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Inked Right Now
Pilot Prera with Colorverse Morning Star
Franklin-Christoph 65 with Iroshizuku Yama-guri
Edison Brockton with Franklin-Christoph Noir et Bleu
Gone from last time: everything.
The Prera is going to work with me most days. I enjoy the fine calligraphy nib because it gives some good variation while still being compatible with a pocket size notebook. It needs a lighter touch because it can catch an edge on the paper but still fun to use.
The other two pens are using new nibs I got from Franklin-Christoph.
The 65 has a #5 14k fine and the Brockton has a steel double broad in shiny black finish they call Raven. The fine nib is smooth and relatively firm. The flow is more measured than I might have expected but we’ll see if that changes with other inks in future use. The BB nib is very smooth, practically skating on Clairefontaine paper. I did have a slight worry that this tip size with the black finish might suffer from skipping or hard starts, but so far that hasn’t happened.
If the BB nib looks like a honker, that’s because it is. To wit,
Guy on the left shops in the "husky" section.
Along with the nibs I got some Noir et Bleu cartridges. I’d never tried this color from F-C before but read some reviews that described it as blue-black with a purple bent. After using it for a week I’d say that’s an accurate take. The purple part isn’t necessarily as obvious until you look at it next to other blue-blacks. Either way, it shades like a mother in this nib.
Does the name Noir et Bleu sound pretentious? Yeah, kinda does, but then I imagine it’s what Alain Delon’s character in Le Samourai would have said if the cops asked him what color ink he uses and I feel okay with it. ;-)
After a drag on his cigarette and a long pause, he quietly answered "Noir...et bleu."
Other Happenings
Last week I showed 13 pens that were ready to move on from my collection and I’m happy to report that 12 of them have left. A group of 11 got sold to a pen dealer and one was given to Brad at The Pen Addict for review or giveaway or whatever he wants to do with it. Only passenger remaining in the departure lounge is the Pelikan Steno.
I also sent off my Kaweco Al-Sport to The Nib Tailor for some work The stock BB nib will be ground to what JC calls his Selvedge Italic. Having seen some examples online of what this grind produces, I’m excited for it.
Transcription of The Ballad of Reading Gaol is complete. I must applaud the Karas Fountain K and J. Herbin Lie de Thé for being an outstanding combination to work with. I missed writing in the journal for several days toward the end of January and ended up doing the last 5 pages in one long session on the 31st. The pen and ink were flawless and made the writing pass quite easily.
The Edison Brockton will be the next journal pen and I’m pretty much decided on doing Yeats poems for this round. A separate update on that to follow.
