Too Many Pens, Too Much Ink!

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I'm not a collector either. I'm an accumulator and a user. So I'm an accuser !

 

I have six fountain pens that I keep in circulation. Each one is used for one day, then I go on to the next. I have two fountain pens that I take out of the house with me. I have two more fountain pens that go to meetings with me. I have other pens inked, no need to bore everyone with a list.

 

I just counted and I have 19 fountain pens inked right now. This includes one that I've started to use to test some inks I bought quite a while ago.

 

I do not feel bad about any of it. I have more ink than I'll be able to use in the rest of my lifetime. I also mix inks and this gives me an even greater number of ink combinations that I can try.

 

I used to keep an ink log. What I did was to use a plastic soda straw and cut the end off at a 45° angle. I'd get a little bit of ink on the end of that straw and put it on the paper. Then I would clean the straw, very easy to do, and snip off the end of it, at another 45° angle, and have new, clean plastic "nib" to test the next ink with. Worked well enough.

 

Right now I am looking at some samples I was sent. After I get through those I plan to get to some ink I bought a year or two ago now.

 

If I'm addicted I don't care. There are far worse things I could be addicted to.

[Orpilorp]

Charles asked, "My question is -------- Since all of my pens are "filled" at this time, how am I going to check out the new inks that come today?"

 

My solution: get a inexpensive basic calligraphy nib holder, slide in a Jowo #6 nib (it's a perfect fit), and then voila! you are holding a dip pen which will write about two sentences before having to be redipped.

[Parc Monceau]

I reserve one of my favorite fountain pens for use as a dipper. That way I can choose a greater variety of inks. I often use this pen for letters, cards, thank you notes, and envelopes. It's fun, and allows your fancy to wander where it may. I find too that dipping also creates a greater variety of shadings, which I find attractive.

[squink]

I am that obsessive animal that seeks to match ink to pen in some way meaningful to me. Sometimes it's just reproducing the color of the pen but sometimes I want that perfect magic of the right ink in the right pen on the right paper - and I spend a lot of time dreaming, planning, obsessing over combinations. Once a fancy strikes me, it usually starts with a pen purchase, then intense ink sampling, and then maybe a full bottle of ink. So I guess I typically have a pen in mind when buying/sampling ink, though sometimes I fall for an ink first and then must search for its perfect pen. An endless self-feeding loop.