I have been doing some “tinkering” with my fountain pen database during the last week, most has been cosmetic changes to adjust the screens to display my twelve pens in use more attractively. The image below is my main in-use pens dashboard.
This is the detailed screen for a single pen, this screen has tabs that hold enlarged images from the summary tab
This database is also used to track my collection and provide a proposed next pen, nib and ink into use. Below is the selection details for my next pen into use. This Sailor only has one nib available to it so its selection is pretty boring, this screen also proposes the next four inks that are due to be used in this pen.
The pen after the Sailor due to be used is a Pelikan M620 and it has far more nibs available to it, nib displayed is the next nib by size that is due to be used.
I am so geeky I know… 
Categories: Technology
My fountain pen database 
This is wonderful! What a great blend of old and new, so to speak.
I love it!
Puts my spreadsheet to shame. I like it!
mesmerising
That’s awesome. Now it makes me want to do my own. Where to start, where to start.
Start with the data of your pens, inks and nibs – then document your pen combinations in to use… I am currently working to improve the algorithms for the selecting the next ink for a particular pen and nib combinations.
Well that’s easy as I don’t have that many pens and inks (unless you count samples) and nibs. Interesting that you use algorithms to decide which ink/pen combination goes next. I just use whatever colour ink I don’t have in rotation and the pen that’s been shelved the longest (FIFO). I guess I should start with a spreadsheet but it’s just not that pretty.
I have some logic around my pen and inks as I ban some inks from certain pens eg. Noodler’s Baystate Blue I’d banned from most pens except my Waterman Preface and some of the cheaper Sailors. Some of my light coloured Pelikans are banned from some of my intense violet, red and orange inks.
I started tracking my pens and inks in-use using a simple spreadsheet in Numbers because of your database. It helps me think about which pens to use next, and what inks to use in each pen. Reading the comments today, I’ll start making evaluative notations on ink performance in each pen. Thank you!