Living dangerously: the Nakaya makes it to work
This first week back from break is a shortened four-day work week. I’ve decided to forgo a full contingent of six pens. So, I elected to stick with my five currently inked pens. The set is already well-balanced with respect to ink color and nib size.
A consequence is that the Nakaya will be called into action at work. This is a nervous proposition. I’m unsure how the lacquered pen will hold up in a work environment that is chock full of hand sanitizer and caustic cleaners. Careful. Very careful.
How delicate is “Nakaya delicate?”
The balance of ink colors is fairly good. As is the balance of broad and narrow nibs. One dark grey (EF), one blue (F CSI), two earth tones (EF SIG, B), and a purple (B). Two colors are quite dark: the Chushu and Emerald Green. The rest offer great accent colors for lecture notes and reading notes.
Reading crew
My evenings are reading-focused this week, too. Digging into Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy brings my pencils and highlighters to the fore. I’ve sharpened a Blackwing Natural for the occasion. A firm core works best with my above-average writing pressure, especially on soft (read: cheap) book paper.
Mildliners are my go-to highlighter for reading nonfiction. The subdued colors help me maintain focus on the author’s words. Plus, grey and subtle blue calming. Grey highlights Applebaum’s important points; blue are passages that stand out to me, personally.
Big brain work
My reading workflow as a 70-30 split. Reading notes start out as pencil and highlighter in the book’s margins (70%). I eventually translate important passages into my commonplace notebook. Fountain pens return for commonplace notes (30%).
Grey/Black
Montblanc 146 Le Petit Prince and Fox (EF). Sailor Shikiori Chushu. Turns out to be a wet combination. This pair is my daily driver. I use it mainly for task management within my weekly spread. Scratch notes and reading notes, too.
Blue/Teal
TWSBI Vac700R Iris (F-CSI, by Pen Realm). Kyo-no-oto Aonibi. The feed on this pen brings out the best of Aonibi’s shading. The combo hits a goldilocks zone where Aonibi is wet enough to write smoothly and dry enough to shade in fun ways. A primary accenting pen. Reading notes (accent), lesson plans (accent), journaling.
Earth Tones
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (B). Akkerman Dutch Masters Dou’s Emerald Green. The B nib brings Dou’s sheen to most letters, even on my Rhodia scratch pad. My main journaling pen. Also some reading notes (accent), lesson plans (accent), lecture notes.
Monteverde Giant Sequoia Brown (EF-SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). J. Herbin Lie de Thé. The EF line width makes this combo well-suited for detailed notes: lecture notes, reading note accents, and lists. All three kinds of writing also accommodate the slower writing that a SIG demands. Otherwise I risk twisting the pen in my hand to write more quickly, leading the sharp edges of the nib grind to catch on the page.
Wild Cards
TWSBI 580-ALR Prussian Blue (B). Sailor Shikiori Yozakura. This combo is the only pairing with a round nib in a pen I’m comfortable toting around in a pocket. The B nib encouraged Yozakura to feather and bleed on Field Notes’ paper. To be fair, pocket scratch notes need not look pretty. Pocket carry. Scratch notes, reading notes (accent), lesson plans (accent), journaling, and some poetry.
