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Back to normal-ish, journaling small & steady, could have called it
Inked Right Now
Pilot Murex with Sailor Nadeshiko
Sheaffer Balance with Herbin Ambre de Birmanie
Kilk Orient with Diamine Blue Black
Three pens inked feels much more normal compared to the eight that were going post-pen show. Nadeshiko has been a nice match to the Murex nib. The Orient still shines with a custom grind. Another Balance, how did that get there?
New & Exciting
A few weeks ago, I had zero Sheaffer Balances. I now own three. After getting two junior size models at the local pen show in September, I kept hunting around online. I still wanted one with a wider nib than the juniors. Something at Peyton Street Pens, who carry more Sheaffers than pretty much anyone, caught my eye because it was advertised with a broad nib. I gave it a few days’ deliberation because I just bought two Balances, but decided it was worth a shot.
It’s a beautiful pen that writes a wet, wide line but it doesn’t appear to have a Balance nib.
Sheaffer Craftsman (top) and three Sheaffer Balances
My best guess from comparing images online is the nib on my new Balance could be from some version of a Sheaffer Admiral, which is a later model pen than the Balance. Most vintage pens have been through a lot so there’s no way to know how or when this nib made it onto the pen. Could have been sent in for repair after the Balance line was retired and the factory fitted it with a later nib. Maybe it was swapped by a previous owner who wanted a different writing experience.
Whatever the case, it made me realize how hung up I had been on the classic two-tone open Lifetime nib as part of my Balance search, and how that was likely clouding my evaluation of pens in that search. It’s good to be deliberate and specific in our wants, but the new Balance reminds me we are sometimes too rigid with a checklist and that worthwhile things will pass us by if we don’t reach beyond it.
As I got the other pens together for the nib comparison picture above, I took a moment to count all the Sheaffers in my collection. I’m up to 10, which ranks third most after Pilot and Parker. Those three brands comprise over half my collection. In hindsight, it would have been easy to foresee things going this way with Sheaffer. They have a lot of the same things that attract me to Parker pens: a huge past catalog which is still easily accessible, unique and interesting designs, lasting quality that still delivers great writing, and a tangible connection to the past.
Working On
I’m still using the tiny Rhodia no. 10 as a space to write down the day’s primary thought or takeaway. It forces me to be concise, which isn’t always easy, but if I feel compelled to write more, I can always take out a larger sheet of paper to do it. Most days, the no. 10 feels just the right size.
As September ended and the Lamy 2000 ran dry, I pegged the Murex to take on my daily journaling of Stoic passages. It seems impossible that there are less than three months left in 2024. I’ve kept the Stoic journal going on a mostly daily basis. There are days where it goes undone but usually not more than two at a stretch. I can always get caught up without viewing it as a chore because moving different pens through the role maintains interest. I’ve preselected November’s journal pen already. I kinda don’t want to wait four more weeks to get to it, so I’ll have to remind myself the pay off will be worth it.
