The heavy metal of nib selection
The Gentleman Stationer posted a lovely reflection on the draw of stealthy pens last weekend. Black pens, often with black or dark rhodium trim. And sometimes with black nibs, too.
Inspired by Joe’s post, I pulled my own all-black pens from my pen tray. The collection was fun to see together, but not exciting.
So serious
Pulling these black pens highlighted a pattern in my collection: I own a lot of black nibs. That was a new thought.
Black Nib Coup … your new favorite metal band. The silver Kaweco nib is clearly the lead singer.
This week’s theme evolved into a collection of eight pens, seven prepared with black nibs. Stealthy.
Two pen and ink combinations for each color family. One broad and one narrow line width within each color family. Balanced and stealthy.
Grey/Black
Platinum 3776 Star Wars Kylo Ren (F). Montblanc Oyster Grey. Daily driver. A tried and true pairing. Dusty grey lines that write reliably, enjoyably toothy, and with a disciplined EF line width. The Platinum is a black pen that looks professional enough avoid interrupting serious meetings. Task management, detail meeting notes, lesson plans, detail lecture notes, scratch notes.
Lamy Safari Petrol (M). Colorverse Matter. Moderately wet. Matter is usually a dry ink for me. The M feed likes this ink. High shading and enjoyably toothy on the page. A great pair for quick writing and for long writing sessions. Add in the Lamy’s snap cap and I have a great meeting pen — especially for meetings that happen outside of my office. Too light to offset Oyster Grey, even in M. Meeting notes, lesson plans, task management alternate, some lecture notes.
Blue/Teal
Kaweco Frosted Sport Light Blueberry (EF, Premium). Colorverse Warped Passages. Pocket carry. The only steel colored nib this week. In truth, I enjoyed this pairing so much last week that I just had to keep it in rotation. The round EF nib writes well at odd angles while drying quickly. Well-suited to pocket note taking. And the pop of color also functions well as an accent note taker. Pocket notes, lesson plans, reading notes, manuscript editing, lecture notes.
Franklin-Christoph 31 Smoke & Ice (M SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Colorverse Extra Dimension. The M line and dark blue coloring both compliment the previous pairing well. The wider, sheen-friendly SIG offsets the narrow Kaweco line beautifully. No wonder these inks were sold as a set. Wet enough to accommodate quick writing. An all-purpose accent pair. Lecture notes, lesson plans, reading notes, journaling.
Earth Tones
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (B). Organics Studio Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass. Whitman highlights the green under-layers in the Nakaya’s finish. A wet combination that surprised me given Organics Studio’s penchant for dry ink recipes. Writes reliably, even when left uncapped for long stretches. The round B nib is forgiving, even at tired angles. Perfect for long writing sessions. Journaling, teaching reflections, lecture notes.
Kaweco Skyline Sport Fox (EF). Monteverde Gemstone Fireopal. Wet enough to write comfortably, even on work copy paper. Dry enough to shade sparingly and halo often. A true EF line. Decent for marking on students’ variety of papers. Fireopal pops against this week’s unsaturated palette, making it great for accenting notes. Reading notes, lesson plans, scratch notes, pocket notes alternate, meeting notes.
Wild Cards
Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black (H-F). Sailor Shikiori Yozakura. Yozakura has a secure soft spot in my heart. It’s a pink with purple undertones. It shades nearly black. And it flows moderately in every pen I’ve put it in. Seeing pink exit the all-black Sailor is giggle-worthy. The narrow EF-esque line and dusty pink makes for excellent, easily scannable accent notes during meetings. My main meeting accenter this week. Meeting notes, lesson plans, scratch notes, journaling.
Franklin-Christoph 46 2020 Philly Pen Show Special (EF SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Ferris Wheel Press Candy Marsala. The combination of a wet feed and crisp, narrow tipping brings out the best in Candy Marsala. Haloing with a smooth experience. The SIG requires a disciplined angle, so slow writing tasks are best for this pair. Reading notes, lesson plans, journaling.
