When counting how many fountain pens I have currently inked and congratulating myself on how the numbers are down on previous levels, I tend to count only those at home and forget the ones left in the workplace. It feels a bit like (I imagine) having undisclosed hidden funds sitting in an offshore account.

So in the interests of disclosure, here is the current office line-up. (The pen cup does not actually look like this;  I removed all the dusty ball points, pencils and other junk which were not of relevance to this post).

First there is the Lamy Safari Petrol. I was thrilled with this colour (both pen and ink) when it was launched last year. But for some reason, I did not make very much use of it at home. I recently took one of the Lamy Petrol cartridges and tried it in my Lamy Aion for a little while, before taking it out again and putting it in its matching fountain pen.  I decided to bring it to work to use for making notes.

The TWSBI Diamond 580 is an old favourite. Currently with a Medium nib (although it had a Broad for while), this is a deliciously smooth, wet, firm, writer and always reliable. The size suits me nicely and it is long enough to use unposted. Currently inked with Conway Stewart Tavy (by Diamine).

The TWSBI Eco is a newer acquisition from last year. Mine has a Fine nib, which is very firm but writes well. It is filled with Cross Black and is very useful for form filling as the ink behaves well.

Next, there is my newest pen, the Faber-Castell Loom, shiny gunmetal version with a Medium nib. This is not yet two weeks old and hence I still carry it back and forth to use at home and work. This is inked with Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue, in cartridge form. Great for notes, signing letters, carrying as an EDC.

Finally the Kaweco Perkeo in Old Chambray with a Medium nib and inked with Kaweco blue cartridges that were included with the pen. I was a little bit critical of this pen when I first reviewed it last summer. But actually, I find myself reaching for it a lot. It is long enough to be comfortable to hold unposted but also posts very nicely too. The faceted grip has long since ceased to bother me. There is no need for a pocket clip on a pen cup pen. Best of all, the Kaweco steel nib on these pens is slightly bouncy and springy making a very pleasant writing experience and allows for some nice line width variation, for signing letters and documents, to give that unmistakable “fountain pen look”. On the other hand, the build quality is not fantastic. The barrel does not screw on to the section tightly. (When it has been screwed down as far as it will go, it still can still be moved left and right a little bit).

So there we have it. Obviously no gaudy colours as this is a law firm. Actually a fountain pen with red ink would be useful. I will vary the rotation from time to time. There are lots more pens at home which could benefit from some work experience.