A focus of my thought of late has been on the material dimension of creative work, or more specifically, on the tools we use when we set about to make something. With that in mind, a brief description of my own tooling seems appropriate.
Many of the posts you’ll read here start their lives as a sheet of paper, usually from a letter-sized, legal ruled writing pad. Presently, I have become fond of the Docket Gold, a thoroughly satisfying, if costly, premium pad, with sheets thick enough to accommodate fountain pens and their inks.
When I’m using a fountain pen, I’m typically using the Parker 51, either the 2021 reissue or one from 1950. Lately, I’ve embraced the woodcase pencil, preferring either Japanese imports like the Mitsubishi 9850, or the various revival era Blackwing pencils, presently their Eras line.
For computing purposes, I use a ThinkPad X220 that is held together with tape, prayers, and the knowledge that it has outlasted multiple newer, nicer machines.