I had this on my counter the other day: nine pens, all needing to be cleaned out.
You know how there are people who love cleaning things? Who find it meditative or restful or enjoyable?
Yeah, I’m not one of those people. So I love inks that are easy to clean.
Most of these were, actually. Montblanc William Shakespeare was the only exception. Not a total surprise. And I survived. “Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.”
Kaweco Smokey Grey. This is an attractive light gray ink that is surprisingly legible and features a surprising amount of water resistance. It is a Kaweco ink, so it’s not surprising that Smokey Grey also is easy to clean from a pen and has excellent lubrication and flow.
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Back-to-school time is the most wonderful time of the year for those of us who are parents of teenagers. Our beloved progeny will once again be occupied for at least seven hours every weekday, in a building somewhere else, under the supervision of someone else. Thank you, compulsory state education.
Also, school supplies are on sale! I always try to pick up some low-price paper when the superstores and office supply stores bring it in at low prices. This year I tried some Mead 70-sheet spiral notebooks made in the USA, on sale at Target for $3 for four notebooks.
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September 10, 2016 update: Nicola did not claim the ink, so Caroube de Chypre is on its way to the second-place finisher Raffaello Palandri.
We have a winner for the giveaway for J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre, thanks to the Random.org, and that is Nicola. Congratulations to Nicola, and thanks to everyone who entered. This ink comes from Pen Chalet. We’re giving away a Platinum pen next, so watch the blog for that, too, in the coming days.
Nicola, please use the Contact menu at the top of the page to send me your full name and mailing address.
There are good problems to have, of course, and having too many fountain pens inked is probably one of them. I’ve been looking at a lot of new-to-me inks, so I can’t complain if that requires a lot of pens. And in there is one awesome Platinum pen I’m going to be giving away. But I still had the small issue of where to put all those pens.
Last time I confronted this, I went for a temporary solution: I ejected a rollerball from the pen cup, and moved the fountain pens around like puzzle pieces until they all fit. Not ideal, but a workable quick fix. “You go, girl.”
However, one new ink led to another, and another led to a third, and so on. Before you could say “J. Herbin,” I was over-penned once again. This time, there were no more squeezes possible, and nothing to do but add another pen cup to the lineup. And not a pretty one, either. “Le sigh.”
But it’s all in how you look at things, right? So I shall look at my pen cuppage not as excess, but as a small tribute to the Very Large Array, which uses 27 movable radio telescopes to explore the universe.
And I mean, even the number 27 is inspiring. When I think how many pens would fit into 27 pen cups….
“You go, girl!”
You know what’s really nice? J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre. You know what else is really nice? Pen Chalet. Since Pen Chalet gave me that bottle to review, I’d like to pay it forward to a blog reader.
If you aren’t sure about inks with gold particles, Caroube de Chypre would be a nice one to try, because it’s fairly mellow. And if you already like inks with gold particles, Caroube de Chypre is a nice one to add because it gives a different look. Caroube de Chypre and Emerald of Chivor are my favorites of the 1670 inks, but they are very different.
I ended up liking Caroube de Chypre so much that I expect to put a bottle in my own Pen Chalet shopping cart before the year is up. And that makes me happy, because it’s nice to share something you like.
Rules: This contest is open to anyone, anywhere. To enter, just post a comment below. Your comment can be about this ink, any other ink, Pen Chalet or any topic. Enter any time in the next week: I will randomly select a winner on August 25th, and post the winner on the blog.
J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre. This is a lovely red-brown ink containing gold particles from J. Herbin. It’s a quieter gold-infused ink, in which the gold serves to deepen the rich color, giving an effect like a dark copper, or from some pens, a warm cocoa.
Caroube de Chypre won’t be the choice for those wanting a dramatic ink, but I loved the ink color and versatility. And because Caroube de Chypre is a relatively low-maintenance ink, I would trust it in any pen for an extended time period.
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I’ve been searching long and hard for how to bring out the most gold in J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre, and I think I’ve found it. But there’s going to be a “but” in there.
Caroube de Chypre is on the quieter side for inks with gold ink particles. It is a gorgeous dark copper ink, but it doesn’t pop like J. Herbin’s previous 1670 ink, Emerald of Chivor.
That’s actually fine with me. I love the color and how it looks on the page. But what if you want more gold? Can you get it?
Yes! And, no.
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Fountain Pen Follies 