Has anyone else run into the issue of having 5-7 pens inked up at once, and forgetting exactly which ink is in one of them? Or has any of you found a good solution for tracking such things?
Tracking your inked pens
- Thread starter Shave_Rat
- Start date
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Solution:
One pen inked for use at home, and one pocket pen inked for leaving the house with.
I'm lucky in as much as I don't have the need or desire to have several pens or inks on the go at the same time. When a pen is empty, I decide which pen and which ink I want next.
... or just keep a scrap of paper to hand to do a test scribble on
One pen inked for use at home, and one pocket pen inked for leaving the house with.
I'm lucky in as much as I don't have the need or desire to have several pens or inks on the go at the same time. When a pen is empty, I decide which pen and which ink I want next.
... or just keep a scrap of paper to hand to do a test scribble on
- Thread starter
- #3
lol The scribbling doesn't always work, if you have a couple different brands of similar colored ink in the pens. If the color is very distinctive and you only have one bottle of a color at all like it, yeah, that makes it easy.
Ink journal noting pen and what’s currently inked
I have quickly learned to never have more than two inked at a time. But that is just me.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
As I'm too simple to understand the problem...
... what is the issue with mistaking one dark green ink or one black ink for another?- Thread starter
- #7
It really only becomes an issue if I want to empty the pen back into the bottle, flush it, and ink it with another color. I don't want to mix even small parts of one ink into a different ink's bottle.As I'm too simple to understand the problem...
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
It really only becomes an issue if I want to empty the pen back into the bottle, flush it, and ink it with another color. I don't want to mix even small parts of one ink into a different ink's bottle.
Ahh... OK. Anything I don't use goes down the sink, and I rinse the converter out before refilling, so it's not something that would trip me up.
Thanks for the insights, Dustin.
- Thread starter
- #9
Anytime. I wish I could bring myself to just make it easy and flush out remaining ink into the sink when I wash them out. It just feels not right to me. lol
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
As I don't write with different colours, I only flush when it's empty enough to start stuttering, or I really don't like the ink in the first place. If I've got a "fun" ink in the pen, and need something a little more conservative, I'll just reach for the pocket pen (Ohto Tasche) as I always have blue ink in that (either generic cartridges, or Diamine Twilight).
You've apparently got too many pens inked up at once. 
I've got two pens inked right now, the ink bottles are on my desk. Too many at once and you'll forget about one and find it clogged a few years from now.
Or -- make a list like this: @allthehobbies on Instagram: “Didn’t want to detract from pen show posts so finally posting my #currentlyinked for November. Though all the pens and inks I bought at…”
She's over the top! P.S. Don't forget that is only page one ...
I've got two pens inked right now, the ink bottles are on my desk. Too many at once and you'll forget about one and find it clogged a few years from now.
Or -- make a list like this: @allthehobbies on Instagram: “Didn’t want to detract from pen show posts so finally posting my #currentlyinked for November. Though all the pens and inks I bought at…”
She's over the top! P.S. Don't forget that is only page one ...
- Thread starter
- #12
I found myself with 7 inked up currently. I have 3 different journals, each with a dedicated pen that stays with that journal, the pocket pen for grabbing when on the go, and 3 on my desk with a different nib size each depending on what I need it for. I also figure, why have so many pens in my collection and only use one or two at a time? lol
Yeah, she is a bit over the top. I feel better, since I thought 7 was extreme. lol
Yeah, she is a bit over the top. I feel better, since I thought 7 was extreme. lol
I only ink one at a time. Not much excitement until it runs dry and then i pick which pen/ink combo to use for the next weeks/month.
I keep two inked at a time, and honestly only really have two pens that I care for enough to write with daily. That would be my workhorse, the Parker 51 Aero, and my journaling pen, the Custom 74, both inked in R&K Salix. I hope to one day add a Pelikan to my collection and when that happens I will still retain the “two at a time” rule and simply rotate the Custom 74 and Pelikan for journaling.
I keep a small notebook, one that I have no other use for, and when I ink a pen, I write down which pen, what ink, and the date. When it's empty, I either refill it with the same ink, or cross out the entry and flush the pen.
Since I often refill from vials rather than directly from the bottle, cross contamination isn't too much of a worry, but on principle I'd rather not mix up, say, the De Atramentis Document Blue with the Akkerman Shocking Blue. I have five pens inked at present, if you don't count a couple of disposable Pilot Varsities and an Esterbrook Desk pen. Three have some sort of blue ink, the other two some sort of brown. I rotate largely on a whim; it's not matter of a particular ink for a particular purpose. But I do enough writing to empty any of my pens in a reasonable amount of time.
Since I often refill from vials rather than directly from the bottle, cross contamination isn't too much of a worry, but on principle I'd rather not mix up, say, the De Atramentis Document Blue with the Akkerman Shocking Blue. I have five pens inked at present, if you don't count a couple of disposable Pilot Varsities and an Esterbrook Desk pen. Three have some sort of blue ink, the other two some sort of brown. I rotate largely on a whim; it's not matter of a particular ink for a particular purpose. But I do enough writing to empty any of my pens in a reasonable amount of time.
LOL . . I have far too many pens and take a folder of 48 pens to the monthly pen meet for people to try out. I started a list in my journal but didn't always remember to write in it so not the best strategy. Now I just ink them all the same colour so I won't get into trouble. When I get back from the meet, the ink goes straight back into the bottle and they get a clean. Besides the inks I've been using lately are Toucan Ink (Dye Manufacturers of Australia) because they're local and can be mixed with no bad consequences other than some very interesting colours.
- Thread starter
- #17
So I ended up making a page in the bullet journal to track mine. Since I am working on migrating all my organizational things to that one place in 2019, it made sense to include that in there.
Next up, buying more inks/colors! Up till last week, I only had blue, black, and a purple ink. I've added a full bottle of Montverde Canyon Rust, and their Amethyst to the selections now. So, stepped outside my comfort zone with the Canyon Rust, and I'm liking it. Tho, I guess that could be a whole new thread... lol
Next up, buying more inks/colors! Up till last week, I only had blue, black, and a purple ink. I've added a full bottle of Montverde Canyon Rust, and their Amethyst to the selections now. So, stepped outside my comfort zone with the Canyon Rust, and I'm liking it. Tho, I guess that could be a whole new thread... lol
I may have gone a little overboard a few years ago when I decided to get the notebook sampler pack from Goulet Pens. I now fill in a small square with squiggles, write the pen name, and the ink in all 7 of the sampler notebooks so I can see the behavior on different papers early and easily. It is 100% a little much, but I tend to have 4-6 pens inked regularly and can easily tell what is in each of them. Plus I have been surprised to see some pen/ink combos that work really well on paper I wouldn't suspect.
- Thread starter
- #19
I wouldn't call that overboard. Just another facet of the hobby you are enjoying.
I picked up that notebook sampler as well, and led me down the passport size traveler's notebook rabbit hole.
I picked up that notebook sampler as well, and led me down the passport size traveler's notebook rabbit hole.
I have so many inks but I usually only use one. It has to be a special occasion to deviate. If I want to change to inks the leftovers go in the sink. I don't want to contaminate a bottle.
I might also have 7 pens inks but 4 of them are the same ink
I might also have 7 pens inks but 4 of them are the same ink
