Hey Brian, I cannot believe how open you an Rachel are with us, know that while we don't know you personally, you are part of our lives and you have our love and prayers. That said, I seriously hope that you sharing this helps others that may not have the support your family does.
James H thank you so much. It's definitely not easy to share this kind of stuff, but honestly, after all I've been through just talking about it is way easier than having actually experienced! I take the following I have and the responsibility that comes with it really seriously, and I personally feel that part of that means being an example for others. If what I have experienced can be any kind of encouragement or support for others, even a little bit, then it helps me to feel like there was a greater purpose to what I went through. I believe everything happens for a reason, even the bad stuff, and I'm so grateful that I can share it with others who genuinely care. It's an honor for me -Brian
Brian, you and Rachel have my sincere sympathy. My 33 year old Granddaughter is now under hospice care for terminal cancer and I have an idea that we've gone and going through similar roller coaster of feelings. God bless y'all.
I guess im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly forgot my login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
My heart goes out to your family on the loss of the little one. I miscarried before each of my children and am thankful for the 2 I have with me each day.
I'm watching this in 2021, and sending love -- my mum died a few weeks ago and I've been struggling with it. One thing that has helped is rediscovering my love for fountain pens. I'm lucky enough to have a few from Goulet pens, and I'm incredibly proud to be a customer of yours.
Hey Brian, I was touched by your experience and how open you are about it. I'm sorry for your loss. Knowing what you've been through makes all the amazing work you've done since even more amazing. I came for the fountain pen video, I ended up with a life lesson.
I missed this video when it was published so I am late but want to tell you that I too am very sorry to hear of your loss! I am sure your sharing will help not only yourselves but others. You are so loved by your customers. I was praying at the time you shared that Rachel was having health problems. I am very happy to know that she is now feeling much better. I will continue to keep Rachel and your family in my prayers. May God richly bless you in all you do.
I was at work a month or so ago and had my Metropolitan on my desk. It was capped to prevent rolling, but I accidently hit it and if fell to the floor. I carefully looked and the pen was sticking into the carpet at close to a 90 degree angle. I was not happy. I mean yeah, fifteen bucks won't break me, but still. Well, I pulled it gently out of the carpet and the nib was slightly bent. I carefully adjusted the nib and it writes perfectly still. Pilot is GREAT!!
I recommend the Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series for newbies interested in developing a clear handwriting style. They are focused on teaching school children, but also excellent for anyone wishing to learn a beautiful, legible, everyday hand. Book D is a good place to start for adults. It has an introduction in basic italic and then moves on to cursive.There are great tips scattered amongst the exercises, even some interesting history of the evolution of the letterforms.You can also get Blackline Masters that are for teacher's handouts. You can print as many copies as you want for extra practice. My husband had atrocious handwriting; when he started his own business, I had him practice the basic italic just a few times (so he could leave legible notes for his employees). It made a dramatic improvement and is still evident after several years with that short exposure.
I really feel for Rachel having to have the hysterectomy- I can't have kids, so I understand a tiny little of what you guys must have been feeling. It's really tough when you feel like your body has failed to do what it's 'supposed' to do. I'm so pleased to hear that things are getting back on track for her and that your kids are happy and healthy (your little girl saying she wants to be a mummy is the cutest thing EVER!) Love and thoughts for you both at such a tough time. x
I'm so sorry that you and Rachel have had to endure so much heartache. Thank you for being brave enough to share your pain. I hope your future is filled with happiness.
Brian, the intro to this video just gave me a HUGE amount of respect for you and your family. I know this is an older video, but I had no idea you went through all this as I've only been a subscriber for a couple years, so missed this one.
4 years later, this stands out as being most informative. I am sorry to hear about the death of your child (yes, a death) because that child was very much alive and growing inside Rachel. Even after a year or 5, I can only imagine the grief you carry. Rachel is an amazing woman and I hope and pray she is doing better. Thank you for sharing. Life is not always joy and happiness. To your question: I took my pens to the Library of Congress (in Washington) and used it to takes notes from a book I had requested. Your videos are amazing. Thank you
Hey Mr. Goulet, I have only started watching you a couple of days, maybe up to a week. I have went all around your channel, and I probably will ask for a graduation fountain pen. I'm not sure though. I have came to really like your personality and demeanor. Tour so knowledgeable and I really appreciate that you have decided to share this information. I have been fascinated with fountain pens since forever. They are a beautiful writing utensil. I'm sorry to hear about everything to happen to you and your wife. Being open is a good thing, and I like that you share your experiences. Thank you for being a positive person and I hope you have a great day/night/afternoon/morning... 😁
QOTW: I took one of my fountain pens with me on the Venice Simplon Orient Express train (along with a pocket watch, just to keep in the spirit of the period).
First, I am very sorry to hear about your family's loss. My heart goes out to you all. My children and I lost their mother in 2014, and you're absolutely right about the things that people say, during such times. That being said, I developed a substance abuse problem in 2014, by 2015 I came to the realization that I needed help. I am currently in recovery and I chair Narcotics Anonymous meetings here in Athens GA. I have also been given the honor and opportunity to serve as the literature chairperson for my home group. So, to me, the strangest, and best, place I carry my fountain pens are to at least 2-3 meetings a week, and to our larger area meetings, usually once a month. I've only recently spent, what I consider to be, any real amount of money, acquiring my first nice pen; a Noodler's Ahab, and a small set of samples of Noodler's inks. I'm in love! I've just started making some pen stands, and hopefully the sales from these will afford me the funds to, soon, but myself a Triple Tail, until then I plan to get a couple of italic Goulet nibs. I'm on disability, so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze those into my budget next month. Thank you so much for everything that you guys do. Keep on pissing excellence, and WRITE ON!
QOTW - I took a Kaweco Sport on a western national park "tour" with my family. The pen traveled with us over Tioga Pass through the Sierras (so way up high), then down to Death Valley (so way down low). From there it crossed Hoover Dam, then traversed the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It rested in the cool shade by a river in Zion National Park, then travel passed (yes, passed, no stopping) Las Vegas. We made our way through the Mohave to Kings Canyon where the pen left a note on a guest register by a huge Sequoia. Then back home to the northern SF Bay Area.
Hey Brian, I was talking with a friend about what "ink lovers / collectors" should be called, and he came up with the name of "SQUIDS." Still no good names for "pen lovers / collectors." I just thought that I'd put that one forward
Julyvee Gaming thanks! It was hard to open up when it first happened, feelings were very raw then. It comes in waves now, but talking about it actually helps. -Brian
You are such special people and I want to say that you are very inspiring for running such a succesful business staying true to your values and putting yourself in it as a whole! Also as christians running a business! Blessings, Silvia
So sorry for your loss. Thank you for opening your life and sharing with us. The best pen habit I can recommend is to try a wide variety! You never know what ink might knock you off your feet, or what pen might over(or under)whelm you with it's performance. The worst pen habit (and this extends into other things) is buying into hype. Just because someone on reddit or fpn thinks something is life changingly awesome doesn't mean that you will! My answer for the QOTW is my old job in a pharmacy - where I quickly learned that rollerball and fountain pen ink do not adhere well to prescriptions or Rx labels. I ended up going back to cheapo ballpoints and it made my soul hurt. And for a bonus recycling tip - I've bought a couple inky bottles (and thinking about buying more) for my desk at work! There's enough ink residue left that by adding distilled water you can get a reasonable facsimile of the color of the ink, and it looks great to boot! The best part is that if one of the bottles grows legs or gets knocked off your desk and breaks, they're fairly inexpensive to replace, unlike a full bottle of ink.
This video is older now but I still wanted to say that I thank you for sharing your family's story. Not only have you built a company, you've built a community! I wish you all the best moving forward.
This is three years late, but I carry ink bottles in a soft fishing tackle bag. Many of them have elastic loops for holding bottle of bait in place, which are very close to the size of ink bottles. Most also have small pockets that will hold ink bottle. The main compartment will hold pens and other items you want to carry along. There's also usually a zippered pocket that will hold a small notebook securely. You can get such bags at any sporting goods store, and nearly all Walmarts carry them in the fishing section. Smaller sizes are usually under twenty dollars, and are perfect for my uses.
One tiny bit of feedback: if the cap has been off only for a few hours, it can recover simply be re-capping the pen and leaving it in a horizontal, or nib-down angle for about an hour and it re-flows wet ink into the feed again. If that doesn't work, then a disassembly and under-water toothbrush cleaning of the parts of the nib/feeder assembly may be needed (when the ink gets caked and dried). Which reminds me -- Brian, if you haven't already made one, a video on how to recover a fountain pen when you find out you've left it un-capped for a year and all the ink is dried out inside (including in the storage chamber, whatever it is). I'm sure there are many ways, but YOUR preferred way to renew a fountain pen in that condition would be awesome! I haven't done that yet, but it would bring great understanding to my repertoire of knowledge.
Good point...if the ink in the ink chamber of the pen is still dilute, then it can recover. Left uncapped long enough, all the moisture will evaporate and then you can only recover when it’s fully cleaned. I like your video idea, I’ll give that some thought! -Brian G
I'm just watching this. I have paused to leave this comment: from the bottom of my heart; I am truly sorry for your losses. I have a number of friends who have shared your experience or cannot conceive at all. Surround yourselves with supportive people and cling tightly to each other. You will be in my prayers! 💕
Oh my... Brian, I extend my sympathies for you from Singapore. I can't even begin to imagine how that feels, and yet you continue to give us these videos as per usual. Thank you so much
Brian,I'm very sorry for your loss. You and Rachel are such good and inspiring people, I wish all the best for you two and the Goulet team! **Sending lots of love and prayers for you both**
A good pen habit-buy or make yourself a pen holder. I put my Visconti Saturno down on my desk quickly to tend to my cat who started to hurl. The pen rolled off my desk & yup...landed on the nib & folded up a bit. I need to send it to Coles. Never would have happened if I had a pen stand
Q#2: I found that essential oil bottles and their carrying bag works well to travel with small amounts of ink. 2ml (5/8 dram) bottles work the best. ;)
Q#3: I placed my Pilot Vanishing point nib unit in an ultrasonic cleaner, and it rubbed off the gold finish on the nib where it touched the feed. Make sure to breakdown the pen fully to clean them.
I'm in my feelings today too Brian. I literally just finished watching Penboy Roy's awards video and your cameo made me smile. Thanks for being cool and making my day a little better.
Brian and Rachel, my sincere condolences on your loss and I wanted to share that my wife and I experienced that same loss repeatedly before deciding to adopt... and that was the best decision of our lives. If you ever do have a calling or desire for more children, I can tell you that adoption is an all-around great experience. One added bonus in our case, we were able to skip diapers and potty training by adopting an older child. :-)
I really appreciate your willingness to share something so personal. We are all human, and it's great to know that you two can bounce back after a setback like that. I'm really happy that you got with a good doctor to help her recuperate a year ago. Hang in there! :)
travelling with ink? get a Noodler's Ahab and some 308 reloadable cartridges! +1 for the sample vials for travel ink. i haven't travelled recently, but when i top off my piston pens, rather than fill from the bottle, i'll use a sample bottle. years of chem labs, you don't put reagents back in the stock bottles... that reminds me, i have to top up my Eco with Noodler's Hunter and my Ahab with Bulletproof Black
It is sort of strange to find this a year and a half later. I'm glad I did. I'm going through some stuff. Different stuff but still stuff. Somehow your advice, that of a total stranger from 18 months ago, was exactly what I needed to hear. Maybe its even more impactful now because I have the benefit of knowing (some) of the future that you didn't even know when you recorded this. Thanks.
Handwriting practice-it's sad to me, as a retired teacher, that cursive handwriting has not been systematically taught in our schools now for about 30 years. I know adults who cannot read cursive because they were never taught. In fact, I have a friend who works in a hospital. He used to make his record notes in cursive, as an adult would. Recently he was asked to stop because some of the younger staff couldn't read it, even though his handwriting is very neat and legible. I had a surprising number of students who wanted to learn and would get books and try to copy the letter. we all know that isn't the way to learn, as it's less about the pretty shapes and more about the constant forward flow. I actually believe that this impacts them academically. They approach writing, which they only do in manuscript, as a kind of sketching task. So they can't take notes quickly or jot their thoughts down to write a composition because they are too busy trying to remember how to simply draw letters. They lose their train of thought. Maybe just having lovers of fountain pens keeping this art alive is a good thing.
So sorry Brian that you and Rachel had to go through the loss and then the surgury on top of that , it must have been so hard for you both sincerely and respectfully.
Ultrasonic cleaners are AMAZING to have around, comes in handy for a number of things (my wife appreciates that it can clean up her rings/jewelry really well). I have the exact same chicago one shown, and you can get a full basket that sits down into the cleaner instead of the tray that just lays along the bottom, makes getting your parts out much easier. Basket is iSonic PB4820A on Amazon.
I'm really sorry for your loss. I also experienced a miscarriage but not the rest of what you both went through. You are in my thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
My mother was eight years older than her sister. It wasn't until their mother passed away that the family learned there had been another daughter born between the two, who died in infancy. Her parents never spoke of it, and my mother and aunt were devastated to learn they'd had another sister who they had never known about.
Thank you for being strong through those hard times. And thank you for really being so true and honest with everything you do. In regards to the question, I actually travelled Florida with my father and was going to carry a ballpoint, which is silly now, but I lost it and carried an 03 Preppy everywhere. That pen is more sentimental now than the rest of my pens. And, in terms of recycling ink bottles, I was curious of Noodlers. He's a one man show, and I was curious if we could ever send empty bottles back to him. Obviously we'd keep the labels, but any little thing can help him along. He's done so much for the fountain pen world and I want to give back to him.
Been a fan of Goulet for awhile now & am a new customer. This is the first I’ve heard of the miscarriage, etc. Knew u were a good guy but this took it up a notch. Wish you and the family well bud! Nice knowing I’ll be spending some money with a company that actually cares about the customer. Looking forward to the pens in my future!
Just 2 weeks ago I flew United Airlines with 6 fountain pens all inked up. I took my pens to Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, to Estes Park Wool Market. My pens were among live sheep, cashmere goats, alpacas, vicunas, llamas and angora rabbits. I brought 2 TWSBI's, Karas Kustom K - raw alum., Conklin Duragraph - cracked ice, Nemosine Singularity - aqua, and a Kaweco Brass Sport. I let my friends try all of the pens. I think I made some new fountain pen fans.
It takes a strong person to open up about things like that. I'm sure there is more then a few people that can say we know how you feel and it does get better with time will always be a rough subject though. Great videos though i have really!!!! Learned a lot about fountain pens!
You have probably saved me some money by discussing ultrasonic cleaners. I have been thinking of buying one for my fountain pens for a long time now. But, upon seeing this video, I think I might pass on buying one. I mean, I get to clean my pens thoroughly anyway without the help of an ultrasonic cleaner. And I also know that if I ever buy one, it would just collect a lot of dust before I even get to use it again.
I've picked up and resuscitated a couple old Parker 51s with an ultrasonic cleaner. Works great for cleaning eyeglasses, jewelry and other stuff very gently. Water and ]one drop[ of dish soap does the trick.
I think that it's very good that you let us know what was going on because I think we tend to think of you as the pen guy and and now we realize you're a real person with real problems and you're also a pan guy and a great penny guy I watch your videos constantly. I've only had one dealing with your company and it was very satisfactory so good luck to you and your lovely wife. And just remember the two children you have now are going to be 16 someday I don't want to give you some satisfaction
The toughest of us go through hard times. If there is an American soldier/hero/legend from the 20th century then "Chesty Puller" is one. A Marine Corp soldier/officer/general from many wars including world war 2 and Korea he lead troops from the front. He never asked his troops to do anything he hasn't done. He worked 3 times harder than his troops because when he lead them on march he walked up and down the line assessing their conditions as they went. He incurred grave injuries in all 3 wars and each time his right hand men had to physically force him off the battlefield to get treatment. He's THE most decorated marine in US marine corps history. It is true to say his actions during WW2 are responsible for the US winning in the pacific theater. In one battle he commanded 15,000 men out of a 20,000 man force trying to hold an airfield against the Japanese. The US lost 70 men, the Japanese lost 3,000 men. A tougher man of stronger spirit has not been seen. He was also a loving and affectionate father to his children and had a tear in his eye when his son left to Vietnam. when he saw his son after he returned from Vietnam, now a disfigured paraplegic confined to a wheelchair for life, he wept openly. This man had seen every horror you can see out there in war. He had endured incredible losses of his soldiers/brothers. He was tougher than you and I by far, and you could be absolutely anybody on the planet. It doesn't matter, chesty puller was still tougher. Everybody goes through emotional hardships even the toughest humans ever created. It's okay. Those who would think a person weak for it haven't been schooled in life about what pain is yet. Being affectionate with the ones you love is okay too. Again those who think it's weak don't understand what's actually important in this world.
As far as Qs go, I mage up my own way for upper case Q and no one has ever noticed. I have used cursive for a long time because my kerning for print is awful and this makes it way easier.
The most interesting place I've taken a fountain pen so far was my family vacation to Florida this year. This has been my first year being into fountain pens, and doing some drawing on the beach with my Metropolitan was a really cool feeling.
Brian, To be honest, you are really honest, I am just looking to all your videos for past 3 days You both doing really awesome I like your trip video awesome.. All the very best for all your projects... maybe not sure to meet you.. I am from India but i watch your video regularly first will see all your old videos :)
The last two years I have taken my fountain pens to mission trips in Haiti. The Liberty's Elysium does well on the clinic paper they have there and handles the humidity and dampness rather well.
Yep, that day I checked for the TWSBI several times at work but nothing yet. Then when I got home I had the email notification that they were in stock, but when I went to order they were all gone. Well, it looks like the Vac 700 is the only TWSBI I will ever own because I'm not going to play that game. I simply feel that manufacturers like Lamy and TWSBI who seem to try to stir up a fervor for their already existing products by creating "Limited" versions that they don't make enough of are appealing to the gullible. It makes me think of Nintendo and their NES Classic Edition (mini) that they used that scam on and really alienated many of their fans. I was wondering about the Aston leather cases, since I need another one. I looked at the Nemosine inks on the GPC site and the colors appear a bit thin and muted. It seems like that would be a difficult market to compete in with all of the awesome companies like Diamine, Noodler's and now Robert Oster. I was a bit confused when Brian said he didn't remember a capital "Q" looking like a "2". My wife and I didn't understand that, and when researched I saw that the system used was changed from Zaner-Bloser to D'Nealian in 1978. It looks like Z-B changed the "Q" in the previous Palmer system, and then D'Nealian changed it back. That's all rather confusing. 🤔
Very brave of you to tell about your loss. I've been there, but just as you, we have two kids and the oldest one just graduated with honors last week. Just got into the fountain pens, because my son wanted a good fountain pen (a caran d'Ache Ecridor Chevron Gold), but I didn't think that it would be such a big difference between my cheaper pens than his semi-expensive one. I was very wrong in that assumption. So now I'm practicing longhand again. being a southpaw, I've always blamed my atrocious handwriting on that, instead of being a product of the Swedish educational system. My guess? Both... I really like your home page. Full of good information and easy to navigate. Unfortunately I live in Sweden and the pens I'm interested in are manufactured in Europe, so the shipping and taxes makes it hard to justify buying from you guys, but I will eventually. Congrats on a fabulous business! And keep the videos coming!
Jack Zimmermann congrats to your son! Yes, sometimes you do get what you pay for ;) no worries about not buying from my store, your watching, commenting, and sharing helps my cause in and of itself. Thank you! -Brian
Repairing a dropped nib can be fairly simple if it is a clean bend at the tip. I had just received a Waterman Carene and was doing an initial cleaning to get manufacturing oils out. I had the nib section separated and was drying it when, behold, the thing slipped from my fingers. I wish I had a video of the ordeal to watch it in slow motion, it probably would be comical with all of my physical contortions trying to catch the thing. When I picked it up the tip was bent down at about a 70 degree angle. I just took some needle nose pliers, padded the teeth, and gently bent the tines back up. With a little more tuning it is a perfectly functional pen. You can barely see the bend area just below the tipping material. That was the first time and hopefully the last.
Raphael over at the Gentleman's Gazette says he ruined a Mont Blanc 149 with an ultrasonic cleaner because he left it in there too long. That's pretty spooky
Always great videos from Goulet Kingdom. I have had for some years a huge collection of pens and have been a steady ink-aholic and purchaser from Goulet--first class service! I want to recommend a cleaning product that I use in my ultrasound cleaning unit. I am talking about BioGreen Clean. This is an amazing, entirely plant-based product (I have no financial stake) and I always use a dilute water solution of it when cleaning/flushing pens. I highly recommend!! Never have seen any damage of any kind from either ultrasound or BioGreen Clean solution.
I wonder if any pen manufacturers have considered adding enough weight to the posterior of some of their pens so they would fall nib up. That would probably make them awkward to write with, but it might make a nice option for the dexterity impaired.
I guess that's a point to those who post their pens. I feel like they become more back-weighted with that and could avoid the nib like you said! - Colin
#QOTW My oldest pen traveled with me from Narvik in north of Norway throughout Europe to somewhere nearby Olympia in Greece in my backpack on rails, ships and shoes and throughout Japan from Sapporo in the north to Iriomote in the south. We have definitely been at a lot of interesting places. But the most striking place has been up in a treetop high above a deep turquoise excavated lake in the surroundings of my parents home. Swinging with the wind flying 30m above water level while writing is very special.
+Éowyn Wow, thank you for sharing! :-) Asking this was probably not the reason you went to the Buddhist monastery but...Did you ask the monks what they use to write with? Bamboo pens? I would imagine that they write down their prayers with some sort of dip pens.
Hi Robert, thank you :-) Afaik historically indeed Tibetan was written with bamboo pens that were dipped in ink, it's quite easy to make, I once tried it some years ago. But nowadays and where I was, in Sikkim, they're very modern, they wear sneakers and use cell phones. They normally use cheap ballpoint pens, the schoolkids have fountain pens, but I didn't see which brand, I wasn't that much infected by the fountain pen virus yet when I was there.
Brian and Rachel I'm really sorry for everything that happened to you guys, I'm pretty sure there is nothing in the world that can replace that lost, i hope that you will be able to get well as soon as possible!!! Love what you do with your team!!! Qotw: i took my fountain pen to an aerobatic flight (not a good idea LOL 🤣)
Use an ultrasonic cleaner on vintage pens, works pretty well. All pens so far have had blue ink in them. Only one issue so far, a Pilot E that had a corporate logo in gold ink, the gold paint came off with the other gunk. Never had issues with gold fill or gold plate, but the gold paint did not work well. I have done very little nib work but did get a Waterman's gold nib that was mangled back to writing, just needs a bit of tuning as it is a little scratchy. I would think really bad gold mangling would need heating to anneal the gold, get everything straight and smooth then heating to get the spring back, but I could be wrong.
I recently got into fountain pens so I haven't taken them on any adventures. I did use my fountain pen to document the birth of our most recent baby. I've got a question that I'm curious to hear about from other Penatics. How many times have you stabbed yourself recapping a pen? I just got myself for the first time today.
I was thinking about getting an ultrasonic cleaner, mainly for my visconti HS since i have issue with getting all of the ink color out of the part where the nib meets the section, there always seems to be something of the ink left there and it bleeds into my next ink choice. Any insight into if the composition of the pen wont go well with the ultrasonic cleaning? i dont want to break down the rock!
I just purchased my first Noodler's Ahab a couple of days ago and it was the Cardinal Darkness. My question is, are there any other Noodler's around that same color scheme? Im was a little hesitant to get it since it's predominantly red with black, are there any black/red flex Ahabs? Hopefully I get a reply!
Peter Draws ua-cam.com/video/c6jqvJDDa6k/v-deo.html, the artist that Brian mentioned. In this video, Peter drew with Twsbi Eco & J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor Ink.
Question about ink syringes. Most of what I've seen marketed as ink syringes on pen retailer sites don't really appear to be substantially different from just plain utility or industrial (non-medical) syringes I see on other sites. Are there differences, or is it just marketing?
100 dollar is tough because you can't quite get a gold nib pen. That said, I don't think you can go wrong with any TWSBI, but the Vac700R is a really unique pen for the price. - Colin
Kalfreezy 0 get a Lamy 2000, great pen and design, takes a hot minute to understand you need to hold it correctly for it to write well. But once you have a handle on it, it is an EDC pen. Also I second the Vac700, get the pen and the ink well for under a hundred and you will never regret it.
Echoing what James said, the Lamy 2000 is a good option for sure! Any Pilot gold nib is good too (VP, Custom 74, E95s, Falcon). For a really classic FP look, the Platinum 3776 Century is really solid. - Colin
I typically only use my cleaner with pens that you can disassemble the nib and feed from the section. I've found that pens you can't take apart, the cleaner isn't very effective.
notconvincedgranny oh I didn't know it was that much! I thought that was total amount and didn't realize that was just in one container. Well shoot, you can pretty much bring anything under a Noodler's 4.5oz bottle then -Brian
Hey Brian, I cannot believe how open you an Rachel are with us, know that while we don't know you personally, you are part of our lives and you have our love and prayers.
That said, I seriously hope that you sharing this helps others that may not have the support your family does.
This comment is so true Brian! We all love you and your family man! You are like an online brother to us
James H thank you so much. It's definitely not easy to share this kind of stuff, but honestly, after all I've been through just talking about it is way easier than having actually experienced! I take the following I have and the responsibility that comes with it really seriously, and I personally feel that part of that means being an example for others. If what I have experienced can be any kind of encouragement or support for others, even a little bit, then it helps me to feel like there was a greater purpose to what I went through. I believe everything happens for a reason, even the bad stuff, and I'm so grateful that I can share it with others who genuinely care. It's an honor for me -Brian
Brian, you and Rachel have my sincere sympathy. My 33 year old Granddaughter is now under hospice care for terminal cancer and I have an idea that we've gone and going through similar roller coaster of feelings. God bless y'all.
I guess im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly forgot my login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
My heart goes out to your family on the loss of the little one. I miscarried before each of my children and am thankful for the 2 I have with me each day.
Kimiko I'm so sorry you had to experience those losses. I'm glad to hear you have two to be thankful for though -Brian
I'm watching this in 2021, and sending love -- my mum died a few weeks ago and I've been struggling with it. One thing that has helped is rediscovering my love for fountain pens. I'm lucky enough to have a few from Goulet pens, and I'm incredibly proud to be a customer of yours.
Sorry for your loss. Cannot imagine going through that. Keep positive :)
Mini Wood Productions I appreciate that, thanks -Brian
Hey Brian, I was touched by your experience and how open you are about it. I'm sorry for your loss. Knowing what you've been through makes all the amazing work you've done since even more amazing. I came for the fountain pen video, I ended up with a life lesson.
can we all agree that the best pen habit is Matt Armstrong?
This made me laugh, good call! - Colin
I don't know how Brian could have missed that one. That would have made for one bald statement.
Yan Doroshenko are you typing puns on purpose?
I missed this video when it was published so I am late but want to tell you that I too am very sorry to hear of your loss! I am sure your sharing will help not only yourselves but others. You are so loved by your customers. I was praying at the time you shared that Rachel was having health problems. I am very happy to know that she is now feeling much better. I will continue to keep Rachel and your family in my prayers. May God richly bless you in all you do.
I was at work a month or so ago and had my Metropolitan on my desk. It was capped to prevent rolling, but I accidently hit it and if fell to the floor. I carefully looked and the pen was sticking into the carpet at close to a 90 degree angle. I was not happy. I mean yeah, fifteen bucks won't break me, but still. Well, I pulled it gently out of the carpet and the nib was slightly bent. I carefully adjusted the nib and it writes perfectly still. Pilot is GREAT!!
I recommend the Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Series for newbies interested in developing a clear handwriting style. They are focused on teaching school children, but also excellent for anyone wishing to learn a beautiful, legible, everyday hand. Book D is a good place to start for adults. It has an introduction in basic italic and then moves on to cursive.There are great tips scattered amongst the exercises, even some interesting history of the evolution of the letterforms.You can also get Blackline Masters that are for teacher's handouts. You can print as many copies as you want for extra practice. My husband had atrocious handwriting; when he started his own business, I had him practice the basic italic just a few times (so he could leave legible notes for his employees). It made a dramatic improvement and is still evident after several years with that short exposure.
Carol Melancon I love their method. The script is gorgeous. It's the way Italian children learn to write.
They have an adult method book now too!!
I really feel for Rachel having to have the hysterectomy- I can't have kids, so I understand a tiny little of what you guys must have been feeling. It's really tough when you feel like your body has failed to do what it's 'supposed' to do. I'm so pleased to hear that things are getting back on track for her and that your kids are happy and healthy (your little girl saying she wants to be a mummy is the cutest thing EVER!) Love and thoughts for you both at such a tough time. x
I'm so sorry that you and Rachel have had to endure so much heartache. Thank you for being brave enough to share your pain. I hope your future is filled with happiness.
I love and respect GPC a lot more now after hearing about what you do with left over bottles. Thank you!
snoozleblob thank you, we try to be responsible -Brian
Brian, so sorry to hear about what Rachel, and your entire family, went through. My heart and best wishes go out to you.
Brian, the intro to this video just gave me a HUGE amount of respect for you and your family. I know this is an older video, but I had no idea you went through all this as I've only been a subscriber for a couple years, so missed this one.
4 years later, this stands out as being most informative. I am sorry to hear about the death of your child (yes, a death) because that child was very much alive and growing inside Rachel. Even after a year or 5, I can only imagine the grief you carry. Rachel is an amazing woman and I hope and pray she is doing better. Thank you for sharing. Life is not always joy and happiness. To your question: I took my pens to the Library of Congress (in Washington) and used it to takes notes from a book I had requested. Your videos are amazing. Thank you
Hey Mr. Goulet, I have only started watching you a couple of days, maybe up to a week. I have went all around your channel, and I probably will ask for a graduation fountain pen. I'm not sure though.
I have came to really like your personality and demeanor. Tour so knowledgeable and I really appreciate that you have decided to share this information. I have been fascinated with fountain pens since forever. They are a beautiful writing utensil.
I'm sorry to hear about everything to happen to you and your wife. Being open is a good thing, and I like that you share your experiences. Thank you for being a positive person and I hope you have a great day/night/afternoon/morning... 😁
QOTW: I took one of my fountain pens with me on the Venice Simplon Orient Express train (along with a pocket watch, just to keep in the spirit of the period).
David Knapp very cool! -Brian
God bless you and your lovely wife--we all love you guys!!!
First, I am very sorry to hear about your family's loss. My heart goes out to you all.
My children and I lost their mother in 2014, and you're absolutely right about the things that people say, during such times.
That being said, I developed a substance abuse problem in 2014, by 2015 I came to the realization that I needed help. I am currently in recovery and I chair Narcotics Anonymous meetings here in Athens GA. I have also been given the honor and opportunity to serve as the literature chairperson for my home group. So, to me, the strangest, and best, place I carry my fountain pens are to at least 2-3 meetings a week, and to our larger area meetings, usually once a month.
I've only recently spent, what I consider to be, any real amount of money, acquiring my first nice pen; a Noodler's Ahab, and a small set of samples of Noodler's inks. I'm in love! I've just started making some pen stands, and hopefully the sales from these will afford me the funds to, soon, but myself a Triple Tail, until then I plan to get a couple of italic Goulet nibs. I'm on disability, so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze those into my budget next month.
Thank you so much for everything that you guys do. Keep on pissing excellence, and WRITE ON!
QOTW - I took a Kaweco Sport on a western national park "tour" with my family. The pen traveled with us over Tioga Pass through the Sierras (so way up high), then down to Death Valley (so way down low). From there it crossed Hoover Dam, then traversed the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It rested in the cool shade by a river in Zion National Park, then travel passed (yes, passed, no stopping) Las Vegas. We made our way through the Mohave to Kings Canyon where the pen left a note on a guest register by a huge Sequoia. Then back home to the northern SF Bay Area.
Mike W wow, what a journey! Thanks for sharing -Brian
Hey Brian, I was talking with a friend about what "ink lovers / collectors" should be called, and he came up with the name of "SQUIDS." Still no good names for "pen lovers / collectors." I just thought that I'd put that one forward
Mich Poulin haha, cuz of the ink! I get it ;) -Brian
Inklings.
Won't work though, because of Nintendo lawsuits.
Squids is what Marines call sailors.
I'm so so sorry for you loss! It's incredible how open you are about it. Can't imagine what it's like. Stay strong!
Julyvee Gaming thanks! It was hard to open up when it first happened, feelings were very raw then. It comes in waves now, but talking about it actually helps. -Brian
You are such special people and I want to say that you are very inspiring for running such a succesful business staying true to your values and putting yourself in it as a whole! Also as christians running a business!
Blessings, Silvia
I agree! :)
This is the episode I've been waiting for for months but didn't know! The title is 100% stuff I've been thinking about!
Azure Flash awesome! -Brian
So sorry for your loss. Thank you for opening your life and sharing with us.
The best pen habit I can recommend is to try a wide variety! You never know what ink might knock you off your feet, or what pen might over(or under)whelm you with it's performance.
The worst pen habit (and this extends into other things) is buying into hype. Just because someone on reddit or fpn thinks something is life changingly awesome doesn't mean that you will!
My answer for the QOTW is my old job in a pharmacy - where I quickly learned that rollerball and fountain pen ink do not adhere well to prescriptions or Rx labels. I ended up going back to cheapo ballpoints and it made my soul hurt.
And for a bonus recycling tip - I've bought a couple inky bottles (and thinking about buying more) for my desk at work! There's enough ink residue left that by adding distilled water you can get a reasonable facsimile of the color of the ink, and it looks great to boot! The best part is that if one of the bottles grows legs or gets knocked off your desk and breaks, they're fairly inexpensive to replace, unlike a full bottle of ink.
This video is older now but I still wanted to say that I thank you for sharing your family's story. Not only have you built a company, you've built a community!
I wish you all the best moving forward.
This is three years late, but I carry ink bottles in a soft fishing tackle bag. Many of them have elastic loops for holding bottle of bait in place, which are very close to the size of ink bottles. Most also have small pockets that will hold ink bottle. The main compartment will hold pens and other items you want to carry along. There's also usually a zippered pocket that will hold a small notebook securely.
You can get such bags at any sporting goods store, and nearly all Walmarts carry them in the fishing section. Smaller sizes are usually under twenty dollars, and are perfect for my uses.
One tiny bit of feedback: if the cap has been off only for a few hours, it can recover simply be re-capping the pen and leaving it in a horizontal, or nib-down angle for about an hour and it re-flows wet ink into the feed again. If that doesn't work, then a disassembly and under-water toothbrush cleaning of the parts of the nib/feeder assembly may be needed (when the ink gets caked and dried).
Which reminds me -- Brian, if you haven't already made one, a video on how to recover a fountain pen when you find out you've left it un-capped for a year and all the ink is dried out inside (including in the storage chamber, whatever it is). I'm sure there are many ways, but YOUR preferred way to renew a fountain pen in that condition would be awesome! I haven't done that yet, but it would bring great understanding to my repertoire of knowledge.
Good point...if the ink in the ink chamber of the pen is still dilute, then it can recover. Left uncapped long enough, all the moisture will evaporate and then you can only recover when it’s fully cleaned. I like your video idea, I’ll give that some thought! -Brian G
So terribly sorry for your loss. Prayers for you both.
Julian 3 thank you, we're doing okay -Brian
I'm just watching this. I have paused to leave this comment: from the bottom of my heart; I am truly sorry for your losses. I have a number of friends who have shared your experience or cannot conceive at all. Surround yourselves with supportive people and cling tightly to each other. You will be in my prayers! 💕
Oh my... Brian, I extend my sympathies for you from Singapore. I can't even begin to imagine how that feels, and yet you continue to give us these videos as per usual. Thank you so much
Such a very sad story, Brian. I hope you and Rachel take strength from one another and from the love and respect you get back from us all.
Thank you, I will. Things have been better since. -Brian
Brian,I'm very sorry for your loss. You and Rachel are such good and inspiring people, I wish all the best for you two and the Goulet team! **Sending lots of love and prayers for you both**
A good pen habit-buy or make yourself a pen holder. I put my Visconti Saturno down on my desk quickly to tend to my cat who started to hurl. The pen rolled off my desk & yup...landed on the nib & folded up a bit. I need to send it to Coles. Never would have happened if I had a pen stand
Q#2: I found that essential oil bottles and their carrying bag works well to travel with small amounts of ink. 2ml (5/8 dram) bottles work the best. ;)
Thank you for your honesty in the midst of your pain. I will be praying for you and Rachel.
Q#3: I placed my Pilot Vanishing point nib unit in an ultrasonic cleaner, and it rubbed off the gold finish on the nib where it touched the feed. Make sure to breakdown the pen fully to clean them.
I'm in my feelings today too Brian. I literally just finished watching Penboy Roy's awards video and your cameo made me smile. Thanks for being cool and making my day a little better.
Brian and Rachel, my sincere condolences on your loss and I wanted to share that my wife and I experienced that same loss repeatedly before deciding to adopt... and that was the best decision of our lives. If you ever do have a calling or desire for more children, I can tell you that adoption is an all-around great experience. One added bonus in our case, we were able to skip diapers and potty training by adopting an older child. :-)
I really appreciate your willingness to share something so personal. We are all human, and it's great to know that you two can bounce back after a setback like that. I'm really happy that you got with a good doctor to help her recuperate a year ago. Hang in there! :)
travelling with ink? get a Noodler's Ahab and some 308 reloadable cartridges!
+1 for the sample vials for travel ink. i haven't travelled recently, but when i top off my piston pens, rather than fill from the bottle, i'll use a sample bottle. years of chem labs, you don't put reagents back in the stock bottles...
that reminds me, i have to top up my Eco with Noodler's Hunter and my Ahab with Bulletproof Black
It is sort of strange to find this a year and a half later. I'm glad I did. I'm going through some stuff. Different stuff but still stuff. Somehow your advice, that of a total stranger from 18 months ago, was exactly what I needed to hear. Maybe its even more impactful now because I have the benefit of knowing (some) of the future that you didn't even know when you recorded this. Thanks.
Handwriting practice-it's sad to me, as a retired teacher, that cursive handwriting has not been systematically taught in our schools now for about 30 years. I know adults who cannot read cursive because they were never taught. In fact, I have a friend who works in a hospital. He used to make his record notes in cursive, as an adult would. Recently he was asked to stop because some of the younger staff couldn't read it, even though his handwriting is very neat and legible. I had a surprising number of students who wanted to learn and would get books and try to copy the letter. we all know that isn't the way to learn, as it's less about the pretty shapes and more about the constant forward flow. I actually believe that this impacts them academically. They approach writing, which they only do in manuscript, as a kind of sketching task. So they can't take notes quickly or jot their thoughts down to write a composition because they are too busy trying to remember how to simply draw letters. They lose their train of thought. Maybe just having lovers of fountain pens keeping this art alive is a good thing.
You give me so much. Bless you and your family.
Yeah! Peter Draws is my all time fave youtube artist.
So sorry Brian that you and Rachel had to go through the loss and then the surgury on top of that , it must have been so hard for you both sincerely and respectfully.
matthew Beddow thank you. We've had our up and downs for sure but we're grateful in he end for what we have -Brian
Ultrasonic cleaners are AMAZING to have around, comes in handy for a number of things (my wife appreciates that it can clean up her rings/jewelry really well). I have the exact same chicago one shown, and you can get a full basket that sits down into the cleaner instead of the tray that just lays along the bottom, makes getting your parts out much easier. Basket is iSonic PB4820A on Amazon.
I'm really sorry for your loss. I also experienced a miscarriage but not the rest of what you both went through. You are in my thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
My mother was eight years older than her sister. It wasn't until their mother passed away that the family learned there had been another daughter born between the two, who died in infancy. Her parents never spoke of it, and my mother and aunt were devastated to learn they'd had another sister who they had never known about.
Thank you for being strong through those hard times. And thank you for really being so true and honest with everything you do.
In regards to the question, I actually travelled Florida with my father and was going to carry a ballpoint, which is silly now, but I lost it and carried an 03 Preppy everywhere. That pen is more sentimental now than the rest of my pens.
And, in terms of recycling ink bottles, I was curious of Noodlers. He's a one man show, and I was curious if we could ever send empty bottles back to him. Obviously we'd keep the labels, but any little thing can help him along. He's done so much for the fountain pen world and I want to give back to him.
Been a fan of Goulet for awhile now & am a new customer. This is the first I’ve heard of the miscarriage, etc. Knew u were a good guy but this took it up a notch. Wish you and the family well bud! Nice knowing I’ll be spending some money with a company that actually cares about the customer. Looking forward to the pens in my future!
Just 2 weeks ago I flew United Airlines with 6 fountain pens all inked up. I took my pens to Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, to Estes Park Wool Market. My pens were among live sheep, cashmere goats, alpacas, vicunas, llamas and angora rabbits. I brought 2 TWSBI's, Karas Kustom K - raw alum., Conklin Duragraph - cracked ice, Nemosine Singularity - aqua, and a Kaweco Brass Sport. I let my friends try all of the pens. I think I made some new fountain pen fans.
Wow, Brian. I am so sorry to hear about what Rachel and you have been through. Glad things are looking up and Rachel is better..
acidgreentutu thank you, yes things are looking up -Brian
I took a couple of pens to Afghanistan with me. Not the coolest place to take one, but hey. They survived war 😂
Thanks for your service to this great country of ours.
Which ones? I've been looking for pens to take to the field
It takes a strong person to open up about things like that. I'm sure there is more then a few people that can say we know how you feel and it does get better with time will always be a rough subject though. Great videos though i have really!!!! Learned a lot about fountain pens!
You have probably saved me some money by discussing ultrasonic cleaners. I have been thinking of buying one for my fountain pens for a long time now. But, upon seeing this video, I think I might pass on buying one. I mean, I get to clean my pens thoroughly anyway without the help of an ultrasonic cleaner. And I also know that if I ever buy one, it would just collect a lot of dust before I even get to use it again.
I've picked up and resuscitated a couple old Parker 51s with an ultrasonic cleaner. Works great for cleaning eyeglasses, jewelry and other stuff very gently. Water and ]one drop[ of dish soap does the trick.
I think that it's very good that you let us know what was going on because I think we tend to think of you as the pen guy and and now we realize you're a real person with real problems and you're also a pan guy and a great penny guy I watch your videos constantly. I've only had one dealing with your company and it was very satisfactory so good luck to you and your lovely wife. And just remember the two children you have now are going to be 16 someday I don't want to give you some satisfaction
The toughest of us go through hard times. If there is an American soldier/hero/legend from the 20th century then "Chesty Puller" is one. A Marine Corp soldier/officer/general from many wars including world war 2 and Korea he lead troops from the front. He never asked his troops to do anything he hasn't done. He worked 3 times harder than his troops because when he lead them on march he walked up and down the line assessing their conditions as they went. He incurred grave injuries in all 3 wars and each time his right hand men had to physically force him off the battlefield to get treatment. He's THE most decorated marine in US marine corps history. It is true to say his actions during WW2 are responsible for the US winning in the pacific theater. In one battle he commanded 15,000 men out of a 20,000 man force trying to hold an airfield against the Japanese.
The US lost 70 men, the Japanese lost 3,000 men.
A tougher man of stronger spirit has not been seen. He was also a loving and affectionate father to his children and had a tear in his eye when his son left to Vietnam. when he saw his son after he returned from Vietnam, now a disfigured paraplegic confined to a wheelchair for life, he wept openly.
This man had seen every horror you can see out there in war. He had endured incredible losses of his soldiers/brothers. He was tougher than you and I by far, and you could be absolutely anybody on the planet. It doesn't matter, chesty puller was still tougher. Everybody goes through emotional hardships even the toughest humans ever created. It's okay. Those who would think a person weak for it haven't been schooled in life about what pain is yet. Being affectionate with the ones you love is okay too. Again those who think it's weak don't understand what's actually important in this world.
As far as Qs go, I mage up my own way for upper case Q and no one has ever noticed. I have used cursive for a long time because my kerning for print is awful and this makes it way easier.
The most interesting place I've taken a fountain pen so far was my family vacation to Florida this year. This has been my first year being into fountain pens, and doing some drawing on the beach with my Metropolitan was a really cool feeling.
erikmiller11 nice! Doing anything at the beach is a really cool feeling ;) -Brian
Brian, To be honest, you are really honest, I am just looking to all your videos for past 3 days You both doing really awesome I like your trip video awesome.. All the very best for all your projects... maybe not sure to meet you.. I am from India but i watch your video regularly first will see all your old videos :)
The last two years I have taken my fountain pens to mission trips in Haiti. The Liberty's Elysium does well on the clinic paper they have there and handles the humidity and dampness rather well.
Brian and Rachel, I am so sorry. Thank you for sharing with us. Our prayers and love go out to you!
Vanessa Jones thank you! -Brian
Yep, that day I checked for the TWSBI several times at work but nothing yet. Then when I got home I had the email notification that they were in stock, but when I went to order they were all gone. Well, it looks like the Vac 700 is the only TWSBI I will ever own because I'm not going to play that game. I simply feel that manufacturers like Lamy and TWSBI who seem to try to stir up a fervor for their already existing products by creating "Limited" versions that they don't make enough of are appealing to the gullible. It makes me think of Nintendo and their NES Classic Edition (mini) that they used that scam on and really alienated many of their fans.
I was wondering about the Aston leather cases, since I need another one.
I looked at the Nemosine inks on the GPC site and the colors appear a bit thin and muted. It seems like that would be a difficult market to compete in with all of the awesome companies like Diamine, Noodler's and now Robert Oster.
I was a bit confused when Brian said he didn't remember a capital "Q" looking like a "2". My wife and I didn't understand that, and when researched I saw that the system used was changed from Zaner-Bloser to D'Nealian in 1978. It looks like Z-B changed the "Q" in the previous Palmer system, and then D'Nealian changed it back.
That's all rather confusing. 🤔
Very brave of you to tell about your loss. I've been there, but just as you, we have two kids and the oldest one just graduated with honors last week.
Just got into the fountain pens, because my son wanted a good fountain pen (a caran d'Ache Ecridor Chevron Gold), but I didn't think that it would be such a big difference between my cheaper pens than his semi-expensive one. I was very wrong in that assumption. So now I'm practicing longhand again. being a southpaw, I've always blamed my atrocious handwriting on that, instead of being a product of the Swedish educational system. My guess? Both...
I really like your home page. Full of good information and easy to navigate. Unfortunately I live in Sweden and the pens I'm interested in are manufactured in Europe, so the shipping and taxes makes it hard to justify buying from you guys, but I will eventually. Congrats on a fabulous business!
And keep the videos coming!
Jack Zimmermann congrats to your son! Yes, sometimes you do get what you pay for ;) no worries about not buying from my store, your watching, commenting, and sharing helps my cause in and of itself. Thank you! -Brian
As for travel ink alternatives you forgot to mention J.Herbin 10ml bottles.
Repairing a dropped nib can be fairly simple if it is a clean bend at the tip. I had just received a Waterman Carene and was doing an initial cleaning to get manufacturing oils out. I had the nib section separated and was drying it when, behold, the thing slipped from my fingers. I wish I had a video of the ordeal to watch it in slow motion, it probably would be comical with all of my physical contortions trying to catch the thing. When I picked it up the tip was bent down at about a 70 degree angle. I just took some needle nose pliers, padded the teeth, and gently bent the tines back up. With a little more tuning it is a perfectly functional pen. You can barely see the bend area just below the tipping material. That was the first time and hopefully the last.
Mike W nice save!! -Brian
Best ink bottles to take anywhere: Diamine 30ml! Small, plastic, durable, lightweight, it can even fit your pocket.
Maybe ink companies could produce larger bottles of ink for businesses purely for turning into samples to reduce waste
Raphael over at the Gentleman's Gazette says he ruined a Mont Blanc 149 with an ultrasonic cleaner because he left it in there too long. That's pretty spooky
Always great videos from Goulet Kingdom. I have had for some years a huge collection of pens and have been a steady ink-aholic and purchaser from Goulet--first class service!
I want to recommend a cleaning product that I use in my ultrasound cleaning unit. I am talking about BioGreen Clean. This is an amazing, entirely plant-based product (I have no financial stake) and I always use a dilute water solution of it when cleaning/flushing pens. I highly recommend!! Never have seen any damage of any kind from either ultrasound or BioGreen Clean solution.
Love from Sri Lanka..
BLESS YOU ❤️
For an ink bottle case...old school vintage style medical travel bags in the styling of the late 1800s-1900 fit the bill.
Regarding traveling with ink . . . it's specific to the Noodler's Ahab, but the 308 cartridges can allow you to bring a bit of ink with you.
That's true, definitely a good option if you do have an Ahab. - Colin
Years later, by the looks of it. But sorry to hear your story! Hugs!
I wonder if any pen manufacturers have considered adding enough weight to the posterior of some of their pens so they would fall nib up. That would probably make them awkward to write with, but it might make a nice option for the dexterity impaired.
I guess that's a point to those who post their pens. I feel like they become more back-weighted with that and could avoid the nib like you said! - Colin
#QOTW My oldest pen traveled with me from Narvik in north of Norway throughout Europe to somewhere nearby Olympia in Greece in my backpack on rails, ships and shoes and throughout Japan from Sapporo in the north to Iriomote in the south. We have definitely been at a lot of interesting places. But the most striking place has been up in a treetop high above a deep turquoise excavated lake in the surroundings of my parents home. Swinging with the wind flying 30m above water level while writing is very special.
When you say, "leave it uncapped for a long time" can you define just how long that is for a standard ink?
I feel part of the family, Brian, God bless you, son. Pens be damned ( well, almost ).
I've used my ultrasonic cleaner for years with no problems or negative side effects.
Do you use just water, or do you use a pen flush?
Irene Adler I use either room temp water, and occasionally add a drop of dawn.
Thank You! Now I Know that my Ultrasonic Cleaner can be used as long as I only Use Distilled Water w/ a little Dish Soap in it! ;-)
QOTW: Buddhist monastery in the Himalaya :-)
(PS. I think it was a Parker Frontier, not the most luxurious pen but it has never let me down.)
+Éowyn Wow, thank you for sharing! :-) Asking this was probably not the reason you went to the Buddhist monastery but...Did you ask the monks what they use to write with? Bamboo pens? I would imagine that they write down their prayers with some sort of dip pens.
Hi Robert, thank you :-) Afaik historically indeed Tibetan was written with bamboo pens that were dipped in ink, it's quite easy to make, I once tried it some years ago. But nowadays and where I was, in Sikkim, they're very modern, they wear sneakers and use cell phones. They normally use cheap ballpoint pens, the schoolkids have fountain pens, but I didn't see which brand, I wasn't that much infected by the fountain pen virus yet when I was there.
Wow! Now that's pretty cool -Brian
Brian and Rachel I'm really sorry for everything that happened to you guys, I'm pretty sure there is nothing in the world that can replace that lost, i hope that you will be able to get well as soon as possible!!! Love what you do with your team!!!
Qotw: i took my fountain pen to an aerobatic flight (not a good idea LOL 🤣)
Marcelo Lameiro thank you, I really appreciate the kind words. -Brian
Use an ultrasonic cleaner on vintage pens, works pretty well. All pens so far have had blue ink in them. Only one issue so far, a Pilot E that had a corporate logo in gold ink, the gold paint came off with the other gunk. Never had issues with gold fill or gold plate, but the gold paint did not work well. I have done very little nib work but did get a Waterman's gold nib that was mangled back to writing, just needs a bit of tuning as it is a little scratchy. I would think really bad gold mangling would need heating to anneal the gold, get everything straight and smooth then heating to get the spring back, but I could be wrong.
I regularly take my lamy Safari out camping and doing field work. that thing never missed a tick
I recently got into fountain pens so I haven't taken them on any adventures. I did use my fountain pen to document the birth of our most recent baby. I've got a question that I'm curious to hear about from other Penatics. How many times have you stabbed yourself recapping a pen? I just got myself for the first time today.
How about an ink wel? It is the size of a pen and seems pretty secure to hold ink
Yeah, that thing by visconty
thanks for the suggestions
I was thinking about getting an ultrasonic cleaner, mainly for my visconti HS since i have issue with getting all of the ink color out of the part where the nib meets the section, there always seems to be something of the ink left there and it bleeds into my next ink choice. Any insight into if the composition of the pen wont go well with the ultrasonic cleaning? i dont want to break down the rock!
I just purchased my first Noodler's Ahab a couple of days ago and it was the Cardinal Darkness. My question is, are there any other Noodler's around that same color scheme? Im was a little hesitant to get it since it's predominantly red with black, are there any black/red flex Ahabs? Hopefully I get a reply!
Peter Draws ua-cam.com/video/c6jqvJDDa6k/v-deo.html, the artist that Brian mentioned. In this video, Peter drew with Twsbi Eco & J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor Ink.
Question about ink syringes. Most of what I've seen marketed as ink syringes on pen retailer sites don't really appear to be substantially different from just plain utility or industrial (non-medical) syringes I see on other sites. Are there differences, or is it just marketing?
They're most likely very similar in function!
The diamine 30ml bottles are quite small
What pens can you get for about 100 dollars that in your opinion are great
100 dollar is tough because you can't quite get a gold nib pen. That said, I don't think you can go wrong with any TWSBI, but the Vac700R is a really unique pen for the price. - Colin
Okay what about 150 or 200
Kalfreezy 0 get a Lamy 2000, great pen and design, takes a hot minute to understand you need to hold it correctly for it to write well. But once you have a handle on it, it is an EDC pen.
Also I second the Vac700, get the pen and the ink well for under a hundred and you will never regret it.
Echoing what James said, the Lamy 2000 is a good option for sure! Any Pilot gold nib is good too (VP, Custom 74, E95s, Falcon). For a really classic FP look, the Platinum 3776 Century is really solid. - Colin
❤
You wouldn't want to put an Edison Pneumatic Filler in the ultrasonic cleaner because you don't water to get in the barrel.
I typically only use my cleaner with pens that you can disassemble the nib and feed from the section. I've found that pens you can't take apart, the cleaner isn't very effective.
Hi!! I love writing with my pens... however... all I ended up writing is work stuff... how can I get a pen pal?
I haven't tried it myself but there's a couple sites that help match up pen pals: www.penpalworld.com/ - Colin
You can carry 3.4 oz liquid in your carry on, but that's a whole lot of ink.
notconvincedgranny oh I didn't know it was that much! I thought that was total amount and didn't realize that was just in one container. Well shoot, you can pretty much bring anything under a Noodler's 4.5oz bottle then -Brian
"All kinds of cr-cool and interesting things"