Specific pens for specific things

[BadsCase]

Hello, I was just wondering if it’s just me or do you guys have a specific pen for a specific notebook? This ink color for this pen color only? 
I use my pilot kakunos (M,F,EF) with colors black, gris nuage, diamine grey, respectively, for my midori notebook journal. My kawecosport (BB) in the shade earl grey for midori everyday journal. 2 Kawecosport (EF) using Vinta in the shade perya and ubi for midori and rhodia notes. Kaweco perkeo (M) using smokey grey for random scribbles and midori travel journal. 
Am I the only one? Lol

[Karmachanic]

Your pens, your inks, your notebooks. it's your thing, do what you wanna do!

[maclink]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:01 PM, Karmachanic said:

Your pens, your inks, your notebooks. it's your thing, do what you wanna do!

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Amen to that, although I think the OP may be looking for not only affirmation, but even moreso, ideas.

 

In my experimental phase which has waned a lot, although not by any means gone, I used a lot more inks and papers.  However, Tamoe River paper is now my default and I use it pretty much exclusively when I have a choice.  Of late, I've been concentrating on indelible ink, mainly black and am garnering my own experience with a number of them and in different pens.  The only exception at the moment is Iroshizuku Yama Guri that has found a home in my brown marble Pelikan M200 and also my Leonardo MZ Le Grande, whose acryllic has a brown colour to it.  However, the matching ends there. 🙂

[ENewton]

I have never matched a pen to a specific notebook but have certain pens that work best with certain inks, and vice versa.

 

 

 

 

[maclink]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:16 PM, ENewton said:

I have never matched a pen to a specific notebook but have certain pens that work best with certain inks, and vice versa.

 

 

 

 

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I've read this a lot but haven't reached that stage.  I have become quite sensitive to papers and find that the paper factor muddies the pen/ink matching quite a bit.  In other words, I may find that a pen/ink paper combo is great, but not so on another paper.  Do I blame the ink or the paper for the negative experience?  ATM, I have been steering away from the paper and find Tamoe River to be the most 'forgiving', i.e., the one with the most frequently favourable match for my pens/inks.  The problem with all this though is how subjective it is.  Tomoe River paper is a bit more absorbent than Rhodia for instance, with the Rhodia seeming a bit coated.  That makes all the difference to me.  I've used other papers but nowhere near as much as Rhodia and TR.  So far, the other papers haven't peaked my interest.

[Karmachanic]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:25 PM, maclink said:

Rhodia seeming a bit coated.

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Just for clarity. Writing paper, including both TR and Rhodia, is "sized" to stop/reduce ink absorption. Glossy magazine paper, for example, is coated.

[ENewton]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:25 PM, maclink said:

I've read this a lot but haven't reached that stage.  I have become quite sensitive to papers and find that the paper factor muddies the pen/ink matching quite a bit.  In other words, I may find that a pen/ink paper combo is great, but not so on another paper.  Do I blame the ink or the paper for the negative experience.  ATM, I have been steering away from the paper and find Tamoe River to be the most 'forgiving', i.e., the one with the most frequently favourable match for my pens/inks.  The problem with all this though is how subjective it is.  Tomoe River paper is a bit more absorbent than Rhodia for instance, with the Rhodia seeming a bit coated.  That makes all the difference to me.  I've used other papers but nowhere near as much as Rhodia and TR.  So far, they haven't peaked my interest.

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I agree that paper is important.  A pen and ink combination that produces a line too pale for legibility on a coated paper will typically produce a far more legible line on inexpensive office paper.  A less smooth pen with an ink lacking in lubrication can sometimes provide a pleasant writing experience on a smooth paper, such as Tomoe River.

 

My planner has Tomoe River paper in it, so I use that on a daily basis, but certain of my inks look better on other papers.  For example, I have two Robert Oster inks that are supposed to be purple, my favorite color, but that do not look purple on Tomoe River.  Many of my purple inks look nicest to me on Rhodia or on Fabriano Ecoqua--with one qualification.  When people talk about Rhodia, I am never sure whether they mean the very slick Clairefontaine paper or the less slick paper that one finds in the older-style orange and black notebooks.  I love the less slick Rhodia paper but don't like the Clairefontaine paper at all.  

[OleJuul]

Certainly any pen requires a suitable ink to work properly, and not all inks are good for any particular paper. I think everybody makes those adjustments if they like variety in pen/ink/paper choices. Actually, you have to.

 

That said, I have an aesthetic in play with my choices. I like to match the look and feel of my pens and ink. My black Soennecken gets a classic blue black ink, and my Waterman #14 RMHR gets an iron gall ink. For that the KWZ IG Red is a particularly nice match as it goes on a reddish black to match the look of the pen, and quickly changes to almost black.

 

So with different inks in different pens, I obviously can't just randomly pick a pen for any particular paper, it will have to be a pen with an ink that works in that case. This is all part of a dance that is all my own and which I enjoy.

 

[A Smug Dill]

  On 2/24/2021 at 2:08 PM, BadsCase said:

I was just wondering if it’s just me or do you guys have a specific pen for a specific notebook? This ink color for this pen color only? 

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Sure. I always have a pen with a very fine nib and very effective cap seal that is inked with Platinum Carbon Black, for filling forms on which I have to print in Flyspeck 3 using waterproof ink, or writing on 10mm×16mm labels that are apt to be rubbed. These days, that pen is a Platinum #3776 Century with a UEF nib.

 

 

I have eleven Platinum Plaisir pens more or less permanently dedicated to eleven inks: the Bali Citrus for Pilot Iroshizuku ina-ho, the Nova Orange for Pilot Iroshizuku fuyu-gaki, the red for Pilot Iroshizuku momiji, and so on. As well, twenty-three Wing Sung 3008 pens are dedicated to twenty-three (mostly Diamine and Jacques Herbin) shimmer inks.

 

My Sailor Lecoule Morion and Sailor Shikiori Hisakata Hoshikuzu (aka Stardust) pens are normally filled with black or blue shimmer inks that closely match the look of the barrels. My Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled pen is always filled with Platinum Classic Ink Citrus Black for the same reason.

 

The 100gsm paper in Paperblanks Flexis notebooks are very sensitive to the ‘wetness’ of a line of ink, and quite apt to exhibit bleed-through, so after testing eighty-odd inks to see which ones are least likely to bleed-through, I filled three Wing Sung 699 pens with black, brown and olive inks selected from those for writing in those notebooks.

 

A beat-up Sailor Fude de Mannen pen with a steel nib I'd reground serves as my primary writing instrument with which to perform ink reviews. Fifteen Daiso Air-Seal fountain pens are filled with fifteen iron-gall inks for a year-long experiment, through to the end of which I expect the initial half-fill of ink in a reused cartridge will last.

 

There's another Daiso fountain pen in a pen loop stuck to my fridge, filled with waterproof ink with which to write my grocery shopping lists.

[maclink]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:45 PM, ENewton said:

 

I agree that paper is important.  A pen and ink combination that produces a line too pale for legibility on a coated paper will typically produce a far more legible line on inexpensive office paper.  A less smooth pen with an ink lacking in lubrication can sometimes provide a pleasant writing experience on a smooth paper, such as Tomoe River.

 

My planner has Tomoe River paper in it, so I use that on a daily basis, but certain of my inks look better on other papers.  For example, I have two Robert Oster inks that are supposed to be purple, my favorite color, but that do not look purple on Tomoe River.  Many of my purple inks look nicest to me on Rhodia or on Fabriano Ecoqua--with one qualification.  When people talk about Rhodia, I am never sure whether they mean the very slick Clairefontaine paper or the less slick paper that one finds in the older-style orange and black notebooks.  I love the less slick Rhodia paper but don't like the Clairefontaine paper at all.  

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Rhodia, I assume would mean the paper found in Rhodia notebooks/pads.  Clairefontaine paper is different in their premium notebooks as opposed to their cheaper spiral bound versions.  The paper in their premium notebooks are more like what you find in the Rhodia notebooks/pads.  The same for Tamoe River.  I find subtle differences in the paper depending on the brand/seller and also if it's 68 vs 52GSM.  One can see where these nuances really come to life when using various colour inks, i.e., actual colours, inks with sheen or shimmer etc.  I'm boring with inks with currently, only a handful of straightforward colours that interest me these days.

[brokenclay]

In a sense, yes. I have certain notebooks/papers that I will write on with any ink/pen combination (Rhodia, Clairefontaine, certain greeting/note cards). I have papers that I know will not necessarily play well with certain ink/pen combos (Tomoe River, copier paper, checks). Sometimes it's the ink (Tomoe River) and sometimes it's the nib width - I rarely write checks, for example, with fountain pens, but if I do it's with a very fine nib.

[MHBru]

not really with one exception... my pelikan 205 is my smallest pen and I keep it out with my daily planner and notebook.  everything else gets put back in the case when I'm done with them.  not really a match as much as a specific pen for a specific use.

[mizgeorge]

Crikey! It's all very organised - I'm so impressed

 

I just pick up whatever I fancy using (be it pen or colour). The only dedicated pens are a couple with IG inks for signing things like customs forms that could get wet. If I want very small writing, I'm just as likely to turn the pen over as switch to another one if I'm liking the one in hand. 

 

Other times it's a bit of an ip dip - usually done to whatever tune is playing in my head, or I just shut my eyes and see which one I pick up. 

[inkstainedruth]

I don't tend to go "matchy-matchy" with inks and barrel colors, except for the 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise only sees brown inks (in spite of threatening to stick Noodler's Navajo Turquoise in it, I have yet to actually do so).

I do often pick ink colors that I think will look good coming out of certain pens.  But I'm more likely to care about how the ink behaves in specific pens.  For instance, vintage Skrip Peacock (oddly) did not work well for me in a Snorkel with an EF nib -- but in the one with the semi-flex stub nib?  It's glorious.

I don't usually use specific pens/nibs with specific notebooks or for specific types of work, other than I prefer finer nibs for the types of drawing I do, and having several calligraphy sets (but mostly unused).  I bought the Sailor Pro-Gear Slim with a zoom nib for drawing, but haven't found the ideal pen/ink/paper combo for it yet.  Of course, I ALSO bought that M400 BT for drawing too -- I was going to put Iroshizuku Yama-guri in it but the ink is way to wet for that juicy nib (Noodler's Walnut is good in that pen, and so is Edelstein Smoky Quartz).  And I do tend to want to have at least one permanent-type ink in rotation at any given time for signing checks and addressing envelopes.

But overall, it's whatever ink in whatever pen for whatever purpose.  And while I have nice journals for doing morning pages, I'm also going to be scrounging for scrap paper or 3x5 cards to make to-do or shopping lists.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Turquoise88]

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:01 PM, Karmachanic said:

Your pens, your inks, your notebooks. it's your thing, do what you wanna do!

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Totally agree!!  

 

Personally, I tend to either want to use a certain ink (and then find a pen that “goes” with it), or I want to use a certain pen (and then find an ink that “goes” with it). I rotate pens and inks pretty frequently — at least once a week for 3-5 pens at a time.  I sometimes use a specific ink color for a particular journal or project, but, apart from the occasional special project (i.e., dip pens with shimmery ink), more often I just enjoy whatever I’ve chosen for the week for whatever my writing needs are. 

 

As for notebooks, all of mine are the same size (A5), fountain-pen friendly paper, and are dotted or unruled with black covers. Some people really enjoy different brands and papers but, for me, it’s not that important.  That’s just my thing!

 

 

 

[sansenri]

I do tend to choose a pen based on what I have to do with it.

In some cases it's because of the nib, so for example a finer nib for note taking when using a smaller notebook, other times a larger nib when taking business notes on a large A4 notebook, where notes need to be bold and schematic.

In other cases the focus is on the pen due to the task, when I'm traveling I tend to use smaller lighter pens, often piston fillers that give me greater autonomy (M200s typically, but also others). When I take more pens with me I often take the same or similar pens with similar nibs so that if I need to switch pen in the middle of work I get the same writing appearance on the page.

If I plan to write for long I choose an especially comfortable pen.
When I plan to take the pen to a busy place I choose one I'm not afraid to lose (some nice cheapy...)

I still own more than I need for those tasks so within those tasks I still have choice of different pens and nibs, to rotate.

 

(oh, yes, and admittedly, when I need to attend some formal event I choose a "smart looking pen"!)

[ENewton]

  On 2/24/2021 at 5:31 PM, maclink said:

 

Rhodia, I assume would mean the paper found in Rhodia notebooks/pads.  Clairefontaine paper is different in their premium notebooks as opposed to their cheaper spiral bound versions.  The paper in their premium notebooks are more like what you find in the Rhodia notebooks/pads.  The same for Tamoe River.  I find subtle differences in the paper depending on the brand/seller and also if it's 68 vs 52GSM.  One can see where these nuances really come to life when using various colour inks, i.e., actual colours, inks with sheen or shimmer etc.  I'm boring with inks with currently, only a handful of straightforward colours that interest me these days.

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Some notebooks branded as Rhodia now use the very slick Clairefontaine paper, which I do not enjoy.  

[es9]

 

  On 2/24/2021 at 3:41 PM, Karmachanic said:

Writing paper, including both TR and Rhodia, is "sized" to stop/reduce ink absorption. 

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Wow - I had *no* idea this was a thing.  I have personally never liked Rhodia paper -- I know, I'm crazy -- because of how ink seems to sit on top of the page, but I never quite knew why it did that.  

[sansenri]

  On 2/24/2021 at 9:36 PM, es9 said:

 

 

Wow - I had *no* idea this was a thing.  I have personally never liked Rhodia paper -- I know, I'm crazy -- because of how ink seems to sit on top of the page, but I never quite knew why it did that.  

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on the other hand non adsorbent paper is what makes ink sheen!

[ENewton]

  On 2/24/2021 at 9:36 PM, es9 said:

 

 

Wow - I had *no* idea this was a thing.  I have personally never liked Rhodia paper -- I know, I'm crazy -- because of how ink seems to sit on top of the page, but I never quite knew why it did that.  

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What Rhodia paper do you mean?