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Your Basic Writing Kit?


CraigR

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I live full time in an RV with limited space and I also do alot of my writing away from "home." I have become creative about the writing accouterments I have close by or with me when I write. For instance, I use a canvas book bag (Barnes and Noble) that has several inner and outer pockets. Inside the bag, I normally carry:

 

1 8.5 x 11 lined correspondence pad - Clairfontaine Triumph is favorite

envelopes for above

a few interesting postcards featuring photos by my wife Karen

selection of postage for above

1 spiral bound 2-3 subject lined notebook

1 lined legal pad

1 Gold Fibre lined journal

several sheets of 3 x 5 or 4 x 7 blotter paper (cut myself)

Pen cloth - ink cleanup

polishing cloth

ink remover - tube

several paper towels

pen case - 3 pen

1 -2 pens for the day, inked with different inks

1 Levenger cartridge pen with a selection of spare cartridges

I also always have a pen that I carry in my shirt pocket

smart phone & Nook tablet (address book incorporated)

unanswered correspondence

a monogram initial for wax seal, a wicked stick of wax and a bic lighter

 

What is in your kit? Pics if possible :)

A consumer and purveyor of words.

 

Co-editor and writer for Faith On Every Corner Magazine

Magazine - http://www.faithoneverycorner.com/magazine.html

 

 

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Whoa, Craig,

 

You are way overthinking this! I just put a two pens in my pocket, drop a notebook into another pocket, and go.

 

Enjoy,

Yours,
Randal

From a person's actions, we may infer attitudes, beliefs, --- and values. We do not know these characteristics outright. The human dichotomies of trust and distrust, honor and duplicity, love and hate --- all depend on internal states we cannot directly experience. Isn't this what adds zest to our life?

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Always on my person I'll have a Kaweco Sport in my pants pocket, a Parker 51 in my shirt pocket and a Davis Leatherworks notebook cover with a Clairefontaine 1951 notebook.

 

In my bag are three pens that constantly rotate in a pen pouch with a Wahl Eversharp pencil.

 

A drawing kit with some Copic Multiliners, a Wörther Slight pencil, some brush pens, a Platinum desk pen and a Cross Spire. All with black ink.

 

Two A5 Rhodia pads, one dot and one plain. A Midiori TN and some Basildon Bond envelopes.

 

Then finally around my neck I wear an old silver family seal.

 

Actually not all that much stuff.

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Whoa, Craig,

 

You are way overthinking this! I just put a two pens in my pocket, drop a notebook into another pocket, and go.

 

Enjoy,

 

I'm much more to this line, myself. In day-to-day use, (when I'm not at work, I have a whole different set for there) I'll typically have one or two pens on me, usually one in a permanent black, and one in some other colour that changes all the time. For paper, I lately have a Red-N-Black small notebook that goes in my cargo pocket, or a Midori TN that goes in my back pants pocket. Anything of particular import is written once I get back to my desk, and can select among my better quality papers and a wider variety of pens.

 

Oh, I also carry a business-card-sized blotter cut from one of Mottishaw's advertizing blotters in my wallet, for when I sign receipts. :)

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All I actually need to get by is

 

is a few pads of paper (Oxford Optik)

a bottle of ink (J Herbin Bleu Myosotis)

a fountain pen (A Parker Sonnet would do for know)

a Mechanical pencil (rotring 500)

a rubber

some spare leads

and a highllighter

 

Even though I like to think I need 18 pens and all the rest :blush:

Edited by The Blue Knight
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On my person, I have two fountain pens, varying nibs and inks.

 

If I have my laptop bag with me, I'll also have lined paper, graph paper, envelopes, and postage.

 

No wax seals though! I am impressed!

--

Lou Erickson - Handwritten Blog Posts

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Every day I carry a Parker 45 in my pocket (it's the only pen I own that I also afford to "abuse" like this :lol: ) , filled with Noodler's BBK (which incidentally is my least favorite color in the spectrum, but it would seem I do need a blue ink in this big ugly world...so much aversion towards interesting colors like various shades of brown, green, pink...) and any paper I can get my hands on (the ink/nib combination usually handles a wide array of papers).

"The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true..." (Carl Sagan)

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I always carry a Lamy 2000 EF, an Aurora Optima EF and an Exacompta Journal. That is it.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png

 

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

 

Mark Twain

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I bring around 6-8 pens on me, different inks and with EF, F and M nibs!

 

If I'm in school, I use Muji loose leaf paper for notes.

 

If I'm writing letters, the paper I use depends on my mood... sometimes it's Muji loose leaf, Foolscap, Rhodia, Triomphe or 100gsm paper...

 

 

~Epic

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1348/557449480_2f02cc3cbb_m.jpg http://null.aleturo.com/Dumatborlon/Badges/5EH4/letter.png
 
A sincere man am I
From the land where palm trees grow,
And I want before I die
My soul's verses to bestow.
 
All those moments will be lost in time.
Like tears in rain.
Time to die.

 

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When I leave the house intending, among other things, to change scenery and get some writing done, I take a lot. I'm not always sure where I'll end up when I start out—frequently I wing it and decide along the way—I'm not going to Starbucks—and so I want to be prepared. Here's what I usually take (asterisks denote what I try to keep in the car/trunk at all times anyway):

  • backpack filled with writing accoutrements
  • headlamp*
  • lap desk*
  • 4-foot-long table with folding legs and the folding chair that goes with it*
  • sun hat*
  • grubby shoes* in case the spot I pick requires a bit of a cross-country jaunt (this severely limits what I carry away from the car)
  • bottled water (lots of it) (in a cooler in hot weather; room temperature otherwise)
  • airpot full of coffee if it's early enough in the morning
  • protein bars

The backpack takes turns with my briefcase to play "manbag" for the day, but for a writing field trip I rely on my backpack. The writing essentials I include in my backpack:

  • usually all my FPs and sometimes a dip pen
  • the bottled ink I'm using in my manuscript pen and, if different, the bottled ink for the pen I plan to use for letter-writing; plus, if applicable, one bottle of ink for the dip pen
  • a repurposed, large pill bottle containing an assortment of ink cartridges
  • a manila folder with plenty of blank manuscript paper (these days, unlined 24lb HP Laserjet)
  • a manila folder with several sheets of a few kinds of paper suitable for letter-writing
  • 3-4 extra manila folders
  • a manila envelope with an assortment of post cards, greeting cards, and blank notecards
  • postage stamps
  • wide-ruled yellow pad
  • college-ruled yellow pad
  • A5 wirebound notebook
  • journal
  • 4x6 Strathmore sketchbook
  • 1-2 of my custom-made Sailor-jar paperweights (remove lid, remove plastic doohickey from inside the jar, pour ink into better container, rinse jar, dry, fill with sea salt, reinstall lid)
  • a few pieces of blotter paper in various sizes

 

I love the smell of fountain pen ink in the morning.

 

 

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Fun topic!

 

At my desk in my office, I keep various Rhodia pads (A4 dot, A5 dot, A5 blank), a few envelopes and sheets of G. Lalo, some ink samples I've been meaning to use and that are bulletproof for school use, and some bottles of ink that I bought while taking a break for schoolwork and didn't take home (R&K Sepia, Noodler's Lexington Grey, Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses). I think I'll keep those bottles at school since I'll get a lot of use out of all three and I can use them to fill friends' pens if they want :) I like to write my long-distance boyfriend a letter every day so keeping stationery around is perfect for that.

 

I use two notebooks for my classes: one Leuchtturm 1917 Master in dots for the two lecture classes, one 1917 Master Slim, lined, for my reading course. Not the best paper, but I prefer something a little more absorbent for class since I'd rather not wait out long drying times. For each of the three courses, I have an Apica CD15 B5-sized notebook for scrap work and to brainstorm on. It's nice keeping scrap work (often valuable!!) organized like that. I do assignments on HP 24lb Laser Paper, usually.

 

In my bag, I have:

  • a small Pantone pencil case with the essentials: three pens for taking notes (Al-Star with 54th Mass, Safari with Noodler's La Reine Mauve, Metropolitan with X-feather), a mechanical pencil (Bic), some lead, an eraser, sticky flag. Pretty basic.
  • a 4-pen case for the "nicer," fun pens I take with me. Usually my Pelikan M205, my Platinum 3776 Nice, then two Noodler's pens.
  • a small Clairefontaine "commonplace book" for lists and organized thoughts
  • a Lett's planner

If I'm wearing shorts or pants, I keep a tiny Apica notebook in my back pocket for quick jotted thoughts.

 

And... I think that's all! That's generally my everyday situation. If I'm just headed out to run errands, I'll bring two pens in a Giorgio Fedon case and a smaller Apica notebook.

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1. Fabriano notebook

2. 2/3 pens. 2 with brown or blue ink and one with red ink

3. Highlighter ( actually a Pelikan demonstrator with yellow ink)

4. Red and blue pencils

Write, write, write. Use your pens not your fingers !!!

 

 

 

 

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5642/postcardde9.png

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My daily basic writing kit when I'm on the move...

 

1x compendium containing the following items...

 

1x Fountain Pen (rotates with others every 1-2 days)

1x A4-Notebook (Rhodia Graph)

1x Backup pen (its a fisher ball point that never gets used)

1x Mechanical Pencil 0.5

1 x Apple Ipad

 

I have everything at home when I need to replenish.

Edited by GTVi
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Interesting topic..

 

When I'm out and about without my messenger bag, I only carry one pen, usually a Pelikan M600 or Conway Stewart Belliver in my shirt or pants pocket (if pants, pen is in an Aston leather sleeve)

 

In my bag I keep (among other stuff):

 

- 3 pen case with my favorite pens, a Pelikan M800, a Nakaya Neo Standard, and one other which varies

- Quo Vadis Habana for notes, etc

- mechanical pencil, currently a Yard-O-Led Edwardian with the thick lead

- Ballpoint, now a Pelikan K800

- Yellow highlighter

- Stick eraser in a plastic sleeve

- Red fine Sharpie

- Small flat Pelikan cartridge tin with a variety of backup cartridge types (a few short and long standard international, and a couple of Platinum)

- Plastic sleeved file envelope with:

- small variety of premium letter paper in a couple sizes and colors, with some matching envelopes

- postage

- couple sheets of blotting paper

- Ziplock baggie with a couple folded paper towels for cleanup emergencies, and alcohol wipe packets

- Small Rhodia #13 top staple bound notepad, for quick rip out notes.

- Spare reading glasses

 

I don't carry bottled ink for my pistons, but I just got some of those little ink sample vials. I may investigate filling a couple with ink and find a small case for them, maybe an Altoids tin if they fit.

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I see a lot of people carrying bottled ink.

 

I've always been too worried about leakage to try to take ink in my work bag. Am I being overly concerned, or am I just using the wrong bottle type?

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers ~ Voltaire

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I see a lot of people carrying bottled ink.

 

I've always been too worried about leakage to try to take ink in my work bag. Am I being overly concerned, or am I just using the wrong bottle type?

 

I carry my stuff in either a briefcase (not an attaché) or a backpack. Briefcase: always upright, sturdy base—no problem. Backpack: tighten the lid a bit tighter. I've never had ink leak out of a bottle.

I love the smell of fountain pen ink in the morning.

 

 

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I carry my stuff in either a briefcase (not an attaché) or a backpack. Briefcase: always upright, sturdy base—no problem. Backpack: tighten the lid a bit tighter. I've never had ink leak out of a bottle.

I guess I'm being overly paranoid! It would be handy to be able to refill pens when on the move, but then my excuse for why I need more pens goes away!

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers ~ Voltaire

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I carry an A5 Rhodia Webnotebook and 2-3 FPs (1 x EF, 1 x 1.1 stub, and 1 x 1.5 stub) to work with me in my shoulder bag. My Webbie wears a Saddleback Leather Moleskine cover. When at home or out and about, I generally carry a small Rhodia pocket size with a Rotring 600 mechanical pencil. Again, the Rhodia wears a small Saddleback Moleskine cover.

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So, if I'm going out then it's either to go to work or not go to work.

 

Going to work:

 

1x Porsche two pen case

2x fountain pens, each filled with different ink

2x 30ml ink bottles with ink matching the pens

1x Rotring Rapid Pro pencil

1x small box of spare leads for the pencil

1x TWSBI large lined notebook

 

Along with my laptop, laptop and phone chargers and other odds and sods (change of shirt, boxers and socks and wash bag for single overnight trips) I regard this lot as plenty and a bit of a weighty indulgence TBH....

 

Not going to work:

 

Nothing. None of it.

 

The only exceptions are:

 

(Food) shopping, when we use a Rhodia notebook to make the list

DIY shopping - measurements and specs go in my old moleskine pocket notebook

Holidays, when I might take a cheap FP and ink to write some postcards (though I don't usually bother)

 

Am amazed at the amount of stuff people are carrying just to leave the house!

Edited by TomF
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