while you refill it. It is also available as a left-handed version.

Lamy also sells other pens with a similar design and grip if you’re looking for a more expensive or stylish pen, but despite the Safari’s minor flaws (I had major problems the first day getting it to write consistently until I watered down my ink) it’s quickly replaced my old Picasso pen for everyday scribbling. I now own two Lamys, using one for correcting tests and the other for everyday writing. The over-sized clip is also a bonus as it’s less likely to get bent out of shape by clinging to pockets, belts, etc. —Andrew Jones

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Best everyday pen

Pilot G2 Gel Pen

Gel inks flow smoother than ballpoints, lay heavier ink on a fine line than roller balls, yet are less fussy than fountain pens. Once exotic, gel pens are now my everyday carry. I rely on Pilot G2 retrackable gel pens. They have never leaked over 10 years of carrying them in my pockets and backpack, don’t smear, are lightweight and cheap. The 07 has a pretty crisp fine line for writing or drawing. I now find other pens insufficient and will always take the trouble to locate one of these. I buy them by the dozen.— KK

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World’s thinnest line pen

UniBall Signo Bit 0.18mm Pens

World’s thinnest ballpoint pen…thinnest possible lines you could ever write. It’s quite fine. It has some sort of special ink for reducing friction so it won’t clog. It’s not super-flowy like a normal gel pen but it allows you to make sharp and precise short lines, which is what I suspect it was designed to do (i.e. for writing Japanese characters (see circle in picture with writing between lines of text), or alternatively adding fine details into drawings). I think it’s pretty cool. — Tim Hong

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Quality fountain pen ink made in the USA

Noodler’s Inks

I’ve been using Noodler’s inks in my fountain pens for at least six years. The basic Black is my favorite ink of all time, dries fast, and is utterly impervious to water or erasure once dried on paper. The Fox Red is also a favorite. Expensive, but very cheap in comparison to disposable ballpoints, and much better for the environment. —David Derbes

Though I am only a recent convert to the world of fountain pens, I have been really impressed with the Noodler’s Bulletproof Black Ink. When I first got started I tried a number of inks including some from Lamy and Parker only to find my writing would fade and wash away with the slightest hint of moisture. I decided I needed something more permanent.

My research paid off when I discovered Noodler’s Inks. Noodler’s ink is all made in the USA. I’ve been impressed with the amount of information they provide regarding the various qualities and properties of their ink. As far as their ink goes, it’s great. The black ink that I use isn’t as richly black as others, but it certainly holds up to the bulletproof claim when faced with the elements (water, sun, etc). In terms of ink flow, I have found the Noodler’s to be perfect for my needs (although the ink is only one half of the equation, the nib being the other). I use a fine nib, and have never had a problem. I will point out, though, that this is variable from ink to ink (and nib to nib) even from the same manufacturer.

Noodler’s Ink is sold in larger volumes (88 ml vs 50 ml, in most cases) but at a lower cost per unit volume when compared to other brands. The one bottle of Bulletproof Black I bought doesn’t look like it will be running out anytime soon in the next few years.

Finally, Noodler’s produces a range of specialty inks with different classifications including fluorescence, forgery resistance, and archival fade-resistance to name but a few. I highly recommend poking around their website to learn more. — Oliver Hulland

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Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

08/10/26

Reading Maps / Days Since / NearbyWiki

Recomendo - issue #526

Chart the journeys of classic novels

Reading Maps plots the routes characters travel in novels and films — you can trace the Pequod’s ocean path as it chases Moby Dick, or Victor Frankenstein’s pursuit of his monster from Geneva to the Arctic. Hundreds of journeys are mapped so far, sortable by setting (Sea, Overland, River, Rail, Survival, and more), and each one breaks the story into stops you can follow one at a time: where a ship or train left from, and what happened there. Since the stops follow the plot, the site will happily spoil the ending if you haven’t finished the book. — MF

Track days since things

I use the Countdown Days Since & Until app to track how long it’s been since health and beauty appointments so I know when it’s time to reschedule — I’m really bad at remembering to get my hair cut. I also use it to count down to vacations and anniversaries, occasionally opening the app to see how many weeks or days or even hours are left, and it’s nice to get a little surge of anticipation as the time between things shortens. After using the free version for years I finally paid $4.99 to unlock extras like adding photo backgrounds to certain events. Unfortunately, this particular app seems to be iOS‑only, but any simple “important dates” tracker would be useful. — CD

Wikipedia entry nearby

I find it entertaining to see what is listed in Wikipedia nearby to wherever I am. On any device that knows where it is (like a phone), load this NearbyWiki page, and it will show on a map all the nearby items that have a Wikipedia entry. Most are places, but occasionally it gives you something unexpected. — KK

My fountain pen paper and ink

Some of you have asked what paper and ink I’ve been using with the fountain pen I wrote about last week. Both were recommended by the woman working at my local art supply store: a Leuchtturm 1917 120gsm notebook and Noodler’s Nightshade ink. The heavy paper handles wet ink — no bleed-through, no ghosting, and the nib glides. The ink is a purple-blue that shades nicely on the page. One warning she gave me: Noodler’s bottles come filled almost to the brim, so open it over the sink. I took her advice and I’m glad I did — it was full to the top. — MF

Coders using AI

All my friends who years ago stopped writing code themselves are now using Anthropic’s Claude to write code for them. This 20 minute tutorial put out by Anthropic is basically the course they use to train their own coders on how to use Claude (to make future versions of Claude). It’s the best tricks they know on how to tell an AI to code for you (aimed at those who already know how to code). — KK

Better than my Instagram feed

We’ve recommended the Seek app before, but lately I’ve been spending more time on the Observations page of the iNaturalist website, which shows a live stream of sightings from the full iNaturalist community rather than just my own Seek scans. You can filter the stream by species, location, and date, and it feels like a photo feed curated by the living world instead of an algorithm. It’s more interesting to scroll than my Instagram, but this view doesn’t exist in any of the apps, so for now I just keep the page bookmarked. — CD

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08/9/26

Book Freak #221: How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

Living the Life You Want Without Changing Anyone Else

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How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World argues that you can live the life you want without changing the world or even changing a single other person — you just have to stop falling into the mental traps that keep you unfree.

Core Principles

1. You Have Far More Control Than You Think

Your lack of freedom has two causes: you’re not aware of the alternatives open to you, and you’ve accepted assumptions that restrict your freedom without questioning them. Because you’ve accepted certain assumptions, you haven’t even considered that there might be alternatives. Freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it — and that is possible, even if others remain as they are.

2. Trying to Change Others Is a Trap

You have tremendous control over your own life, but you give it up when you try to control others. Direct alternatives —actions that require only yourself to get a desired result — are almost always more effective than indirect alternatives that depend on changing someone else’s behavior. Stop waiting for others to change.

3. Get Out of Your Boxes

A “box” is any unpleasant situation that restricts your freedom — a bad relationship, job, location, or friendship. You stay in boxes because you’re afraid of the work required to get out. But the cost of staying is often higher than the cost of leaving. The question isn’t whether escape is difficult; it’s whether staying is worse.

4. Make Positive Decisions, Not Negative Ones

A free person spends most of their time making positive decisions — choosing among attractive alternatives. Most people spend their time making negative decisions — choosing the least unpleasant alternative, trying to keep things from getting worse. If you’re constantly choosing the lesser evil, you’ve structured your life wrong.

Try It Now

1. Identify one assumption you’ve never questioned that limits your choices. What if it weren’t true? What alternatives would open up?
2. Think of a situation where you’re waiting for someone else to change. What direct alternative — requiring only your own action — could get you what you want?
3. Name one “box” you’re in — a situation you’d leave if leaving weren’t so hard. Calculate the real cost of staying another year. Is it actually lower than leaving?
4. Review your recent decisions. Were you choosing among attractive options, or choosing the least bad one? What would have to change for you to have better choices?

Quote

“Freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it. And that is possible, even if others remain as they are.”

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Book Freak is published by Cool Tools Lab, a small company of three people. We also run Recomendo, the Cool Tools website, a YouTube channel and podcast, and other newsletters, including Recomendo Deals, Gar’s Tips & Tools, Nomadico, What’s in my NOW?, Tools for Possibilities, Books That Belong On Paper, and Book Freak.

08/7/26

Men’s Travel Clothing/Liveable Cities/Bad Bedbug Places

Nomadico issue #218

Travel Clothing for Men: 3 Perspectives

I was one of three traveling men featured in this article on the best traveling clothes for guys and it’s a good rundown of different options, showing that there’s no one-brand solution for long-term travelers. (Though some brands are definitely more reliable than others.) Also, while packing quality items that will last is a good strategy, comprising most of what’s always in my bag, sometimes it’s best to just buy upon arrival as needed, like for t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. Three common threads though: wrinkle-free is essential, merino wool keeps you from getting stinky, and double-duty clothing helps you pack lighter.

Yes You Will Check a Bag in Asia

I’m leaving soon for a three-month jaunt through Asia with just a carry-on (see above for packing tips) but funny enough, our carry-ons will be checked on most flights as we move between the Stans, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. After booking four flights on four airlines, I have discovered that they definitely don’t want you to carry on your own bag these days—likely because it slows down the boarding and deplaning times. Most Asian budget airlines seem to be capping the carry-on weight at 7 kilos (15 pounds), which is kind of a joke, and only one of the four we’re on even offered the option to pay more for a higher weight carry-on. The rest only let us pay to check a bag instead or bundled it in a package. So we’re packing carry-ons to be sure our bags get to Kazakhstan okay, but after that they will only come into the plane cabin with us once. More on this trend from other continents here.

Most Liveable Cities in the World

I see a lot of “most liveable cities” reports regularly and the outcome can vary depending on what they are measuring and how those factors are weighted. Oddly, very few seem to consider the weather or days of sunshine, for instance. This year’s batch is surprisingly consistent though. Use your own judgement and check out these entries from the Economist Intelligence Unit, Monocle, and Global Citizen Solutions. In the first rundown you’d better have plenty of money because cities like Copenhagen, Vienna, Sydney, Zurich, Tokyo, and Vancouver make up the top 10. Monocle cares whether you can get a drink after 10 p.m., so Lisbon and Barcelona make the list, but there’s still a lot of overlap with the first report. The last one includes those two and adds Seoul. Then they make this interesting aside: “San José in Costa Rica records the highest ease-of-settling-in score in the ranking, followed closely by Mexico City, Bali, Rio de Janeiro, and Bangkok.” In the top spots though, your money may be more welcome than you are…

Where to Watch out for Bedbugs

Fortunately, I haven’t gotten bit by bedbugs since I was a young backpacker, but I know plenty of people who have, sometimes in a very nice hotel even. This Orkin report for 2026 lays out the U.S. cities with the most bedbug reports and Chicago tops the list for the sixth year in a row. Ohio is a bad state overall and other cities ranking highly were L.A, Detroit, Cleveland, and Indianapolis. The report links to helpful advice on how to check your hotel room. Some paranoid/careful frequent travelers I know leave their suitcase in the tub or shower, never on carpet, and carry some kind of bedbug spray. I can’t vouch for those personally, but this is the highest-rated travel-sized one on Amazon.

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A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

08/6/26

What’s in my NOW? — Thomas Plaatsman

issue #265

I’m a globally minded Dutchie who developed a passion for culture after having lived in Spain, Kenya, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Brazil. I now run a blog and newsletter to help curious individuals discover books, movies, and music from around the world and broaden their perspectives.

Cultural Reads NewsletterThe best music, book & movie recommendations worldwideBy Culturalreads

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PHYSICAL

• Imarhan Signed Vinyl – I’ve been a huge fan of Desert Blues, a type of music from the Sahara Desert often performed by the Tuareg, a Berber people who live across the desert. The genre first became widely known through the band Tinariwen, who started making music to support the Tuareg cause during the conflicts in Mali and Niger. Some of the band members even received military training by Gaddafi’s government. Today, there’s a new wave of bands that often sing about similar themes, including the nomadic way of life, political struggles, and cultural memory. Despite not understanding the lyrics, the music really strikes a chord with me. Imarhan is my absolute favorite and ended up in my Spotify Top 5 two years in a row, so I was thrilled to get a signed vinyl at their last concert.
• The Sorrow of War by Bảo Ninh – Whenever I travel to a new country, I buy 1-2 books by local authors to gain better insight into the culture. During our family trip to Vietnam, I found The Sorrow of War, which is the fictional account of a Vietnamese soldier who was 1/10 survivors out of a brigade of 500. It’s been one of my favorite books ever since, not only because it provides a very refreshing counter-perspective to the many American books and films out there, but also because it’s wonderfully written from the perspective of an ex-soldier with PTSD who constantly gets catapulted back into the war and gradually tells the reader the full story through these fragments.
• Pedemeia (Colorful) Socks – I love colorful and high-quality socks. One summer in Portugal, I ran into this small store that only sells socks, often at great summer discounts. Ever since, whenever I visit Portugal, I buy a few pairs, but the last time I was glad to hear that they now ship internationally.

DIGITAL

• GOWOD Stretch App – When I was younger, I played a lot of basketball and never worried much about my health. Now, in my mid-thirties, after years behind a desk, I’ve spent almost 10 years struggling with neck pain. Several months ago, I discovered the stretching app GOWOD, and it’s the first thing that has genuinely helped. The app first measures your flexibility through a series of exercises, then creates a personalized stretching routine. Every month you can retake the test and track your progress, which I’ve found surprisingly motivating.
• Radiooooo – I’m always on the lookout for new music and, despite the many streaming platforms, often struggle to discover new artists I really like. That’s why I love Radiooooo. The five O’s stand for the five continents, and the platform lets you explore music by country and decade. The songs are uploaded by users and curated by a group of French DJs, making it a great place to discover lesser-known music in a world full of algorithms.

INVISIBLE

When you don’t know what to read/watch/do next, instead of trying to fill that empty space, just wait and give life a chance to respond.

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08/5/26

Home / Matthias Buchinger: “The Greatest German Living”

Issue No. 129

HOME – A QUIRKY ODE TO THE MANY STRUCTURES WE LIVE IN ACROSS THE WORLD

Home
by Carson Ellis
Candlewick
2015, 40 pages, 10.2 x 12.1 x 0.4 inches

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Home, the quirky triumphant solo debut of Carson Ellis, might look oddly familiar. You’re not mistaken – you’ve seen this charmingly wholesome artwork before. And it’s not because it looks as if it fell out of a Wes Anderson movie set and into your lap. Carson Ellis is the illustrator for children’s classics like Lemony Snickett and The Benedict Society. She’s also well known for her artwork in Wildwood, a children’s fantasy novel written by her husband, Colin Meloy, the lead singer for the Decemberists. You’ll recognize Carson’s contributions on the band’s album covers and merchandise, full of blossoming colors and quaint patterns.

Home is an ode to the many structures across the world that we dwell in, from the messy riotous nest of a sparrow to the peaked roof of the artist’s own humble abode. Carson gives a nod not only to the cheerful graffiti and clustered bricks of urban sprawl but also the domed turrets of white marbled eastern palaces and the cozy cottages of the countryside. She indulges in the silly and the fantastic at every turn, with houses fashioned out of shoes that spill mischievous children across the yard or the Spartan spatial quiet of a lunar landscape. Peculiar characters people her pages; knights in armor astride seahorses, a Norse god in a winged, gold helmet, and a Slovakian duchess peeking grimly from beneath her hat while anchoring twins in her iron grasp. The final page is a culmination of the detailed illustrations that have preceded it, with an element from each scene included as a component of the artist’s own studio. – Kaz Weida

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ONLY 29 INCHES TALL, MATTHIAS BUCHINGER’S ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT WERE GIGANTIC

Matthias Buchinger: “The Greatest German Living”
by Ricky Jay
Siglio
2016, 160 pages, 8 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches

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When Matthias Buchinger was born in 1674, he arrived without arms or legs. As an adult, he was under 2.5 feet tall. He lived to the age of 65, outliving three wives (his fourth wife outlived him, and he was rumored to have as many as 70 mistresses), and he sired 14 children. Most remarkably, Buchinger was an accomplished artist, magician, sharpshooter, and calligrapher. Buchinger’s specialty was micrography: the art of writing tiny letters. He was famous throughout Europe. According to Wikipedia, “Buchinger’s fame was so widespread that in the 1780s the term ‘Buckinger’s boot’ existed in England as a euphemism for the vagina (because the only ‘limb’ he had was his penis).”

The author is Ricky Jay, a famous magician, performer, historian of unusual performers, and writer. Jay’s biography of the extraordinary Buchinger includes many reproductions of Buchinger’s exacting pen and ink drawings, which he made holding a pen in his small fin-like appendages. Jay is a longtime collector of Buchinger original art, and this book includes several entertaining chapters about Jay’s personal interest in collecting Buchinger’s work and his interactions with other Buchinger-philes. – Mark Frauenfelder

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Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

08/4/26

What’s in my NOW? — Thomas Plaatsman