It’s not only the smooth tactility of writing with a good pen that draws me: it’s also the ink: Pantone charts of colors, mixing them, the way a color graduates when you’ve changed the cartridge without cleaning the nib.
I use a screw-piston ink converter when I can, but given that my converters were all purchased at one point in time and my pens vary in age, the converters don’t fit every pen, but disposable cartridges do.
I like the J. Herbin cartridges, because (a) those colors! and (b) they come in those boffo little metal tubes.
Pear Tree Pen Company also sells a set – really a syringe – for refilling those little cartridges. ALSO ink samples!
Let me tell you about Pear Tree Pens: first, ink samples. Also, I got a handwritten note with my order. I asked several pain-in-the-butt questions, all of which were answered promptly and kindly. I totally recommend them.
The refill kit:
The refill process:
The samples I ordered:
From left to right, Noodler’s purple wampum, Rohrer & Klinger goldgrun, Noodler’s squetegue
A writing sample:
Squetegue (oh hey look, I spelled it wrong) is a fantastic greenish-greyish blue that I know I will use a lot. Right now I have the goldgrun in my everyday (fine-point) pen, and although I think it’s hideous (like baby poop), I also sort of love it.
SO JEALOUS of your lovely handwriting.
It did not come naturally and is the product of many years of practice. For example, I have just recently changed my capital G to something so! dramatic! Much better than the old style.
I
LOVE
YOU!!!
The baby poop color would look smashing against a dark ecru vellum. Like a pirate map!!! My pen has decided to behave in a wodgy manner, which either means dirty nib, or new nib. Eeek. Also, I love you.
This is code for “oh you crazy sister,” right?
Gwyn, you are going to laugh and laugh when you get your mail in a couple of days.
What kind of pen do you have? I have one Rotring nib that is severely broken, and I intend to take pliers to it in the name of Science.
Also, I love you too.
I have loved pens, and even more especially ink, for years and years but somehow I decided to give them up when I started the PhD and had kids. Like I gave up drawing, and 3D animation, and many other things.
Now I’m thinking maybe I should try to claw some of that back. Maybe that would also make me a happier and cooler dad.
My prized possession is a Venetian glass pen. Nothing showy, and a huge pain what with all the dipping and wiping. But so good for drawing with.
I don’t use my glass pens often, but it’s always a pleasure to do so. I was experimenting not long ago, using a glass pen to write in ink on leather. Swooniful!
Take up the pen! Make messes with ink! Happier dads are good things. So are ink-stained children.