{"id":17049,"date":"2026-07-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=17049"},"modified":"2026-07-09T22:21:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T02:21:55","slug":"only-keep-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/only-keep-ten\/","title":{"rendered":"If I Could Only Keep Ten"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When I saw Inky Imaginings’ post<\/a> in my email, I knew I wanted to come up with my list before reading anyone else’s. So, I waited until I’d determined my ten pens to read Laura’s list or Ana’s<\/a> or Laura C’s<\/a> on The Well-Appointed Desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to track down an “original” post for this challenge, but I didn’t have any luck. I found random, semi-related posts and videos shared in the past 5 years, but no clear thread like is developing from Laura’s. So, without any parameters to guide me in this, I’ve come up with my own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In this alternate universe thought experiment, I’ve successfully argued my case to whatever nefarious entity is making me get rid of pens. As such, I get to keep all of my “art pens” from ARTUS, Country Made Pens, Cypress, Iron Feather Creative, Permies.World, Ryan Krusac, Stanford Pen Studio, Tamenuri Studio, and Zek Pens under the provision that they stay displayed as cylindrical art, rather than used as pens. I can be very<\/em> persuasive \u2014 AKA stubborn and irritating \u2014 when necessary. As a result, you won’t see any of those pens on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, instead of pen appearance, I focused on writing experience. If I only get to have ten pens, I want to love writing with each of them. Ana’s comment about pen color, “I chose more neutral exterior colors so I could choose any color ink.<\/em>.. If I only have 10 pens, I want to be able to use ALL the inks.<\/em>” is a good point, but I’d already chosen my pens when I read that, and I’m happy with my list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One last note: so that I don’t have to figure out a ranking order, I’m listing my ten pens by nib width, smallest to largest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Platinum #3776 Century in Ultra Extra Fine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With a nib width impossible to find elsewhere \u2014 for stock nibs, at least \u2014 the #3776 with an UEF would have to be part of this collection. I love the way the #3776 writes in general, and that ultra-fine nib only adds to its appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harder to decide was which pen body<\/em> to choose. My UEF nib is gold colored, which ruled out pens with silver trim. This narrowed my choices to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n