2025 state of the scholar, tray two
This post is part of a series of reflections, each focused on one of six trays comprising the current state of my collection. You can find tray one’s review here.
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I last took inventory of my pen collection back in 2022. My collection has changed considerably since then, driven by evolving needs and workflows as I moved cities and jobs. This post continues my check-in process as to which pens continue to suit my needs and which might warrant re-homing is a worthwhile reflection.
I measure each pen against three guiding principals.
Do I regularly use the pen?
Does the pen spark joy when I ink it up?
Is it well-suited to the kinds of writing I most commonly take up?
As I wrote about collection-level check-ins back in 2022,
“I hold the same rule for my collection as I do for technology (new apps and the like): each pen should work for me, not me for it. As the kinds of projects I take on change, the pens and inks that serve me best also change. Moving targets.”
An opacity spectrum
This week, I’m thinking through a second of my collection’s six 13-pen trays. A tray populated by Pilots and TWSBIs. The tray of transparent pens.
An air force of pilots
Pilot Custom Heritage 92: Clear, Transparent Blue. I turn to my 92s during entropic weeks when my calendar is expected to be jam-packed and dynamic. Such weeks happen infrequently. The Clear was last inked in March 2025 (six months ago) and the Transparent Blue was last inked a full year before that. Irregular use for both colorways.
I enjoy the slight feedback Pilot’s nibs offer. Pilot’s Number 5 nibs are easily swappable and fit in both my 92s and 74. This gives me access to narrow (EF) and wide (B) lines, as well as line variation from my FM Architect. The whole spectrum is covered.
Further, Pilot’s penchant for business-meeting-friendly colorwways suits my in-school and at-home writing scenes. And they fit securely inside pockets while moving between classrooms. Pilot’s 92s are well suited to my use-case but are, nonetheless, rarely rotated onto my desk. A curious realization.
Pilot Custom Heritage 912 Black & Silver. I last used the 912 during Summer 2024, over one year ago. The 912 falls short of the regular use standard.
However, the 912 houses my sole Soft Fine nib. The pen is also my widest Pilot section, which I find remains comfortable across medium and long writing sessions. The nib sparks joy and pen design suits my writing needs.
The 912 meets two out of three benchmarks. So I’m opting to tag the 912 in more often rather than move it on to another person’s collection.
Pilot Custom 74 Forest Green. The 74 holds sentimental value for me as my first “luxury” fountain pen was a Custom 74. The dark green cap and barrel, tipped with grey finials, still brings a smirk to my scholarly face (just above the beard-y area).
My database tells me that I last inked the 74 in April of 2025, just shy of half a year ago. A proximate use, if not recent. The 74 passes.
Custom 743 Deep Red. Warm toned reds rarely find their way into my collection. This 743 is an exception. The 743 also sports my collection’s lone size 15 nib. A disciplined F that can daily drive and carry longform writing in equal measure. Further, the 743 is inked as I draft this post. Huzzah for our backwards-walking writers.
Pilot Prera Slate Gray. I hold a deep appreciation for the Prera. The clip is tailor-made for holding to pockets and folders alike. The snap cap seals well enough and fits securely onto the body for balanced writing. And it even comes in grey. Joy affirmed.
I last inked the Prera back in October of 2024, eleven months ago. The question is: why do I fail to reach for the Prera if it checks my use-case and joy boxes? I suspect it’s the M nib size. An EF or B would suit my tastes better but, alas, the Prera comes primarily in F and M. Am I working to keep the Prera? Likely.
Seven may be one too many …
580-AL Silver, Turquoise, and Lava. I have a tendency to treat my TWSBIs harshly. The 580s all accept the hard use, crack without fully breaking, and keep on reliably performing. All three have seen ink and paper in recent months. My trio of 580’s offers me a warm tone, a cool tone, and a neutral silver. As a set: I’m set.
580-ALR: Prussian Blue. The ALR’s use-case matches exactly the ALs described above. However, the dark blue metal-worked ALR was last inked in May 2024, over 15 months ago. Such a prolonged dry spell suggests that I have too many 580s in my collection.
That said, I’ll need to think carefully about which to move on to another home — particularly since cracked caps will create a lower entry point for folks who might not otherwise be able to jump into the 580 line.
580 Smoke RoseGold II. I’ve scored the ink channel in the Smoke’s feed so that it puts down wet channels of ink. The Smoke is my pen of choice for high sheen and high shimmer inks. The F nib is tuned tighter than standard to offset the wet, nigh-uncloggable feed. Frequent, intentional use make the Smoke a keeper.
Vac 700R: Iris and Kyanite Blue. The 700s both house specially-ground nibs: one F CI and the other a M Selvedge. Having noticable flair available in moderately narrow line widths keeps detailed notes fun, lecture notes readable, and journaling interesting.
“Unsaturated” seems to be my color preference
Note — You can check out my entire collection over at my pen database. I use a Google Sheet to track details about each pen in my collection. Where I got each, which nibs are compatible, when each was last inked, etc. The database updates live to mnmlscholar as my tinkerings continue. A system that sounds organized when I describe it like this but functions more like contained chaos.
