Archive for the ‘My Desk’ Category
2012/01/02
What better way to start the year than with a thorough cleaning. Ten pens got the treatment and are drying, nibs down, in a wad of paper towel. That leaves a mere five for general use and two for testing. Does that sound like a lot? I assure you that is lean for me.
- Parker ’51′ Aero F with Noodler’s Zhivago
- Parker ’51′ Aero Special XF with Noodler’s Black (pen test)
- Sailor 1911 F with Noodler’s Red-Black
- Lamy Vista 1.1 with Iroshizuku shin-ryoku
- Levenger Mink True Writer Masuyama CI with Noodler’s Kiowa Pecan
- Montblanc 220 OB with Rohrer & Klingner Magenta
- Pilot Elite Socrates F Pocket Pen with Diamine Presidential Blue (ink test)
When a fountain pen won’t do, there are four more writing instruments at hand.
- Levenger Starry Night Roller Ball with a black felt tip refill
- Autopoint Mechanical Pencil
- Pentel Pocket Brush Pen with a black cartridge
- OXO Pink Highlighter
Elena sent a couple of Mitsu-Bishi 9800 2B pencils that will get some playtime soon. It’s likely the Levenger Kyoto True Writer Masuyama Stub will get a load of Iroshizuku syo-ro or possibly Private Reserve Ebony Blue in the near future. I love writing with this pen so it never stays clean for long.
That’s my winter rotation. What’s on your desk to start the new year?
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, Japanese Pens, My Desk, Western Pens | Tagged Autopoint Mechanical Pencil, diamine ink, fountain pen ink, Fountain Pens, iroshizuku, lamy, levenger true writer, Montblanc, Noodler's ink, Parker '51', pocket pen, Private Reserve, Rohrer & Klingner, sailor 1911 | 4 Comments »
2011/08/25
Sometimes it’s good to appreciate the amazing choices we have. So today I took stock of the bounty on my desk and found plenty to make a pen person smile.
Next to my right hand, coffee mug, and mouse are ten fountain pens, three felt tips, a brush pen, a mechanical pencil, and one highlighter. Does that seem like a lot? You should see the mountain of art supplies that hogs the left side of my workspace. Pens are small, tidy things in comparison. Paper is the biggest space invader but that’s another story.
Inkophile Pen and Ink Samples for August, 2011
The first three pens get daily use and I am content with each. The newest addition is the Namiki Falcon SB which is well-matched to Stipula Verde Mushiato both in flow and shading. The Levenger True Writer Masuyama Cursive Italic is perfect for brown ink but the Namiki Falcon SF gets to change its colors frequently. Its ink will be determined by what is missing when the other pens have been filled.
The three pens not pictured in the sample are due for cleaning and replacement by old favorites like my Sailor 1911 EF. That one works brilliantly with Noodler’s Red-Black and is an easy choice. The Sapporo F might get a fill of something turquoise or possibly one of my 1976 Pilot Elite “Socrates” pocket pens will get Diamine Teal. All three pens are good for long sessions and disinclined to clog even if unused for days at a time.
Sometimes I like to dig deeper in my pen drawer for older pens that deserve some playtime. The navy gray Parker ’51′ Aero F looks like a good mate for Noodler’s Zhivago and the Pelikan M250 Fine Stub has had a thing for Diamine Emerald for years. The dimensions of these two are slightly different from the other pens so that helps reduce hand fatigue on those days that seem to have no end.
Lastly it’s time to go back to black. Either the Limited Edition Sailor Hougado Deep Moss Black or Noodler’s Black but the pen has yet to be determined. The Lamy Safari OB and the Pilot Custom Black Stripe F are good candidates for a rich, dark ink. Again maintaining a variety of dimensions will determine the winner.
So that’s my latest pen and ink rotation.
Putting aside everything on my desk but the fountain pens and the written sample, I looked for a common thread to this rotation. Danged if I can find one save the pleasure in using a fountain pen and the colorful line it produces. That’s pretty simple but it does make me wonder about other fountain pen people. If you are a member of that club, what drives your rotation?
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, Japanese Pens, Musings, My Desk, Western Pens | Tagged diamine ink, fountain pen ink, fountain pen nib, italic nib, lamy, levenger true writer, Masuyama, Montblanc, Namiki Falcon, Noodler's ink, Pelikan fountain pen, pen rotation, pilot pen, Private Reserve, stipula | 9 Comments »
2011/05/24
Did you know that I have cage mates? Well, they think of it that way. Though my workspace/cage is crammed to the brim with ink, paper, books, art supplies, and the usual stuff that goes in an office, there is a high shelf devoted exclusively to a pair of Society Finches. We are an odd threesome.
Both birds are physically challenged and best suited to cage life. In fact their kind do not exist in the wild. Whether by chance or design, they first appeared in aviaries in China more than three hundred years ago. They are considered a domestic finch and quite gentle though not inclined to interact with humans.
My pair can usually be found cuddled together on a perch, a content if not happy couple. They are not loquacious birds but do chat up the locals inciting a delightful riot of calls. They have also been known to scold me from time to time should I be inattentive or fail to meet their concept of a proper schedule or even skip my veggies since they partake of them, too. Thus the arrangement is of mutual benefit.
Even though Thing One and Thing Two complain little, the dynamics of a full social life are absent. In fact Society Finches have been known to hang out with friends to the exclusion of all else, even essential activities like procreating and raising their young. Such a social creature needs a larger flock so soon we will add another cage mate or two.
What does that have to do with pens and writing? Having things around us that bring joy and inspiration are of immeasurable value. My finch friends with all their tweets, twirls, and curious expressions, receive food, shelter, and care. They even toss me seeds from time to time as though to share the wealth. In the great outdoors, they would perish. In my home, they thrive. In return they oversee my work, chide me when I am lazy, and distract me when I need it most. They even make me smile and that is priceless. I wonder if I ever have the same effect on them…
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Musings, My Desk | Tagged Fountain Pens, Society Finch | 10 Comments »
2010/08/16
Does this happen to you? No matter how limited I try to keep things, my desk gets overrun by fountain pens. Time to whip them into line or at least to make my fountain pen excess more manageable.
Actually, only a few duos get regular use based more on the inks than the pens. Sure, I’m a sucker for color but other properties as well. Nevertheless, there are a few pens that are so much fun to use, they are rarely given a rest especially when matched with the perfect ink.
(Note that the ink scan is far from ideal. Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku is darker and a bit more green while Diamine Violet is slightly more red than the image appears on my monitor. Even Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün could be a tiny bit more yellow. The image of the pens is spot-on but then black is hard to get wrong even for me. )
A Simple Fountain Pen Ink Rotation
After much winnowing the core of my rotation now includes
- Turquoise – Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku in Sailor Sapporo Fine
- Blue-Black – Diamine Blue-Black in Pilot Custom Black Stripe Fine
- Purple – Diamine Violet in Namiki Falcon Soft Fine
- Magenta – Rohrer & Klingner Solferino in Pilot Elite ‘Isaac Newton’ Fine
- Dark red – Noodler’s Red-Black in Sailor 1911 Fine
- Brown – J. Herbin Lie de Thé in Levenger True Writer Fine
- Dark green – Montblanc Racing Green in Lamy Safari Custom Cursive Italic
- Medium green – Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün in Lamy Safari 1.1 mm
Alt-Goldgrün is so right for so many uses that it deserves a better performing pen than the Safari. That is the only weak spot in my lineup and it could get remedied as soon as a few pens return from the spa.
A Few Favorite Fountain Pens
For additional variety, two or three duos from my Very Nearly Perfect List will do.
The secondary players:
- Green – Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku in Pilot Elite ‘Socrates’ Fine
- Dark green – Private Reserve Avacado in Waterman Carene Stub
- Red – Rohrer & Klingner Morinda in Lamy Vista 1.1 mm
- Orange – Iroshizuku Yu-Yake in Retro 51 Scriptmaster II Fine
- Blue – Diamine Mediterranean Blue in Namiki Falcon Soft Fine or Montblanc 220 OB
- Black – J. Herbin Perle Noire in Levenger True Writer Fine
- Dark brown – Noodler’s #41 Brown in Noodler’s Aero Medium Fine (still testing this one) or Pilot Elite Fine
There are a few inks that either haven’t met the right pens yet or other inks nabbed the great pens first.
- Noodler’s Cayenne
- Rohrer & Klingner Magenta
- Sailor Deep Moss Black
- J. Herbin Café des Îles
- Iroshizuku Syo-Ro
- Stipula Moss Green
These inks will eventually meet ideal mates and join the secondary list which will bring my total rotation to twenty-one with ten to twelve inked at a time. Add to that a few inks being tested for Inkophile reviews and it’s no wonder my desk always looks so overcrowded!
Do you have a core group of inks and pens? Do add your list to the comments. I would love to know which ones make you happy.
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, My Desk | Tagged diamine ink, fountain pen ink, Fountain Pens, herbin, iroshizuku, lamy, levenger true writer, montblanc ink, Noodler's ink, pilot, sailor 1911 | 13 Comments »
2010/06/17
For the last two weeks, my pens and inks have taken on summer hues. Inks more than pens but black is a neutral, right?
Summer Pens 2010
While other inks and pens will surely get added over the next few weeks, my current rotation includes
There are five fine nibs, four stub/italics and lastly one lone, flex nib. Not until I completed the list did I realize how well it represents my usual choice in nibs. Unintentionally, I picked just the right mix of pens.
Summer Ink Palette 2010
The inks were a bit more considered but still without a true plan. Summer weather does call for lighter, cheerful shades like orange and turquoise. Larmes de Cassis fits the season as well. So the inks skew a bit softer than my usual rotation.
Just to keep things from getting into a rut, I’ve also have at the ready two Levenger True Writers with fiber tip refills, one black and one blue. Veering even further from the fountain pen fold, a couple of Pigma Microns showed up in orange and evergreen. Those two will make colorful notes on anything including an old Moleskine Cahier with paper that just doesn’t play fair with fountain pen ink.
Well, that’s my seasonal kit. Varied and colorful it invites playful use which is just the thing for the lazy days of summer.
How about you? Do you have a group of pens and inks that suit this time of year?
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, My Desk | Tagged diamine ink, fountain pen ink, Fountain Pens, herbin, iroshizuku, lamy, levenger true writer, moleskine, pilot, pocket pen, Rohrer & Klingner, Sailor Sapporo | 16 Comments »
2010/05/17
Not THAT kind of spicy but the sort that makes picking up one of the pens on my desk produce a wee jolt of anticipation if not inspiration. But sometimes I have to work at getting things under control. So over the weekend I bathed fountain pens…lots of them. Below is what remains in my rotation after cleaning every pen that did not have a good quantity of ink in it.
Fountain pens on my desk now
- Lamy Safari Custom Stub with Montblanc Racing Green
- Lamy AL-Star EF with J. Herbin 1670
- Lamy Vista 1.1 mm italic with Rohrer & Klingner Morinda
- Pilot Elite ‘Isaac Newton’ F with Rohrer & Klingner Solferino
- Pilot Elite ‘Socrates’ F with J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage
- Pilot Elite ‘Socrates’ F with Noodler’s #41 Brown
- Pilot Elite F with Rohrer & Klingner Magenta
- Levenger True Writer F with J. Herbin Gris Nuage
- Namiki Falcon SF with J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir
- Sailor Sapporo F with Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku
Fountain pens waiting in the wings
- Montblanc 220 OB
- Waterman Carene Stub
- Lamy Safari custom fine cursive italic
- Levenger True Writer B
- Sailor 1911 F
- Pilot Black Stripe F
Inks looking for a mate
- Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrun
- Sailor Sakura Mori
- Sailor Waka Uguisu
- Diamine Mediterranean Blue
- Iroshizuku Yu-Yake
Obviously my tastes are all over the place especially when you take into account all the other writing implements close to hand like four mechanical pencils, five fiber tips from Pentel Sharpies to Pitt Artist Pens and two Levenger True Writer Rollerballs with fiber tip refills. Oh, there are two Pilot Pocket Brush Pens in a case, one with Pilot black ink and the other refilled with J. Herbin Lie de The. Then there are a number of dip pens at the ready just in case only a few words in a color are needed or I am so impatient with a new ink that a quick dip is necessary to assuage my curiosity.
Whew! Now, after all that I have a question. I do test a lot of inks so that justifies some of that excess but do any of you feel the need for such variety on your desk at one time? If so, do tell. What is on your desk today?
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Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, Japanese Pens, My Desk, Western Pens | Tagged fountain pen ink, Fountain Pens, levenger true writer, pilot, pocket pen | 9 Comments »
2009/11/19
Really, what is on your desk? Piles of pens? A pyramid of ink bottles? Stacks of crisp new journals or better yet, well-worn filled ones? Is it neat, orderly or eclectic?
I’ll be honest. Mine is a converted 3′ x 5′ breakfast table that has seen better days…much better days. It is always cluttered with a monitor, keyboard, two external hard drives, card reader, speakers, small TV, clock radio, lamp, phone, flashlight, books, several pairs of glasses, a dozen bottles of ink, stacks of correspondence, journals, notebooks, at least a dozen fountain pens, four Sharpie Pens, and a couple of Pentel pencils. Oh, and a mug of something, always a mug of something. Whew!
Now that you’re out of breath from reading more than anyone should ever know about my desk mess, take a look at the real world, well-used desks at Desk Space. Lots of inspiration as well as ingenuity on display and who couldn’t use a shot of both on occasion? Sheesh! Don’t answer that. It was rhetorical.
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Posted in Fountain Pens, My Desk, Paraphernalia, Pen Use, People | Tagged Fountain Pens, paper journal, Sharpie | 9 Comments »
2008/07/03
Six fountain pens have graced my desk for several days though the Mink True Writer has yet to be inked. It is such an odd color that only brown seems to suit and summer calls for more lively inks. That leaves five that are ready for use.
- Sailor 1911 fine with J. Herbin Vert Empire
- Sailor Sapporo fine with Noodler’s Legal Lapis
- Pilot Elite “Socrates” pocket pen with Diamine Maroon
- Lamy Safari fine with Diamine Teal
- Stipula Amethyst Vedo fine with Waterman Blue Black
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2008/06/10
Variety makes life interesting. So I set out to create good variety with only four pens. From super fine to fine with four different weights, diameters and lengths, this rotation is aimed at reducing hand stress.
- Lamy Al-Star EF with Diamine Teal
- Sailor 1911 F with Herbin Vert Empire
- Pilot Socrates F with Diamine Kelly Green
- Platinum Karakusa F with Platinum Blue Black
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Posted in My Desk | Tagged diamine, herbin, Karakusa, lamy, platinum, sailor 1911 | Leave a Comment »
