“So,” my friend asked, a smirk growing on his face, “how’s that fancy planner going?” Friendly snark aside, it’s a fair question. Me and my hoity-toity planner had a plan last fall. Here’s how it’s going halfway into 2022.

Filling a pen from a nearly empty ink bottle can be challenging. Exciting, too. Especially if you think outside the proverbial box. The box is simply packaging.

Two more paths for snagging those last drops of ink come to mind, each with its own pros and cons.

A near-empty ink bottle is a lovely accomplishment. You’re nearly complete. You definitely didn’t waste your money on that colored liquid — I tell myself — because you used and/or shared it all. So close. But getting that final fill into a pen can prove challenging.

So: what are my options for getting that final milliliter of ink into a pen?

There are three levers to pull to influence how enjoyably a fountain pen writes. Three physical aspects of the tool that we can change. One is the nib we write with. Another is the ink in the pen. And third is the paper we write on. The triad.