A currently inked that is currently sharing
I inked this week’s septet with my local pen group’s meetup in mind. The intention is to have a spectrum of nib grinds, pen materials, and inks to share. So folks can experiment with new-to-them combinations of pen and nib and ink.
Four ground nibs offer fun nib variety. Lamy’s excellent cursive nib offers a new writing experience from a pen most people in my group know well. The others offer a spectrum of writing, from forgiving (CSI) to picky (Zoom Architect).
The TWSBI’s Iris finish gives an in-person look into TWSBI’s forthcoming 580 in Iris. The 580-AL offers a chance to hold the same model as the forthcoming fancy model. The two Sailors contrast dark and silver furniture. The Nakaya and Pelikan then offer large pens in piston and converter options.
Lastly, I chose favorite inks from every color family. For example, Diamine Earl Grey and Cat at Dusk live at opposite ends of the “grey” rainbow — the former mid-toned and the latter a wispy graphite. Cool, eh?
Good stationery is always better shared with friends. Sharing a subset of my absolutely favorites: even better.
Grey/Black
Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black (H-F). Diamine Earl Grey. A favorite nib and my all-time favorite fountain pen ink. The Sailor F writes a disciplined narrow F line. Earl Grey likes my Sailor feeds, throwing off ample shading. What’s not to like? My task tracking combo, primary bullet journal writer, and pocket carry for the week. All the things.
TWSBI 580-AL Silver (M). Ink Institute Cat at Dusk. Cat at Dusk is a fun multi-color ink that writes sea-green and dries a silvery graphite. The M TWSBI nib offers moderate flow. Combined, this pair is an excellent, subtle accent writer — against all six of this week’s other inks. A rarity. The TWSBI will also see use as a highlight-pen in my bullet journal and in scratch notes for any work I get into.
Blue/Teal
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (B). Robert Oster Bondi Blue. A last minute addition to this week’s currently inked. The combination of Bondi and Nakaya B nib offers thick, moderately sheened lines that easily contrast against both Earl Grey and Cat at Dusk. As such, this is an accent reading notes and common placing workhorse. And journaling.
Pelikan m805 Stresemann Anthracite (F CI, by Custom Nib Studio). Kyo-no-oto Hisoku. Hisoku’s dry nature tames Pelikan’s generous feed. Together, Hisoku shines — with ever-present shading and deep, dark teals at the beginnings and ends of letter forms. An excellent sized pen for long journaling sessions. And light enough in color to also work for accent reading notes.
Earth Tones
Lamy Safari Terra (Cv). Monteverde Copper Noir. The Safari is the narrowest section in this week’s pen tray. The snap cap makes uncapping the pen to jot scratch notes quick and painless — even one-handed. Lamy’s cursive nib is forgiving and generous with ink flow. Copper Noir shades well, writes consistently, and stands out against Earl Grey for accent notes. The result: a fun note-writer that accommodates sloppy writing angles. Wins.
Sailor Pro Gear Slate Blue (Z Architect, by Custom Nib Studio). J. Herbin Orange Indien. A favorite pen. A favorite nib grind (thank you, Gena!). And a favorite ink. Heaven. The triplet makes for a firehose of a writer — and with the option of a smooth, consistent EF line on reverse. As such, Indien is an excellent accenting ink as its bright hue leaps off the page. Reading notes, margin notes, commonplace notes, and accenting in my aquarium bullet journal. Summer is great.
Wild Cards
TWSBI Vac700R Iris (F CSI, by Pen Realm). Sailor Iroshizuku Yozakura. Yozakura looks great as it sloshes around in the demonstrator’s barrel. The Vac’s feed is stingy with Yozakura, resulting in whispy, grey-pink-purple lines. I like it. Well-suited to accent reading notes, commonplace notes, and scratch notes. Yozakura is easily found on the page, especially in contrast to Earl Grey’s dulcet mid-grey hue. A cool, fun pen for journaling, too.
