Guides
The Best Beginner Fountain Pens — Where to Start
The five best fountain pens for beginners — honest recommendations from The Journal Shop for people who are trying fountain pens for the first time.
How to Start a Journal and Actually Keep It
Practical advice on starting a journaling habit — the right notebook, what to write, how to maintain it, and why most people quit and how not to.
The Best Fountain Pen Inks for Beginners
Your first fountain pen ink should be well-behaved and easy to clean. These are the best starting points — and why each earns the recommendation.
How to Use a Fountain Pen — Technique, Angle, and Pressure
How to hold, angle, and write with a fountain pen correctly — practical technique guidance from first use to comfortable daily writing.
How to Use the Traveler's Notebook — Setups, Ideas & Getting the Most from the System
Setup ideas, refill combinations, and practical tips for getting the most from your Traveler's Notebook — from first day to well-worn companion.
How to Use the Hobonichi Techo — Layout, Ideas & Getting Started
Everything you need to start using your Hobonichi Techo with confidence — the layout explained, what to write, how to make it yours from day one.
The Beginner's Guide to Fountain Pen Inks
Bottles vs cartridges, dye vs pigment, wet vs dry — everything you need to choose your first fountain pen ink. UK guide from The Journal Shop.
The Beginner's Guide to Mechanical Pencils
Lead sizes, grades, mechanisms explained — everything you need to choose and use your first mechanical pencil. From drafting to everyday writing.
How to Choose a Planner
Daily, weekly, or monthly? Dated or undated? Paper quality, size, binding — everything you need to choose the right planner and actually use it.
How to Clean a Fountain Pen
Clean a fountain pen in 5 minutes. Simple steps for cartridge pens, converters, and piston fillers — plus when to clean and what to avoid.
How to Fill a Fountain Pen
Cartridges, converters, piston fillers — every way to fill a fountain pen explained clearly, step by step. The Journal Shop's complete guide.
How to Choose a Fountain Pen Nib
EF, F, M, B, italic, stub — fountain pen nibs explained clearly. Find the right nib for your handwriting, your inks, and the way you actually write.
