All posts by Daryl

Stationery

Some stainless steel additions

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I decided to try the Zebra F-701 with Fisher refill mod so I went over to Staples to pick up the stuff. Found the Zebra F-701, found the Fisher Space Pen refill, then saw the Parker Jotters. I’ve been a fan of the simple Parker pen designs ever since I saw a Parker 51 fountain pen, and here were a selection of Jotters calling out to me. So I put the Zebra F-701 back on the shelf and ended up getting a stainless steel Parker Jotter and the Fisher refill.

As soon as I left the store, I switched out the stock Parker QuinkFlow for the Fisher refill. Had fun twirling the Jotter all the way home. After writing with it for awhile, though, I realized I wanted a nicer writing experience to go with the nice Jotter, and although the Space Pen’s pressurized cartridge had many advantages over other ballpoint refills, a nice writing experience wasn’t one of them. The ink has that indistinct, inconsistent quality that’s common with ballpoints. I could live with that, but not in this barrel. It was time to go back to Staples and get the pen I went there for in the first place.

Again, picked up the Zebra F-701 and looked at the refills. Nothing looked very promising. I was looking for Visconti or Itoya gel refills since I read they were pretty good Parker-style refills, but I guess that’s not something one just picks up in a store anymore. Eventually, I settled for the Parker gel ink refill in blue, which only came in medium (0.7mm).

Made the switch at home. The Fisher refill went in the F-701 after a minor tweak to allow the cartridge to fit, and the new gel ink refill went in the Jotter.  The feel of the F-701 with the pressurized ink cartridge was more right. Of course that refill was more expensive than a Uni Power Tank, but it did feel right at least. The Parker gel ink refill, as I expected, was a little too broad for my writing style. The lines were more consistent, but there were some skipping incidents. There’s also the issue that the gel ink refills don’t last nearly as long as the ballpoint ones. I kept hoping for the writing experience of a Uni Jetstream, but with stylish Parker Jotter barrel. The next step was obvious.

I followed this guide to fit my 0.38mm black Jetstream refill into my Parker Jotter. The process was a little messy and took some time, but it worked. I now have a stainless steel Parker Jotter with the awesome lines of an extra fine Jetstream. Until the ink runs out and I have to mod another Jetstream refill. For now though, I’m happy.

Stationery

Refining the Everyday Carry

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The selection of writing instruments I carry with me is now a little more optimized in that I have specific functions in mind for everything. Still more excessive than I’d like (and I like a little excess), but at least it’s less random. Here is the current load-out:

  • Uni Kuru Toga 0.5 mechanical pencil: For times I want to use a pencil, obviously. This is the only pencil I’m carrying.
  • Pentel Clic Eraser: The Kuru Toga has an eraser, but I to have a separate eraser for erasing larger areas faster.
  • Uni Propus Window: This highlighter is double-sided. The 4.0mm side has a see-through section so I can see what I’m highlighting. The other side is 0.6mm. I chose bright yellow.
  • Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Lumio: I might actually replace this in the future. It’s a good multipen, but it does little that something else in my bag doesn’t do better. I’m considering the Uni Style Fit instead since it offers both gel and ballpoint refills, which use the same ink as the Signo and Jetstream lines respectively.
  • Uni Power Tank 0.7: This pen writes in extreme conditions and on wet surfaces. Gravity independent. It doesn’t write as well as the other pens I carry, but it’s nice having something I can use when other pens would not work.
  • Uni Jetstream 0.38: These pens are smooth, quick-drying, reliable, water-resistant, and have comfortable barrels. I carry one black for general writing and signing, and one red for correcting and comments. If I do end up getting the Uni Style Fit, I may remove these since they would be redundant.
  • Uni Signo 207 micro: This is the designated pen I offer people who ask to use a pen. It’s reliable, smooth, and easily replaceable.
  • Uni Signo 0.28: I use the blue black one for general writing on paper that doesn’t agree with fountain pen inks. So fine, yet so smooth.
  • 3 EF/F nib foutain pens: I carry these for general writing with nice ink. Currently have one with Noodler’s Heart of Darkness (black), one with Pilot Iroshizuku shin-kai (blue black), and one with Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa (purple).
  • 4 stub/italic nib fountain pens: Okay, I probably don’t need to carry around four of these, but the line variation from the italic nibs make my handwriting look slightly nicer. Three of them are loaded with the same inks as the fine nib fountain pens mentioned above, and the fourth, a Pilot Penmanship with stub nib, is loaded with Sailor Jentle Grenade.

I removed the assortment of Pilot Hi-Tec-Cs I used to carry because the standard barrels are terrible. Removed the Uni Signo 207 BLX because I didn’t like the broad lines or the colors very much. Removed the Pilot 78g because I don’t like anything about that pen (other than the nib which I’m using on the Penmanship). Removed the Sailor HighAce Neo because the nib wasn’t as fine as the Pilot fountain pens. Removed the Uni Jetstream 0.7 because I prefer the finer tip sizes.

Stationery

More nib changing

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The Pilot Knight with the M italic nib hasn’t been able to keep up with my quick handwriting, even with the easy flowing Iroshizuku shin-kai loaded in it, so I changed the nib to the F nib that came with the Prera. I put the italic nib back on my blue Plumix, and all my pens seem to be happy again.

The italic nib does seem to work well with the Pilot Metropolitan though. The Pilot Knight must write on the dry-side since both pens have wet inks (the Metropolitan is filled with Noodler’s Heart of Darkness).

I only wish I had more EF nibs to replace my other round nibs. Might have to pick up a couple more Penmanships.

Stationery

The Pilot EF nib

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Went to Maido today and picked up a Pilot Penmanship (demonstrator model) expecting to just use its EF nib on my Prera. The result of the nib switch was even better than I imagined. Since the Penmanship has no chrome accents or clip, the 22k gold-plated nib didn’t look out-of-place on it, and the EF nib on the Prera makes the pen really good for general writing in the A6 notebooks I usually use.

Also got a couple more Pilot Plumixes, a purple and a blue. I plan to use one of the italic nibs in the Pilot Knight when it comes in, and the other one, haven’t decided which, I’ll keep as-is. Having three of them also adds balance to my pen bag since one Plumix alone among various other pens looks really funky.

I only wish they had J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune in stock. They only had Perle Noire, Vert Pre, Lie de The, and a couple others I can’t remember. The guy ordered some bottles, but I’ll probably just order the 100ml bottle from Anderson Pens.

Stationery

Pilot nib shuffling

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My Pilot pens arrived in the post yesterday, two of which I ordered specifically for their nibs. I put the Plumix’s medium italic nib in the Metropolitan, the Metropolitan’s medium round nib in the 78g, the 78g’s broad stub nib (which seems to be more of a medium italic) in the Prera, and the Prera’s fine round nib in the Plumix.

They all seem to perform well enough, but I don’t like the way the 78g’s 22k gold-plated nib looks on my Prera demonstrator, and the 78g is pretty meh. Before the Pilot Metropolitan came out, the 78g was probably a great deal. It’s still a pretty good value, but the construction and feel of the Metropolitan, which is only about $3 more, is so much better. The 78g does have one more nib option (stub) than the Metropolitan, which currently only has options for M or F, but the Metropolitan has a lot more barrel options.

I am really happy with the Plumix. I put the original converter from the Metropolitan, which I replaced with a CON-20, in the Plumix in addition to trading out the nib for a fine, as I mentioned earlier. The pen writes effortlessly with Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts. Some people think the Plumix is ugly, but I kinda like it. The squid-thing it has going on is what I imagine Lovecraft would create if Lovecraft did sub-$10 fountain pens.

I’m so satisfied with the Plumix that I plan to order two more. One of the italic nibs I’ll use in my Pilot Knight, and the other I’ll probably swap with the B stub nib currently in the Prera. Then I’ll fill the purple one up with some J. Herbin’s Poussiere de Lune to complement that Lovecraftian feel.

Scraps

The New Year

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I remember I used to like new years and birthdays and other days celebrating the end of one period of time and the beginning of another. Like many people, I used to think about everything great that had happened that year or everything I hoped to do in the year to come. Now these anniversary days just makes me think of all the time I’ve wasted and will likely waste in the future.

I do have a lot to be thankful for though, especially when it comes to my membership in the church. Last year had some new challenges and experiences. Nothing extraordinary, I know, but after those challenges were overcome and the experiences were past, I actually felt some sense of fulfillment knowing that I was doing something that mattered.

This year, I still have everything to do.  What is harrowing, though, is that I keep finding new books I want to read (currently trying to read two parenting books and an assortment of fiction) and movies and TV shows to watch (surrounded by people giving me recommendations in addition to the stuff I happen upon myself). That said, I will try progress in my life more so than I’ve done in past years .

Tonight I read Lang Leav’s Love & Misadventure. Some of it was forgettable or just didn’t resonate with me. A lot of it, however, was clever, and some of it was even sweet and profound. I especially liked this one:

It reminds me of a relationship my friend shared with me recently. How some people change our lives, and then, after we may have come to love them, ultimately leave us. Sometimes they even help us to become who we are meant to be, at least for that stage of our life.

Food & Drink

Foster City Corner Bakery Cafe

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The Foster City Corner Bakery Cafe had their grand opening this morning. First 100 people received a free mug and a card for free coffee every day for a year. I think I was the 11th person in line.

I picked up a blueberry muffin while I was there which wasn’t especially good, but the coffee was decent. I definitely plan to make use of that card. 😀