Rediscovery

The last few weeks have been full of rediscovery as I settle into a new role at work. Note-taking techniques that I haven’t needed to use in a few years are coming back. I’m finally using some notebooks that sat on a shelf for ages at home (I’m looking at you Studio Neat Panobook). My fountain pens get to stick close by, cozy in their Rickshaw sleeves. And it’s been a great opportunity to get more use out of some things than I ever have, and write a LOT, which also gives me a chance to try more inks as I refill.

So I thought I’d share some fun things that I learned about the stationery objects that are around me everyday, but I am very grateful for this week. And every week, really, I just don’t always notice.

Kaweco Art Sports

The pens have been getting a lot of love from me lately now that I don’t have to worry about them getting used by some random person (seriously, I’ve had customers reach across my desk to grab my pens before… I may have thrown a hand out to block their path when I saw them going for it). Unless they are actively in my hand they hang out in their Rickshaw Duo Pen Sleeve either in my pocket or under the elastic of my TN. It’s been a joy to really get some more use out of them. The resin gives a different vibe than the standard Kaweco Sports. Currently I still have a Nib Smith M stub in my Terrazzo and a 14K B (tuned by Custom Nib Studio) in my Tiger’s Eye. It makes the task of taking meeting minutes so much more delightful when I can scrawl with pretty pens.

B5-size notebooks

I’m calling this one as a group rather than any individual because I’ve ended up with a ton of these floating around. I’m currently almost through an Oasis Light Notebook (affiliate link) that I picked up ages ago. I’ve also got a few Kokuyo, Nakabayashi, and more sitting around… and I am excited to fill them up. This size is turning out great for work because it’s not so big as to not fit in my satchel bag if I need to carry it with me, but not so small that I run out of room. I’m enjoying it as a nice middle ground between A5 and A4.

Colorverse x Dromgoole’s Purple Cosmo Ink

I honestly forgot about this ink in my collection. It was on my list of inks unused in the past 3 years, so I decided to ink it up in my Esterbrook JR B nib when I was feeling a purple… and how did I forget this ink??? It’s a rich purple with a gold sheen. The color and sheen pop on all kinds of paper, even the aforementioned Oasis Light Notebook. Especially in the wet nib of the Esterbrook, it’s been a ton of fun to scribble with against my otherwise “professional” pallette for this week.

Tools to Liveby Hexatate Ruler

I bought this little 6 inch ruler on a whim from Yoseka Stationery awhile back. Honestly, I thought it was cute and it lived in the back pocket of my TN getting pulled out for straight edge work every now and again in a notebook or planner. I have been getting so much use out of this little guy this past week for making straight lines, it’s become an indispensable at my desk. It’s perfect for when you don’t need something long, but you do need a straight edge. The plastic is pearlescent which just makes me happy when I use it.

Black/Gray Inks

My ink tastes go in circles sometimes, but I’ve actually been pretty solidly into black and gray for a while now. So far this year, I’ve tried to always have one in a pen. I’ve been trying to share the love for inks in my collection and focusing on using up samples. I’m very close to being on the last of my sample of Taccia Black Jeans, although now I want a bottle! While I’m not afraid of doing work in brighter colors (and love using them in my personal writing), it does help to have a standard color for when the old school members of my museum are around.

Good Made Better Penwell Traveler

While my pen sleeves can act as a pen rest in a pinch, or I can unhook my little Toyooka pen rest from my TN, the penwell traveler just makes every aspect of setting a fountain pen down for a little bit that much easier. I have it attached to the magnetic bookmark in my TN, so it’s always around when I need a place to put my pens.

It’s been such a treat getting to know my stuff again and really recognizing how much more joy I can find in my day to day using tools that are fun to use.

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Currently Inked

Diamine Tudor Blue - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo M stub - This is an ink that I was obsessed with early on in my fountain pen hobby and is a bottle that’s been bouncing around in my ink box for a few years without reaching a pen. While it’s still a lovely blue, it might be going in my rehome pile when I do a quarterly inventory.

Taccia Black Jeans - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K B - The more I use this ink, the more I am enjoying the subtle sheen that it throws on coated papers. It’s just that little bit extra that makes it fun to write with. It also dries fairly fast for a sheener which was great during a board meeting when I was taking notes.

Sailor Ink Studio 223 - Kaweco Liliput copper 14K M 'selvedge’ - I got this ink last year from the online Sailor Virtual Ink Show because I was interested in it as a darker version of Ink Studio 123. It’s one of those ones that looks like a no-nonsense purple-gray at first glance, but when shading shows it looks really cool with deeper purples and gray haloes. Didn’t get a chance to write much with it over the last few days, but I look forward to putting it more through its paces.

Ferris Wheel Press Tumultuous Tides - Kaweco Liliput fireblue 14K M ‘journaller’ - I decided I wanted a pop of color and was torn about what shade of ink that I wanted, so I did a blind grab from a few and came up with this one. This is a bright turquoise blue with silver shimmer. Definitely providing that POP that I wanted and with pretty well-behaved sparkles.

Colorverse x Dromgoole’s Purple Cosmos - Esterbrook JR Paradise Purple B - I wrote an ode to this one above. Seriously, I don’t know how I forgot I owned such a fun purple ink!