A little tweak and much-improved ink flow
Aligning the ink channel and nib’s tines made a world of difference.
A little tweak can make all the difference.
Entering Monday, the Esterbrook Estie was writing increasingly scratchy. I went through a checklist of possible causes. The ink converter was fully seated. The nib’s tines were properly aligned. The tines were flossed and free of paper-debris and shimmer clogs.
I found the poor ink-flow culprit while toying with the pen over lunch on Tuesday. The nib had slid to one side of the feed. The ink channel (at the center of the feed) needed to be re-seated underneath the nib’s tines.
Problem solved.
This week’s Inked Tines update includes last week’s currently inked writing tools.
Toolset
Pens. Last week’s second-most-used pairing stands out to me. The Esterbrook Estie (B Scribe) was continually on my desk while journaling, outlining lesson plans, taking notes through lesson activities, and even marking up manuscript drafts. Koiame’s shading leaps off the page, especially against the murky blues comprising half of last week’s palette. 1/2 full.
Nakaya Neostandard (M Naginata) — Sabimidori is a hall of fame worthy ink. Fun dark blue while wet and green-teal once dry. The Naginata-esque nib accommodated quick jottings during a lesson observation, some manuscript drafting, and reading notes. Feed only.
Platinum 3776 (EF) — Usuzumi aged well. Flooding the feed once last week led the pair to write reliably without dry starting since. Hair-thin lines in a moderately-sheened black make for easy legibility with pops of fun. Drove teaching-related writing all week and even lived as my pocket carry. 1/4 full.
Asvine v126 (S) — Asvine’s feed encourages Hanada’s shadiest aspects. The Asvine’s somber colorway traveled through both a parent meeting and a curriculum review without distractions. Flawless performance. 1/3 full.
Platinum 3776 (M) — Ainezu writes a glassy blue-black line in this particular M. A go-to for rapid writing all week: reflective journaling, manuscript drafting, one lesson outline, and two lesson observation notes. 1/2 full.
Pelikan m805 (B Architect) — Pelikan’s wet feed bookmarks Koke’s shading at the beginnings and ends of letters. Fun punctuations of dark lemongrass color throughout my writing. A pairing I aim to tag in more frequently next week. Creative writing, D&D notes, journaling. 4/5 full.
Notebooks. Work bujo. Plotter Shiranami (A5). Last week had three teaching days. I adapted my typical weekly spread to capture Wednesday through Friday and a section for tasks that crop up for future dates, which I title “Later,” one a single page. Conservative.
All told, I used six pages. The adapted one-page weekly, a one-page homework check tracker, one page of meeting notes, and one more single page of curriculum-design scratch notes. The final two are lesson plan outlines.
Koiame’s burnt orange contrasts beautifully against Usuzumi’s dark black. Easy scanning was much-needed during a lesson that ran on timed rounds. The Esterbrook’s architect grind added flair, fun, and impressive legibility given the small size of my letterforms.
The Asvine’s stub nib carried me through a curricular meeting. Short narrative notes, detailed notes on a recommended rubric design, and jottings related to follow-up meetings. An impressive feat given the stub nib’s wide lines.
One of the week’s lessons involved grading my students’ ability to sustain evidence-supported conversation. I tapped the Uroko-Gumo twice to track students’ contributions about the influence of nationalism in the late 1800’s. The M nib is uncomplicated and forgiving on writing angle, and offers lines small enough to remain readable.
I took notes for two more classes with the week’s other middling-width writers: the Nakaya and the Esterbrook.
Journal. Musubi Tomo Halos (A5). I returned to my journal after three weeks of stasis. Three new entries. One descriptive recap of the prior weekend, two single-page analyses of my priorities going into 2026, and four poem excerpts. Eight new pages in all.
The Platinum Uroko-Gumo carried Monday evening’s scribbling. A brain dump of sorts. I recapped the prior weekend’s escapades with my partner. The round M nib let me focus on my thoughts over proper writing form. Two pages of wall-to-wall recounting.
The Esterbrook left fabulous gradient shading throughout the week’s second entry. A one-page application of a reflection I stumbled onto over in Instagram: how pleased eight-year-old and eighty-year-old me would be with my present day priorities.
Koiame’s burnt orange felt suitably old-timey for digging into the past-me side of the reflection. The Estie’s broad architect offered a wonderful balance of shading, line variation, and reliable ink delivery.
Written dry. Six pens entered the week. Six pens remain.
Newly inked. Absolute crickets. A decided absence of activity.
The collection
Incoming / new orders. Fountain Pen Revolution’s EF Flex Nib landed on the desk pad this week. The nib is primed and advertised with flex calligraphy in mind. Slow, deliberate writing that extends into maximum line variation.
I’ve taken to the give of soft nibs lately. Pilot’s SF and Delta’s Semi-Flex offer a whimsical bounce to my everyday printing. Mundane writing deserves some whimsy.
The FPR nib is presently seated in my Carolina Pen Company Charleston. Uninked.
Outgoing / trades or sales. No movement here.
Currently reading and listening
Fiction. I finished Ross’ Enchanted Sea Tuesday evening. The story was set in a magic-infused Ireland-ish world. The magic system, infused into the everyday lives of the people on the island, intrigued me.
I transitioned into a sardonic high-fantasy getup with Wexler’s How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. Davi, the protagonist, is easy to empathize with. The joking tone has given me a desired outlet from the gloom and violence of the real world right now. A balanced escapism.
Nonfiction. My latest arrival is Max Stearn’s Parliamentary America. Stearns makes his case for three new amendments to revise the United States’ political system back towards democratic practice. A thoughtfully hopeful trio of aspirations.
I’ve been using a USA Generals Cedar Pointe pencil for annotations. The 2HB core quickly grew on me. A happy middle of dark grey lines and point retention. Thanks to the reader who kindly shared this excellent wood pencil!
Music. I am floored with how strong Chillhop’s latest Winter Essentials compilation record is. The lo-fi record has been on repeat through nearly every writing and reading session so far in January.
The tracks feel wintery. The vibe befits calm me-sessions. The tracks and videos are family friendly. Bases covered.