Ink Flight #8 Reveal
Previous Ink Flights (Ink Flight #1 - Noodler's, Ink Flight #2 - Robert Oster Signature, Ink Flight #3 - KWZ, Ink Flight #4 - J. Herbin, Ink Flight #5 - P.W. Akkerman, Ink Flight #6 - Papier Plume, Ink Flight #7 - Platinum Mix-Free)
Earlier this year, I fell in love. Hard.
The pen love was strong from the moment that I received my very first Franklin-Christoph fountain pen in the mail. After waiting weeks for a notification e-mail about a batch of Model 65 pens in the highly desirable "antique glass" style, the pen was in my hands. Besides looking oh-so-cool with the "Coke bottle" effect that the transparent resin had, the medium cursive italic steel nib ground by Mike Masuyama was unlike any other nib I currently wrote with.
Flash forward to the August DC Pen Show and a late night ink sampling party. Having the pleasure of dip testing several Franklin-Christoph inks, I was convinced that this writing company based out of North Carolina had a hardline deep inside a fountain pen enthusiast's soul. I approached Scott Franklin that same weekend about working together on an Ink Flight and here we are.
Since fall is here, your captain of this Ink Flight went with a richer, darker palette of colors.
Here is a rundown of all the colors in September's Ink Flight #8:
Black Forest Green
This luscious, dark green has a hint of teal and sheen that reveals itself best on Tomoe River paper.
Tenebris Purpuratum
Translates to “Dark Purple” in Latin, this plummy, shading purple is “magna atramento!”
Midnight Emerald
Others may become green with envy after seeing this lovely, smoky shading ink flowing from your nib.
Dark Chocolate
This chocolate is so rich, it almost appears black on paper. Healthier than regular chocolate! (j/k)
Terra Firma
This grounded reddish-orange has a look of terracotta or clay. Great shading ink.
Spanish Blue
As bright and crisp as a clear autumn sky, this ink shades well and is the least saturated of the set.
Sweet Maroon
A dark red like blood, this ink has a richness and complexity is entrancing.
Personal Favorites
Sweet Maroon, Spanish Blue, Terra Firma, Tenebris Purpuratum
And the not-so-favorites:
Black Forest
Box Extras - Story Supply Co. Edition 407 Pocket Notebooks
Everyone has a story and these pocket notebooks give you the space to tell it, as well as give the chance for a young child to tell theirs.
Two years ago, 407 backers on Kickstarter brought Story Supply Co to life. The Pocket 407 Edition 3-pack of dot grid notebooks celebrates the support of their start-up business.
Each Edition 407 Pocket Staple notebook measures 3.5” x 5.5”, filled with 48 dot grid pages printed on 70# smooth Cougar Natural paper. It handles most pen and ink combinations quite well, is acid-free and made 100% in the USA.
Each notebook that is sold by Story Supply Co (including the pack you have received) is matched with a donated “Story Supply Kit” sent to partner organizations that provide free tutoring, writing, and arts instruction to kids in under-served communities.
In the spirit of “paying it forward,” we tasked our Ink Flight box subscribers with a little project: Use one of the notebooks to write a short story, then pass it on to someone else to continue with their story. The idea for the story is this:
Write a story about a time when you did something you once thought was impossible.
The story itself doesn't need to be long. It could be one page or a couple of pages in the notebook. Once it is finished, pass the book on until every page has been filled. Then, lend the book to someone in need of some encouragement. Hopefully, it will help inspire the confidence in others.
I was originally going to leave my book in a public place, like a library or coffee shop. I put it in a ziplock bag, complete with instructions and my e-mail address to get back in touch. I also made sure to write a note on the bag to state that the contents were "not trash," as it is easily imagined that someone would find it and simply throw it away.
Instead, I gave it to a good friend at the Pelikan Hubs meetup last Friday. I entrust that he'll write a good story (in fountain pen ink) and pass it on to someone that would do the same.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY (USA shipping addresses only)
Leave a comment below to let us know what you think about September's Ink Flight, Franklin-Christoph inks, and/or writing in the Story Supply Co Notebooks. We will pick one random commenter to win an October Ink Flight Box on Tuesday, October 3rd at 8:00 pm. My sincere apologies to our international friends, we will only ship this giveaway to USA addresses.