Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts Ink Meets Its Mate

Once in a while the ink, pen, paper matching game produces an instant success. Such is the case with Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts ink, a Lamy Vista with a 1.1mm calligraphy nib, and an Apica A610 notebook, my daily journal. The slightly gray paper is a perfect backdrop for the dark blue-black ink. It is slightly soft and makes a comfortable surface for the italic nib. The ink flow is good but not copious so writing is smooth with good coverage. Plus the whole combination is very pleasing to the eye.

I thought there were no holes in my regular rotation. It appears I was mistaken.

Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts Ink Writing Sample

Caveat: The Apica notebook is a favorite of mine but the paper isn’t consistent enough to recommend without reservation. I’ve just started my tenth so certainly I like them. However, about half of the journals had at least a few pages that resisted ink to a slight extent. Not a deterrent for me but it can be annoying.

Lamy Pens Beat The Summer Heat

Never noticed such a difference during previous hot spells but my Lamy Safari and Vista 1.1mm italic pens are drying out less quickly than the other pens on my desk. They start up without skipping or converter priming and that really improves the writing experience.

Another factor is ink. The two black Safaris are loaded with Noodler’s Black and the turquoise colored Sailor Yaki-Akari. The Vistas are loaded with Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses and Diamine Mediterranean Blue. All provide good performance and easily enough color variety for the dog days of summer.

Until the weather cools in October, the four Lamy pens will keep my rotation simple and satisfying but I am  open to additions. Do you have any pen and ink combinations that work particularly well in hot weather?

Summer Inks in Three Colors

Note that swabs do not show the dark color that results from writing with a fountain pen but they are good for comparison.

Fountain Pen Nibs – It’s All Relative

When it comes to nib size, fountain pen users have a multitude of choices. Recently I was doodling with the inky beauties on my desk and was struck by the differences between them. Even two from the same maker and of the same width produced varied results. Getting the perfect line size to show your writing to its best may take a little trial and error, but the satisfaction in seeing your words look their best is worth it.

I have become an equal opportunity user though I was stuck on narrow nibs for a very long time. Most fountain pen nibs are either fine or medium with a smaller number available in broad and extra-fine widths. The tip of the nib is round in shape, a bit like a ball point pen when you put it to paper. That angle of contact suits general use very well.

Moving beyond the typical nib, the sweet spot where nib meets paper becomes less forgiving and requires more care in use. If it suits your writing style, even an exotic nib should work well once you get the hang of it. Less common categories include double broad (BB), stub, italic, cursive italic, music, and Arabic. There are other exotic nibs but they are too rare for a general discussion.

If a rigid nib doesn’t thrill you, there is a unique characteristic called flex which can be an attribute of any sized nib. It is measured in degrees from a soft give that produces just a slight squish with pressure to a wet noodle that puts down ink like a paint brush.

Another quirk is that Asian nibs for the most part are more narrow than Western nibs. Add to that the interplay between nib, ink and paper as well as the rate of flow from the ink supply to the nib tip and the range of line widths can get ridiculous.

Still there is a range and that is what the image demonstrates. Size is relative.

Fountain Pen Line Comparison

Note that the ink scan has not be color adjusted. Take that aspect of this post with a grain of salt.