During the COVID lockdown, I spent a lot of time writing. It was either that or learning to bake sourdough bread, and the last thing I needed was more reason to eat while they gym was shuttered.
Of course, I could have written with one of my many pencils — I have a long-standing pencil addiction, but I moved on to fountain pens.
I felt this time —more than any other time —was worth memorializing in ink on nice paper.
For the ink, I settled on Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki. It’s not too light or dark—it’s just ‘right.’ And it comes in a gorgeous, aesthetically pleasing glass bottle.
I did try some green ink. I thought it would be a light, happy color to counter the gloom of the ever-increasing pandemic deaths. But I soon realized green was more suited to writing a manifesto than recording my time at home.
I also bought some notebooks filled with Tomoe River paper. This paper gets positive reviews on every fountain pen-centric YouTube channel, and justifiably so. It is a very, very nice paper to write on.
So, what did I learn from all this writing on fine paper with my not-too-blue ink?
Firstly, and most unexpectedly. Writing with a fountain pen improved my writing style and grammar on electronic devices. I’m not sure why. But, it did. Secondly, I did feel the pace of writing with a pen made me more aware of what I wanted to record. That, of course, was expected.
Now, as the pandemic draws to a conclusion in my part of the world, I’m hooked on pens, ink, and paper.
I just bought one last fountain pen, a few more bottles of ink, and a load of paper and notebooks from Asia. Hopefully, I will keep going along this route. The benefits are well worth the time and expense.