4 pen-ink habits we are bringing into 2020

In the spirit of spring cleaning, we thought we’d share some thoughts on what we are bringing into the new year, with regards to pens and inks.

1. Let’s get matchy

Just like star crossed lovers trying to pledge their alliance to each other with matching colors, I find that trying to pair your pens with a complementary or matching ink colors helps to give new ideas on what to fill your everyday carry.

2. Let’s get tidy(ier)

Putting all your pens and inks in their respective corners (even if they are in trays or in bunches) helps you keep stock of how much you have and what you have.  Although “too much is never enough” for most of us in the pen-ink community, we don’t want to end up with 3 identical inks we can’t drink fast enough, do we? This frees up our mind space for new variants in colors and variety in pen models.

Pen Case: Shibui 5 Slot Pen Case Saddle Brown

3. Let’s get some airtime

We also find that when we make a regular habit of tidying our collections, we get a visual reminder of who’s feeling neglected in the pen drawer and which ink needs to be taken out for a spin.

Giving regular airtime to your pens and inks actually help them last longer. For example, at least once a year, I like to take pens out for some “fresh air” – I would flow some water through the pen feed, into the converter, just to make sure the pen is still flowing fine. Even if your pen is clean, go through the action as if you are filling up your pen with ink, except now it’s with water. Dry normally after you’ve done this a few times with each pen.

Feeds could dry out and be more prone to cracks if left unused for too long a time (worse for pens that have not been cleaned out).

4. Let’s get cleaning

Again, keeping your pens clean before storing them away helps to make them last longer. This also saves you the agony of discovering more ink crystals or stains on your beloved pens when you revisit them again. When you give your pens a good clean, you maintain good ink flow, and your writing experience is greatly enhanced. This is a feel-good habit of ours!

If you have forgotten how to clean your pen after a long hiatus, bring them to the Cityluxe Workroom and have one of us show you how. You can also consider buying the Monteverde pen flush to help you speed up the cleaning process. a. Ask for fortune readings from your pen (with the said ink crystals) very sincerely, then pray for good luck and good pens.

If you have other pen and ink habits of your own, we’d like to hear all about it! Tell us in the comments below.

Now that we’ve got those habits sorted out, you are definitely off to a good start! Happy new year and keep writing!