Several new inks and two new pens over the last few days! The Pilot Metro I’ve had for a couple of weeks now, but had been using the stock black cartridge that came with it while the Diamine Emerald got lost in the mail for a few days. While waiting for the Emerald, I got impatient and bought a three-pack of Diamine Green/Black, Writer’s Blood, and Midnight.
I also wanted to try a Japanese fine nib, so I ordered the Pilot Lightive. I’d been getting really curious about Chinese pens as well, and at $11 USD, the HongDian 525 seemed like a great experiment.
First, the inks. All four of them are beautiful, but after seeing the Emerald, the Green/Black seems a little lifeless. Green/Black is still a lovely color and fits in very well with the rest of the trio, but the Emerald is exactly what I was looking for in a green for right now. It’s an added bonus that it matches the color of that Retro Pop so well! The Midnight and Writer’s Blood are also stellar inks. I can see why the Writer’s Blood is such a popular color.
The Pilot Lightive is a wonderful pen to write with. I can definitely see the difference between the German fine of the Lamy Safari and the Japanese fine of the Pilot. For as fine as it is, there is very little feedback and it just glides over the paper. I’ve been using it quite a bit over the last few days!
The HongDian just arrived about twenty minutes ago, but I’m quite pleased with it so far. It has the same width as the Pilot despite it being sold as an extra-fine. It has a lot of feedback, but it’s not what I’d call scratchy. It just lets you know that the paper has some tooth. It’s a heavy pen, weighing in more than the Metro, which is a physically larger pen. It also needs a bit heavier hand to get the ink flowing. My other pens just need the weight of the pen, but the HongDian needs the slightest bit of pressure at the start of a line.
I’m excited to keep writing with all of my new toys!
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The Metropolitan is such a nice pen. I had it as one of my firsts and recently found it laying around and brought it into my currently inked pens again. Such a nice feeling of nostalgia! :D
I think Black/Green would be nicer for longer texts, but the other inks are dark enough already, so emerald brings some shine to the trio, good choice! And I simply have to complement you on the pairing of inks with pens, trully magnificent!!!
Hope you enjoy them a lot more, and hope to see yor handwriting around too ;)
Thank you! I’m looking forward to having spent enough time with this hobby that my Metro feels nostalgic, too. I had used the Pilot Varsity pens for years, but decided to take the plunge a couple of months ago. The only pens and inks that I’m not showing off in that image are the Lamy Safari Charcoal that’s inked with iroshizuku murasaki-shikibu and a Kuratake No 13 brush pen inked with Diamine Ancient Copper. I’ve been a writing fiend since I first got that Lamy!
Lovely! I still find Writer’s Blood such a strikingly elegant color.
I’ve been scribbling so much with it. It makes me feel like the things I write are just that much more special. Even if it is just a random string of expletives.
The only one of those I’ve had the pleasure of using is the Metropolitan - given the right ink and a careful touch on the squeeze converter, they can be fun. A daily driver for me, it is not, but when I really want to lay down wetter inks it’s pretty awesome.
My favorite inks rapidly tend to find their favorite pens - I tried Hana Ikada out in the Metropolitan, and picking it up to use it didn’t bring a smile to my face. On the other hand, the right Iroshizuku ink and a Sailor nib combine to guarantee brightening my day - even if I’m using it to write a eulogy. (Hopefully not!)
I have learned so much from the community on the old place, and still have much to learn in the FP hobby, but I’m having a great time along the way.
