Est. 2026 · Price: FreeEditor-at-large: The Hedgehog

Stationery Times

The slow-morning ink desk: a fountain-pen desk setup

A fountain-pen desk setup: one good pen, a bottle of ink and a small inkwell, a cream-paper notebook on a leather desk pad, a dot pad, and a leather pen case.

At home · Price range: $$–$$$$ · 7 items · Updated

The desk and every item on it are original illustrations made for this page and owned by Stationery Times, drawn to real size.

1. Rhodia dot pad: read the guide

Paper · Writing paper

Rhodia dot pad

Rhodia No. 16 DotPad explained: A5 (148 × 210 mm), 80 micro-perforated sheets of 80 g/m² Clairefontaine paper, 5 mm dots, other rulings and pad sizes.

2. Leather pen case: read the guide

Cases · Leather pen case

Leather pen case

Galen Leather Zippered 10 Slots Pen Case explained: 160 × 125 × 30 mm, ten loops for pens up to 145 mm, veg-tan leather, velvet lining, handmade in Turkey.

3. Leather desk pad: read the guide

Accessories · Desk pad

Leather desk pad

Galen Leather desk pad explained: 15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in sizes, 7–8 oz vegetable-tanned bridle leather about 2 mm thick, 13 finishes, monogram, Turkish-made.

4. Pilot Custom 823: read the guide

Pens · Fountain pen

Pilot Custom 823

Pilot Custom 823 explained: a plunger filler holding up to 2.55 ml, the 14k gold No. 15 nib, 148.4 mm and 29.5 g per Pilot Japan, Amber, Smoke and Clear colors.

5. Pelikan 4001 ink: read the guide

Accessories · Fountain pen ink

Pelikan 4001 ink

Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black explained: a classic dye-based black ink in 62.5 ml and 30 ml bottles, 40 s dry time, dry flow, water resistance and German origin.

6. Midori MD notebook: read the guide

Notebooks · Journal

Midori MD notebook

The Midori MD Notebook A5 is 148 × 210 mm with 176 pages of cream 80 g/m² MD Paper, blank, lined, grid, dot or frame, thread-sewn to open flat. Made in Japan.

7. Ink Shot inkwell: read the guide

Accessories · Inkwell

Ink Shot inkwell

Ink Miser Ink-Shot inkwell explained: a 55 mm conical cup for filling a fountain pen from small-neck or nearly empty bottles, how to use it, size, alternatives.

Hover or press Tab on any item to see what it is.Tap a numbered item to see what it is, then use the arrows to step through the desk. Plain props (keyboard, mouse, plants and so on) are scenery. Everything is drawn at roughly the same scale.

What is on this desk?

  1. Paper · Writing paper

    Rhodia dot pad

    Rhodia No. 16 DotPad explained: A5 (148 × 210 mm), 80 micro-perforated sheets of 80 g/m² Clairefontaine paper, 5 mm dots, other rulings and pad sizes.

  2. Cases · Leather pen case

    Leather pen case

    Galen Leather Zippered 10 Slots Pen Case explained: 160 × 125 × 30 mm, ten loops for pens up to 145 mm, veg-tan leather, velvet lining, handmade in Turkey.

  3. Accessories · Desk pad

    Leather desk pad

    Galen Leather desk pad explained: 15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in sizes, 7–8 oz vegetable-tanned bridle leather about 2 mm thick, 13 finishes, monogram, Turkish-made.

  4. Pens · Fountain pen

    Pilot Custom 823

    Pilot Custom 823 explained: a plunger filler holding up to 2.55 ml, the 14k gold No. 15 nib, 148.4 mm and 29.5 g per Pilot Japan, Amber, Smoke and Clear colors.

  5. Accessories · Fountain pen ink

    Pelikan 4001 ink

    Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black explained: a classic dye-based black ink in 62.5 ml and 30 ml bottles, 40 s dry time, dry flow, water resistance and German origin.

  6. Notebooks · Journal

    Midori MD notebook

    The Midori MD Notebook A5 is 148 × 210 mm with 176 pages of cream 80 g/m² MD Paper, blank, lined, grid, dot or frame, thread-sewn to open flat. Made in Japan.

  7. Accessories · Inkwell

    Ink Shot inkwell

    Ink Miser Ink-Shot inkwell explained: a 55 mm conical cup for filling a fountain pen from small-neck or nearly empty bottles, how to use it, size, alternatives.