currently inked v

I've done a terrible job of keeping up with my currently inked pens on here. Since my last post I've cleaned out and filled and cleaned out... a lot of pens. Which is great for me; I'm really glad to see proof that I'm putting a dent in my fountain pen ink collection, however small. Not good for the continued updates on this blog, however. Also, the other day I told my coworkers that I had more inks in my drawer than the entire Teranishi Guitar ink lineup, and I got a genuine gasp. 

Well anyway, let's try to get back into the habit!

TWSBI Diamond 580 AL (Pendleton BLS Italic + Flex)

My TWSBI Diamond 580 AL is currently fitted with a Pendleton Brown Butter Line Stub nib. I've been thinking about swapping it out for a 1.1 mm nib. While I like the nib's softness, it just isn't as consistent as I would like it to be. I've used TWSBI's 1.1 mm stubs before and found them slightly too broad, but when their actual broad nibs leave me wanting, I'm willing to go over rather than under.

 

I still have my fingers crossed that TWSBI will expand their nib size offerings a touch: I could really see them cornering a market if they started offering BB or 0.8 mm stubs. It seems a bit strange that they haven't done it yet, but I assume it's just too expensive to get JoWo to produce those sizes.

I have the pen filled with Rober Oster Signature Motor Oil. A pretty simple, dark ink that gets the job done. It has moderate flow and can sometimes veer a little green, which is interesting!

LAMY Safari (Broad)

I've been weirdly appreciative of my LAMY Safari lately. Sure, my grip style doesn't care about the triangular grip section much,. But the Safari is a workhorse that writes how you want it to when you want it to. It's nice!

 

It's been a while since I inked up Troublemaker Kelp Tea. What am I saving it for, anyway?! A gorgeous dual shader. I should really use my Troublemaker inks more.

Sailor Pro Gear Slim Blue Green Nebula (Broad)

Have I managed to show off this pen yet? Sheesh, I've really been slacking. The Sailor's nib is probably the finest nib I have in my collection. I wish it was a bit broader (which is something I can say about most of my pens, haha) but I really enjoy using it. And, of course, it's pretty. The fact that Sailor's converters don't hold much ink also means that it's probably a good thing that the nib is so fine.

 

Diamine Teal has been part of my ink collection for years, and I'm quite proud to say that I have maybe ten or so fills left in the bottle. It's a very sophisticated ink, in my opinion: great for everyday writing without standing out too much.

Live In You Shiyou Shier (Nemosine Broad)

 

It took me way too long to realize that the threading on the cap doesn't form a good seal with the barrel, which means that ink will gladly evaporate from the nib. It's definitely an annoyance, especially on a pen this expensive, but I think I've alleviated the problem as much as possible with just a whole lot of o-rings. I guess we'll see...

 

I poured Diamine Ancient Copper straight into the barrel. Say what I will about this pen, it works well as an eyedropper. I haven't used Ancient Copper in a while, and it's a very pretty color, so I'm glad to put it back into the rotation.

Just cycled out of this group is the TWSBI ECO with Herbin Émeraude du Chivor (an incredible gusher that occasionally bled tiny dots on Tomoe River paper, I probably should not combine these two again) and TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR with Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün (Fine! Seriously, a bit too fine; needs a wetter ink).

 To help me put more ink on the page, I've been copying poetry that I like into a Tomoe River paper notebook. Up to this point, I've been typing them up or scattering them throughout my journals, and it only made sense to put them all in one place. I'm also trying to improve my handwriting a bit and make it more consistent, which is a lot harder than you think it would be!

I'm taking a trip to Taiwan to see my family for the first time in a few years next month, which is equally exciting and anxiety-inducing. I'm nowhere near the "the pandemic is over, hooray!" mentality: I'm still masking everywhere, I've eaten in a restaurant a grand total of five times since January 2022, and I'm generally pretty nervous about being places with a lot of people. However, the added thought of everything delicious I have ever eaten in Taipei has certainly been alluring... it also helps that Taiwan has been absolutely fantastic about pandemic readiness!

I'll likely have new baubles (though probably not pens. Gosh, I sure hope it's not pens) to show off when I get back in late May, so I hope you look forward to that! Until then, stay safe and ink up those pens.