Weekly Loadout Submission – Brad Dowdy of PenAddict.com

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Brad Dowdy of The Pen Addict
@dowdyism on Twitter
@penaddict on Instagram

Brad’s Description (Left to Right):

Ed has been on my case for ages to submit my weekly loadout. What the heck took so long? Well, my loadout changes every week! How can I make a submission that is invalid before it posts? But things are starting to settle in with my most frequently used pens. The cream always rises to the top, and I find myself carrying certain pens more often than others, and missing them when I don’t have them loaded out. Here is a look at what I am currently carrying:

Pen/Nib: TWSBI Diamond 580 / EF Nib
Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo

One of the best bang for the buck pens on the market. I love the looks, feel, nib, filling system – pretty much everything. I also have a 1.1 stub nib that I swap out frequently for a completely different writing experience. Tsuki-yo is a new-to-me ink and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I’m liking it so far as long as it doesn’t lean too green.

Pen/Nib: Edison Beaumont Stealth LE / F Nib
Ink: Pelikan Blue Black

I’m not going to lie: The first time I tried a Beaumont I didn’t care for it. I thought it was too small and too light. I took a leap of faith on a trade for the Stealth model and it has turned into one of my favorites. It fits my hand just right and feels great to hold. There will be more Beaumonts in my future. I have a thing for blue black inks, with about five different ones that that could be my number one at any time. Pelikan Blue Black is one of those.

Pen/Nib: rOtring 600 Lava / M Nib
Ink: Pilot Blue Black

My weekly loadout changes so much because I am constantly acquiring or testing new pens. The rOtring 600 has been in my possession for just over a week and I think it will be taking up a permanent spot. Everything about this pen is just right, including the medium nib which I thought might be too wide. I have no plans to get it adjusted. Pilot Blue Black is one of the best all-around inks on the market. If you want to try just one this is it.

Pen/Nib: Pilot Custom Heritage 912 / PO Nib
Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki

In the entirety of my collection, the 912 with the PO nib never drops out of the top three no matter how many new pens I get. The nib is super fine and super firm and is an eye-opening experience every time I break it out. I get a ton of enjoyment from this pen. If I’m not using blue black ink I lean towards bright blues (especially in XXF nibs) and Iroshizuku Kon-Peki is one of the best.

Pen/Nib: Pilot Custom Heritage 912 / SU Nib
Ink: Pelikan Edelstein Topaz

Another recent addition to my collection, I am still in the feeling out phase with the 912 stub (Sutab) nib. I bought it used and it is a little rough on the upstroke so this one will be heading out for nib smoothing as soon as I stop having fun with it. Pelikan Edelstein inks are right up there with Iroshizuku inks as some of my favorites and Topaz is near the top of the list. My photo doesn’t do this ink justice.

Favorite Combo:

Pilot Custom Heritage 912 PO nib with Kon-Peki –
With XXF nibs it is sometimes difficult to see all the ink subtleties in darker inks so I lean towards bright ones like Kon-Peki. This setup works without fail every use.

Least Favorite Combo:

Edison Beaumont Stealth with Pelikan Blue Black –
Independently these are two of my favorites but the Pelikan ink comes out darker than I like with this nib. It’s true color is a few shades lighter with more shading. I’ll probably swap out the ink soon but keep the pen in the rotation.

Editor’s Note:

Huge thanks to Brad for taking some time out of his blogging, podcasting, Nock Co.-ing, and regular life for submitting! It’s especially cool to see what Brad’s carrying on a daily basis, because one would assume that he’s constantly carrying a suitcase full of pens by looking at his blog. It’s cool to see that there are two of essentially the same pen. I’m guilty of doing this myself sometimes too. Also, it’s cool to see all of the different shades of blue. If you follow Brad on any of his social media outlets, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed that he’s a big fan of blue-blacks. Great stuff as always, and thanks again for taking the time to submit!

You can find Brad blogging over at The Pen Addict or on Instagram at @penaddict. Thanks for sharing!

If you would like to submit your Weekly Loadout of pens, ink, and paper, please share by clicking here and filling out the form!