Listening to my gut
Listening to my gut. The advice that well -meaning friends and family give for so many situations.
This weekend, I applied their advice. I chose three new pens and inks based on what “felt right.” Without regard for specific characteristics like nib size or pen size. Let my own subjectivity take the proverbial wheel.
Pen tray after dark
I sat in front of my pen tray and closed my eyes. Then I opened my eyes and snagged the first pen that caught my attention.
I first saw the Eco. It’s housed in the top level of my pen tray tower. Tower feels like the right word. The Mint color pops against the surrounding subdued tones.
Repeat. The Retro’s bright blue and orange clip called out. Repeat: the glare off of my Pelikan’s silver finial pleaded for attention. A rapid, 60-second process.
On to ink choices. Grey ink sits at the heart of my workflow. So I opened my ink box and reached for the round white cap furthest from me. Turned out to the Sailor 223.
Then I turned to my sample vial rack. I grabbed two vials. One the closest to me and the other from the furthest spot from me. Dou’s Emerald Green and Scarlet Letter.
Pairing was also a quick process. The only true EF line of the three nibs on offer was the TWSBI. So 223 to the EF for task management. Scarlet Letter seemed to suit a blue pen better than a green ink would. So: Papier Plume to the KACO and Dou’s to the Pelikan.
Three pen and ink pairings continue on into the coming week. Both blues: one EF and one B SIG. One bright, the other unsaturated. And the surprisingly joyful Candy Marsala in a 1.1 mm stub. Bold.
All told, this week’s currently inked is surprisingly well rounded. Surprising because I avoided thinking deeply about this week’s triplet of new pen and ink choices.
Well done, gut. A+.
Grey/Black
TWSBI Eco-T Mint (EF). Sailor Ink Studio 223. Daily driver. The pair produces a sodden, dark grey line. The EF nib is toothy and reliable. 223 shows off subtle purple-hued shading after three or four quickly-written lines. So task management, meeting notes, reading notes, and scratch notes.
Blue/Teal
Visconti Homo Sapiens Blizzard (EF). Monteverde Caribbean Blue. This pair has grown toothier and lighter as it carries on into its fourth week. I suspect this combo’s ink level has only the feed remaining. As such, shorter writing sessions will help avoid running dry mid-meeting. Reading notes (accent), planning notes, lesson plans, lecture notes (accent).
Franklin-Christoph 45 Diamondcast Blue (B SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Kyo-no-oto Aonibi. This pair works well for seated, slow-writing tasks. Aonibi is a dry ink that ensures you feel all of the SIG’s edges. Sharp while remaining pleasant. With fantastic, prominent shading and haloing. Lesson plans, lecture notes, and journaling.
Earth Tones
Pelikan m805 Stresemann Anthracite (F Architect, by Custom Nib Studio). Akkerman Dutch Masters Dou’s Emerald Green. Pocket carry. The Pelikan is robust, sporting a secure screw-cap. The architect grind lays down a shady needlepoint line that is reliable on poor printer paper, and lovely on Stalogy paper. The wet F architect side of the grind brings out Dou’s sheen — great headings during meetings and discussion notes. And journaling, just because.
Wild Cards
Monteverde Rodeo Drive Polaris (1.1 mm Stub). Ferris Wheel Press Candy Marsala. This pairing has grown wetter in the week since it was inked. Marsala is now a near-black maroon. Marsala Noir. Coated paper only. So: meeting notes, discussion notes, lesson plans, lecture notes, and journaling.
KACO Green Retro in Blue (EF). Papier Plume Bootlegger’s Scarlet Letter. A strange pairing. Scarlet Letter’s brooding purple contrasts the Retro’s pop of cheery blue. The combo makes me smile. So, definitely journaling. Also: lesson plans, marking papers, and scratch notes.
