So despite my best efforts to limit the number of pens that I keep inked at any given time, this (see above) happened. Again. Honestly, it’s kind of unavoidable given the nature of what I do. I’ve come to accept that things will get out of hand, and that periodic “resets” are required. The good news is that many of these pens are almost written dry, and I’ve already rinsed and cycled out three or so this morning.

My Mid-Year “Currently Inked” list. This needs to get cut in half quickly.

Which brings me to an interesting question (to me, at least), that I considered as I wrote out this mid-year “Currently Inked” list: Do most people try to match their pens with specific ink colors, or even specific inks? I’ve definitely noticed certain patterns to how I tend to ink pens:

Black pens or clear demonstrators (but not color demonstrators) are typically “inkable” with any color.
Any delicate vintage pen or pen with stainable material such as celluloid tends to get inked with a blue, black, or blue-black ink.
Brightly colored pens are almost always matched with the same color ink. For example, in the picture above, my Sailor Pro Gear Kure Azure is inked with Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise - an almost perfect dead-on pairing. Similarly, purple pens are almost always matched with purple inks. (The TWSBI Diamond Mini in Grape gets Waterman Tender Purple. I say “almost” because my Jason Neil Penworks Tucker, which has purple accents, is currently inked with Laban Hera Green, and for some reason this pairing really seems to work.)
The closest I have to a “dedicated ink” for a specific pen is Pilot Blue-Black for all of my Pilot Vanishing Points and Decimos, and either Iroshizuku Shin-Kai or Tsuki-Yo for my Lamy 2000 100th Anniversary Bauhaus Blue. For whatever reason, these specific inks fit the “workhorse” nature of the pens, and I rarely deviate.

Do you have “rules” for inking pens? Feel free to share them in the comments! And for those curious, here is the full typed list of the pen and ink combinations in my “Currently Inked” list pictured above, if you can’t read my handwriting. :) Where I’ve reviewed the pens or otherwise have a listing/content on the site, I’ve linked to it here. Otherwise you may be able to guess what I’m working on and what might be coming soon!

Montblanc 146 UNICEF Edition, Medium “Perspective” Nib with Laban Hera Green Ink
Lamy 2000 Bauhaus 100th Anniversary fountain pen, EF nib, with Iroshizuku Shin-Kai
TGS x Hinze Pens Elementar Special Edition, EF nib, with “Sangria Red” Ink
TGS x Hinze Pens Prototype, medium nib, with “Sangria Red”
Opus 88 Jazz with medium Platinum 3776 Nib, with Herbin Poussière de Lune
Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize, medium titanium nib, with Nahvalur Dark Forest
TWSBI Diamond Mini in Grape, fine nib, with Waterman Tender Purple
Desiderata Pens Soubriquet in Briar Ebonite, Zebra G dip nib, with Vinta Armada
Vanness Pens x The Good Blue “Titanium Blue” Special Edition, fine titanium flex, with Papier Plume “Iron Lace”
Nakaya Decapod in Kuro Tamenuri, soft medium nib, with Platinum Blue-Black
Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with PO Nib, with Iroshizuku Shin Kai
Platinum Matte Curidas in Matte Blue, medium nib, with a Platinum Mix-Free red mix
Franklin-Christoph Model 66 Stabilis, medium SIG stub, with Iroshizuku Asa-Gao
Sailor 1911 Black Luster, fine nib, with Sailor Souboku Pigmented Blue-Black
Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, fine nib, with Sailor Souboku Pigmented Blue-Black
Sailor Pro Gear Kure Azure, medium fine nib, with Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise
Red Dragon Pen Company Custom in Parker Blue Velvet Cellulose Acetate, Franklin-Christoph medium SIG, with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo
Pilot Custom 823 in Amber, Bacas medium blade grind, with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo
Pilot Mustard Vanishing Point (Import), fine special alloy nib, with Pilot Blue-Black
Pilot Custom 74 in Blue Stone, medium nib, with Pilot Blue-Black
Newton Pens Orville in Conway Stewart Turquoise Fleck, medium nib, with Laban Demeter Brown
Jason Neil Penworks Tucker, medium nib, with Laban Hera Green

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

While The Gentleman Stationer features primarily written content, I have made an effort to update our Youtube Channel over the past month, reorganizing and refreshing some legacy content, posting some new shorts, and releasing a series of videos most Mondays titled “Currently Inked,” in which I look at a new shop arrival or a pen/ink/notebook I’m currently using. The latest entry is a video companion to last week’s post on hacking Caran d’Ache refills, which demonstrates the three hacks I talked about on the blog.

Certain items lend themselves better to video demonstration than others, and Youtube content will hopefully be complementary to what you find here on the blog. If you’re on Youtube and find our content helpful, please consider subscribing, as it helps us grow and increase our reach across all channels!

Currently Inked: Hacking the Caran d'Ache 849

Want to See a Specific Video? Let Me Know!

Many of you have been kind enough to send in suggestions of specific demonstrations and comparisons that you’d like to see in a video. I love this kind of input, so please keep it up, either through the “Contact Me” link, the comments, or a DM. I receive a lot of e-mail, so it sometimes takes me a bit to respond, but I do read (and greatly appreciate) all of your comments and correspondence.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.