Ask the Desk: More Refills (Pen and Paper)

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Carlos hoped I could help with this:

I would like to buy some refills for a Dunhill ballpen sidecar and a Montegrapa rollerball (refill with 12 cm long).
Could you tell me what refills should I buy?


According to my research, it looks like the Montegrappa rollerballs all take the standard Pilot G2 style refill, also described as the Schmidt/Euro Rollerball refill size, that are about 110mm (4.5″) long. That’s great because there are lots of options and you may even have a plastic pen laying around with the right size refill on your desk right now. If you have a Pilot G2 retractable, you should be able to twist it apart and pull that refill out and try it in the Montegrappa.
Check out my Epic Refill Guide to find your favorite refill in the Pilot G2 section.
The Dunhill should take a standard Parker-style refill or a “capless style” G2/Euro refill. They are about 98mm (3.875″) long. Most office supply stores like Staples, Office Max or Office Depot should have a selection of Parker-style refills. A list of many Parker style compatible refills are also on the Epic Refill Guide.

Kate asks:

I came across your blog’s review of the Leuchtturm Weekly Planner, and I’m thinking you might be the person who can help me on my quest for the holy grail planner.  What I’ve been searching (unsuccessfully) for is a weekly planner with substantial notes pages.  So, something that has the weekly spread,monthly spread and two or three year overview you’d find in a typical planner, but also has at least 100 ruled or blank pages for notes.  This seems to be an impossible ask. I’ve tried the levenger circa system, but I’m not wired for one that I have to constantly assemble or move stuff around in.  Have you come across anything that fits this bill? I would love to know about it!

Your grail planner is a tall order, indeed! My first instinct was to ask if you’d considered a Midori Traveler’s Notebook or a Fauxdori (leather covers made and sold by individuals on Etsy and such)? There are many inserts available for this system that let’s you have a planner and a notebook for lots of notes. Each blank, lined or grid insert has about 64 pages in it. There is one insert available for the Midori with extra thin paper that I think has over 100 sheets in it. Something like this might give you the option of having a full booklet for notes plus a planner/calendar.
MTN Current Set-up
You might want to do a search on YouTube or Google for how people set up their Midori Traveler’s Notebook (MTN) or a Fauxdori to get an idea if the system might work for you.
There are also many printable planner system options available from folks on Etsy like DIY Fish. Her systems are also available for Midori Traveler’s Notebooks, Filofax ring binder systems or half-sheet sizes that could be used with a mini 3-ring binder. The last time I was in Target, I saw they had a good sized assortment of half-sheet 3-ring binders, if that might be an option that would work for you? Its not quite as fiddly as the Circa but still might require rearranging pages every once in awhile.
I’m not sure if I gave you any suggestions that might be the golden solution but hopefully it will give you some other options to consider.

And finally, Pat asked:
I’m searching for a nice leather notebook for a gift.  Do you emboss names or initials on your notebooks?I would also like your recommendation on the best notebook that can be refilled.  Also, are there any stores in the Baton Rouge area that sell your products?

Despite the confusion in her question that I was an online shop, I do think I might be help to help Pat find someone who can engrave and/or leather and refillable. Not sure I can find anything that is the trifecta though.

As for leather engravables, I know that Vanness Pens in Little Rock, AR does engraving. They have a separate web site for engraving called A Personal Statement. They offer a variety of notebooks.

Filofax has recently introduced a refillable notebook. Goldspot Pens and Goulet Pens both stock them online. While not leather, they are pretty nice leatherette and look good.
As for a good local source for notebooks in Baton Rouge, I do not know of any. The closest pen-and-paper shop that I know of in Louisiana is in New Orleans. Its called Papier Plume. While I’ve not had a chance to visit it yet, I have several friends who have highly recommended it for fountain pens, ink and accessories.

Do you have a pressing pen, paper, pencil, ink or other stationery item issue? Use the “Ask The Desk” link in the navigation bar to send in your questions!

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2 comments / Add your comment below

  1. @Kate Although this may not perfectly fit your bill, I’ve been looking for a planner similar to your description and I came across the Shinola 12-month Runwell Planner. It has a monthly and weekly spread, and note pages for every month. I prefer this over the travelers notebook because I like to have everything in one nice book. Hope you find what you’re looking for!

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