I Couldn’t Decide on an Ink
We’ve all been there, right? You have a great pen with a great nib… and no amount of desire to write will make you pick it up. It sits in the pen sleeve, pen case, or on the desk while its brethren are getting used in the journal, on the calendar, or scribbling down stories. Sometimes it sits there for several weeks just waiting for its moment.
A pile of pens that got their inks swapped this week.
I consider my collection a “working” collection, meaning that nothing in it is too valuable to just be admired. For me, the pens and inks I bring into my collection are meant to enhance my writing experience. When I find myself not reaching for inked pens for longer than a week, I have a few questions that I begin to ask myself:
One. Have I just not had an opportunity to use it?
There are weeks when I am just being precious about some of my pens, especially if I have gold nibs in them. I’m afraid of using them where they could get knocked off a shared desk or I’m having to write while standing up. I’ve had pens slip out of my hand onto concrete floors before and I always have a fear that it will be the last fall that pen will have. In fact, the last pen that fell out of my pocket ended up getting run over by a truck in train yard… so yeah, sometimes I’m just being precious with them and I take the more standard, easily replaceable pens with me on those days.
This nib can make me nervous in some situations. I have dropped it on the nib once before which had to be repaired.
Two. Does the pen need a nib swap?
I highly recommend having a small collection of spare nibs, if possible. Luckily, Kaweco has a span of different types of nibs and sizes and the standard steel ones are very affordable, usually around $11-$15 USD depending on the shop. One can get fancy with the black coating, premium, or gold nibs as well. Sometimes I just need a break from certain nibs, especially my more finicky CSI nibs which can be sensitive to the paper I am using. Usually popping in a round nib or a different ground nib can get me reaching for the pen again.
One of my finicky CSI nibs. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I don’t.
Three. Do I need to clean it out and take a break from it?
This is rarely the conclusion I come to. Generally just because I keep my collection small, so most of the pens are well-used and loved. Oftentimes they get moved on if I’m not connecting with it anymore. However, that doesn’t mean that some pens don’t take long breaks. There are some always in rotation and my standard Kawecos tend to rotate in and out.
Four. Is it the ink?
I have some pens that have never been un-inked and put away in the entire time I have owned them. My Kaweco liliput fireblue is the primary example. For five years now, this pen has been a constant companion. And if it’s not lack of opportunity to use it or the nib that is the problem, it’s usually the scenario of something isn’t hitting right with the ink.
And that was the case this past week. My fireblue was cleaned and re-inked three times in three days. What was the deal? (And no, I didn’t dump the ink down the drain, I just swapped it into a different pen, hence why I have quite a few more inked than I usually do this week).
Last week, I’d had my brand new Colorverse Bow Shock in this pen and enjoyed it so much that I’d done a second fill. However, I found myself wanting the ink in a rounder nib for chunky bold lines, so Bow Shock got switched into my copper liliput fitted out with my 14K B. I went to my list of inks that haven’t been used in the past three years and selected a gray, Colorverse Under the Shade. It’s a beautiful, shading gray. I wrote with it for a little while, and then promptly decided I wanted something brighter, bolder. Under the Shade ended up in the Kaweco Sport Deep Red with a BB nib. Next try was Montblanc Purdy & Sons Single Malt Whisky scented ink. Probably one of the most expensive inks I own, I did enjoy the burnt orange colors and the whisky smell while I was writing for about a day. And then I swapped that ink into my Kaweco Sport Burgundy with a M nib. Classy colorway for a classy ink.
And currently, as I write this, the fourth contender this week Colorverse Extra Dimension is hanging out in my fireblue. I honestly forgot I owned one of the mini Colorverse bottles of this ink otherwise it would have been included in last week’s sheening post. And I’m feeling like it will stay through at least one fill.
I think the deal was that I swapped an ink that I was enjoying for no reason. I probably should have just put Bow Shock in both pens, except that I rarely do that. Instead, I’ve settled for Bow Shock’s slightly less sheeny, more work appropriate cousin. And that was exactly what I needed to get myself writing again. In this crazy world, I can at least control what ink is in my pen.
What gets you writing again?
Currently Inked
Colorverse Intense Magnetic Field - Kaweco Sport Cognac M - empty - This pen and red inks are just a great combo. I swapped this ink in here from my Kaweco liliput copper last week. Since the 14K M ‘selvedge’ is one of my drier nibs, so this ink wasn’t showing off its interesting dark green, almost black, sheen very well. That was not the case in this pen/nib combo. Easily wrote it dry in just one day.
Kiwi Inks Jasmine - Kaweco Sport x Elite Royalty Deep Red BB - < 1/4 - The fireblue wasn’t alone with ink swapping between this week and last week. This ink was swapped when the new Colorverse arrived. With the BB this ink shows off a lot of shading. The color reminds me of branches in the springtime.
Colorverse Under the Shade - Kaweco Sport Mellow Blue B ‘premium’ - < 1/3 - I picked up this ink during my visit to Anderson Pens in Appleton, WI last spring because I’d always wanted to try it. This ink has fantastic shading. This pen/ink pairing might be due for a refill of the same when I run out of ink. I found myself reaching for this quite often when I was journaling and planning this week.
Colorverse Bow Shock - Kaweco Liliput Copper 14K B - 1/2 - Another swap that I made this week was moving Bow Shock into my Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye at first. It was there for about a day when I decided to completely swap nibs and inks between it and the copper liliput. This ink is so much fun in this wet nib and I love the solid feeling of the copper liliput when I’m doing longer form writing.
Montblanc Purdy & Sons Single Malt Whisky - Kaweco Sport Burgundy M - 1/2 - Such a beautiful burnt orange with a whisky smell. Been enjoying it for making lists at home and work this week.
Ferris Wheel Press The Sad Charade - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo M stub - 1/2 - Working through refill number 2. I did not expect to like this ink as much as I do. It’s a great moody blue-gray. I’ve been enjoying using it at work.
Ferris Wheel Press Oyster Hour - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K M ‘selvedge’ - 3/4 - This nib works so well with this pen. One of the things I am finding I really like about the selvedge grind is that it gives line variation no matter where my grip is resting and the angle of my pen (The Nib Tailor designed the grind for this). Haven’t written a whole lot with this combo, but I always enjoy this rather unique shade of brown.
Colorverse Extra Dimension - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K ‘journaler’ - full - Just inked last night, it has been a long time since I’ve used this ink. I had a sample of it that I used up ages ago, but I was always waffling on investing in a big bottle. I compromised on a mini bottle when I was at the Wet Paint store in St. Paul, MN and picked up this one with a few others. I wonder if I’ll love it as much as I remember.