There seems to be a jump in number of pens from last month’s post. Actually, I had approximately the same amount of pens inked last month but I just didn’t capture them at that time. In short, I have placed the pens into three different groups.
The first group from the left are the two pens I bring to work:
- Wing Sung 618, F nib. Inked with Pilot Iroshizuku Kosu-mosu.
- Wing Sung 698, F nib. Inked with Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-shogun.
My pen selections for work are typically the cheapest pens I have in my collection (in case they get lost or dropped) with a fine nib because I typically use them on non fountain pen-friendly paper. I bought these two pens from eBay last month because of raving reviews in the pen community - dirt cheap, pretty demonstrators that amalgamated key designs from major brands, producing a piston filler fountain pen that is extremely functional for daily use yet affordable. If I didn’t already own enough demonstrators, I would have hopped back on eBay and pick up another for backup just in case I do lose or break them.
The second group are the pens I use for my daily journal and typical home use:
- Sailor Professional Gear Slim - Purple Cosmos, M nib. Inked with Robert Oster’s Purple Rock.
- Pelikan M400 Tortoiseshell-White, EF nib. Inked with Kobe INK Monogatari #36 - Sakaemachi Indigo.
- Faber-Castell Ambition - Pearwood, EF nib. Inked with Papier Plume Red Beans and Rice.
The Purple Cosmos was originally brought to work during the month of November (yes, I’m aware I just went against my own rule about the price point and nib size) but it had arrived last month and I was just excited to use it. I couldn’t finish off the first inking so I decided to just continue using it at home this month.
I had initially bought it because it was a limited release, but I started to love how understated the dark greyish purple color of the barrel appeared to be. It’s just perfect for use in a work environment. My home desk is black and the pen appears black with sparkles when lying on it. Meanwhile, my work desk is white and it does appear purple and sparkles in the light! Naturally, it was also paired with the perfect color (pure coincidence on my part), Robert Oster’s Purple Rock, which is similarly a purple that appears like a dark grey shade. I dislike plain black inks and this whimsical “dark grey” just fits the bill for me.
Meanwhile, the Pelikan M400 Tortoiseshell-White was an acquisition I made in October that never got enough action since. I had so many pens inked then so I only dipped this once and used it to write some random scribbles until it ran out of ink. Naturally, for December, I’ve decided to fill the barrel up with a blue ink, my favourite color for writing in my journal (yes, I’m quite traditional in that sense). Despite the fact that I haven’t been using it, it’s actually my top and most favourite pen in my collection because I’m just totally in love with its barrel. It’s almost ironic how I had completely overlooked it initially because I thought it looked “odd”. I only wished I was around when the M600 version came out. While I don’t mind the M400 size, I’m starting to appreciate the larger pen size and its comforts.
Unfortunately, Pelikan’s EF nibs are far too broad and wet for my taste so the blobby writing in my journal does irk me at times. It’s perfect for showcasing sheening inks but my entries appear messy because I write small. Oh well, you can’t have everything, right? (Shh, don’t mention about nibmeisters to me).
Then we have the Faber-Castell Ambition … one of my first few acquisitions I made at the start of my hobby which I’ve lived to regret. Everything’s nice about the pen … except the section area. My hand literally cramps up when I use it because of the super short section that does not taper off smoothly to the barrel but is abruptly replaced with a ridge. I guess the proper way to use this pen is to assume there is no section, only a barrel. But that’s terribly uncomfortable writing experience for me to hold it so high up on the barrel. So I currently only use this pen for writing headings and short pieces.
Finally, by its lonesome self on the far right, is the Lamy Safari - Dark Lilac with a 1.5mm nib and inked with J. Herbin Poussune de Lune, a top choice in my ink collection (can you tell I love my purples?). My journal dates are typically written (in a “my-style” calligraphy) using this pen so it usually stays inked at all times. I’ve recently acquired the 1.1mm nib variant so once it runs out of ink, I’ll be switching over to that nib.