This week’s scribble squad is an exercise in twos
Twos and pairs and doubles this week.
I opted for two each of three nib sizes: two EF, two F and two B nibs. The Sailor EF is narrow enough to keep small notes clear. The Nahvalur EF and two F nibs all share a line width — offering a rainbow of accent notetaking options, from deep purple and green-black to fiery orange.
Having two Sailor Pro Gears inked this week will mute the Bora Bora Waters’ shock of blue while on the desk during meetings. Shaving down the possibility of derailing a meeting. Both colorways sport translucent finials. They look two of a set — almost. Close enough to make me smile.
The B nibs share inks with playful shading qualities. Straightforward ink performances with prominent changes in color. The B nibs breathe life into the longform writing I see on my horizon during the final week before students return to campus.
Duos grounded in details. I dig it — err, them.
Grey/Black
Sailor Pro Gear Graphite Lighthouse (EF). Papier Plume Oyster Grey. Sailor’s EF nib is thin and shouts with feedback. Feeling the threads on the page is part of the fun with this nib, so I chose a grey ink that is modestly wet: Oyster Grey. Additionally, Oyster Grey resists feathering, which is needed with nibs fine enough to fray paper fibers. This combo is my daily driver for the week. Task management, meeting notes, reading notes, lesson prep, and scratch notes. A little of everything.
Blue/Teal
Able Snail Powder Blue Classic (B). Taccia Ukiyo-e Ainezu. I, a serial ink and pen changer, reinked this pairing. Straight-up redipped. Excellent, reliable and enjoyable performance. Wide, consistent B-width lines. A wide, shapely section that’s comfortable in the long haul. Suitable for longform writing and brainstorming sessions, thoughtful and winding journaling, and letters.
Earth Tones
Franklin-Christoph 03 Antique Glass (F CI, by Mike it Work). Monteverde Jade Noir. The lone ground nib in this week’s scribble squad. The sharp italic grind works well with slow, careful writing strokes. Narrow F line widths double down, accommodating small and detailed writing. Together with Jade Noir’s depressed green hue, this combo is a fresh notetaker. Reading notes, lesson plan prep, reading notes, and short journaling sessions.
Jinhao 9019 Translucent Green (F). Diamine Ancient Copper. A decidedly narrow, stingy F nib is an asset for quickly scrawled notes when paired with a dry ink. This pair is dry enough to work readably on even copy paper. Reading notes, meeting notes, annotating in my Hobonichi, and perhaps some journaling.
Wild Cards
Sailor Pro Gear Bora Bora Waters (B). Sailor Yorameku Seki. Seki is an ink still undecided as to what it will be when it grows up. A grey-taupe with designs on green, which show up in hints. The B nib is simultaneously smooth and offers feedback: reminders that I’m indeed writing. This is a second reflection pairing. Brainstorming, journaling, and letters.
Nahvalur Schuylkill Chromis Teal (EF). Birmingham Cranberry Twinkle. A wet and showy pairing. Cranberry Twinkle is that all-serious friend who you come to find is a raucous and charismatic performer at karaoke. Deep sullen purple which dries to flares of silver shimmer. The titanium EF nib in my Nahvalur keeps Cranberry flowing without clogging. A personal-use writer: for tasks that are meant to start, live, and end just with me. Journaling, letter drafting, and perhaps poetry.
