Gearing up for a week of reading notes and meetings
The week following a pen group meetup is flush with more inked pens than my usuals six. I’m using a set of seven pen and ink combinations this week.
Five are kitted with a round nib. Round nibs work well when writing quickly – and when writing for prolonged periods of time. I take some reading notes slowly and others rapidly. And my reading sessions often last for over an hour at a time. A round nib will accommodate both — especially when I distractedly rotate my writing angle.
Further, four of this week’s seven pens are now piston fillers. These pens convert most of their bodies into large ink capacity. I don’t run a risk of pens running empty mid-meeting.
A four-piston kit has also lent longevity to my currently inked over the past three weeks. I enjoy changing inks, sometimes going so far as to only half-fill a pen. But the craziness of the end of a school year demands stability and reliability. And round nibs.
Grey/Black
Platinum 3776 Star Wars Kylo Ren (F). L’Artisan Pastillier Callifolio Gris de Payne. After settling in the feed, Payne’s grey-blue leans blue, especially after a bout of quick writing. But the smooth EF-esque line draws me in. So this combo will also be my primary notetaker during a professional development seminar mid-week. This combo is also shifting into accents within my task management spread and scratch notes.
KACO Green Black (EF, Faber-Castell). Noodler’s American Eel. Quick dry times make Eel a strong candidate for the week’s daily driver. The narrow F line works well within my work bujo’s 3.7 mm grid. Task management, reading notes (summary), meeting notes.
Blue/Teal
Montblanc 146 Le Petit Prince and Fox (EF). Kyo-no-oto Aonibi. I truly, deeply, sincerely like this combination of pen and ink. Aonibi shades masterfully. The EF nib is narrow and offers enjoyable feedback – I feel the paper when I write. This is my in-person meeting pen. It will start positive conversations with parents who are familiar with Montblanc. And it’s subtly colored enough to avoid distracting from my conversations with students and parents. Win-win.
TWSBI Vac 700R Iris (F-CSI, by Pen Realm). Birmingham Blizzard Twinkle. A fun, wet writing combination. Striking to look at with Blizzard’s silver shimmer against the Iris’ rainbow iridescence. This is an accent notetaker. The bright blue ink, shimmer, and cursive italic line lend themselves to standing out against black or grey writing. Reading notes (accent), journaling, virtual meeting notes.
Narwhal Original Poseidon Blue (M). Diamine Aurora Borealis. The teal M line contrasts well against the earthier tones of Vaihkari and Salamander. As such, this combo is also an accent go-to for reading notes. The broad, round nib, can also work well during meetings. And some journaling.
Earth Tones
TWSBI 580-AL Lava (M Predator Hybrid, by Nibgrinder). Krishna Vaikhari. I still like this combination for meetings — in large part because of Vaikhari’s two faces coming out of the predator grind. The M will work well for accents in reading notes, too. The green sheen easily stands out. Meeting notes, reading notes (accent), journaling.
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (B). Diamine Salamander. A matchy-matchy pairing. Lays down a wet, disciplined B line. Reading notes can support a B line. The round B nib forgives how I rotate my pen while writing quickly during meetings. Combined, this is a great notetaking pairing. And fun while journaling.
Wild Cards
Nothing to see here. Move along.
