How Do You Keep Track Of What Inks Are In Each Pen?

[Frank C]

 

I do this right now, but warning, that binder is goina get thick if you have a lot of pens and/or inks.

I have 3 sections in my binder

1. inking log; date, pen and ink. One line when I ink a pen. this is just a reinking log.
2. Pen/nib section; each pen/nib combo on a separate sheet, so I can see what different inks look like out of a particular pen
3. ink section; for each ink:
   1. sheet 1 - using 2 standard pens a standard line (the quick brown fox...) on strips of 4 different papers. So that I can see what the ink look like with a M and XF nib, and how it looks on different papers.
   2. sheet 2 - standard line written with different pens (so that I can see how that ink looks out of different pens, and they are sometimes very different.
   3. sheet 3 - sample writing so that I can see what a paragraph of that ink looks like. Sometimes I like a line of that ink, but a paragraph of it is too much for my eyes. This usually occurs with BRIGHT inks.

This binder is too much for simply keeping track of what ink is in what pen.

Although you could put page 1 as you inking record

- one line per pen written with the ink that is in the pen; pen name/model, ink name/color

- when you change inks, cross out the line with the old color

 

I like you idea. It sounds like a lot of work, though. I may give it a try.

[ac12]

 

 

I like you idea. It sounds like a lot of work, though. I may give it a try.

 

It is rather a lot of work, especially after you go ink shopping and have a bunch of inks to sample/test.

So, when I get a bunch of inks (pen show, FPN group buy, etc.), I do it just a few inks at a time, so it does not feel like it is a real chore.

 

Each section of the binder has come about from my own experience, and desire for specific info.

 

Example, the pen section, I wanted to see what Waterman Brown looked like in my Lamy joy with the 1.1 nib. The problem was, that writing sample was "someplace" in one of 19 notebooks, and I had no idea where, so looking for that sample writing was a royal PiA. Similarly, I wanted to see what Waterman green looked like out of my Parker 51. Same problem. The writing sample was someplace in one of 19 notebooks. So this unpleasant experience was the seed for the pen section, and the pen page in the ink section.

 

The inking log was in my computer, but to make a record, I had to go upstairs, turn on the computer, bring up Excel, etc.

It is so much easier to just write one line in my binder, and I'm done.

 

It is in a ring binder, so that I can reorganize the binder however I feel like, when the need or desire appears. Such as adding the inking log, and the pen sections. Also with a ring binder, I can add pages in the middle, and keep everything in alphabetical/color order, so that it is easy to find stuff.

 

So my ink sample/test binder is more of an ink reference binder.

[Sasha Royale]

I rarely have more than three or four pens inked When I have to keep track, however, I use this method.

1. Cut a strip of paper ½" x 2" .

2. Using the inked pen, I write the ink color on the paper, and fashion a paper ring.

3. I slide the ring over the pen cap and under the clip.

[inotrym]

I keep the bottles of ink I am currently using on my desk.

 

It is always nice to have a couple of bottles at display, they are at an arm's length when I need to refill and I don't forget which particular shade (of pink or blue usually) I used last time.

[HDoug]

I use a Filemaker database which I use on my iPhone under Filemaker Go app.

 

 

Doug

[DrDebG]

I usually have 6 or 7 pens inked at one time. When I fill the pens with ink, I write up a 3x5 note card with the pen and the ink name for each of the inked pens. I also include the date.

 

I clean and change inks weekly in all of my pens, so after changing out the inks, I write up a new 3x5 card.

 

I also keep an pen and ink journal. I have each ink with swab sample, notes on the inks characteristics , etc. I have writing samples from several pens so I know how the ink will look on any given paper and how it behaves in the pen. I also keep a page on each of my pens, with writing samples from the pen using different inks.

[gordonhooker]

A good memory and not have too many inked up at one time.

[arrScott]

I try to have only three pens inked at any time, which is a small enough number that I can remember what's in each one.

 

I usually fail, though, and wind up with more like six pens inked and at least one that I'm not sure which of several similar blues is in it. I just used the last of a converter full of a bright blue in my aquamarine Safari yesterday, and I'm going to have to clean the pen instead of refilling because I honestly can't remember what ink is in it. I'm pretty sure, but not sure enough, that it's Pelikan Turquoise.

[torstar]

Used to remember 12 of them.

 

Then I had to make a list to remember them.

 

Now I can't remember where I left that list...

[ac12]

I like Sasha's idea, a paper band under the clip of the pen with the name of the ink, written with that pen/ink.

If follows the KISS principle.

And you can't loose that paper ring.

[DrDebG]

Wow! There are a lot of terrific ideas here! While I didn't start this, I do appreciate everyone's thoughts! It looks like I need to get a new larger pen and ink notebook.

[JLZenor]

Wow! There are a lot of terrific ideas here! While I didn't start this, I do appreciate everyone's thoughts! It looks like I need to get a new larger pen and ink notebook.

Even though I thought I had the solution figured out and that this would be a wasted post, I was delightfully surprised by all the responses. Glad I did start this.

[Scribemus]

I have a Tomoe River journal, and each pen is given a page. Then when I fill it with ink, I write what ink is in the pen and the date. When that changes, I strike through it and write the next ink

 

I like that idea.

[Scribemus]

Used to remember 12 of them.

 

Then I had to make a list to remember them.

 

Now I can't remember where I left that list...

 

Of Course. LMAO!

[Scribemus]

I keep few enough pens inked that I can remember which pen has which ink. If I can't keep track, too many pens are inked.

 

My inclination as well!

[ScienceChick]

I don't I usually have 5-6 pens inked at a time and play Guess the Ink when I start writing with one. Except my pink Estie CH; Bouquet d'Antan lives in it.

[gordonhooker]

Used to remember 12 of them.

 

Then I had to make a list to remember them.

 

Now I can't remember where I left that list...

 

LOL Gold pure gold....

[nikolaiw]

I'm ever so glad you started this particular post also. When I got to 18 pens and 20 inks the permutations were too much for my old brain. I have ink in every one of them. My wife and I are both computer people and we have a data base and web server here in the house just for us to use. Great for honey do lists.... So I started thinking about doing a DB and a few web pages to manage it - that way we could keep it updated from any computer/laptop/tablet in the house. But - I recently retired from the computer business and that just sounded like too much work. Putting it on one computer don't work well when you have many computers. The notebook ideas sound interesting also. I'm glad I did a search before opening a new thread on this same topic. Now I've got many ideas to ruminate upon before taking action.

 

Nick

[Arkanabar]

A combination of things.

First, going forward, I'm going to buy only one ink in each of six color groups: black, purple, blue-black, blue, green, brown, red.

Black: Noodler's Heart of Darkness.
Purple: De Atramentis Aubergine.
Blue: Noodler's Blue (or maybe Blue Eel).
Green: Diamine Sherwood.
Brown: Iroshizuku Yama-Guri.
Red: Sheaffer Skrip (or Noodler's Rattler Red Eel).
Blue-Black: Pilot blue-black.

Furthermore, each ink will have its own specific pen: Black, Dad's black and lustraloy Parker "51" (or possibly an ASA Daily in BHR). Purple ... tbd. Blue: Blue stripe Pelikan M400. Blue-Black: TBD; if I do get the glossy BHR ASA Daily, then this might be the ink for Dad's "51". Green: Burgundy PFM II. Brown: Blue swirl Pelikan M200. Red: green Platinum Plaisir.

But that leaves me with all the other inks I have lying around -- Waterman Purple, Noodler's WidowMaker, Red-Black, VMail Midway Blue, Borealis Black and Bad Black Moccasin, some MontBlanc-Simplo black with SuperCleaner SC21 in the old gold plastic bottle, Parker Permanent Black Quink with Solv-X, and Sheaffer Turquoise Skrip, Chesterfield Archival Vault in IG Blue-Black, not to mention a few more samples of purple and 3ml of 16% Blackstone Cashmere Red.

And all the other pens I have laying around: Pilot 78G Fine in green, Baoer 388 in stainless, Platinum Plaisir in black, Rotring Surf in red demonstrator, Noodler's Ahabs in Jade (with 0.8mm Nemosine Stub), Medieval Lapis (with Bock 1.9mm stub), and Mandarin Yellow (original halflex nib), Konrad in Pequod's Smoke demonstrator, 1mm and 1.3mm Sheaffer Viewpoint calligraphy pens, and 5 or so Hero 616s. But let's be fair: I don't use the noodler's pens, or most of the 616s, or the Viewpoints.

My other trick is to make a margin note in my journal each time I change an ink, and often when I am writing -- a short description of the pen and ink I am using. And since somewhere around a third of my writing is stream-of-consciousness about the pen and ink combo I'm using, my impressions tend to last.

It's far from systematic, but it is working for me.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Arkanabar

[beanbag]

I made a rotating pen carousel that also holds ink samples.