How Do You Choose The Pen You Are Using?

[OMASsimo]

Choosing a pen out of an insanely large collection can be dazzling and I try to keep the number of inked pens low (<=5). But the selection is based mostly on intuition and feeling. Since I "keep finding" interesting vintage pens for restoration, every pen I just restored naturally will be inked and used simply out of curiosity. If they are fun and great writers, they can stay among the pens in service for quite a while and will be refilled several times. But my mood might change and I focus on a specific brand. Then, I ink up only pens of that brand for a while. Or I might get interested in a certain period of pen production and only use pens from, say, the 1930s out of my collection. I could continue with other aspects to focus on but I think you got the point. It's fun, it's play, I try to enjoy the full potential of the collection without any rules. And using a pen from the collection that was dormant for a long time can be at least as exciting as trying out your latest acquisition.

[Arkanabar]

By what I'm doing.

If I'm writing a billet-doux for my wife, I use the Pelikan M205 she convinced her entire family to chip in on, to buy for me at Christmas, filled with the Iro Ku-Jaku she bought for me at Christmas a few years prior. In this way, she is reminded that she chose well when she chose these things to show her love for me. It also rides in my breast pocket when we are out together. It never goes uninked.

Am I jotting down vital signs, intakes, or other notes at work? I am almost certainly carrying a Hero 616 clipped to the outside of my scrub breast pocket or collar, inked with something meh (Borealis Black, a superdilute Walnut sample, "I Can't Believe It's Waterman Florida Blue!"). The actual color isn't important, because our actual record is made online. I have NEVER had the pen drop out of the cap. Occasionally a resident pulls it loose or the barrel unscrews, but not often.

Am I trying to use up the rather problematic Bad Black Moccasin my wife bought when I first took her to Origami Ink? (I am copying Lumen Gentium to that purpose, to be followed by the rest of the Vatican II documents and Humanae Vitae.) In that case, I am using a pen that I can knock down to its constituent components and scrub with either cotton swabs or a toothbrush. Until it developed a barrel crack, that was the Noodler's "Nikita" ED that came with my Borealis Black, a predecessor to the Charlie. Now it is a Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya in jade green acrilyc with a 1.0m stub. I can't get the tines on my Muft's nib to close, and I haven't tried my Wality yet. Perhaps it should be a 1.5mm Pilot Parallel.

Are we in the penitential seasons of Lent or Advent? Previously, that meant the "Nikita" unless at work, for I only use black ink during those seasons. Next time, it may well be the Wality, as long as it can match the old "Nikita" for reliability.

Am I at taking notes at school? Then it's anything goes, as long as it's a pen and an ink that I like. I always have two, in case one runs dry. Favorites include my CM Prera, my green ebonite Himalaya, my blue swirl Pelikan M200, a blue Waterman Phileas recently received as a PIF, a Platinum Plaisir M, and the like. Most of what I learn is likely to be obsolete within a few years, so I don't worry too much about the permanence of my notes (not to mention that it's the writing that typically embeds knowledge into memory, far more than review). Mostly, these get filled, used until dry, and then rotated out.

Right now, I have five inked, which is more than usual. One is an eyedropper that misbehaves, which will be emptied back into the vial when there is room. I'd like to bring it down to four -- one for billets-doux, one for work, one for Lumen Gentium and BBM, and one for fun.

[Honeybadgers]

I usually only rotate the ones that need regular use (piston fillers, etc.) and the rest are chosen randomly at whim based on what color I want to use.

[kestrel]

Two (a Pelikan M800 with 0.9 mm Binder CI nib and a 1929 oversize pearl and black Balance) are always inked because they are my favorite pens and I miss them if they aren't available. The last two pens I restored are inked because that is why I fixed them in the first place. I ink a Conklin Crescent Model 40 on Mark Twain's birthday and just filled a senior Duofold in memory of Anthony. Another four or five are inked because they called to me or I missed them or just because... No rhyme or reason. It's part of the fun of the obsession hobby.

[old4570]

Choosing ?

What you buy , or what you use ?

 

Buy ? = Pot luck !

Use = Least amount of fails !

[richardandtracy]

My method is to ask several questions:

'Is it a hooded nib day or an open nib day?' then

'Is it a Chinese pen day, an Occidental pen day or both?'

 

Then I pick all the pens that are inked & fulfill that requirement out of the box on my bedside locker. May be 2 up to 6 pens.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Enkida]

I always have at least 9-10 pens inked up, if not more, and I chose them based on the paper I will be writing on, what I will be writing (a short shopping list? a journal entry? an emergency note to the spouse?), and what colour I need to do that writing in.

 

Colour plays a huge role, I visually need different colours when I'm doing things like BUJO-ing because things get confusing and monotinous if I don't have colours separating things for me. I don't do the fancy-pants artistic planners with cute little cactuses waterpainted in everywhere and motivational notes stuck in with waishi tape. (And I'm actually quite jealous of people who have the time and ability to do so.) I usually do laundry lists and the occasional chart, sometimes in very messy handwriting, and most of it with just plain old written word. In this case, colour and line width of my pen is essential for organizing things quickly, and always on the forefront of my mind when I'm grabbing a pen to write something down.

 

Journaling is a little different, but has a bit of the same tactic applied - writing down the date of the journal entry, and a title if it needs one, will always have me reaching for the pens with the wider nibs or the punchy colours, while the actual entries will be with whatever I think writes the best and pains my eyes the least to read later on.

 

And as for the emergency notes, those always have to be in Caran D'Ache Infra Red or something similarly offensive to the retinas, heh.

[praxim]

I would like to consult the entrails of a chicken but owing to some unfortunate misunderstandings over the neighbour’s budgies am left to other devices.

[mana]

A combination of "Ooh Shiny...", "The Chosen Ones" & "Tried, Tested & True".

"Ooh Shiny..."
Any pen that is new to me. Also, pens that I recall liking but have not used for a while. Got to give them love too...

"The Chosen Ones":
I have a set of EDC pens (three vintage Pelikans) with nibs ranging from EEF/EF to BB. They are my "Pure Writing Machines", pens that I just love to use and which work without a single hick-up as long as there is ink in the pen.

Sadly, they are not suited for all environments though (for example prolonged sessions of taking quick notes while on the go).

Also includes few other pens like the rOtring Art Pen (1.1mm italic) that I modified and use for shimmer inks.

 

"Tried, Tested & True":

I also keep a set of inked pens on my desk whose behavior and characteristics are known to me but which I keep at bay unless there is a mission specific reason to take them along. I mean, they are great but I have pens that I like better.

These include classics like Parker 51 Aeros, a vintage Lamy 2000, a black laquer early 90s Parker Sonnet, vintage Kaweco Sport V12 and well, a whole bunch of other pens too, around 10 or so in total. Variety is the spice of life and all that...

Going to add one of those matte black stealth VPs (or more) to that list, got to try one a while back and it felt super good in my hand, perfect for those quick meeting/interview/field study notes. That one might actually make it to my EDC kit... too bad the ink capacity is what it is (I like broad italic nibs).

Edit: Forgot to add my desk pen, a black stripe Pelikan 500NN. Now that its inner cap gave up the ghost (the plastic inside had shrunk, developed cracks, couldn't lock the pen in place anymore and as a result got separated from the outer shell) that pen is most definitely assigned to desk duties until I find either a new inner cap or an entire replacement one. Might actually go for a basic black cap from a 400NN... don't really like the blingy and easy to dent gold plated ones.

Edited July 4, 2019 by mana

[Karmachanic]

Of the nine pens I have, seven are inked. One for note taking - used extensively twice a week. The other six are in daily use on a long term-project, two of which have particular functions based upon nib (1.5 and EF) and ink colour. The remaining four, each with different inks, are rotated on a daily basis.

[essayfaire]

I always have at least 9-10 pens inked up, if not more, and I chose them based on the paper I will be writing on, what I will be writing (a short shopping list? a journal entry? an emergency note to the spouse?), and what colour I need to do that writing in.

 

Colour plays a huge role, I visually need different colours when I'm doing things like BUJO-ing because things get confusing and monotinous if I don't have colours separating things for me. I don't do the fancy-pants artistic planners with cute little cactuses waterpainted in everywhere and motivational notes stuck in with waishi tape. (And I'm actually quite jealous of people who have the time and ability to do so.) I usually do laundry lists and the occasional chart, sometimes in very messy handwriting, and most of it with just plain old written word. In this case, colour and line width of my pen is essential for organizing things quickly, and always on the forefront of my mind when I'm grabbing a pen to write something down.

 

Journaling is a little different, but has a bit of the same tactic applied - writing down the date of the journal entry, and a title if it needs one, will always have me reaching for the pens with the wider nibs or the punchy colours, while the actual entries will be with whatever I think writes the best and pains my eyes the least to read later on.

 

 

Your use sounds suspiciously like my own! At least now I know I'm not the only one.

[ethernautrix]

I would like to consult the entrails of a chicken but owing to some unfortunate misunderstandings over the neighbours budgies am left to other devices.

Dude.

 

Tea leaves.

 

Less messy.

[bemon]

Despite having a collection that numbers into the dozens I just carry three:

 

Lamy 2000, Pilot Vanishing Point, Pelikan M600. The L2K and Pilot get used most frequently for jotting meeting notes and making lists. The Pelikan usually sits uninked because it’s feels much less substantial than my first two picks. When I do ink it up it gets used for cards and signing things mostly just because it lays such a wide swath of ink.

[jameswatts]

I have way too many pens inked at any given time. And it's pure whimsy involved in what I choose to carry with me on a given day. Recently it's been my Waterman Edson set. Before that, it was the Custom 823 and a Pineider Avatar UR. another dat it's a pair of Pelikan M800s. Today it was my Conway Stewart 100 and an Edison Pearl.

 

Sometimes I chose a pen because of the work I will be doing. If I know I'll be doing a lot of interviewing and note taking, I bring along a clear writing well flowing pen -- a Parker Premier or Sonnet or a TWSBI 580 or 700. If I'm going to be doing a lot of straight writing, I'll pick what Neil Gaiman calls a "novel writing pen" -- Lamy 2000, DuPont Defi, Aurora 88, Sheaffer Legacy.

 

It's all about what pen suits my mood and purpose that day.

[kazoolaw]

Parker 51 Flighter with PR Super Show Blue - always loaded and on my desk or in my pocket. Never fails in meetings, court, or for signing.

 

The second carry pen usually is larger to provide a change of pace for long writing sessions: MB 149, Bexley Poseidon II Magnum, Visconti Wall Street LE, Lamy Vista with a 1.1 nib, Sheaffer OS Balance.

 

The pen cups on my desks are filled by whim.

 

gary

[Noihvo]

 

[pajaro]

I would like to consult the entrails of a chicken but owing to some unfortunate misunderstandings over the neighbour’s budgies am left to other devices.

 

Dude.

 

Tea leaves.

 

Less messy.

 

Seconded.

[Mr. Pink]

I have no particular method, but my brother does. He uses one particular pen to pay bills and for his letters, each of his recipiants has a unique pen. His letters to me are written with a Parker 75.

[Gilberto Castaneda]

Matching ink color to shirt color.

But also, I try to match pen color to ink color.

When impossible, the six MB 149 I have are black, then one pen dedicated to one ink color: Grey, Brown, Turquoise, Green, Burgundy and Purple.

Other pens and inks are matched similarly. Pelikan has extra points, as barrel color matches ink color.

 

I first chose a shirt, then based on shirt color goes a matching ink color, as I almost always wear an ascot, if shirt is white, I will match ink to ascot.

 

I never use black or blue inks.

Grey and turquoise are the closest to them.

 

Then shoelaces color.

 

I better leave this here...

 

Cheers from Tampico, Mexico

[jar]

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