Even flow
Last night my Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen arrived with a bottle of De Atramentis Document Ink. It’s rare for me to buy things for myself, but I have a soft spot for fine papers, pens, and inks. It’s a curious fascination that I know I share with many—many—others. I’m not sure when it all started, but I remember growing up in the late eighties and early nineties and being just as excited to see my friends get a new Pilot V5 as I was to see a new Nintendo game in my hands. I can still remember the smell of the V5 ink when I would write out my school reports longhand. I was no less excited when my pen and ink arrived last night. Indeed the first thing I did was crack open the ink, dip the pen, and compose a letter on stationary.
As I was doing so, I was reminded why I wanted to get a dip pen in the first place and what one sacrifices in using one. Ease and cleanliness jump readily to mind. I had a few ink stains on my hand, and the quality of my writing was of one clearly demonstrating that he is unpracticed at using a dip pen. It’s funny how much we take for granted with modern pens. No or little smudging. An even, consistent flow throughout. Not so much with a dip pen and an open well of ink before you. But there’s also more personality to it, I think. You can easily switch inks—something not possible with traditional fountain pens–and you can select from a host of inks that come in different colors and shades and have vibrancy and flair and shimmer you just won’t get in your standard Bic or Pentel you pull off the wall at Target. Some even resist water![1]
Which is to say that this won’t be displacing my normal writing utensils. Basic Bics are a fine tool. Perhaps even an unstated one. But when I want to put on a little flourish, I’ll be looking for this pen. There is a time and a place for ease and comfort. And there’s likewise a joy to be found in taking extra care and time and being crafty in the true sense of the word. Whether that be in a tradional trade or simply jotting down some thoughts to send on to those you care about.
It may seem like a given that all ink is water resistant by default, but it very much is not. Most fountain pen inks are water soluable. If you get some water on what you think of being set ink, you can watch it wash right off the page. That is in fact why I set my eye on the De Atramentis document ink—once set it tends to mostly stay set. That’s the hope at least. ↩︎