Bringing another newly tuned nib into the fold
Two new pens enter this week’s rotation. My Pilot Custom 74 steps up as this week’s daily driver. I’m excited to try this pen out. My first inking since All in the Nib customized the EF nib to suit my high writing angle and preference for pencil like feedback. So. Excited.
I also introduced my Franklin-Christoph 03 in Ghost. This pen was last inked in March. A substantial stint in the pen trays.
I anticipate a healthy amount of detailed notetaking and scratch jottings over the course of my curriculum prep this week. The 03’s narrow section, combined with a fun SIG nib, should work well for these smaller, shorter, quickly jotted notes.
I like Moonstone enough that I swapped the Kaigelu architect nib out of my Monteverde in favor of a wet Masuyama-ground F cursive italic. This change keeps Moonstone in my currently inked. The new combination offers a more forgiving writing experience at a comparable line width. Samesies.
Four inks offer great contrast from Sohayanotsuruki’s mid-toned grey for use in reading, analytic reflections and commonplacing: Ink ’20, Yomogi, Sakuranezumi and Koiame.
Grey/Black
Pilot Custom 74 Forest Green (EF). Bungukan Kobayashi Sohayanotsuruki. One of the narrowest lines in my collection. A hairline EF that still manages to shade in fun ways at the ends of letters. My daily driver for the week. The moderately-sized 74 section is comfortable in short and medium length writing sessions. Perfect for reading notes, task management, and scratch notes while curriculum prepping.
Blue/Teal
Franklin-Christoph 03 Ghost (F SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Franklin-Christoph Ink ’20. Ink ’20 halos fiercely from this fun SIG nib. The result is a combo I find excuses to write with — the sign of a great pairing. The F lines are narrow enough to accent detailed notes while reading and during curriculum prep. Possible journaling option, too, for shorter entries.
Carolina Pen Co. Charlotte Dragon Scales (B). Sailor Manyo Yomogi. The Charlotte flies on as a fun journaling and long-form reflection pairing. The B nib produces wet, dark lines. As a result, Yomogi’s sheen is center stage throughout each line. Powerful. I aim to leverage this wet pairing for slow writing tasks like letters and reading reflections.
Earth Tones
Monteverde Giant Sequoia Brown (F CI, by Mike It Work). Monteverde Gemstone Moonstone. The F CI nib brings a new personality to this pen and ink pairing. Moonstone is now a moody tea-brown. So dark that it works best as an alternative detailed notetaker and scratch notes maker while revising my class websites. Infrequent but tailored uses.
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (Mini-Naginata, by Tokyo Station Pens). Taccia Ukiyo-e Sharaku-Koiame. The Goldilocks zone of pen and ink pairings. The Naginata nib is wet enough to bring out Koiame’s excellent shading while disciplined enough to keep a tru B, F or EF line — depending on my writing angle. A wonderful, easy-to-see annotation combo for reading notes, journaling, curriculum revision, and planner annotations.
Wild Cards
Sailor Pro Gear Blue Train (Z). Kyo-no-oto Sakuranezumi. An absolutely wonderful combination that brings out the strengths of both the Z nib and Sakuranezumi’s excellent shading. The round Z nib is excellent for short and long journaling sessions. Sakuranezumi stands out easily against Sohayanotsuruki. So: well-hued for accent notes while reading and while in curriculum review. An all-around accent pair.
