Goulet Q&A 168: Pens That Feel Good, Brass and Copper Nibs and Brian's Ones That Got Away
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- Опубліковано 11 тра 2017
- For links to the products mentioned and Brian's answers, check out the Q&A 168 blog post: bit.ly/GouletQA168
In this episode, I talk about what pens feel good, brass and copper nibs, and my pens that are the "ones that got away".
Pens/Writing - (6:21)
1) @Shimmertastic- Twitter - (6:22)
What do you think of textured pens? What are your favourites?
2) weeksie- Instagram - (13:25)
Hey Brian, you've talked about the Aurora 88 flex and its extra ink reserve before. This sounds great, but why does Aurora label it as an extra ink reservoir and not a larger ink capacity? Why not, instead of creating another chamber for ink, just make the first reservoir larger? Loving the Q&A, listen to past and present episodes every day!
3) mdgirlforlife- Instagram - (19:11)
When a pen is too wet of a writer, is it because of the ink, nib, feed, or a combination of all three? Is there a way to modify this?
4) niewiadomski13- Instagram - (26:46)
There are gold, steel, and titanium nibs to my understanding. There are brass and copper pens that use these nibs. Why are there not copper or brass nibs to match pen bodies?? Wouldn't it be cool to have a brass kaweco AL sport that has all that patina on the body carry over on to the nib? Or is it just not feasible and would ruin the ink flow?
Personal - (30:33)
5) michael_pearce2k- Instagram - (30:34)
What's a limited edition pen you missed out on or regret not getting?
6) onyzephyr- Instagram - (33:26)
Is there any special edition pen you'd like to see? Like if you could wish for a pen inspired by a TV-show/band/movie/book/video game, what would it be? Personally I'd love to see a Twin Peaks or Blade Runner collection.
QOTW: What gives you fountain pen FOMO? - (38:46)
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That Aurora chamber and extra reservoir is really cool! I've been caught out in meetings/workshops a few times before, that would be ultra handy!!
Glad I'm not the only person that carry's a lot of pens. Thank you Brian.
TheLadyTWells ur in good company :) -Brian
Brian I enjoy your channel very much and I too watch Goulet productions every day as you have become to me one of the high end pen feed people. BUT, that's all due respect to the others who keep the pen people informed and entertained. Brilliant.
One thing that stands out to me is your ability to just talk to the camera, sometimes very quickly, as though you have people in the room with you, it gives you a charisma that is quite appealing... to me, I'm not trying to speak for everyone. Your channel keeps me informed of what's coming up. eg. When TWSBI launched the 700R... And you reviewed it, the same day I was badgering my pen supplier Cult Pens for mine on back order and was able to refer to the release in the US. So, personally your channel is the products chanel along with some very interesting questions from the pen folks. Matt Armstrong did a really good in depth 3 part instruction regarding nibs, alignment, flow, polish early on, season 2, I think?
Sorry to clang on, I get carried away, hope everyone is OK and best wishes to all pen people.
LeZc
@@
Lez Cartwright thanks for the kind words, I and my team try our best to stay current and relevant! -Brian
That Delta Unica orange celluloid is my pen that got away!
My current FOMO is the Sailor Fresca.
QOTW: The Edison Nouveau Mystical Myrrh is my FOMO pen. When it came out I had not reached the stage in this fountain pen hobby where I was willing to spend that much money. However, I did get to that stage quickly, but the Mystical Myrrh was already gone.
I'm sorry that I was not yet into fountain pens when the purple TWSBI 580AL was available. I've purchased the plain Diamond 580AL, and it's a really good pen.
Visconti Opera designs, particularly the Elements Amber is my FOMO. For a long time the Pelikan Piccadilly Circus was on that list but I've managed to source the set (M620, K620 & R620). The Montblanc F. Scott Fitzgerald also features, but I think I've kept my lust at bay for a while by settling for the Regal F. Scott Fitzgerald pen instead.
I've noticed that Brian often wears tops that "sheen" ^_^ Like this black one, you can see it "sheens" red in some places like around the buttons, on the strings etc.
The pen regret I have is for the 2015 Special Edition Pink Tortoise Pelikan M600 Fountain Pen 14k.
You showed it on your site when you were asking which of 2 pens would your customers prefer. I voted for this one. It was rather expensive at the time, in my eyes, because I wasn't accustomed to purchasing higher end pens ( Still not buying super high end-my splurges have been a few Visconti which are definitely great but not a Holy Grail experience for me. I really like the Hall of Music 2 that I have). I consoled myself that maybe it would have been too large, but I honestly don't believe so. I have only seen it for sale from Singapore which might be fine for inexpensive things but I would never buy a quality pen from an Ebay seller in Singapore because there is no recourse if something is not right.
Love your site and terrific service! I've finally ventured out to check out other ones because of the various blogs that have come through but I still come back to yours.
I wonder how a Bronze nib would work. Bronze is a softer metal (maybe too soft...) but was the first kind of anti-rust metal we discovered.
I did see the fig boot on pen interview and it was great ... still thinking of my fomo pen it was a classic LB5 but actually got the prototype 00 of 50 in the brown (not the Japanese name lol ) but you're right it wasn't easy
OK, to answer the QOTW...what pen gives me that FOMO feeling? Hmm.
Honestly, the closest I get to that FOMO feeling is looking at a couple of the early Edison Nouveau Premiere pens that were gone before I even knew about them: the bright red one (Fireball, I think) and the lovely pine/jade green one (Majestic Pine) that you did for the holiday season one year.
I also got that feeling when I found out about a long gone Lamy Safari special edition - I believe it was from 2011, the Turquoise one? I saw that in someone's blog post where they showed their whole lineup of Lamy Safari SEs, and I JUST HAD TO HAVE IT. It bothered me for days, and I finally just searched for it on eBay - they are definitely still there to be had - and bought one for close to $90. Silly, I know...but it is my very favorite Lamy Safari ever, my preciousssssss.
OH! And also that Franklin Christoph "vintage glass" material. I would buy ANY PEN made with that.
A subtly Narnia/CS Lewis themed pen would be so awesome.
My biggest fomo pen was the 3776 Nyhvn that Engeika did. It's one of my favorite pens and my wife nearly killed me when I bought it without asking her first.
Pilot M90.
I would LOVE to see a pen devoted to Edgar Allen Poe! Maybe a small cameo picture of the man, maybe a raven clip or other symbol.
... and then ink it up with De Atramentis Edgar Allan Poe (www.gouletpens.com/de-atramentis-edgar-allan-poe-35ml-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/DA1173)! - Colin
QOTW - I don't know if this counts, but the pen that got away for me was my dad's Eversharp Skyline. It disappeared in the early 60s. I was there when my mom's pen was about to be thrown away and saved it (and had it restored), but I missed out on his. The upside, I guess, is that I was able to buy a restored pen just like his. It's not the same as having his, but it is the closest I have.
I'd like to see a Doctor Who pen, maybe TARDIS blue.
I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet, or at least a TARDIS blue ink. I've gotten asked for similar ink colors quite a few times! - Colin
I'm going to learn how to make a kitless FP this summer, so perhaps that will be one of my goals now!
I would soooo buy that pen!
Brian Chu I couldn't agree more!
The Goulet Pen Company Maybe Sargasso Sea would fit the bill?
QOTW - The pen that I missed out on was the Edison Nouveau Premiere in Waterlily..aka Unicorn Barf. I also love the Seaglass and had such bad FOMO I ordered it the 1st day it was available.
Jenifer Bendezu that was a good one! -Brian
There's always money in the banana stand!
Max Schumacher wink -Brian
Hi brian, in regadrd to the copper nib question. I do believe there is at least 1 copper nibbed pen. The Dagong 56, which is a chinese vanishing point clone that is no longer in production. It's nib is gold plated copper.
Interesting! There's always exceptions. :) - Colin
Could we see Goulet exclusive Edison Hayden Planetarium series acrylics? Maybe colors that represent each planet?
If you look at some of the Namiki Maki-E pens, there are a few that have a space theme. They're absolutely beautiful, and I feel N. D. Tyson would flip if he found it. :)
Personally, because of my love of all things radiation, radioactivity and my passion to teach it, I would love it if I could get Edison to custom make a nuclear-themed pen. I love Noodlers Dark Matter so I'm half way there. ;-)
A wavy yellow cake color, with streams of black balls in all directions of varying sizes (radiation particles alpha, beta, gamma), and if possible, putting a small Tritium ampoule in the clip to have it glow and actually be mildly radioactive. Tritium is the radioactive isotope of Hydrogen, and with some zinc sulfide, the alpha particles glow for quite a number of years.Yellow cake is surprisingly subdued, in terms of color, so it wouldn't be painfully bright like some pens. (Ex. Unicorn barf pen, the Seaglass, I think)
In the movie "The Hindenburg" - George C Scott emptied ink from a fountain pen to dump four small diamonds. How would the ink and the diamonds affect each other inside the pen?
Marie Farbar well the diamonds would certainly impede ink flow....beyond that I don't think they'd affect each other at all-Brian
Q: With summer coming on humidity levels will be up. What impact will this have on paper and ink? Being new to fountain pens I have not experienced summer weather with them. Will the humidity cause the paper to have lower absorbancy? Will it cause issues with paper to ink application generally? Thanks!
QOTW: I have a fear of missing out on the Visconti Homo Sapiens (made of lava) since I see Visconti has come out with a new acrylic one (which I really don't like). I am afraid the cheaper (marginally) acrylic one will replace the one made of lava.
I don't think that'll be the case. The lava Homo Sapiens is one of their flagship pens, I think they're just trying to capitalize on the branding and offering an acrylic version. - Colin
Maybe you could do something like that for a future seasonal Nouveau pen? Something black and violet, with a shimmer like the milky way?
I'll take a production sample in exchange for the idea! :D (or just buy one as soon as it comes in stock....)
Yeah, that'd definitely look cool. Lots of options with the Nouveau Premieres, hard to narrow it down! - Colin
Hi Brian - I understand Visconti have done your limited edition Cosmos set. :-(
QOTW: What gives you fountain pen FOMO?
The Lamy Dark Lilac, specifically in Extra Fine. I found out about a brick and mortar store in my area and visited- they happened to have just one remaining in store so I tested it. Liked it a lot, looks+feel but I had just bought 2 new pens so I figured I shouldn't impulse-buy another before testing out my new ones. But I still want it...but I shouldn't.
Xeqcme well if you can still get it and have any inkling at all to do so, do it. They are long discontinued and you will not likely get another chance unless you want to pay 2-4x the original price -Brian
hey Brian what about the most known textured pen of all time ,, the Parker 51/45 cisele pattern, their pens were amazing , plus thief textures were gorgeous
karanveer singh dulku I've never held one -Brian
oh I c Brian , but as a collected of fountain pens I feel the best textured pen is Parker cisele pattern
QOTW: Kaweco liliput in purple. So so SO sad to not have one!!! It's the absolute dream pen of all times for me...
Yeah, that was a pretty one! Brian should feel bad reopening all these old wounds of pens long gone... - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company Yeah, this actually really hurts everytime I think about it 😂
I write notes using my fountain pen for my exams, but when I use my highlighter it smuges the writing. Do you have any way around this? Thank you
I would suggest a waterproof ink like Platinum Carbon Black or Noodler's Bulletproof Black.
Seems like you need to figure out a better ink. A bullet proof ink that dries quickly would be best. I really like Xfeather from Noodlers but it may dry a little too slow for a highlighter to follow right after.
I would try getting samples of Bullet Proof ink or look for swatch tests. I usually just refill cartridges with ink and reuse them. (till they get worn out)
that lilac safari and the corresponding ink. It was just gone by the time I got to it.
Yeah, really hoping Lamy brings those back. They have done it in the past, and I can't imagine the others being more successful than Dark Lilac. - Colin
Regarding the ink, I found the Shaeffer Skrip purple looks very good and matches really well with my dark lilac
thanks for the tip.
I want to give pens as a wedding present. The couple appreciate good stationery but have never tried fountain pens. Are there any "couple" pens, or pens thematically matched in a set of two? If not, what two pens complement each other very nicely (aesthetically)? If this has been answered elsewhere, my apologies, but my searches for it failed.
Hmmm, that's an interesting question! I've added it to our Q&A spreadsheet to see if Brian has some ideas. Is there a price range? I can't think of any that are necessarily paired to match (Though I guess the Game of Thrones pens could work like that). Aesthetically, Edison (www.gouletpens.com/edison-fountain-pens/c/75) has a few pens that could work with different colors offered. - Colin
Since they have never used fountain pens, I would hesitate to purchase really expensive ones. (My friend didn't like the FP)
1. However, if they have 2 colors in their wedding, perhaps the Lamy Al-Stars since they are aluminum bodies (VS the Safari plastic) would be good if the colors match, There are more colors in the Safari, though. They also have the gift sets of the AL-Star and Safari-which would give them the samplings of various colored cartridges. ( buy two kits and an extra pen in a preferred color. then you could swap the less preferred color pen for the better one and put it in the kit). And you get a new pen yourself ;-) .
2. The Edison pens write well and have more unusual appearances with the lovely colors they come in.
3. The Kaweco have a variety of colors and write very dependably in my experience-I've never had a leak. I have 3 all sports. I have the Fire Polished Lilliput and it is wonderful but pretty small.
4. Lastly, I am not very familiar with the Kara Customs, but they have a variety of colored bodies and you could select the same grips for each. I have the solid brass one and it writes well enough but unscrews pretty easily so I'd stick to the Aluminum unless you have had different experiences )
Some of these pens could possibly be engraved with their names. Goulet would know.
Good luck, its'a great idea-I'd love to get this as a gift!
Thanks for the leads. About price range... I don't have a fixed idea. Between two and three hundred dollars would be alright for the set. I might consider more but I would have to feel strongly that the couple would like the set. Anything over five hundred dollars is out of my range no matter what the pens are like.
Brian actually answers this in this week's Q&A, so be on the lookout for that tomorrow! :) - Colin
I'm ordering a Conklin all American and am wondering if you had any tips for how to use fountain pens through school without bottled ink. The one time I tried taking my pilot metropolitan to school I ran out of ink and spilled my Parker bullet proof black ink all over my desk when refilling. I almost moved English classes
Cartridges are totally the way to go when it comes to school. The All-American is a great choice for this because it can accept standard international long cartridges that hold so much ink, though there's less options (www.gouletpens.com/ink-cartridges/c/26/?sortBy=productName+asc&facetValueFilter=Tenant~Cartridge_Type%3Astandard-international-long). Lots of great Diamine choices for the standard international short cartridges. When the ink runs low, pop out the used cartridge and press in a new one, super easy. - Colin
how do I fix a leak on a pen? I was turning one of my fountain pens to eyedropper thing with the rubber ring n silicon grease thing but it leaks out
What kind of pen is it? Is it leaking out of the nib, or where the barrel screws in? - Colin
I got my first fountain pen last year because I couldn't pass up the dark lilac Safari. I love it, but I wish I'd gotten the ink as well. I'm not too torn up about it though because I have lots of purple ink samples from you to try. I later got the pink TWSBI 580AL, which is great, but I'm sad that I missed out on the purple one from a couple of years ago. I basically want all the purple things. :D
I do really hope Lamy brings back the ink though! It is such a nice ink, but you're right, lots of great purple inks out there. Did you see the 580AL Turquoise coming next month? Looks really nice. - Colin
QOTW: I actually don't really feel the whole FOMO thing. I couldn't believe you'd said 'FOMO'. I'm a little worried that I won't get the chance to get a pink 580AL, from TWSBI. But even then, I probably won't be able to get it and there's no point in torturing myself. I'm a bit like you where I just try to let things go and I don't like having regrets. My life has turned out the way it was meant to.
I'd love to see a Doctor Who or more Game of Thrones pens. I'd love to see all the houses done. I love house Tyrell, House Tully and House Marmont.
I would love to see more houses too. But then we're getting into the nichest (not a word) of niche markets. House Greyjoy pen would be really slick with the Kraken clip. - Colin
Omg, yes! A Greyjoy pen with a Kracken clip would be sick! I don't think House Greyjoy would be so niche that it shouldn't have a pen, they're fairly central to the storyline so far, so I think They need to hurry up and get on that!
I was excited to hear about the Star Wars themed pens but they didn't meet my expectations which was disappointing.
Maggi Kodani which, the Cross or ST DuPont? -Brian
I didn't realize there were two different lines. I enjoy the Cross version better than the Du Pont version. I don't like the siluette of the Du Points.
QOTW: Biggest pen regret: I missed out on the Goulet Edison Premier blue ebonite winter edition.
Andrew Zander yeah sadly we weren't able to make as many of those as we'd hoped...-Brian
i think that divina will be better than the divina metropolitan, which has a fatal flaw- ink is getting caught in my grip section between the metal and the celluloid. had it replaced once already, same issue. i'd stay away from the divina metro (and i will be asking goulet to remove my previously glowing review so i can update it) working with goulet and coles right now to remedy it, but unfortunately my first grail pen has turned out to be unusable.
I was excited for the lamy 2000 package (thinking about buying my first 2000 soon) but i realized i have a bottle of lamy blue-black and it has astonishingly terrible performance. easily the worst behaved color in my collection! it just does not write well on smooth paper, skips, dry, and has really bizzarre surface tension to false start all the time.
I adore my Lamy 2000. I didn't purchase the limited edition which I love, but have a Broad and a Medium in the Makrolon. I'm not positive which inks I've used in them but i'm pretty sure two of them were de Atramentis Jane Austen and Diamine Presidential Blue.
do you guys have rose gold nibs? is there any pens that do?
We don't have any separate replacement nibs that are rose gold, but a few pens do come with them: www.gouletpens.com/all-fountain-pens/c/640/?sortBy=productName+asc&facetValueFilter=Tenant~Nib_Color%3Arosegold - Colin
I almost wish I saw this before Mothers day to send the the husband for a nudge... I think it's too late now but maybe do a suggestion pen post for Father's day?
One in each price range would be nice, as well as any limited editions. My brother just got into fountain pens, so I might send him one soon. A suggestion under $100 would be much appreciated.
We did have a gift guide for Father's Day last year (blog.gouletpens.com/2016/06/15-writing-gifts-for-your-pa-fathers.html). We no longer carry a few products, but still could be helpful. Beyond that, I think the Conklin Nighthawk could be a good option, same with the Lamy Studio or Tactile Turn Gist. - Colin
Missed an easy answer on a "Gotta Have Theme Pen"...What about a Lego Movie Theme? Characters and maybe a "Piece of Resistance" pen?
Kimberly Castner OH MY GOSH how did I not think of a Lego pen? Yep, that'd be my answer right there, no question. -Brian
Someone sell me a cherry bamboo vanishing point😩😩
My FOMO - is being closed out right now: Visconti Watermark. I have an aversion to spending that much on something that doesn't have wheels, but eh. You only live once.
How do you know if a pen was inked up for return? Anyone can just say that they havent inked it up but they did and they cleaned it out. So how do you tell wether it was inked or not? And also has that ever happened to you?
HI IM NO ONE unfortunately people lie, yeah. But we can tell, we see so many pens we can always tell what's been used and what hasn't. -Brian
Wow! Yeah I know people do lie. I would love to know how you know if a pen was inked it but it would reveal the secret so dont say it! And also could you make a video on some fountain pen life hacks?
My FOMO pen is the Game of Throne pens (anyone, love them all). But my tuition won't let me justify such a purchase. Maybe my family and friends will be kind enough to make a donation to my pen fund on my birthday.
As for a themed pen, how about a printer pen in reference to office space? Hum. Maybe not. Too many people would want to take a large hammer to it!
Perfect for writing up all those TPS reports! - Colin
Gods be good!!! How could you not mention (even in passing) that you are currently selling Montegrappa Game of Thrones themed pens!! These are my FOMOs for sure, I've ordered Targaryen & Baratheon, waiting for Stark & Lannister in Broad nibs to become available. W-a-y too expensive for me, but these are my special thrills & I won't apologize. ;^)
Gisela Rodriguez no doubt there are lots of GoT fans excited for these ones! -Brian
Good Lord what 4 people disliked this? Was Brian too good this week?
Yeah, I'm not sure why either. Maybe because it's a bit shorter than usual? - Colin
I've noticed that many videos have like 4 thumbs down no matter how good. Like a baby doing something cute. I guess its UA-cams way of keeping us humble.
Jason Brown
I think the thumbs down are from people who can't put words to paper.
I wish I picked up a Visconti Hall of Music pen while it was still available. If JK Rowling ever approves, a fountain pen company ought to come out with a Harry Potter/Hogwarts House themed pen/pen set.
Brian has anyone told you that you sound exactly like Steve Carell? Whenever I hear your voice and I'm not looking at my screen I'm like "Oh I didn't know Steve Carell worked at Goulet."
Skipper Green you're the first to say that to me -Brian
I liked my tactile turn until I had a cap break. I emailed Will and he got back to me one time and hasn't sent me an email after a month. I have a $150 pen sitting in a drawer for the foreseeable future 😞
And by cap break, it wasn't my fault. It was a machining issue
Nick C Send a polite reminder. He might have had things going on and just forgotten to get back to you. It happens.
Marie-Paule Graham I've emailed him 2 or 3 times since and hit him up on social media
Nick C It's a pity he's ignoring you. If you paid by credit card, you could speak to the credit card company and ask them to do something. They should, given it's a warranty issue. Hope you get it sorted out.
I don't think he's trying to ignore you, he's just a small operation and probably behind...keep bugging him -Brian
I would like to see back in production the Pilot M90 . Please ask Pilot USA to make it again!
Derick Solano I've asked! I love that pen -Brian
That is my holy grail pen!
for a Q&A vid? : are there many/any novelty pens in the fountain pen universe these days? back in the 70's and 80's I remember a fad for novelty and gimmicky pens.a lot of the turn it upside down and watch something happen types, built in bubble blower ring and liquid, digital clocks etc. sheesh, when LCD clocks were invented people were shoving them into any product. none of these pens was much of a useful writing tool and I've never seen any fountain pens that "do other things" to be considered a novelty or gimmick item. maybe I'm too old to be exposed to them these days. Maybe a fidget spinner ink mixer? Or has novelty moved from childish things to trendy materials instead? eg titanium, carbon fiber, basaltic lava etc? so maybe a showcase of the silly side of fountain pens? it wouldnt surprise me if a japanese ink maker had bottle of blue ink with little plastic goldfish swimming in the bottle :)
You can never find classic pens lb5 ever!!!!
Can you show us your awesome triangular shaped pen? LOL
Well, Brian doesn't have one, that's why he regrets it! :) But Stephen Brown does have a video on the Omas 360 if you're curious: ua-cam.com/video/hqqRvDOsibk/v-deo.html - Colin
whoa whoa whoa, brass and copper are known for their ability not to corrode, thats why its called naval brass and they use them in boating because they dont rust or corrode...stainless steel if anything will corrode way more
darkinertia2 maybe just with water, but I'm wondering about the other chemicals that are in ink. It's possible I'm not accurate on this one, chemistry was never my strong suit. It could just be an issue with hardness of the metal and not corrosion...-Brian
Copper corrodes (oxidizes). That patina on your copper pen is the first stage. If left alone, it will eventually turn green and have some texture to it (like the Statue of Liberty). Brass or bronze are alloys of copper and will corrode the same way. That's why sailors do so much polishing to keep the brass shiny.
I'm thinking that there may be an electrolysis reaction between the ink and the copper alloys that may cause an accelerated corrosion that can clog the nib and feed. At best, it means more maintenance. At worst, deterioration of the nib.
Brian I like your videos very much, lots of information. But can you listen to this video and count the times you say "And stuff like that". Its is so annoying......
B. Peppercorn sorry -Brian