After I shared my 2022 planner/diary blog post I received some messages about what pens I use, especially from people who were new to considering Tomoe River paper (in the Hobonichi) or wondering why I was raving about 120gms paper (for the Filofax refill). For me, the paper I use has to be responsive to the ink in my pen, so here's a quick overview of the pens I use regularly...
- Fountain Pentel JM20 : This is basically a disposable fountain pen with a plastic nib that feels firm on one side and flexible on the other which will generate a thick and thin line, depending on which side you use. It has black ink, a plastic barrel and a clip on the cap. I appreciate that this isn't exactly environmentally friendly but I off-set that in other ways, hopefully.
- Monteverde Prima Rollerball : I received this to review five years ago and it quickly became one of my favourite writing implements because of the chunky barrel which is actually unique in its design due to the process used to make it.
- J Herbin Rollerball : This is a repurchase of a review item from when I was an ambassador for an online stationery company. It's basically a small rollerball pen that takes ink cartridges so you have the ease of writing with a regular pen but the luxury of writing with real ink.
- Zebra 4-colour Retractable Ballpoint : I ordered a box of 10 because they had rose gold coloured barrels and were cheaper than the Bic version. I do actually use a colour coding system in my diary so I can highlight certain events but these pens are handy to have dotted around the house anyway.
As you can see from the picture, I have a pencil case with a variety of writing paraphernalia from pencils to biros to fineliners to erasable ink... so I'm not married to the four I've mentioned above but these are the ones I use on a daily basis. Which one I use depends on the reason for writing. In my Hobonichi Weeks, I'll use the Pentel because it's just fine enough for me to use on the narrow lines. I'll use the Zebra for scribbling quick notes, especially if I'm in a meeting and I need to highlight something to reference later. The Monteverde Prima is used for *naice* writing like letters, cards, signatures - that sort of thing, but I try to make an effort to use it more because I like it. The J Herbin is going to become an every-day pen alongside the Pental because I like the fact that it's proper ink and I can change the colour (I have a stash of purple and green ink cartridges).
What about you? Do you grab the nearest pen to hand or do you have a trusted favourite?
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