The outside extremes: bold and fine nibs
Three bold nibs and three (extra) fines. A collaboration of opposites. A healthy balance of wide and thin lines provides a nib options for both small and large writing; for rapid and slow writing. Both of which are expected during my first full week of teaching.
This week also includes six round nibs. A generalist of currently inked rotations.
My color palette is blue-heavy this week. Specifically, both 441 and MKQ Blue are similar hues. I’m looking forward to trading off between the two. A comparison of favorite accent blue (441) and my upstart newcomer accent blue (MKQ).
Let the games begin.
Grey/Black
Platinum 3776 Star Wars Kylo Ren (F). Sailor Ink Studio 223. My daily driver for the week. A no-nonsense F nib with a fun, outside-the-box grey ink. Provides consistently narrow F lines in a dark grey — with purple undertones in the unshaded parts of my letters. Great for tracking tasks, writing quick notes during meetings, and making scratch notes. Also: lesson plans.
Blue/Teal
KACO Green Retro Blue (EF). Sailor Ink Studio 441. This combo remains in my currently inked primarily as a comparison between Sailor’s 441 and my newest ink acquisition: Yoseka’s MKQ Blue (see below). The KACO’s rigid metal clip requires two hands to lift enough to slot onto or out of a pocket. A brave option for my weekly pocket carry. Also, a smooth and reliable writer for marking student papers and the margins of handouts as I prep them for lessons.
Karas Kustoms Decograph Winter Wonderland (EF). Yoseka Ceramic Ming Kong Que Blue. MKQ Blue is my newest ink. Paired, the EF Bock nib produces true European-width EF lines. This pairing is a winner for detailed accent notes. The round nib also accommodates quick jottings during meetings and brainstorms. Additionally: lesson plans and margin notes.
Carolina Charlotte Dragon Scales (B). Kyo-no-oto Aonibi. The Charlotte is a large, girthy pen. The B nib is a smooth, reliable gusher. Aonibi’s dry performance tempers the feed’s output — lessening dry time and diminishing how much ink pools on the page as I write. A smart pairing. This is my longform writer for the week: journaling and teaching reflections. The round nib forgives rotations of the pen as my hand tires and Aonibi’s denim blue works well for both personal and professional writing tasks.
Earth Tones
Platinum 3776 Laurel Green (B). Sailor Shikiori Rikyu-cha. Rikyu-cha was my first Sailor ink. It writes green and dries to an earthy brown. I find the color change and combination so appealing that I seek out excuses to write with a pen that’s carrying the ink. This is my alternate longform writer. And the subdued Laurel Green colorway suits meetings where I expect conflict or upset. Rikyu-cha’s shading and the Japanese-width B lines are easily discernible against the Kylo Ren’s narrow F lines. Meeting notes, journaling, and lesson plans.
Lamy Safari Terra Red (B). Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-yake. This pair continues on from last week’s currently inked. Yu-take plays well with Lamy’s B nib. The combo writes consistently, sans hard starts or skipping. My second pocket carry for the week, alongside the KACO. Between the two, I have bookends: wide and narrow lines, and cool and warm tones. I dig when a team comes together.
Wild Cards
Franklin-Christoph 03 Antique Glass (M SIG, by Franklin-Christoph). Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo. The sole ground nib in this week’s rotation. This pairing is proving temperamental, based on the temperature in my room. Warmth leads Yama-budo to flow noticeably dark and wet — leading to prominent gold sheen. Cool temperatures provide moderate flow, and so noticable shading. This pair lends fun personality to slow writing tasks: lesson plans, curriculum planning, reading notes, and journaling.
