#21PenQuestions
The lovely ladies at the Well Appointed Desk started a trend for pen peeps to answer 21 questions about their pen adventures. I love pens. I love paper. I love ink. So here’s my shake at it. But be sure to go check out the answers given by Ana, Jesi, and Laura, too!
The questions:
1: What is the pen they’ll have to pry out of your cold dead hands?
Hands down, my Kanilea Kilauea fountain pen with a fine nib in it, inked with either Akkerman #16 Orange Boven or Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. It’s not because it’s a gorgeous pen (it is!) or because it writes fantastic (it does!) or because it was my first “expensive pen” (it was!). But because of the story of how I acquired the pen. It’s a good story, ask me for it if we meet, but for brevity, I’ll just say this pen is what started my friendship with Kanilea Pen Co owners Hugh and Karol, and I wouldn’t be as deep in the pen world as I am without them. Easily my most-used pen, as well. You can’t have it.
2: What’s your guilty pleasure pen?
Platinum Preppy with a 03 nib and Platinum Carbon Black cartridge. People see me using this pen and ask “I thought you liked nice pens?” Then they try it. For a sub-$5 pen, it writes great with a nice firm nib, no starting issues, doesn’t dry out even if left unused for months at a time, and is very reliable. Then they get it… It’s not always about the expensive or fancy pens.
3: What’s the pen you wish existed?
Honestly, there’s so many wonderful pen designs out there, I’m not sure. Maybe a fountain pen that held different colors of ink, which could be selected like a multi-pen. Or some more colorful designs in the Pilot 823 Custom lineup.
4: What pen would you give to a new enthusiast?
I’ve always used the Pilot Varsity fountain pen for those new to fountain pens in general. Nice thick line from a reliable nib, not refillable so no inky messes, and a good gateway pen into fountain pens. For those already into fountain pens but newer, the Pilot Metropolitan is a great choice. Metal barrel, couple nib choices, refillable but also takes cartridges, and fairly inexpensive, these are a great starter pen - and mine still get used regularly.
5: What pen do you want to get along with but it just never clicked?
Most anything from Monteverde. They’ve got some great pens, but every one I’ve owned has some minor flaw that keeps me from keeping it in regular rotation. Hard starts. Slippery grips. Chipping paint. Something. Thankfully, there’s enough pen variation out there to keep me happy without them.
6: What pen do you only keep only because its pretty?
Can’t say I have any that I keep JUST for their looks. Yes, looks matter. A lot. But I am not a “collector” who only wants to fill a pen case. If the pen doesn’t make it into usable rotation, it’s gotta go. Which reminds me, I have a few more pens to sell…
7: What pen (or stationery product) did you buy because everyone else did?
Probably something from Kickstarter - an ebonite pen, or maybe a group-purchase pen from the local pen club. I find I want to support the maker or the group, but then don’t always love the “group designed” pen. They don’t usually stick around too long, so I should just stop buying them…
8: What pen (or stationery product) is over your head or just baffles you?
Stealing from Ana… the Plotter system. Expensive. Limited thickness. And for me, limited usability. I get that they’re pretty, the inserts can be put in and out to your pleasure, I just can’t see how I could make the system work for me, especially at that price. As Ana said, YMMV.
9: What pen (or stationery product) surprised you?
Kaweco pens. Small, both in length and diameter. Inexpensive. Feels lightweight and “cheap” in hand. And they have an “odd” look to them, at least to me. Yet I love all of mine. Heck, I even carried one as my one and only fountain pen for my 6+ month Appalachian Trail Thru-hike, earning me my Trail Name!
10: What pen doesn’t really work for you but you keep it because it’s a collectible?
None. If it doesn’t work for me, I don’t care about the collectability of it.
11: What is your favorite sparkly pen (or ink)?
I don’t know that I have any sparkly pens… they remind me of glitter, and all things glitter should NOT exist. Send me a card with glitter on or in it, and we are not friends anymore. I do have some sparkly inks, and don’t really use them much. Probably something else to add to the For Sale list.
12: Which nib do you love – but hate the pen?
I don’t even remember what pen it was in, but I have a Yowo #6 broad nib that Gena from Custom Nib Studios put a Reverse Architect grind on. It writes like a normal fine nib on the normal side, but when flipped writes with a medium-ish architect nib. Hated the pen, love the nib. It now resides in one of my many Kanilea pens.
13: What pen (or stationery product) gives you the willies?
I won’t say willies, because I own one (but one is probably enough), but any Urushi pen. Extremely expensive (for good reason - they’re hard to make and take a long time to do so), fairly fragile, and I’ve heard some people have an allergic reaction to them if not sealed properly. Altogether, I find I never let it leave my desk at home for fear of it cracking, scratching, breaking, or some other issue. As I’ve said, if it can’t be used, it doesn’t stay around long… mine was a custom order and I do love it, but still, one is probably enough.
14: What’s your favorite pen for long form writing?
Either one of my Kanileas or my Pilot Custom 823. They both hold a large amount of ink (especially if I eye dropper the Kanilea!) and feel great in my hand. Most of my NaNoWriMo writing is done with these pens.
15: What pen (or stationery product) do you love in theory but not in practice?
Most mechanical pencils. I still use them from time to time - quick sketches in the field, as a travel pencil I don’t have to sharpen, etc - but I can go months without touching one and not miss them. Part of me wonders if I over-used them in architecture school and have traumatic memories of the all-nighters associated with them…
16: What pen (or stationery product) would you never let someone else use?
I don’t know that there’s a pen I wouldn’t let someone at least try. Under supervision. I want people to be sure about their purchases, and confident in their choices. I am always at the Kanilea table at pen shows with at least one of every nib size inked up, so people can try them and see for themselves how wonderfully they write. As for journals, I would pause about just handing one over - they often have personal information in them - but I wouldn’t hesitate about letting them write a few lines on the back page to see how the paper writes. That’s how we all discover what works for us.
17: What pen (or stationery product) would you never use for yourself?
I’ll try anything once, for the most part. Whether it makes the cut to be purchased depends on whether I can see a use for it in my life. My stationary patterns change from time to time, so my shopping list is always rotating and evolving. That just makes the hobby that much more enjoyable!
18: What pen (or stationery product) could you NOT bring yourself to buy?
Upgrade gold nibs. I have a few, most as gifts or because the pen only comes with one, and they do write wonderfully, but steel nibs can be tuned to write just as smooth. I tend to have a heavy hand when writing quick, so soft gold is something I have to slow down and be a little more cautious with. Besides, I get a lot of nibs ground by Gena, so why spend more for her to take some of it away - especially when her grinds are so wonderful!
19: What’s your favorite vintage pen?
I can’t say I have a favorite. The ones I have used or owned have either been a little finicky, a little fragile, or a little small in my hand, so they have limited use to me. I enjoy looking at them at shows, and love trying all the different nibs, but they don’t make the cut most of the time for me.
20: What is your favorite EDC/pocket pen?
That’s easy. At nearly all times, I have a fountain pen and a non-fountain pen in my pocket. The fountain pen is either a Schon Dsgn Pocket Six fountain pen, which I have in a few different colors, or a Spoke Design Axle S. Both are cartridge-only, which works well for me with EDC pens and allows quick refills if it runs low mid-day, and keeps the form factor small and pocketable. The non-fountain pens are almost always a Spoke Design Spoke Roady or a Spoke Design Spoke Pen. The refills, while different, are nice and fine, reliable, and well-used.
21: What’s the pen (or stationery product) that got away?
I can’t think of anything that got away, but I can think of some things that have gone away. Brad really needs to find a replacement for his Nock Co notecards, I’m almost out.
Well that was fun! This is the first post I’ve ever done like this, and I might have to do some more. I would love to see everyone else’s answers to these questions!
Remember to always Spin the Compass, my friends!
* I’ve included links, but receive no compensation for any purchases you may or may not make. I am also not responsible for any purchases you make, so don’t yell at me for penabling you!
