Ink No. 1: Platinum Classic Citrus Black (Montblanc 146 with Medium Stub)

Sometimes a drier ink needs a wet-writing pen, and vice-versa. This Montblanc medium stub can be a challenge to use as an everyday writer given how wet the nib is, but with the Platinum Classic Series (which use iron gall), I can use this pen on all but the absolute flimsiest copy paper without significant bleedthrough or feathering. My favorite of the Platinum Classic inks is probably Citrus Black, which is a pale yellow when wet but dries to a dark green-gold. Iron gall inks are useful for taming ink flow in overly wet writing fountain pens, as they tend to be naturally dry. Don’t be fooled if they appear light or watery when first applied to paper - as the ink dries, the iron gall content bonds to the paper and not only darkens as it oxidizes but takes on a degree of permanence, so if your writing ever gets wet it won’t be entirely washed away.

Ink No. 2: Maruzen Athena Blue (Pilot Custom 823 with Medium Blade Grind)

The Pilot Custom 823 is a favorite pen, but since it uses a vacuum-filling system it can be hard to clean thoroughly when changing ink colors. For that reason I rarely have this pen inked with anything other than a blue or blue-black ink, and it can be a challenge to find a variation that holds my interest. My current favorite is Maruzen’s in-house Athena Blue, which is a darker blue ink that flows extremely well, does not feather or bleed, and is permanent. How permanent? I ran a sheet of paper under the faucet for a full minute and the ink barely ran at all. The downside? You can only get this ink at the Maruzen shops in Tokyo, Japan, and they don’t sell the ink online.

Ink No. 3: Taccia Ukiyo-e Hiroshige Ruri (Pelikan M800 with Medium Perspective Grind)

Another blue ink? You bet. I’m a huge fan of the Taccia Ukiyo-e line, and while most of those inks tend to be on the muddier, subtler side, my personal favorite is Hiroshige Ruri, a vibrant blue. Taccia inks have a balanced flow works well in most pens, dry relatively quickly, and have some of the absolute best box artwork in the business. I tend to never save packaging, but I still have all my Taccia boxes.

“If you could only keep [___] fountain pens….” I try to avoid answering these questions because (1) the number ends up being somewhat arbitrary; and (2) I would never be able to limit myself. At the same time, as a thought experiment, it’s often helpful to engage in exercises like this one because it requires you to think about your likes and dislikes, what drives your collection/accumulation, and what you would want to use every day if you were forced to restrict yourself to a handful of pens. Here goes nothing, with a little history behind each selection.

Lamy 2000 (Medium Matthew Chen Kodachi Nib).

You knew that one pen on this list would be a Lamy 2000. But why just a standard black version and not one of the fancy limited edition releases? Because this particular pen features an excellent medium Kodachi nib by Matthew Chen that’s not only the best Kodachi I own but one of my first by Matthew. While this particular nib doesn’t offer a ton of line variation due to the narrower grind and relatively lack of tipping, it’s just enough to keep things interesting.

Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog Fountain Pen on Pen Stand

Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog (SFM Nib).

The Pilot Custom 74 is one of my core workhorse fountain pens, and I have several, including stock medium and extra-fine nibs. If I had to pick one to keep, however, it would be the recently released Lavender Fog for no other reason than the Soft Fine Medium nib, which adds a bit of bounce and line variation to the otherwise stiff 14k Custom 74 nib.

Pilot Custom 912 Fountain Pen with Waverly Nib

Pilot Custom 912 (Waverly Nib)

Yes, there are lots of Pilots on this list. Yes, most will be pens featuring Pilot specialty nibs. I have a full review of the Waverly in the works, and I’ll have more to say later, but this slightly upturned nib is designed to write smoothly at any angle and makes for an excellent all-day-every-day workhorse. Yes, the design of the Custom 912 is somewhat “understated,” but I also find it comfortable and well-balanced.

Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen Capped on Pen Stand

Pilot Custom 823 (Medium Mark Bacas Blade Nib).

This Pilot Custom 823 in Amber was the first really expensive fountain pen that I purchased, and has stayed in regular rotation for nearly 10 years due to the nib, which sports my first-ever blade/kodachi-style grind by Mark Bacas. If you notice the trend, yes, I enjoy grinding medium nibs for subtle line variation. And yes, this is indeed an Amber pen. It looks blue because it’s filled with dark blue ink.

Pilot Capless Decimo Nagasawa Kobe Gradation Harbor Mint Fountain Pen

Pilot Capless Decimo Nagasawa Kobe Gradation Harbor mint (Fine-Medium Nib).

These gradient-finish Pilot Decimos are made exclusively for Nagasawa Stationery, a Japanese retailer based in Kobe. This one features the rare fine-medium nib, which is - for me at least - the perfect nib width for everyday writing. I also love the color palette on this pen because it reminds me of the beach every time I write with it. (This specific model is the “Harbor Mint” release, now discontinued, but reach out to our friends at Vanness Pens who might have a few of this year’s Kobe Gradation release.)

Opus 88 Jazz Fountain Pen with Platinum 3776 Nib

Opus 88 Jazz (Medium Platinum 3776 Nib).

My not-really-an-Opus-88 pen, since it features a transplanted medium 14k Platinum 3776 nib that was swapped using a Flexible Nib Factory housing. This eyedropper pen is an absolute ink tank - It holds almost an entire 4ml sample! - and works great with shimmer inks since the nib is pretty wet.

Kasama Una PEEK/Titanium (Medium Mark Bacas Blade Nib).

I wanted to include at least one visually striking/unique pen from my collection, and after careful consideration I selected this piece by Kasama from the Philippines. The barrel features a combination of PEEK (an ultem-like medical-grade engineered plastic) and anodized titanium. Once again, you have a medium Mark Bacas Blade grind.

Pelikan M800 Stone Garden Fountain Pen Capped on Stand

Pelikan M800 Souverain Stone Garden (Custom Nib Studio Perspective Nib)

This pen actually made me stop buying Pelikans, because the flecked tortoise-style barrel and dark blue acrylic has everything I was looking for visually in the brand. This M800 nib also features one of Gena’s “Perspective” grinds (Custom Nib Studio’s take on the blade/Kodachi style).

Sailor Imperial Black Fountain Pen Capped on Pen Stand

Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black Edition (Fine Nib).

A long-time favorite, and one of the few Sailor fountain pens that remains in my collection. This particular pen has sentimental value and would stay regardless, but it also has an excellent fine nib that’s stiff as a nail and exceptionally good for small writing and annotation. The original matte texture on this pen has worn shiny from so much use over the years.

Schon DSGN Faceted Titanium Shell fountain pen with Monoc Nib on Pen Stand

Schon DSGN Faceted Titanium Shell (Fine Monoc Nib)

Finally, I would plan to keep what is easily the most unique pen in my entire collection in terms of both barrel design and nib. The Schon DSGN “Monoc” nib is designed and built completely in-house, featuring a unique ultem feed and a reversible tip that allows you to write fine or extra-fine. The hammered titanium barrel has a gentle texture which, when combined with a longer grip section, makes this pen surprisingly comfortable to use. I consider this a capstone piece to my personal collection and have bought relatively few expensive pens since acquiring this one.

A Final Note

When compiling this list, my core consideration was whether I could see myself writing with one of these chosen pens forever. As a result, the list draws heavily from (1) pens that house favorite nibs, and (2) pens I feel are exceptionally well balanced for everyday writing. I disregarded factors such as sentimentality and monetary value, even though I have countless pens that were gifted to me or made by friends, and will accordingly remain in my collection forever.

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