I am constantly asked for recommendations of various kinds. I am going to compile things I recommend on this page. Some of these links are referral links (so I may earn something if you click or click and make a pruchase); however, nothing on this page is a paid placement.

I will not recommend anything I have not used.

Do not contact me to ask that I place your product or service on this page.

Technology

Hosting

I use Ghost (e.g., this site) and WordPress (e.g., the Book of Concord site) for virtually all of the sites I host or manage.

If you want to use Ghost, they[1] have a very reasonable starting plan (currently $9/month, if you pay yearly).

If you want to use WordPress, I highly recommend WP Engine — I have used them for many years. If you would prefer to host your own, then I would recommend Digital Ocean — I have several servers hosted with them.

  1. “They” meaning the creators of the Ghost software; the hosting itself is called “Ghost Pro”. ↩︎

Personal Electronics

reMarkable e-ink tablet
I own, use, and recommend the reMarkable tablet. I use mine fairly frequently. Of all the e-ink devices I have used (for writing) it is my favorite.

I have used both the v1 and the v2 models of the device (the v2 is a significant upgrade).

Headphones
For wireless, I recommend the Sennheiser M4 headphones. For wired, I highly recommend the Sennheiser 490 Pro headphones. I use the latter when recording and editing podcasts and other audio.

Microphones
I have used various microphones from Blue Microphones in the past (it remains to be seen what direction Logitech will take them). However, the microphone that I most often use is the Sennheiser e 965.

Analog Tools

Writing Instruments

Quite frankly, I could write an entire page of recommendations for these, but, instead, I will simply share a few of my favorites.

I most frequently write with my various Lamy 2000 fountain pens [1] (yes, I have more than one). I mostly use a medium (M) nib, but nib size is a matter of personal preference and paper choice. Nevertheless, the M is a good place to start. (I also like the B, but only for certain notebooks as it writes quite wet with Lamy ink.)

When I use a pencil, I use either a Staedtler 925-35 or a Rotring 800.

  1. The link, supra, will give you a $10 credit — this link will take you directly to the pen. ↩︎

Paper

Paper is a matter of personal taste, writing instrument, and writing substance (e.g., ink or graphite). However, I generally recommend two paper manufacturers: Leuchtturm 1917 and Rhodia. Leuchtturm notebooks are my favorite by a wide margin, and I generally prefer the B5 to other sizes; the Rhodia product I use most frequently is their (more or less A4-sized) spiral notebooks.

Clothing

Socks

I have ordered socks from a fair number of places, but it is hard to beat Darn Tough, and basically impossible to do so if you start comparing warranties (yes, socks with a warranty).