How did a blue black ink pen like the Sakura Pigma Micron 05 slip under my radar? I am a huge Micron fan and use the 03 black model all the time. They are also one of my favorites to use in Field Notes memo books. They write well, handle all types of paper, and are disposable so I don't worry about losing or breaking them. So how did I overlook this beauty? I was blinded by the cult of fine tips.
Comfort zones are an interesting barrier. For years and years I was fixated on ultra fine tips, the likes of which are found in the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, Uni-ball Jetstream, and more. The finer the better in my book, with almost no limit on how fine. That carried over to my fountain pen fascination, as stock EF nibs weren't fine enough for me and I sent them off to be ground even finer.
As I found out quickly with fountain pens I was missing out on the benefits that wider nibs have, like stubs and italics. There was a level of expressiveness to be found, plus it opened up new brands and styles to me that I wouldn't have considered when I was in "XXXF OR DIE!!!" mode.
And that is how I missed this great blue black Micron. A Twitter follower asked why I had never mentioned it before, knowing how much I like both Microns and blue black inks. The fact is, I was stuck using "my size" of Micron and never bothered to check that other colors were available in other tip sizes. I logged into JetPens, clicked over to the 05 Sakura Pigma Micron page, and lo and behold there it was.
It's pretty good too. The blue black color reminds me a lot of Sailor's blue black fountain pen ink, which I have come to love after some initial hesitancy. The 05 Micron size (.045 mm) is obviously larger than what I'm used to but I like it a lot, as the first 6 or 8 pages in my latest Field Notes book will attest to. I can see this size in other colors making its way into regular use.
Step outside your comfort zone occasionally. You might be surprised what you find.
