Building an interview day carry
I need an interview carry this week. A collection of pens and ink colors that present professionally. All kitted with nibs that write well through the rapid scribbling of fast-moving interviews. Because I’m running the on-campus interview gauntlet and my currently inked needs to be on point.
Teachers interview for jobs in waves. Usually a mix of one or two phone interviews and a full-day on campus meeting with each department and teaching a sample lesson. A full eight hour day wherein everything I do must, put simply, work.
Such a week calls for round nibs and the most forgiving nib grinds. Subdued ink colors are a must. And pen colorways need to exude “I can be trusted.”
To arms, stationer-scholar. To arms.
Grey/Black
Pilot Custom Heritage 912 (SF). Bungukan Kobayashi Sohayanotsuruki. My primary writer is a newly-inked black and silver 912. Professional colors and traditional dimensions. The SF nib forgives writing with pressure and lays down a consistent F line when I scribble with a light touch. Best of both worlds. Sohayanotsuruki is a muted medium grey that shades green-grey in playful ways — all while remaining subdued. Clever balance. Task managements, meeting notes, reading notes, and lesson plans.
Lamy Safari Dark Lilac (B). Monteverde Azure Noir. Azure Noir is a versatile blue-black ink. Azure Noir shades like a boss on excellent paper. It also dries a legible near-black on poor copy paper. Taken together, Azure Noir writes in any situation — from this B nib. The Lamy’s snap cap closure is suitable for informal meetings with students and during long meetings that require a fidget tool to help me maintain focus. So: phone meetings, administrative meetings, and longform journaling.
Blue/Teal
Jinhao x159 Black (EF). Papier Plume Ink No. 13. The second new entry into my penvelope this week is this black and silver x159. Classic coloring should camouflage this large pen from discerning interviewers’ attention. And Ink No. 13 provides mellow teal accents to Sohayanotsuruki’s mid-grey coloring. Two subdued pens that work well in tandem. Accent meeting notes, reading notes, and demo lesson plans.
Earth Tones
Nahvalur Nautilus Primary Macchiato (Mini-Cutlass, by All in the Nib). Diamine Olive Swirl. The Mini-Cutlass is this week’s only sharp nib grind. Slow, methodical writing tasks suit this narrow, sharp architect grind. Tasks such as: margin notes, editing manuscripts, and planning interview talking points.
Hongdian N23 White Rabbit (M Long Blade, by Hongdian). Monteverde Copper Noir. The Long Blade grind offers the most personality within this week’s sextet. The Long Blade shows off Copper Noir’s shading and provides ample line variation. Perfect for reading notes, for marking tasks raised during meetings, and for marking students’ papers. Also: longform journaling.
Wild Cards
Able Snail Classic in Powder Blue (B). Pilot Iro Edo-Murasaki. Murasaki has a darkness to the ink’s haloing when in this B nib that I have not seen in any other pen to date. An excellent, fun and moody purple. Dark enough to serve as a primary driver for analytic and reflective journal entries, lesson plans, and some school-related meetings.
