Excuses To Use My Pens More, Or Rather Inks.

[andreasn]

I do have many excuses to use my pens, with at least five notebooks in use. The problem is that I always default to black ink, and I don't want to switch colors in my notebooks. That means that I always use the pen that's inked up with black.

 

What I'm now looking for is ways I can use my pens for loose stuff, stuff that I don't put in a notebook. So that I can use all my pens and all my inks.

[FayeV]

I'm the opposite. I have zero pens inked with black and I have not used black ink in any fountain pen in decades!

 

I'm always looking for ways to write with my fountain pens. My latest thing has been to browse through cookbooks and jot down any recipes that look interesting. I'll transcribe the recipe into a notebook using different colored inks. One color for the title (usually a wider nib). Another color to list ingredients. And a 3rd color for instructions. I'll use a 4th color for additional notes on the recipe (variations, etc). I'll eventually try out the recipe. If it is a hit with the family, the page gets torn out of the notebook (thank goodness they perforate the pages now) and place it in one of those clear sheet protector things and it goes into my recipe binder.

When I have time later, I'll eventually type up the recipe to keep in Evernote so that I can always access it while I'm at the supermarket when I want to check the ingredients list to see if there is anything I need to pick up.

 

I write in a journal with different colors. No rhyme or reason. I'll use more than one color during the day. The color changes on whim, paragraph or subject change. I also jot down the pen/ink info in the margin so I can always flip back through the journal and find out what I used to write that section.

 

Even though I have a shopping list app on my phone, I still enjoy making my list on paper. I'll write down the store name in one ink color and the item list in another color. There are can be 2 to 4 stores listed on the shopping list, the color coding just makes it easier on the eyes to read.

 

 

[BrandonA]

Grocery Lists

 

I like to memorise lists. I therefore use copier paper to practise

 

Stats on Sports

 

Drawing / Doodling

[j.a.j.]

Get a pocket pen with some bright ink and use it instead of BP / pencil for _everything_? Some people keep for example a Kaweco Al Sport in their pocket all the time.

 

(Have you tried to attach a fountain pen with colored ink to a specific notebook? For example by using Midori / Leuchtturm pen loop.)

[andreasn]

Get a pocket pen with some bright ink and use it instead of BP / pencil for _everything_? Some people keep for example a Kaweco Al Sport in their pocket all the time.

 

(Have you tried to attach a fountain pen with colored ink to a specific notebook? For example by using Midori / Leuchtturm pen loop.)

 

Funny you say that, because I'm actually planning on buying an AL Sport stonewashed!

[MimiToto]

Copy poetry, for example I practice Kurrent script by copying German poems on one side of the notebook, and the english translation in copperplate or roundhand on the opposing page. Or any other languages like French and Chinese, with the english translation together I used up 50 pages in a week.

 

This way you get to:

- practice script fonts and Calligraphy

- learn languages (albeit some in very old fashioned grammar) in their native scripts

- use up notebooks and inks

- play with other writing instruments, like dip pens.

[j.a.j.]

I have had a Kaweco Al Sport (raw aluminimum) for a few months. It is truly a very nice pen. The first nib i got with the pen was a stud but the replacement nib was very smooth.

 

(As i'm lazy person i keep MB permanent black in it as it's available in cartridges..)

[Randal6393]

My color inks are used for accenting black inks. It's amazing how much attention an initial in red generates for an important quote or note. My comments are in a thinner line with a bright blue, either Navajo Turquoise or, a bright green like Gruene Cactus.

 

Enjoy,

[sandy101]

1/ Write letters & postcards, you'll be surprised at the response you get from folk and it needn't cost the earth.

 

2/ Buy another notebook. Use a different colour every day - over a period of weeks it allows you to see how much you get done on each day.

 

3/ Drafts - I usually write drafts in a "non-professional" ink. it allows me to be more creative, as I know this draft isn't going very far, as it will need a rewrite - it means I can be more daring with the drafts and get more creative, as I know I'm going to have a rewrite stage anyway.

 

4/ Mind maps - these things thrive on different colours.

 

5/ Use inks for different types of writing - film reviews in one, book reviews in another, poems in another - that way you get to use more inks.

[PAKMAN]

Not really a black ink user myself. You could journal, work crosswords, make todo lists, etc.