The after-pen-show zoo that is my currently inked
The novel and niche fill every slot in my currently inked tray. Two new pens. Two new ink acquisitions. Two new exciting nib grinds (ahem: multitasker grinds from Pen Realm). A desktop replete with one-off, limited edition, and small maker pens.
A “splatter” of pens is when I have more inked than my desk tray can hold
My two newest ink acquisitions are live and in pens on my desk, if mistakenly backwards. I intended to align Pen Realm’s High Plans grind (Carolina Charlotte) with a grey ink but filled with Ainezu. Oops. That left the Gravitas Vac to house my latest grey ink, Pennonia’s Storm Cloud. Mistakes made but still karmically right with the universe.
Nine pens inked this week. A wealth of options for my return to half-day curriculum workshops. August is an excellent month for a plethora.
Grey/Black
Platinum 3776 Uroko-gumo (F). Wearingeul The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Tin Woodman. The first of two pens paired with a grey ink. The F nib writes narrowly, which clearly tracks tasks in my small handwriting. So: daily driver. Platinum’s capping mechanism seals reliably, which opens this combo up to some pocket carrying, too.
Gravitas Ultemate Vac Acrylic (M Imperial, by Pen Realm). Pennonia Viharfelhő. A new pen that I mistakenly inked with my new ink: Storm Cloud. The Imperial grind offers an italic M line on one side and a MB brush stroke on reverse. A strong contender for headings, borderlines, and longform writing sessions. Curriculum planning, reading notes, journaling, and D&D notes.
Blue/Teal
Nahvalur Nautilus Caldera Sea (BBG, by J.J Lax). KOBE Inkcredible Circus “Do you believe in fairies?”. Fairies is a light, windy teal. Fairies’ lightness contrasts sharply against this week’s otherwise saturated palette. My go-to pairing for accenting reading notes (with the EF reverse) and accenting lesson plan brainstorms (in the forward B stub side of the grind). The Nautilus’ section width is comfortable to hold over long writing sessions, which also opens this pairing to longform journaling.
Carolina Charlotte Dragon Scales (M High Plans, by Pen Realm). Taccia Ukiyo-e Hiroshige-Ainezu. The second pen I mistakenly inked this week. The High Plans grind writes a fun M line with line variation and a comfortable needlepoint on reverse. Both sides throw off Ainezu’s fun shading and infrequent sheen — which lends personality to analytic journaling, curricular reflections, and letter writing.
Earth Tones
Nakaya Neostandard Heki-tamenuri (Mini Naginata, by Tokyo Station Pens). Kyo-no-oto Koke. A favorite ink in a favorite pen — that match coloring. Koke offers beastly shading, bringing whimsy to longform and shortform writing. The Neostandard’s girth stays comfortable in medium and long sessions. Combined: brainstorming, curriculum plans, analytic reflections, and journaling. Perhaps some letter writing.
Loft Highworth Teal Ocean (Long Blade, by Hongdian). Platinum Fuji-Unkei Aka-Fuji. Aka-Fuji is a green ink with infrequent punchy red sheen. Punchy carries me through challenging conceptual activities (e.g. designing new activities and new assessments). The Long Blade keeps the act of writing fun throughout such medium and longform writing tasks. And perhaps some journaling.
Krusac Legend L-15 Buckeye Burl (EF/B Utility, by Monty Winnfield). Taccia Ukiyo-e Sharaku-Koiame. Koiame’s burnt orange is a favorite of mine for editing early drafts of both my creative and academic writing. The Utility grind allows for small, detailed margin notes and wider-width medium length notes.
TWSBI Vac Kyanite Blue (B). Ferris Wheel Press Knitted Nettle. Knitted Nettle is a bottle I picked up at last weekend’s pen show for a longtime friend of mine. She was gracious enough to suggest I keep some. And keep some I have: inside my newest TWSBI. Nettle is a dark, muted green with strong purple-pink shimmer. An ink to keep creative writing lively and to breathe whimsy into personal writing like journaling and letters.
Wild Cards
TWSBI 580-AL Lava (M Selvedge, by Nib Tailor). Sailor Yurameku Seki. Seki is a multi-shading mish-mosh of grey-purple-pink undertones. The 580’s medium-width section and Selvedge nib grind combine to keep both every length of writing comfortable. However, the grind’s crisp edges require intention with my writing angle, which limits this combo to slow writing tasks.
