2026 Mid-Year Review: Five Personal Favorite Stationery Discoveries from the First Half of 2026

During the first half of 2026 I delved pretty deeply into the catalog of Japanese-exclusive products I’ve been testing, many of which have made their way into our shop. You might be surprised to learn that most of my favorite new additions to my own rotation are less expensive everyday writers, including the Uni Zento Flow Gel Pens and the Pilot Kire-Na highlighters. There’s also a fun, offbeat ink, as well as a stationery-adjacent entry! You can view most of these products in our own shop, both online and in-store. Check out the rest of our 2026 Mid-Year Review Post, including 5 Favorite Posts from the First Half of the Year, and our Annual Update to the Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Resource. Uni Zento Flow Gel Pen. If I had to pick a favorite everyday gel pen, I would say that the Uni Zento Flow has become my everyday “inexpensive carry”. I like the weight of the aluminum barrel, and I actually prefer the click-style Flow to the capped Signature model (which you can’t…