Fearlessly downsizing to two pens with grey inks, for the week
How does one whittle down a set of 12 inked pens to six? Turns out that I couldn’t. But seven was feasible.
Focusing on my needs for the week did the trick. I am scheduled for desk work (comments and grading projects from two separate classes) and plenty of floating meetings.
So, for example, I continued on with two grey ink combos. An italic EF for a desk task manager. A second far-more-forgiving italic F for meetings on-the-go.
A mid-toned blue (Bondi) balanced against a shocking ice blue (Shimbashi). Having both in my penvelope ensures that I can accent notes against grey inks and one another. Same for purples: Sacrament and Edo-Murasaki.
Different enough from one another to collaborate well
Only one earth toned ink this week: a lovely yellow-brown. The Narwhal is for narrow-lines during marking and in margin notes. And journaling.
I’m also sporting two frankenstein pens. Writers that mix and match pen parts from multiple makers. The Narwhal has a F Platinum nib installed — because its fun to write with. The Conklin has a Franklin-Christoph branded Jowo in its section. A silver Jowo. Which contrasts noticeably against the Mark Twain’s rose gold trim. A true frankenstein arrangement.
Beware, for I am fearless.
Grey/Black
Franklin-Christoph 46 Philly ‘20 (EF SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Bungubox Melancholic Gray. One half of my daily driving crew — the desk-life writer this week. The narrow EF italic grind is sharp, with a narrow “sweet spot.” It takes concentration to write with the correct rotation of nib-angle to paper. Done properly, this pair is wet, with loads of personality. Offering shading in gradients from graphite to near-black. And quick drying! So this is also my task manager.
Pelikan m805 Stresemann Anthracite (F CSI, by Custom Nib Studio). Sailor Ink Studio 223. Second half of my daily driving crew. This is my meeting note-taker. With floating meetings that are expected but not yet on the calendar, I fully expect to be pulled into meetings ad hoc. 223 sports an extended dry time. And the suit-like Stresemann colorway fits in for meetings of any degree of seriousness. Boom.
Blue/Teal
Karas Kustoms Decograph 1901 Winter Wonderland (EF). Pilot Iroshizuku Shimbashi-iro. Shimbashi is the brightest ink color in this week’s palette. As such, The KK is my primary annotating combo. The bright icy blue stands out easily against both 223 and Melancholic Gray. Further, the Decograph is feather-light. Combined with the round EF nib, this is also a reliable pocket carry. Lesson plans, reading notes, meeting notes, journaling.
Sailor Pro Gear Blue Train (H-MF). Robert Oster Bondi Blue. Bondi Blue is a mid-toned blue with subtle sheen. I find sheen to be useful in lecture notes as sheen keeps my writing readable at a distance. The MF nib offers a smooth EF line on the reverse. Together, this combo is an excellent for annotations and marking papers. And journaling. Because: Blue Train.
Earth Tones
Narwhal Schuylkill Chromis Teal (F, by Platinum). Birmingham Stormwater Runoff. This pair lives on how well the Platinum nib suits my handwriting. A generous, but disciplined F line width. Narrow with shading. The narrow line and round nib make for care-free paper marking — even on students’ questionable printer paper. And scratch notes — lists and jottings while I revise my LGBTQ Studies course.
Wild Cards
Conklin Mark Twain Rose Gold (F CI, by Mike Masuyama). Papier Plume Bootlegger’s Sacrament. One of my favorite Frankenstein creations. The silver nib, rose gold trim, black body, and arched crescent filling mechanism makes for a cooky visual. Sacrament is dark enough to feel professional. Dark enough to blend with grey inks — ill-suited for accent work. So this pair is for scratch notes, journaling, and some manuscript marking.
TWSBI Vac700R Iris (F CSI, by Pen Realm). Pilot Iroshizuku Edo-Murasaki. Murasaki is a mid-toned purple with gentle gradients of shading. The ground F nib offers a middling wetness and a consistent F line width. The Vac’s grip section is broad enough to fit comfortably in my hand — allowing for enjoyable long writing sessions. My primary journaling and reading notes combo.
