There are generally three options when matching inks to pens. Find an ink that matches to your pen’s color, choose an ink that compliments your pen’s color, or go wild.

How does one whittle down a set of 12 inked pens to six? Turns out that I couldn’t. But seven was feasible.

Focusing on my needs for the week did the trick. I am scheduled for desk work (comments and grading projects from two separate classes) and plenty of floating meetings.

My friend Jo extended their brother’s offer to bring inks back from where he lives in Japan last December. Jo was particularly interested in a line of three limited Pilot inks from Tokyo: Shimbashi-iro, Edo-Murasaki, and Fukugawa-nezu. Two bottles of each; six in total.

I can’t always explain why a set of currently inked pens drives me back to the page. This week’s seven are doing just that.

I added four new pens to the weekly kit. Pens I haven’t used in a while — the Ondoro and Pelikan, especially. All paired with old favorite inks. Spicy.