The ‘last inked’ column is pretty dope

The big picture this week is that I’m off from work. That means my writing and reading is to suit my own interests. I anticipate a healthy amount of annotating, reading notes, scratch notes pertaining to personal projects, and journaling. Slow paced, methodical, and reflective.

In short: I can make any pen and ink combination work well this week.

To celebrate, I’m going back in time. I sorted the Last Inked column in my pen database to show the pens that have sat unused the longest.

The result is a pair of low-priced plastics. An All-Black Lamy Safari that I had loaned out to a friend for nearly a year. And a Classic Blue Kaweco Sport that was the first pen my now-spouse ever gifted me. Gifts both ways.

I also sought to balance out the week’s nib options. Two narrow lines: one Pilot EF and one Platinum F. Two middling widths: a Sailor MF and TWSBI F. And two broad lines, by way of a BB Kaweco and B Lamy. And no teeter-totter jitters.

I told my friend, J, about the plan. His response: “that Last Inked column is pretty dope.” True statement.

Grey/Black

Platinum 3776 Star Wars Kylo Ren (EF). Diamine Earl Grey. My daily driver for the week. The Platinum F nib lays down a perfect line width for the size of my handwriting. Earl Grey is my favorite ink. The Dark Side has the best toys. Wins all around. Tracking tasks in my Hobonichi Day-Free. Reading notes in my commonplace notebook. Drafting my ongoing manuscript. Brainstorming and scratch notes.

Blue/Teal

Kaweco Classic Sport Blue (BB). Akkerman Koninginne Nacht-Blauw. The BB nib makes for a wide, noticeable line. Wide enough to be easily discernible against the Platinum’s F writing. A strong choice for accent reading notes. The subtle color makes it suitable for accent brainstorming, too, as the blue-black won’t distract but will shade enough to keep my interest. Also: journaling.

Earth Tones

Sailor Pro Gear Blue Train (MF). KOBE Arima Amber. The MF line is broad enough to encourage Arima Amber to shade — which forms fun contrasts between orange and burnt sienna. Amber jumps off the page against this week’s palette. Perfection for accent notes, marking manuscripts, and even journaling. In the words of JVN: yas.

Pilot Custom 74 Forest Green (EF). Diamine Black Ivy. The Pilot EF nib is a scalpel of a writing tool. Precise, hair-thin lines. Black Ivy still manages to throw off sheen. The result is a fun — albeit strange — detailed notetaker. Small writing is clear and Ivy’s sheen keeps notes readable at angles. Reading notes, some margin notes, manuscript revisions.

Lamy Safari All-Black (B). Papier Plume Ink No. 13. My first time using this particular B nib. The tines touched when I first fitted it to the feed. Some gentle tuning resulted in a reliable writer that is a true-to-size European B line. 13 shades and writes generously in this feed. The result is a skimmable teal for reading notes and journaling. The round nib, wet ink, and snap cap also make this combo an excellent meeting pen for phone meetings.

Wild Cards

TWSBI Vac700R Iris (F CSI, by Pen Realm). Pilot Iroshizuku Edo-Murasaki. The overfilled TWSBI has arrived at 7/8 full after three weeks in service. The cursive smooth italic remains a bridge between noticeable line variation and forgiving writing angles. I’ve taken to using this pairing for short reflections, journaling, and creative writing. The Iris finish puts me in a creative mood.

All in the family

Oh, and I’m putting the green Pilot Juice Up through its paces as my pocket carry this week.