If I Can Only Keep 10 Pens
Following posts from Ana and Laura at the Well Appointed Desk, and the back and forth of Brad and Myke on Episode 725 of the Pen Addict Podcast, I figured I’d shared my “I can only keep 10 pens” list. Unlike Myke and Brad, though, this list came together fairly easily and naturally for me. I admit I looked up official pen names or what size nib was in a pen, but all the actual pens came to me without much thought.
The self-imposed rules I set for myself were simple - only 10 pens, fountain pens only, and I must currently own them. This isn’t a wishlist or list of pens I used to own. That’s it. Simple, right?
#1 - Kanilea Kilauea. Fine nib.
I’ve written about this pen before, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. It was my first expensive pen, and my ordering of it formed the foundation for one of my most treasured friendships. The short version is I was on crutches when Kanilea launched at the DC Pen Show in 2016, and I couldn’t get close to their table before they sold out. I wrote Hugh an email a few weeks after, and he and his wife Karol met me at a coffee shop so I could see some samples and pick out a shape. I already knew I wanted the Kilauea colorway, but was uncertain on the profiles they offered. We had a nice little mini pen show right there at the coffee shop, chatting away like we had always known each other. A month later, Hugh and I met up again at the coffee shop to deliver the pen to me, and the friendship was off and running. (and yes, that is the SHORT version…) Now, Karol and Hugh are family, I “work” for them at shows (unofficial Hugh-wrangler and table security), and this pen was the catalyst to it all. It’ll never NOT be in my collection. Plus, it is truly a joy to use and always garners comments from others.
#2 - Kaweco AL Sport in Denim Blue. Fine nib.
In 2015, I carried this pen nearly 2,200 miles while I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail. I journaled nearly every day, earning my trail name “Scribe”, and launching this blog (all of my blog posts are still live here). It’s not the flashiest pen I own, and there are others I enjoy writing with more, but after 7 months of writing only with this pen, it’s a forever-pen. And it’s good to always have a pocket pen available.
#3 - Lamy 2000. Medium nib with a stub grind.
This pen is one of three office workhorses in my daily rotation. Along with the VP listed below and a Spoke Icon, nearly every meeting note for the last decade has been taken with these pens. The L2K gets the vote because it’s beautiful and reliable, I love the way it feels in hand, it looks classy but understated, and I love the way it writes. It’s a classic for a reason.
#4 - TWSBI Mini / 580ALR. Medium nib.
This is more of a general selection, as I have numerous colors of both models. Here, color means less to me than the writing experience. It holds a heap of ink, is always smooth and ready to write, and is my immediate vacation pen, since I know it’ll carry enough ink for the trip and will work flawlessly. When it comes to “which one”, my answer would be “whichever one I find first.”
#5 - Franklin-Christoph 50th. Technically, a Model 31 in “Haunted House” material by Pasquale with a Raven Broad S.I.G. nib.
The name says it all. This is my 50th Franklin-Christoph pen, a gift from F-C for buying 49 other pens. F-C does this for anyone who commits to their product in such a way. I have this resin in a Model 45COR, and when given the choice for my 50th, it was an easy selection. The colorway is beautiful and the M31 is my favorite model. And the nib! A raven black S.I.G. nib may be my favorite F-C nib ever. Audrey does an amazing job. Thank you to Scott and team.
#6 - Pilot Vanishing Point. Medium nib.
This is my second office pen. With a slightly narrower line width, and the “quick draw” click mechanism, this pen sees a lot of action for quick notes at my desk, and works well as a field pen, taking notes and sketches on floor plans (aka cheap paper) while walking the construction site. The matte blue finish feels amazing in hand, and what it lacks in ink capacity, it more than makes up for in efficiency and reliability.
#7 - Platinum 3776. Broad nib with an architect grind.
Again, the color here doesn’t matter to me. I love the 3776, and this is the only one I have with an architect grind. It was also my first architect grind, and my first custom grind ever. It’s not my favorite architect, but the combo of the 3776 with a very good architect nib makes this a no brainer to include.
#8 - Kanilea Kai Huli. Medium nib.
This one is here not for the actual pen (which is beautiful!) but because I had a large hand in making the Kai Huli lineup become a reality. I won’t go into specifics, but it was one of the few Kanilea models where I had direct input on the raw idea. And come on, it’s a Kanilea! I obviously need more than one in my pen case.
#9 - TWSBI Vac 700. Medium nib with Fude grind.
TWSBI quality. Immense ink capacity. Fude fun. This is my nature sketching / urban sketching pen. My fun playful pen. I don’t use it a lot, but when I do, I love everything about it. Gotta have it in the lineup.
#10 - Platinum Preppy. 0.3 nib.
I’m a firm believer every pen case needs one non-emotional, good quality, yet inexpensive pen. I use Preppy’s for setting up my bullet journal every week. They are great for field notes when I’m out sketching in the wild, whether for work or for fun. They are perfect for any situation where I’m concerned the pen might get damaged. The nib is fantastic, the barrel is perfectly adequate (in a good way), and the feed will flow any ink I throw at it, including carbon black. Without a numbers restriction, there is always one of these in my pen case. Always. There are currently 7 on my desk right now, with more than one inked up.
And there you have it. My case of 10 pens. I’d love to hear what you agree or disagree with, but be warned, it’ll take a very strong argument to make me swap any of these out. Thanks for playing along!
And remember to always Spin the Compass.
