How many pens do you keep inked up?

[Slivovitz]

Typically at least two and no more than six. If I'm traveling, it might get down to one. Today it's five.

Except that I cheat. I don't count several Pilot Varsities which sit around half forgotten until I pick one up on a whim, and find that it still starts right up after several months.

Returning to my much earlier reply, right now it's four. Again not counting the Varsities. And again not counting three Esterbrook Dip-Less desk pens, which are a sort of dip/fountain pen hybrid and have ink always in the wells.

When some silicone sacs that I ordered come in tomorrow, I'll be putting one in a vintage celluloid pen that needs one, and then of course I'll want to fill it, so that will make five if I don't write something dry before then.

Again, not counting the Varsities and the Dip-Less sets. Oh, and I guess I have cartridges in four Pilot Parallels that I rarely use. How often do you need a 6.0 mm nib? But they don't dry up any faster than the Varsities.

What made me think of this is that I'm trying to make my journal a bit less discursive, meaning fewer pages a day, meaning it will take even longer to empty a pen. So I really should consider cutting back on the inked pens. But as long as my pens aren't drying out, I don't really worry about it.

 

[dojpros]

12 ish. 3 Lamys, 2 Metropolitans, 3 Parker 45 Flighters, 2 Esterbrooks, 2 Watermans, a few others. In broad strokes the pens are loaded with blue, black and blue-black in their brands' ink (Lamy, Pilot, Parker and Waterman) with some Pelikan and J.Herbin inks thrown in for good measure. I try to fill on Fri afternoon or Mon morning and just rotate throughout the day.

 

[John Rose]

Three.
Which is all I have at the moment.
I'll probably reduce it to two once my new pen arrives: Borghini V110/S medium point with Quink Blue-black, and (a new) Nemosine Fission 0.2 mm stub with Iroshizuku Yama-guri.
To be retired is a Manuscript Beginners Calligraphy pen with a really misshapen 0.85 mm stub nib; and a Rotring Art Pen. (Unless I ever want a 1.1 mm stub, because it works pretty nicely. I just don't want to be carrying that long barrel in my pocket.)

 

[Esetter]

I keep one black, and one blue.

 

[richnmib]

Way to many, 16

 

[JoeyZ]

I always have 3 inked. 5 if you count the two preppys that always are inked with the same ink and sit in the "pen cup" at home. The other three are kept in a small pen roll and come with me back and forth to work. They are usually inked with a black, a bluish ink (blue-green, blue-black, actual blue, etc.), and the third is usually a "fun" color or something I am testing out.

Unusually, I have two inked with black cartridges right now. Something I rarely do at all, much less in two pens at the same time.

 

[beginish]

One at a time.

 

[Runnin_Ute]

Right now it is twelve. Ideal for me is about 8-10. And I have a new pen arriving Monday that I will want to fill when it arrives. Just to keep it at ten, I will have to empty three. (or write out three of my convertor pens between now and then)

 

[AimlessWanderer]

This week I've had all four of mine inked up, which for me was too many. Even though I scribble my way through the equivalent of one or two cartridges a week, I was worried about them drying out. I washed three of them out last night, and am going to aim for just having one or two inked up at any time.

 

[Rhody]

Right now 1
It's been about a week and I'm trying to keep it in my rotation

 

[TomCan]

I tend to go back and forth between a cart Esterbrook and Weaver. The student Sheaffer I've had for years is a bit of a wet writer for me most days but still in rotation.

 

[bray144k]

Right now, 4. Pilot Metro, Noodlers Charlie, Nemosine Singularity, Twsbi Eco.

 

[John Rose]

1. Nemosine Fission 0.2 mm stub
   
2. Borghini V110/S medium point

I prefer writing with the Nemosine, but if I need to make a quick note (such as taking down a phone message) I like the convenience of uncapping and posting the Borghini. The Nemosine cap unscrews, which is a bit of a delay.
Also, I like to switch back and forth between different ink colours when I'm writing in my journal.

 

[r0ckrat]

Some nice collections here. I usually have 2 with ink, and right now that's an Esterbrook SJ Double Jewel that I restored with Noodler's Forest Green from a sample I received in a mystery box here many years ago. The other is a "Stypen" that used to have a rubber coating and a MINI Cooper logo on it. Inked with Noodler's Midnight Blue.

 

[r0ckrat]

I seem to have developed a bit of an issue...

I received 4 bottles of ink for my birthday, and now have 6 pens with ink in them, and nothing to try the last bottle of ink in...

Pictured from left to write (sic)

Stypen from the '03 MINI Motoring Catalog, with Diamine Imperial Purple
Estie SJ with Noodler's le Colore Royale
Waterman Kulture from the Musee Marmottan, Monet exhibit circa 2000 with Noodler's Midnight Blue and Widowmaker 50/50 mix
Noodler's Charlie with Borealis Black
Dallaiti Akr37 with Waterman Blue cartridge
Lami Safari with Lamy Blue cartridge

The only fp I have left is an old ('94) Rotring Art Pen Sketch with an EF nib... and a bottle of Noodler's 54th Mass. Blue.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[KellyG]

"I received 4 bottles of ink for my birthday, and now have 6 pens with ink in them, and nothing to try the last bottle of ink in..."

You sir, clearly need more pens!

 

[KellyG]

It varies, but is never less than three and usually more like 12 or so. And that doesn't count three Jinhaos I keep on my desk at work.

 

[Maguirer]

Lately, the 3 or 4 normal pens inked has crept up to over 8 on average and at my worst I had 20 pens inked and needing the cleaning at month end.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Normally, three.

• One blue/green/purple cartridge
• One red/brown cartridge
• One bottled ink in converter/piston

Right now, too many.

 

[Shutterbug57]

I try to keep it to 4 or less. Today it’s 3 pens and an ink pot.