The best products take a common problem and offer a simple solution.

The Inky Fingers Currently Inked Log is one of these products.

The Existential Problem

We all suffer from inky insanity on some level. We have trillions of pens inked but no idea what with, and no easy way to track their pairings. Sure, we could write with every pen we own in a notebook somewhere or on a scrap of paper, but they will inevitably be eaten by the dog, washed in the back pocket of a pair of jeans, or – worse still – mortally wounded in a traumatic ink spillage incident.

Enter Matt from the Pen Habit, Jesus Our Saviour. He created the Inky Fingers Currently Inked Log to save us in our time of ink tracking and fountain pen cleaning need. An Inky Idyll. A Garden of Eden in notebook form. Finally, a place where we can record our pen and ink combos, track when they were changed and cleaned, and indulge in a swatch or two. Bless you Matt, for saving us.

And enter Stuart of Pocket Notebooks, our humble stationery disciple. He now carries these notebooks so us U.K. brothers and sisters are equally as blessed as our American cousins. Bless you Stuart, for giving me the opportunity to buy this sacred book.

Hallelujah!

The Inky Idyll: Currently Inked Notebook 

Well, that all took a rather biblical turn! But for good reason: the pen community have needed an ink tracking log for some time.

I picked up one of these sacred texts a few weeks ago after hearing Matt discuss them and their new UK stockists Pocket Notebooks, in his Currently Inked video for February.

Here are its holy dimensions:

• £6 in U.K. from Pocket Notebooks
• 44 sheets
• 80gsm wheat straw paper
• Mine came in pocket notebook size (89x140mm), but also comes in traveler’s size too
• Space for 132 inkings, including description spaces for pen, nib, ink, date inked, date cleaned and a swatch
• Green glossy card stock cover (also comes in red in other rulings)
• Two staple bound
• Other notebook ruling options include blank and lined

Simple. And gorgeous because of this!

I’ve reached for this notebook every other day to check the status of my flock. It handily fits into my Nock Co. Sinclair, and it’s invaluable when assessing whether I have a broad range of inks on the go at once. It also helps me to remember killer pen/ink match ups that I might want to use in future. AND fab for keeping tabs on my #6penchallenge progress too! The Currently Inked log really is a miracle…

I enjoy the toothier 80gsm wheat straw paper (when compared to Rhodia or Clairefontaine), and so far it has shown minimal feathering, and very little bleed or show through. Definite potential for notebook heaven.

The Marks of Satan: Quality Control Issues

BUT it’s tainted by some marks of Satan.

The quality control on these books is lacking. The ’rounded’ corners are poorly cut, as is the paper, which sticks out of the card stock cover in a few places. The printed vectors on the front don’t line up centrally either, and the front card stock feels flimsy. I might just have a dud, and these factors don’t detract from how useful this book is. But if I’m paying £6 for a pocket notebook – when I can pay a couple of quid more and get a pack of three, well made pocket notebooks from competitors – I expect better quality control.

If Matt can sort out the printers and QC issues as promised in one of his latest Currently Inked videos, then this product won’t have to go to confessional on a Sunday.

Worship at the altar – LOVE:

• great idea, well executed
• ideal for keeping track of complex ink rotation
• stocked in UK, Europe and US
• unusual toothy paper that stands up to most inks and nib sizes
• ‘Date Cleaned’ section forces me to be virtuous and keep up with pen maintenance!

Forgive me father, for I have sinned – HATE:

• quality control issues with paper cutting and alignment (although Matt is working on this with new printers)
• £6 is a lot for a single pocket notebook. A tenner for three would work better
• paper might not be enjoyed by all

Have any of you tried the Currently Inked Log? Would you have to confess your pen maintenance sins like me?!

Keep those nibs mucky!