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Pentel show & tell and it’s that time of year.
Inked Right Now
Pilot Prera with Montegrappa Fuchsia
Platinum Desk Pen with Platinum Carbon Black
Parker 45 with Binder Burgundy
Diamond Medal with Pelikan 4001 Konigsblau
I butchered spelling Fuchsia here. Don't know why, other than perhaps I got confused with chia seeds. Maybe I just needed a nap.
Gone from last time: everything.
The Prera has excelled as a daily work companion. The fill of Fuchsia is almost out and I’m debating if I want to re-up with the small bit I have left in a sample vial. It’s a fun color, even in a fine line.
The Desk Pen was enlisted to copy over work notes on to new pages. The feedback is part of what makes this pen a treat to use, even though I typically prefer nibs to feel much smoother. Something about the sound and the feeling with the Desk Pen’s EF point gives an additional sensation that you’re “writing” with this pen. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone other than me, but it’s the best way I can put it.
The 45 took over journal duty from the Murex. It’s an excellent nib & ink pairing if I do say so myself.
I picked the Diamond Medal as a wildcard because it hadn’t seen use in a while.
Overall, it’s a very comfortable mix of pens. All of them are a pleasure to use.
New & Exciting
Coming off the pencil article a few weeks ago, my interest in the Pentel Smash led me to Pentel of America’s website. They had some different color options for the Smash that were marked down so I decided to try one. I also found a few other interesting things — the Handy-line S marker and Pocket Brush Pen.
First, the Smash. I like the look with the accordion-like cover on the knock and the grid of rubber squares on the grip section. Those squares don’t provide what I’d hoped for, though. They’re mushy and it doesn’t feel like anything is backing them up. That’s a letdown when using the pencil because the plastic around them is very slick so the squares need to provide all the purchase for your grip. We’ll see what more use reveals.
I carry a Sharpie every day at work, the regular capped fine point. I tried the retractable version but its different clip and long clicker don’t work as well in my pocket. The retractable models always seemed to have significantly shorter writing lifespan too. The Pentel Handy-line S marker might be what I wish the retractable Sharpie was.
It’s a more compact size and can be refreshed with a new ink supply. The tip is blunter than a fresh Sharpie fine point but that doesn’t affect my usage needs. The clip is interesting. It serves as the hold point for the extension mechanism, so if you lift the clip then the tip retracts automatically. It’s a nice feature since it should prevent the tip getting exposed when the marker is clipped in your pocket. This setup also makes the clip low profile and I’m not sure how easy it will be to place and remove on the lip of a back pocket. We’ll see how it goes.
Last is the Pocket Brush Pen from the Pentel Arts line. This intrigued me because of the good looking barrel pattern and the fact that it’s cartridge based. It performs much more as a drawing tool than a writing one, at least in my unartistic hands. The brush tip is soft and sensitive. You need a very light and controlled touch to make a fine line. On the flip side, you get dramatic texture and size variation based on the pressure and angle used.
I’m not sure how I’ll utilize this pen, but I like it as a tool. Similar to when I went to the hardware store and bought a rafter square for no particular reason.
Thinking About
This is the busiest time of year at work and it feels like the days are rocketing past me. Pens and writing are a respite, as is posting here. I never really schedule time for it, just do it when I can. It can be a problem either way. Scheduling something as a leisure activity can feel like the same kind of time crunch and deadline watching one does at work. However, not committing a spot for doing something you consider important can let it drift away and then you haven’t done the thing you wanted to help balance out the stress of work. I’ve never found a good way to manage this push-pull. How do you do it?
