Watches, Pens, and the Craft of Analog Living
Ellen Ashford · June 21, 2026
The first notebook I ruined with a fountain pen cost me $34 and three weeks of daily journal entries. I’d loaded a Pilot Iroshizuku ink into my TWSBI ECO and started writing on what I thought was a quality notebook. By page two, the bleed-through was so bad I could read my own handwriting from … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 21, 2026
I’ll be honest with you: I resisted the Hobonichi Techo for years. Every January, the planning community erupts in reverent discussion about this slim Japanese planner, and every January I rolled my eyes and reached for something with more heft. I collect watches and fountain pens — I appreciate craftsmanship — but a $50+ planner … Read more
Ellen Ashford · June 20, 2026
The pen-versus-pencil debate sounds simple until you’re standing in a stationery aisle second-guessing yourself. I’ve been there more times than I can count. After a decade of collecting analog tools — watches, fountain pens, ballpoints, mechanical pencils — I still get asked this question constantly. People assume there’s one right answer. In reality, the answer … Read more