One Pen One Month Challenge

[DrDebG]

Quick update on my April challenge: I am thankful for the month to work through some issues with my fountain pens and journals and my personal writing style. Even though the month is not quite over yet, I have learned several things:

 

1). I much prefer Tomoe River paper over Clairfontaine for my daily journal writing. Actually, I have used several different types of paper this month, comparing how my Boheme performed on each, and there were some clear winners and losers with this pen, regardless of the ink.

 

2). My Boheme does seem to perform better with the Montblanc inks (Royal Blue, Swan Illusion, Unicef Blue, Irish Green and Lavender Purple) than with any others that I used this month (including Monteverde Sapphire Blue, Malibu Blue and Caribbean Blue; Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu Kusa and Shin Kai).

 

3). I definitely got tired of refilling cartridges and cleaning the pen on a daily or every other day basis. I needed to clean the pen because I would want to change the ink color - I get bored easily when using only one ink color a day.

 

4). I have come to appreciate both the Boheme and Panther (my mark-up and back up pen). While they are different in terms of size, they are both well balanced. The nibs are both obliques, but have different characteristics. The Matsuyama nib on my Panther has a crisper edge that I really like, but the Boheme is wetter which I also really like.

 

5). I print as much as I write. While the oblique nibs were up to the challenge, I found it was much harder to print for long periods at a time with the Boheme. Truthfully, I never noticed this before until I did this challenge.

 

6). I have two Bohemes with OB nibs. Before the challenge, I was debating whether I should sell one of them. Doing this month long challenge helped me to realize that I really only need one.

 

Overall, I am glad I took the challenge. I realized that I do need to have more ink colors available for my work - it was a real pain to have to use highlighters and markers. So, while it was good, I am glad that it is almost over.

[Scylax]

Interesting thoughts! I can't imagine getting through a month with a pen or carts that small, but it sounds like it didn't work too badly for you. What pens do you think you'll turn to to allow you to have a variety of colours?

[ncpenfan]

I last posted on this topic over a year ago. At that time a pilot vanishing point managed to last a month. I’m pleased to report that a cross Townsend also fits the bill.

 

The pen has a nice weight, Is incredibly reliable, and works with every ink I have in my collection.

 

One pen that had to be abandoned fairly quickly was the modern Parker duofold. Tried two different pens and encountered flow problems.

[DrDebG]

Interesting thoughts! I can't imagine getting through a month with a pen or carts that small, but it sounds like it didn't work too badly for you. What pens do you think you'll turn to to allow you to have a variety of colours?

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

I have a variety of fountain pens to choose from to for the colors that I need. I have been thinking about this for a few days. On Tuesday night, I will probably break my challenge with a celebratory "ink filling" party. I will likely fill up the following pens and inks:

 

Platinum 3776 (f) - Monteverde Caribbean Blue

Bexley Elegancia (M) - Blackstone Sydney Harbor Blue

MB 146 (OB) - Callifolio Blue Atlantique

TWSBI Eco (stub) - Akkerman Dutch Masters - Israel Sea Blue

Conklin Duragraph (stub) - Rohrer & Klingner Blu Mare

Waterman Charleston (M) - Monteverde Yosemite Green

Lamy Aion (M) - Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin

Lamy Aion (M) - Monteverde Mandarin Wine (my concoction of MV Mandarin and MV Napa Burgundy)

Delta Vintage (F) - Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji

Lamy Studio (M) - Callifolio Bordeaux

TWSBI Eco (stub) Monteverde Rose Noir

Monteverde Prima (stub) - Diamine Purple Dream

Franklin Christoph Panther (cursive italic) - Montblanc Swan Illusion

Italix Captains Commodore (stub) - Montblanc Golden Yellow

Delta Horsepower (EF) - Monteverde Purple Reign

 

I did consider inking up every pen I own, but decided not to. I think that should satisfy my need for color for now.

[Scylax]

Wow that's quite a selection I'm sure you'll have fun with all those colours and that should make your carts last longer

[sandy101]

I agree with you about inks. That what I missed most when I took the challenge the first time round. I was using a piston, and just stuck with the same ink until the pen ran dry - which meant I changed colours once in the entire month. But, what I loved about the piston was that it held so much ink, I could have long, writing sessions uninterrupted by the need to change inks - and the feed did not dry up as quickly as with most of my cartridge pens.

 

I also came to appreciate the pen I'd chosen more. It was heavy to start with, but after two weeks my hand got used to it, and I was able to write with it all day. I think I came to realise that balance, rather than weight was what made the difference with being able to handle a pen comfortably.

 

I didn't miss other pens quite so much though. I also used pencils more - especially for drafting and making rough n otes. I found what they said about being more creative when starting with pencils to be true. With a pencil I was as much drawing ideas as writing them - and I used them to mark students' work it was a revelation.

 

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the challenge, and got something from it. Now, enjoy your colour binge. You've earned it.

 

So now, I've got a modest collection of pencils too. I have several sharpened at once when I mark, and grab a fresh point when the pencil I'm using has worn down too much. No worrying about the right ink on the right paper, or drying times and I can rethink a comment if it is not accurate enough.

[Scylax]

I'm really fortunate that I'm not an ink-changer really - it makes this challenge very much easier when you only use a couple of inks anyway (two for me is ideal - a main 'writing' ink, probably blue or black, and a bright 'emphasis' ink, usually very bright pink). For a while now of necessity I've been using only an Opus 88 demonstrator in green (NOT the koloro size, the bigger demonstrator size), and although it's not exactly what I'd choose, I have to give it credit for excellent function and value.

 

It's a large pen with a smooth section - two aspects that are crucial to me. It has a great ink capacity, and I love how easy it is to fill. The Japanese eyedropper filling mechanism works well and I can write for quite a long time before needing to open the valve. Start-up has been consistently good even with the valve closed. The ability to simply swap in standard JOWO nib units is a massive plus. I've had one of fpnibs' xxxf nibs in it and it works really well. Initially the end knob squeaked horribly when opened, but that seems to have worn off quickly which is a relief. It feels good quality too. Against that, negatives are minor in my eyes - I don't love the colour choices, but they're ok and perfectly functional. My biggest complaint is one I've seen from others here many times but never understood before - the cap takes so many turns to unscrew! It's definitely not a 'scribble a quick note' kind of pen. But for a daily writer that's functional, good value, unpretentious, I'd highly recommend it!

[DrDebG]

I have enjoyed the challenge. And as Sandy101 said, I have come to appreciate my pen more, and really know its advantages and disadvantages. I also learned a bit more about inks and paper, which I am thankful for.

 

If I do this challenge again - a very real possibility - I definitely will use a piston filler. I almost wish I had waited until my MB Unicef 146 came back from having the nib swapped out from a M to OB. It came last week. Yes, I admit. I cheated. I did ink it up and wrote a few lines with it. But then - like a good girl - I put it away. So Wednesday it will get a full workout. And it might be the pen that I choose for my next challenge.

 

But for May I am going to enjoy color!

 

I do use pencil - especially when making sketches. But for the markups of documents I need bright colors, and for designing my flow charts and chains, I need bright colors.

 

So perhaps when I am in between big projects, I will do another month challenge.

Edited April 30, 2019 by DrPenfection

[Mangrove Jack]

I have not been spending much time on FPN the last couple of years, so I missed reading this thread until now.

 

Strange coincidence perhaps; I went from around November last year to March this year using just one pen and one ink. Ie. A Pelikan M200 F nib demonstrator with Noodlers Bad Belted Kingfisher (blue-black) ink.

I had to refill the pen with ink many times, and flushed it with water once, but was never tempted to even change the ink since I liked the combination so much and the pen performed flawlessly. It's still inked and on my desk although I now have my P51 and Cross Solo also inked and in use.

 

I must admit that on a few occasions when traveling out of town I took a ballpoint with me.

[stauffert]

We're off to the races. Green is not my favourite colour, so we will see how it goes.

 

[MsRedpen]

stauffert, good luck

Do share how did you make the choice on pen/ink to start the challenge.

 

May is too already looking hectic, plus few letters to be replied to, and just counted 10 pens inked...

August seems again a good month for the challenge.

 

Love this thread and all shared insights.

[stauffert]

My criteria for this challenge was:

1. A large ink capacity since I travel frequently... sometimes for multiple days (3 to 5). I am also an anachronism in that I take a lot of paper notes in meetings.

2. A relatively fine nib since I have to sign things frequently on paper of minimal quality.

3. A fast mechanism for readying the pen for writing.

 

Had I not recently acquired this pen, I would have used my Decimo since it is superior in the time to readiness and adequate in ink capacity as I only use cartridges in it.

[przeklasa]

Hello Sandy 101 and fellow OPOM ers! I successfully completed the One Pen One Month Challenge way back in August, 2017. Having just read through all the new posts here, something inexplicable, some unseen force, is moving me to do this again. Yep, I'm going to once again put aside all my pens and choose just one pen and use it exclusively for a month.

 

So the problem is, which one. I have gobs of pens and I love them all. And I use them all. I've long since proved to myself that fountain pens can be used exclusively for darn near all ink writing tasks. (Of course, there are those few times when ball point/rollerball is the only thing that can be used, but really, those instances are very few.) So what else can I challenge myself with on this new OMOP endeavor? Why not make it difficult? It's easy to pick a modern small/mid size pen with a converter that writes smoothly and flawlessly and is simple to refill. How about picking a pen that most would consider a dumb move? Yeah, I'm good for a dumb move. That's it. A perfect challenge for me.

 

The pen I choose is an Airmail 71J. It's an eyedropper. It's big. It holds 4 ml of ink. The stock feed has zero fins/comb. Eyedroppers are prone to blurping when the ink level gets low. They are a bit of a hassle to fill. This style of pen is truly 100+ year old technology. So that's it. I am going to use this pen and only this one pen, day in, day out for a month. I've already picked the pen and have been using it all day. This morning I looked in my new pen box and picked a brand new pen that is straight from Airmail, never been inked, never even been touched by me until this morning, still in the cellophane sleeve from the factory. I washed the nib, feed and section in warm soapy water, heat set the nib and feed, inspected the nib for alignment, gave the nib a couple tweaks and inked it. The one thing I changed was the nib. I removed the stock nib (I have found Airmail nibs to be pretty decent, but they write with a Fine ink line width or a wide Fine ink line width) because I want an XFine nib for this challenge. I believe a daily use fountain pen requires a skinny nib because you can't control the paper you may need to write on during your daily activities. I installed a Fountain Pen Revolution XF nib in this pen. I had to cut off about 3 mm from the back end of the FPR nib to match the length of the original Airmail nib. After this alteration, the nib fit perfectly. This pen writes with an XF ink line width on most paper. I measure the ink line width at 0.3mm on most paper, 0.35mm on some paper, and on really awful paper it measures 0.4mm. This is a bit wider than i would like, but this is an eyedropper after all and the nib writes a tad wet. It will work out, nontheless, I am sure. I am using Pilot Black ink right now. If I change ink, I will let you know.

 

Okay, Starting this morning, May 1, 2019 I will use this pen exclusively for one month. A big, fat, Airmail 71J eyedropper modified with a FPR XFine nib is my pen of choice. This will truly be a challenge.

[DrDebG]

Hello Sandy 101 and fellow OPOM ers! I successfully completed the One Pen One Month Challenge way back in August, 2017. Having just read through all the new posts here, something inexplicable, some unseen force, is moving me to do this again. Yep, I'm going to once again put aside all my pens and choose just one pen and use it exclusively for a month.

 

So the problem is, which one. I have gobs of pens and I love them all. And I use them all. I've long since proved to myself that fountain pens can be used exclusively for darn near all ink writing tasks. (Of course, there are those few times when ball point/rollerball is the only thing that can be used, but really, those instances are very few.) So what else can I challenge myself with on this new OMOP endeavor? Why not make it difficult? It's easy to pick a modern small/mid size pen with a converter that writes smoothly and flawlessly and is simple to refill. How about picking a pen that most would consider a dumb move? Yeah, I'm good for a dumb move. That's it. A perfect challenge for me.

 

The pen I choose is an Airmail 71J. It's an eyedropper. It's big. It holds 4 ml of ink. The stock feed has zero fins/comb. Eyedroppers are prone to blurping when the ink level gets low. They are a bit of a hassle to fill. This style of pen is truly 100+ year old technology. So that's it. I am going to use this pen and only this one pen, day in, day out for a month. I've already picked the pen and have been using it all day. This morning I looked in my new pen box and picked a brand new pen that is straight from Airmail, never been inked, never even been touched by me until this morning, still in the cellophane sleeve from the factory. I washed the nib, feed and section in warm soapy water, heat set the nib and feed, inspected the nib for alignment, gave the nib a couple tweaks and inked it. The one thing I changed was the nib. I removed the stock nib (I have found Airmail nibs to be pretty decent, but they write with a Fine ink line width or a wide Fine ink line width) because I want an XFine nib for this challenge. I believe a daily use fountain pen requires a skinny nib because you can't control the paper you may need to write on during your daily activities. I installed a Fountain Pen Revolution XF nib in this pen. I had to cut off about 3 mm from the back end of the FPR nib to match the length of the original Airmail nib. After this alteration, the nib fit perfectly. This pen writes with an XF ink line width on most paper. I measure the ink line width at 0.3mm on most paper, 0.35mm on some paper, and on really awful paper it measures 0.4mm. This is a bit wider than i would like, but this is an eyedropper after all and the nib writes a tad wet. It will work out, nontheless, I am sure. I am using Pilot Black ink right now. If I change ink, I will let you know.

 

Okay, Starting this morning, May 1, 2019 I will use this pen exclusively for one month. A big, fat, Airmail 71J eyedropper modified with a FPR XFine nib is my pen of choice. This will truly be a challenge.

 

 

Wow! It sounds like a challenge. Good luck! I look forward to hear how it is going.

[DrDebG]

My criteria for this challenge was:

1. A large ink capacity since I travel frequently... sometimes for multiple days (3 to 5). I am also an anachronism in that I take a lot of paper notes in meetings.

2. A relatively fine nib since I have to sign things frequently on paper of minimal quality.

3. A fast mechanism for readying the pen for writing.

 

Had I not recently acquired this pen, I would have used my Decimo since it is superior in the time to readiness and adequate in ink capacity as I only use cartridges in it.

 

Good luck with the challenge! I look forward to hearing about your insights.

[Intensity]

I have 16 fountain pens (and 2 on preorder) with a variety of nib types and filling types, and I really love using whatever fits my mood. Plus a sizable collection of inks I like to use. I can only see myself sticking with 1 pen for a full month when my interest in fountain pens wanes and I'll just use one with some basic ink out of indifference / lack of care. That's not happening any time soon!

 

I do have only one non-fountain pen that I use, however--it's a custom machined titanium and copper pen by "The Right Choice Painting Company", currently with a Pilot G2 black cartridge. That one gets used for all the crappy paper jobs, filling out checks, carry-everywhere for anything I need permanence and good water resistance for. Really happy with that little but weighty pen.

[gyasko]

Never going to do this. I have different kinds of writing on different paper and with different inks.

[DrDebG]

Never going to do this. I have different kinds of writing on different paper and with different inks.

 

Yes . . . .that's what I thought too. It took a lot of discipline but I learned a great deal about my pen, the ink I put in it and paper I used, which is helping me with other pens. And I learned a lot about my own writing and what I really like. For example before I did the month challenge, I knew I liked line variation from a stub, but during the month challenge I realized that I like line variation with a crisp edge but to get that I need to sacrifice the smoothness that is all important to me. Also, before the month challenge, I thought the pen I was using liked all papers equally. Nope. The pen I used really hated Clairfontaine/Rhodia paper but did very well with Tomoe River, Midori MD and even less expensive copy paper.

 

For me, while this isn't something I want to do all the time or even frequently, it was a worthwhile experience and one in which I might repeat in the future.

[1nkulus]

I have done one pen-one month on numerous occasions because I carry only one FP in the pocket.

 

Two other pens are inked only for backup.

 

At present, my L2K 'EF' with Noodler's El Lawrence is nearing two months used 85% of the time.

[DrDebG]

What if???

 

I am always asking that question.

 

What if I only used my Lamy pens for a month? Or only my Pelikans for a month? Or only my Italian pens . . . .

 

What if I only used EFs for a month, or OBBBs for a month (that would be a bit difficult for me since I only have one EF and no OBBBs)?

 

You get where I am going here?

 

Perhaps a person could vary their own "one month challenge" to use only one type of pen.

 

Why? As Sandy101 and others have explained, it helps us understand our pens more. If you can't do a one pen for one month challenge, well then find what you can use for a month - only Montblancs, or only Wing Sung pens . . . whatever.

 

By doing a one month challenge, you not only learn about your pens, ink and paper, but you also learn about yourself and your personal writing style. it also takes a bit of discipline (sometimes a lot), which is always a good thing to build on.

 

I may decided to do a Lamy challenge for June. I will only use my Lamy pens for June. Who is with me?