Striking a balance between moderates
I entered this week reflecting on my nib choices. With nibs on my mind, I opted for a septet that balances broad lines (two B nibs), medium lines (two M nibs), and three narrow lines (three F nibs).
For instance, I balanced the three F nibs — one wide, one typical, and one narrow. The F line width in the Nautilus runs true-to-size. The TWSBI’s F is slightly more broad. And Platinum’s F is narrow; an EF in sweatpants.
I also considered balance in my color choices. Three cool tones in Downpour, Monboddo’s Hat and Yama-dori are offset by three warm tones in Olive Swirl, Koiame and Copper Noir. With Shogun splitting the triplets.
Balance in all things stationery. Stationery in all things balanced.
Grey/Black
Platinum 3776 Star Wars Kylo Ren (F). Dominant Industries Downpour. This week’s daily driver. A trusted F nib that writes narrowly, smoothly and reliably. I’m a sucker for grey inks that build on purple undertones. Downpour fits the bill. Kylo Ren’s monotonous colorway is perfect for serious meetings. And then task management, reading notes, meeting notes, and lesson plans.
Blue/Teal
Carolina Charlotte Dragon Scales (B). Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori. I’ve grown to like a B nib for longform journaling. The wet Carolina feed lends ample red sheen to Yama-dori’s depressed teal base color. A lovely counterbalance for writing that needs to be grounded with a pinch of whimsy. Journaling, teaching reflections, lesson plans, and reading notes.
Earth Tones
Franklin-Christoph 03 Ghost (M SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Jacques Herbin 1670 Shogun. This pair returns for its third week. The combo has grown wet enough to deposit shimmer throughout my letterforms. Shogun is also a shading-less near-black. Meeting notes, journaling, a brain dump of end-of-school-year responsibilities, and teaching reflections.
Kaweco Sport Skyline Mint (B). Taccia Ukiyo-e Sharaku-Koiame. Koiame emerges a bright, burnished orange when combined with this Kaweco B nib. The Kaweco is tailor-made for carrying around in jacket and pant pockets. Pocket notes, migration meeting notes, journaling, and reading notes.
Hongdian N23 White Rabbit (Long Blade M, by Hongdian). Monteverde Copper Noir. I am impressed by how well Hongdian’s Long Blade nib writes. European-width M lines with noticeable line variation. The silver etching leaves this pen for solo writing sessions. And Copper Noir shades strongly. The burnt orange shade is great for visible grading marks on students’ papers. Marking papers, journaling, teaching reflections, and some manuscript drafting.
Nahvalur Nautilus Primary Macchiato (Mini-Cutlass, by All in the Nib). Diamine Olive Swirl. A crisp combination. I can feel every thread on the page, however, Olive Swirl writes consistently without clogging — so far. The mid-toned green is bright enough for accenting meeting and reading notes. Swirl is a chameleon ink that keeps longform writing like journaling and manuscript drafting exciting.
Wild Cards
TWSBI 580 Smoke RoseGold II (F). Diamine Monboddos Hat. A deep depressed purple. This TWSBI feed pours ink in enough volume that green-gold sheen halos my letters. A cheery combination for such a moody color. I keep TWSBI’s pens out of meetings as they have been mistaken for vape pens. Solo work for this pair: journaling, lesson plans, lecture notes, and scratch notes.
