Currently Inked: 30jul2025

(Mostly what's inked and being carried around by me.)

Okay, from left to right, what we've got here is (are?):

1. Lamy AL-Star, Fine nib*, inked with a Lamy Pink Cliff cartridge
   The nib is a replacement, after I dropped this on Redfield's concrete floor on the way to a Casey Johnston book reading, followed by a day of assiduous "adjustment" and "repair" eventuating in the total cessation of that nib's capacity to conduct ink from pen to paper.
   This is my anointed pen for testing new inks in first, and is my current pen for daily writing in my bullet journal because (a) I need to get through this ink (which is QUITE nice), and (b) I lost #7, my previous daily writer.
   This one is a solid writer, even with the replacement nib, and I enjoy this ink quite a lot. It's dark, but not black, and has some nice, subtle shading.
2. TWSBI Eco, Fine nib, inked with Backpack Ink's Dublin Green
   At the moment, I'm struggling to fully love this pen, though I'm not sure why. It's a very good writer, but I don't find myself excited to reach for it. It's undoubtedly cool to see the ink slosh around in there, but it's not as comfortable in the hand as other options I have, being both girthier and heavier than I prefer.
   This green ink rules quite a bit, tho. Clean, clear color with some fun blacker shading here and there.
3. Bic Cristal Re'New, with ... uh, a Bic Medium 1.0 mm ... refill? Refill, it's refillable!
   This was a gift brought back from Paris by the incomparable Noodles! Hilariously, the "Bic Crystal but it's made out of aluminum not plastic" was one of my few Grail pens left, but I wasn't willing to hand Amazon any coin for it, so I had to wait a few years to get my hands on one. I'm mostly using this at work right now, and it makes me smile consistently, as a perfect writer of my favorite blue ink, and something that isn't plastic. I have the custom silver-colored cap at home, because I don't want to chew or lose it, and I do want to chew the average Bic Crystal cap. Luckily, I had some Crystals around to strip for parts.
4. Zebra bLen, .7 gel, Zebra JNC refill
   My previous work pen, probably my favorite gel of all time. Fast, fluid, comfortable writer, inexpensive, looks cool.
5. Prismacolor Ebony Jet Black 14420
   What I reach for first when I reach for something to draw with.
6. Pentel P205, .5 mm, some super-light lead that I can barely see on the page anymore
   I just carry this one around, I haven't used it in years. Stripped the eraser for a Conte Criterium lead holder (2 mm) a long time ago.
7. .
8. Zebra V-301, Fine nib, inked with a Zebra black ink cartridge
   Another one I reach for come sketching time. Not a writer, but a fun, sturdy pen with a nice thin line for erotic doodles my artistic pursuits.

Please join me in pouring one out at this time for ol' No. 7 above, a Lamy Safari (Strawberry colorway, Extra-Fine nib) that became one with the infinite due to Fat error one evening on the way to a basketball game. Seveny, you'll be missed.

(What they look like on a Traveler's graph insert.)