I‘m happy about your recommendation of Pelikan‘s. Here in Germany, Pelikanos were the standard pen that every schoolkid was getting back when I was small (Gehas and Lamys were also popular, but most kids in the seventies - and even today - have a Pelikano as their first fountain pen at age 5, 6 or 7), as we learn to write with fountain pens (usually with ink cartridges) from 1st or 2nd grade on... In school, we would cut the used cartridges open and collect the little balls for fun...
I'm starting my 6yo with a catridge Jinhao shark pen this weekend! I love that it has the triangle grip to help him hold it properly, and it's red, which is his favorite color.
I would still prefer Lamy any day of the week. I was raised in Ukraine and was taught to hold the pen with my thumb and index finger on top, resting on the tip of the middle finger, so the Safari section is just perfect for me. I also own Parker Frontier, Vector and vintage Waterman Forum and I don't use them much since I've bought the Safari. It does not roll when I'm writing fast and is just more enjoyable even though the Frontier nib is a bit smoother (Both are F's). My first fountain pen was Schneider Easy. It had the triangular section which suits me even better, but the nib itself was atrocious. It is just a bent tip, with no welded ball.
@@dmytrotarasov9477 I have always wrote like that, its just been my natural only way I can write/draw... Neat to know you were taught to write the way i just am. The Diplomat Magnum is very comfy for the grip, id recommend it
Twsbi Eco great nib, easy to find, quite cheap, well-turned nib, big ink capacity, and it looks great. I would also buy a Lamy even though the grip is weird but it's a lovely smooth nib.
TWSBI Diamond Mini. It's my favorite now and I love that I can swap nibs (I own 4 nibs), so you can change it to your mood, and that you can see the gorgeous inks!
I now have 12 pens from Goulet, love them all especially TWSBI Eco and LAMY Safari. I have the Platinum Prefounte in all the colors. Last week my Pilot Metropolitan arrived and I’m in love. Knowing what I now know, the Metropolitan would be my first pen. It is my new EDC.
Start over? My Edwardian Headmistress taught us copper plate with dip pens in 1960 Osmiroid fountain pens had a selection of over 15 nib types to choose from Almost all you could get was the #65 then the #75 Parker Quiks ink was the only ink available We were taught italic in 5th grade to break the copperplate into an adult hand A Parker 45 Flighter fine nib for my 13th birthday At school I rebelled and used Parker turquoise ink If I could do it again? I would not change anything
That's wonderful! I wish they still taught handwriting in schools. I was homeschooled and my mom made us learn cursive, which I am very grateful for. Been learning italic now
@@musicmeili I don't know how to tell you this, but other states and countries also have these things called schools, and things are different in each one of them.
TWSBI Eco forever! I’m also fond of my Gold LAMY LX with black nib. It is very smooth, looks awesome and I carry it with me. Recently purchased a broad TWSBI mini and love it for signing “big fat signatures”. The posted length is perfect with the mini and fits well in most pockets.
My first purchased pen was a Sheaffer Intrigue. I loved it from the moment I saw it as a teenager with a pen (Fahrney's maybe?) catalog, and when I went into the workforce it was one of the first things I saved up to buy. It was actually one of my first ebay purchases (since by then the pen had done so poorly that was the only way to find one). I'd probably get a Vanishing Point instead, since the regular line is about the same price point as the Intrigue was, and my VP Raden was my first Goulet Pens purchase, almost 10 years ago.
My vote for a starter pen is the one I started with: Pilot Metropolitan. I really like the TWSBI's, too, and they're available in stub nibs which I like a lot.
I Love the Pilot V-tech .05 for drawing and work, but recently wanted to try out fountain pens, and do every sketching now with a disposable fountain pen. I've got some cheap refillable fountain pens on order now, and plan on grabbing a few different inks to work with.
Went through dozens of fountain pens and the one that I use 90% of the time is my Lamy 2000. To be fair, if I'd started with it, I mightve gotten curious and shopped around anyway before landing back to it.
A sneakily nefarious question! It could be interpreted as "knowing what you now know", or basically, "what's your favorite" or even "what are you regrets?" If I knew then what I know now, I would have spent a lot more time on "entry" level pens -especially the Safari where I could easily swap out nibs etc to find what I like. Then I wish I would have explored low cost (mostly) Chinese pens to try out different filling mechanisms to see what I like and only then would I begin to "splurge" on higher end pens. I would stay away from collecting a given brand. I did a lot of that and ended up with pens that, while historically interesting and attractive to look at don't find much use because they don't fit my hand or the ink capacity is low or the nib isn't best for my writing etc.
I have really bad ADHD, so I tend to collect things with a passion and learn about them and love them and then my interest drops off. Your wife saying “really, Brian?” cracked me up for this reason. I think my husband at least THINKS “Really, Jaclyn?!” at least once every six months or so.
My first "real" fountain pen (not counting the $2 Jinhao I started with) was a clear Kaweco Sport. Awesome pen, I really love it, and if I did things differently I'd probably just get a different color. The clear shows scratches easily. My 1.1 in Coconut would probably be a good first!
I think the TWSBI Go is a great fountain pen to start off with. It‘s not fancy, but the mechanism works so well and it has an enjoyable nib and ink flow capacity. It is my go to work pen (I teach at university), because it is robust, doesn‘t have problems with being tossed in a bag, and is ALWAYs reliable...
Facts! My Eco is my daily writer (although I DO use my Benu and Lavande 3776 quite a bit as well). I just glare at my Lamy. I bought a tuning kit from Goulet to see if it helps, but I’m about to toss my Al-Star.
I am barely months into it. I started looking into fountain pens because I read they were easy on arthritis. My first was Amazon Basics, but I had done zero research and was just looking to try it out. It is decent (in my limited experience). I have since got platinum preppy, sailor compass (on sale), moonman with glass nib. What I have learned about myself: I want to use bottle ink, so some form of converter is a must (though cartridge has its place and I intend to keep my cartridge only pens), I have no interest in doing the syringe thing, I probably want to stick to broader nibs, I want pens where I can change nibs. To that end I finally bought a Lamy Safari (which I should have bought instead of Sailor Compass, but no looking back). Any other recommended pens?
My first pen is the TWSBI Vac700 Iris. The rainbow nib is what sold me on it. I don’t really regret that purchase, but I wouldn’t call it a starter pen.
I think I’d still be happy with my Pilot Metropolitan as my first, but I might have gotten a Kaweco Sport sooner. I wouldn’t have bothered with so many basic Jinhao’s. No Al-Star, but still Safari. And after I had about 12 pens in that price range, I’d stop spending and save... there are high-end pens I want now. I think I will like them and I want to have the coin to pull the trigger when I actually try them out.
Might go with a Diplomat Magnum. I was really impressed by the very smooth and soft nib and the feed, can be fully disassembled, and takes standard international converters (also it came with a converter, anyway), as well as a common nib size for swapping. I actually started with a Platinum Preppy, which is a great pen, for the price, but I don't like that you can't disassemble it fully. Kind of hard to clean. It can also be a bit finnicky with some thicker inks. It has a lot of tip options, but you're limited to Platinum Preppy tips.
Brian, it sounds like you (as I am) are a 'generalist'. 'Specialists' learn more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. 'Generalists' learn less and less about more and more until they know nothing about everything! Kudos on being a member of the elite species! (And thanks for another great video.)
I still love the Pelikanos, and order the Pelikano Jr's from Germany to load up with shading inks. They are wonderfully wet writers, never seem to need tuning, and super affordable. I need to find a vintage Geha--loved the one I had in the 80s but have no idea what happened to it.
Does the Pelikan Stola III fill that entry level niche? I’m a big Pelikan fan, but I wonder if the Stola is worth recommending to beginners, or if it’s safer to stick with a Safari or Metro.
My favorite old pens, before most of you were collecting, were the Sheaffer No Nonsense and the Sheaffer Calligraphy (non-post ends). I would still have to buy them, in quantity. I have loved my Metropolitans, and jacked most of them up with italic nibs from Plumixes (Plumices?), and would probably have waited longer for the stub on the Metro. I wouldn't buy almost every color of Plaisir, which I jacked up with the cool colored nibs from the old Preppies. Basically, knowing what I know now, I would try to have some self-control and buy one at a time because they all just keep coming out with new ones now! I would have avoided the mass collection of Jinhaos, and stuck with the Shimmering Sands and the Goulet #6 1.1 stub. Okay, maybe a few 159s with my 750s. oh, yeah, no Lamy Vista or Safari, either. Who knew my hand would hate them?
My first purchase was the limited edition Benu Pomegranate Wine. So I jumped in the deep end. Although I had previously been gifted an Esterbrook Camden, so I had a high bar. They are both smooth writers. I think if I had gotten a scratchy pen, I would have immediately gotten turned off of FP's.
i'm in that stage right now. i'm getting one new fountain pen every month. i research one brand and get their most recommended model. so far i got the metropolitan, safari, jotter, kaweco sport, le coule, twsbi eco. next months, maybe a pelicano and a magnum.
wow, I also been using fountain pens for I think 11*12 years (when I was finishing elementary school), but I started just because my hand aches when using classic ballpoints, so I got a Scheinder Base really cheap, now I have a Lamy Al-star that's been with me for almost 9 years and I never really dig in to it, it was just the past week when I discover that I can use a converter to stop producing wast, after 9 years using the same battered pen and I didn't know, I think because where I live fountain pens are something odd. I think if I could I would get something sturdier (made of steel) instead of the al-star because aluminum is to soft and I happen to study an outdoor-releated career, so after several years taking field notes and collecting data it's showing it's age (mostly scratches and dents) but still writes as new, now that I can refill my pen I got back to blue ink but with a more waterproof one. That's for the informative chanel, I'm learning more now than I did on the past decade.
I am wondering, if you were stranded on a desert island for life (but you had unlimited paper and ink), which ONE pen would you choose to have? I only have 3 fountain pens (I'm just not a collector kind of person): a Pilot Metropolitan fine point, Edison Collier wide nib, and I just got a clear TWSBI ECO medium. I believe I would keep the TWSBI as my one pen (although my others are great, too) because I like being able to see the ink level, it feels good in my hand, and the nib is smooth and wet. It just writes really nice and I really really like it. I think if I could have only one pen, that would be it.
Hello I have a question. I hear from a lot people that the Kaweco sport is a really great fountain pen and the classic sport is 25$ so why is the Kaweco sport not in one of your best beginner fountain pen videos ?
The videos aren't necessarily intended to be exhaustive. There's dozens of other great pens to start with. The Kaweco Sport is definitely one of those, great pocket pen. - Colin
Safari and Metropolitan were my first two pens, bought for comparison purposes. This is how I found out about proprietary cartridges, and I was OUTRAGED. I fuzted around with some pens that take standard cartridges, but the only ones that wrote as well at the Met and Safari cost more than $200. O.o. So, knowing what I know now? Met & Safari!
The European Pilot Metro (the MR) does take standard international cartridge/converters, so you could always go that route in this hypothetical.. :) - Colin
If I had to go back in time to buying my first pen with the knowledge I have now, it would probably be a pilot PO or an EF realo and stop there, maybe throw in a pilot FA for a 2 pen combo, a 92 CH with medium nib for a three pen combo that covers all the nibs I like. I would skip the metropolitans I got, I wouldn't get a broad, a stub, a e95s, a falcon, a decimo. It was fun discovering all these different pens the first go around, and I don't mind having them in my collection, but I wouldn't do it all over again. I know what I like in a pen, I'd rather spend the money exploring something new, do more writing and drawing than shopping. I'd skip out on a lot of the inks I bought too, maybe even just stick to black, brown and blueblack, even though it was fun at first to try lots of different colours. I think the novelty just wouldn't be there the second go around, I'd be all business.
After owning from my most prized Montblanc 146, sheffear preludes, lamy studio several metropolitan and lamy al- stars around 41 fountain pens I can't seem to pick a favourite each one has a different flavour to it and for me I don't look for reasons to why I prefer fountain pen over anything else I love em and that's that I love colours and that's that though I could pick a in shade and the winner is diamine marine
I've been interested in fountain pens since I was 17 and bought a cheap Platignum Varsity Pressmatic (that ages me!) I used to lust after the expensive pens in stationer's displays, but as a poor A level student couldn't afford them. I still buy cheap Chinese pens, though I've bought an assortment of expensive and medium priced pens over the years.
Both are good options, but the fine nib option on the Metro is why I might lean towards that. Great on a variety of paper types and easy to clean. - Colin
Both are good but I started out with a pilot metropolitan fine nib and was amazed at the feel of the nib. Much smoother and of good quality materials. I sometimes write a bit with it on cheap paper with a pilot blue black ink just to test out what paper is best for me to write with it, so far I narrowed down what's a good option for me and learned a lot of things like feathering, ghosting, spread etc( reading is one thing but experiencing something is better). I can definitely attest to the fact that a good ink improves the writing experience and love the pilot blue black due to it's quick dry nature on a fine nib and it's highly water resistant which helped save my notes due to occasional sprays when I water my plant or have wet hands. I planned to get a safari just to see if I'd like western nibs and whether it lives to the hype.
I don’t Know about the Safari, but the Metropolitan is nice. Looks and writes great. Only caveat: it has a low capacity converter, so it needs to be refilled a little too often for my taste. Quite annoying, really. If I had a starter pen to recommend, it would be the TWSBI Eco.
I think we have the same MO. I just got a bunch of fountain pens. I'm the same with the speed cubes. I want to try them all. I like to broaden my experience and not be a SME in one topic.
My first is preppy if i'm not wrong. If i could change it, i would buy Lamy Safari Petrol. And then i would buy lots and lots of petrol ink. I would treasure those babies ✒
Hey, I have a Q: how do you clean tarnish off of metal parts in a pen? I have a 3776 thats a few years old and the clip and cap ring are quite patina'ed. Thanks!
I think Queen Elizabeth has been using a Parker 51 for her entire reign. She may be the opposite of you Brian. I’m more like you: variety is life. I just discovered Kaweco AL Sport (thought it was too small; it’s not) and I love it.
I really liked that you had a 9x9 in a checkerboardish pattern. Do you enjoy all type of twisty puzzles? Edit: I anticipated myself, heard the love for all sorth of different puzzles. For fountain pain and puzzles
Hey Brian, i was wondering why dont you sell Indian handmade pens at Goulet pens? I was watching one of your videos where you mentioned there aren't many ebonite FP's made anymore but a lot of Indian fountain pens are handmade & are made of ebonite. Just curious to know why not add them to you list of items, and moreover they are pretty reasonably priced. Love you work and all of your videos.
Generally, the production levels for these pens is not where we need them to be to stock at Goulet. Beyond that, most are set up with regular distribution channels to help facilitate carrying the brands easier. That said, they are great pens at a great price, and when it makes sense to pick them up, it's definitely something we'd look at. - Colin
I enjoy my Twsbi Eco but the Go pens I ordered were made in China and poor quality. I'm now too afraid to buy Twsbi anymore. Will stick with Pilot, I prefer Japanese fine points any way.
@@TheRealSk8rcruz if you take the question in the other way like if someone stole all your pen and you have to start over, which one would you buy. I'm sure I'll get the 823 first.
I like Noodler’s X-Feather black. I use it in my calligraphy pens because of how dark it looks, and it doesn’t feather. Haven’t tried the Aurora though.
Hello I'm mixed up with my thoughts to Buy my first gold nib fountain pen(Pilot Custom 74) Or a Vinsconti Rembrandt Or Pelikan M200 Or Sailor proffesional 21k god nib fountain pen. I'm a student and write alot Can anyone suggest the pen which I could use daily and is Durable.
I'd go with the Pilot Custom 74. Jumping to a gold nib is worth the investment in that price range. It offers a great writing experience, large ink capacity with the Con-70 converter, and is easy to clean! - Colin
One more similar kind of question I would like to ask is - if you had all the knowledge which pen ( Only one in each section ) would you recommend in each range)) viz. 1. Entry level starting pen 2. Next level gold nib pen 3. Costly very good quality pen....... I would love to know your answers
For me personally (though a great question from Brian as well!): 1. Entry level is even tough in terms of price range.... Jinhao 51A to TWSBI ECO to TWSBI 580 are all great places to start 2. LAMY 2000, not even close competition in my eyes. 3. Aurora Optima checks a lot of the boxes you want from a pen in that price range. Any sort of Namiki offers great quality in terms of build as well as writing experience too. - Colin
My Safaris are both too dry, and I've even tried an extra nib. I've tried to like them but I don't. I have several Pilot Metropolitans and all have written wonderfully right out of the box.
Lots of Twsbi comments. But the first thing I see after googling is 30+ cases of people cracking their plastic and having twsbi send them a replacement. Not a good look. Maybe I'll go for the Safari's instead.
My my. Since I’ve only started owning/collecting fountain pens a couple months ago, this is a hard question for me. As with many of us who have quickly fallen in love with the idea, I’ve started out on the frugal spending side to make sure I even liked them. Pros and cons to that aspect. Super cheap toss always, meh. Cheap questionably manufactured pens from online stores that sell anything from cutsie paper clips to womens’ lingerie. (Then they turn out ok and usable…who knew?!) to decent knockoffs from Jinhao. If I had to start over (what would lead to that freak event?) I’d start with decent budget pens (like Jinhao), starter pens from Pilot, Platinum and Sailor to get my feet wet. I mean, who starts out with a pricey Montblanc right out of the gate? That’s like a mum and dad buying their 17-year-old a brand new fully loaded Tesla and he doesn’t have a license yet. He’s going to break it. IMHO 🤔 Let me clarify, I’m actually a watercolor artist and my interest in fountain and dip pens is 99% for ink and wash art.
I feel called out with your Montblanc comment 😅 I’ve recently decided to stop using disposable pens for ecological reasons, so am going back to fountain pens. I had one in secondary school, so asked my mum if she could find my old Parker for me. She couldn’t, but she had a few others I could have if I wanted? “Yes, please! What are they?” “A Dupond, a Caran d’Ache and a Montblanc.” 😮 I said yes to all, but bought a TWSBI 580 in the meantime so I can practice and earn the right to write with the fancy ones 😂
@@sunnycharacter as it happens, it *will* feel like Christmas because that's exactly when I'll be receiving them! She lives abroad and will come to visit during the holidays. And, another fun fact, my TWSBI arrived today :D It's taken all my willpower to continue working instead of playing with it right away... Guess what I'll be doing this evening, haha
@@ellieisbusy Love it! I have a couple pens to put on my Christmas wish list from my husband. Nothing too extravagant. But there are a couple from Penbbs, a Jinhao and some glorious Diamine inks. 😍🖋…and paper.
@@sunnycharacter I got two Diamine inks with my new pen! One red, one purple. They're glorious indeed, am I'm slightly intimidated by them :) Ah, paper. I've got my eyes on the Midori MD notebooks, because their covers are paper also (like I've mentioned before, this is a quest to be more eco-friendly). I might copy you and ask the husband for some stationery! If you happen to remember, do come back and let me know what you thought of your new pens, particularly the Jinhao. I grew up in China and get nostalgic whenever there's some good quality wares coming from there (shoutout to the knock-off luxury-brand clothing we got direct from the factories that made those same original luxury items!)
If I started again , I would get a pilot metropolitan but I started with a Parker vector italic set because my dad was teaching me calligraphy at the age of nine. Now I am thirteen with a lamy 2000 for a birthday gift. My dad is silently cursing himself.
I‘m happy about your recommendation of Pelikan‘s. Here in Germany, Pelikanos were the standard pen that every schoolkid was getting back when I was small (Gehas and Lamys were also popular, but most kids in the seventies - and even today - have a Pelikano as their first fountain pen at age 5, 6 or 7), as we learn to write with fountain pens (usually with ink cartridges) from 1st or 2nd grade on... In school, we would cut the used cartridges open and collect the little balls for fun...
I'm starting my 6yo with a catridge Jinhao shark pen this weekend! I love that it has the triangle grip to help him hold it properly, and it's red, which is his favorite color.
Love your channel because you are real and genuine, true to who you are after all the years!
Instead of a Lamy Safari I would have waited a year for the TWBSI Eco to be invented...
I would have waited for the pilot metropolitan
I would still prefer Lamy any day of the week.
I was raised in Ukraine and was taught to hold the pen with my thumb and index finger on top, resting on the tip of the middle finger, so the Safari section is just perfect for me.
I also own Parker Frontier, Vector and vintage Waterman Forum and I don't use them much since I've bought the Safari. It does not roll when I'm writing fast and is just more enjoyable even though the Frontier nib is a bit smoother (Both are F's).
My first fountain pen was Schneider Easy. It had the triangular section which suits me even better, but the nib itself was atrocious. It is just a bent tip, with no welded ball.
This makes me feel super good about getting an Eco as my first exploration into bottled ink, thank you.
@@dmytrotarasov9477 I have always wrote like that, its just been my natural only way I can write/draw... Neat to know you were taught to write the way i just am. The Diplomat Magnum is very comfy for the grip, id recommend it
“It just kinda happened” Well that explains my pen collection and office supply/notebook problem. 🤣🤷♀️
Twsbi Eco great nib, easy to find, quite cheap, well-turned nib, big ink capacity, and it looks great. I would also buy a Lamy even though the grip is weird but it's a lovely smooth nib.
TWSBI Diamond Mini. It's my favorite now and I love that I can swap nibs (I own 4 nibs), so you can change it to your mood, and that you can see the gorgeous inks!
Probably gonna go for the Lamy Safari, such a great pen for the price.
I now have 12 pens from Goulet, love them all especially TWSBI Eco and LAMY Safari. I have the Platinum Prefounte in all the colors. Last week my Pilot Metropolitan arrived and I’m in love. Knowing what I now know, the Metropolitan would be my first pen. It is my new EDC.
Start over?
My Edwardian Headmistress taught us copper plate with dip pens in 1960
Osmiroid fountain pens had a selection of over 15 nib types to choose from
Almost all you could get was the #65 then the #75
Parker Quiks ink was the only ink available
We were taught italic in 5th grade to break the copperplate into an adult hand
A Parker 45 Flighter fine nib for my 13th birthday
At school I rebelled and used Parker turquoise ink
If I could do it again?
I would not change anything
That's wonderful! I wish they still taught handwriting in schools. I was homeschooled and my mom made us learn cursive, which I am very grateful for. Been learning italic now
omg I did that too I used the waterman turquoise ink in school and loved every bit of it didn't care about how people looked at it or me but yea... :)
@@musicmeili They still teach handwriting in schools.
@@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart But only till a certain grade and then they stop. Like they stop too early. At least here in California schools.
@@musicmeili I don't know how to tell you this, but other states and countries also have these things called schools, and things are different in each one of them.
TWSBI Eco forever! I’m also fond of my Gold LAMY LX with black nib. It is very smooth, looks awesome and I carry it with me.
Recently purchased a broad TWSBI mini and love it for signing “big fat signatures”. The posted length is perfect with the mini and fits well in most pockets.
TWSBI Eco and
OH YES! I feel the same way! I need all the pens! And I am just starting out on the luxury pen journey and I am so looking forward to ALL the pens
I’d just buy the Lamy 2000 that I thought was “far too expensive for a pen”, and then stop! 😂
Honestly, I really enjoy the free “Charlie” pens that Noodlers give away with their eye dropper bottles of ink!
For sure! You can do a whole lot worse and not get a massive bottle of ink with it. :) - Colin
And the price is right.
Ditto .
Yeah those things are great! Love the simplicity. I swapped the nib on mine with a Nib Creaper flex nib.
TWISBI Eco. Easily one of my most used pens. Stupid reliable and I love the medium nib, so smooth.
My first purchased pen was a Sheaffer Intrigue. I loved it from the moment I saw it as a teenager with a pen (Fahrney's maybe?) catalog, and when I went into the workforce it was one of the first things I saved up to buy. It was actually one of my first ebay purchases (since by then the pen had done so poorly that was the only way to find one). I'd probably get a Vanishing Point instead, since the regular line is about the same price point as the Intrigue was, and my VP Raden was my first Goulet Pens purchase, almost 10 years ago.
My vote for a starter pen is the one I started with: Pilot Metropolitan. I really like the TWSBI's, too, and they're available in stub nibs which I like a lot.
Was sick of blobs from ball points so tried a Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen. A variety of 35+ fountain pens later they are all I write with.
I Love the Pilot V-tech .05 for drawing and work, but recently wanted to try out fountain pens, and do every sketching now with a disposable fountain pen. I've got some cheap refillable fountain pens on order now, and plan on grabbing a few different inks to work with.
Went through dozens of fountain pens and the one that I use 90% of the time is my Lamy 2000. To be fair, if I'd started with it, I mightve gotten curious and shopped around anyway before landing back to it.
Faber Castell Loom for me definitely. (The matt versions) Some of the smoothest steel nibs, always perfect flow, never dries.
Lol I don't think getting a Goulet nib fits the hypothetical! Lol!
That gave me a good chuckle.
A sneakily nefarious question! It could be interpreted as "knowing what you now know", or basically, "what's your favorite" or even "what are you regrets?" If I knew then what I know now, I would have spent a lot more time on "entry" level pens -especially the Safari where I could easily swap out nibs etc to find what I like. Then I wish I would have explored low cost (mostly) Chinese pens to try out different filling mechanisms to see what I like and only then would I begin to "splurge" on higher end pens. I would stay away from collecting a given brand. I did a lot of that and ended up with pens that, while historically interesting and attractive to look at don't find much use because they don't fit my hand or the ink capacity is low or the nib isn't best for my writing etc.
I have really bad ADHD, so I tend to collect things with a passion and learn about them and love them and then my interest drops off. Your wife saying “really, Brian?” cracked me up for this reason. I think my husband at least THINKS “Really, Jaclyn?!” at least once every six months or so.
I’m the same! Totally obsessed, then a year later thinking “why did I buy these?”
Would start with a Lamy Safari. It just teaches you everything you need to know about fountain pens. Pretty cool! I'm good with my Pilot 78G tho
Thank you for sharing your experience💕
My first "real" fountain pen (not counting the $2 Jinhao I started with) was a clear Kaweco Sport. Awesome pen, I really love it, and if I did things differently I'd probably just get a different color. The clear shows scratches easily. My 1.1 in Coconut would probably be a good first!
I think the TWSBI Go is a great fountain pen to start off with. It‘s not fancy, but the mechanism works so well and it has an enjoyable nib and ink flow capacity. It is my go to work pen (I teach at university), because it is robust, doesn‘t have problems with being tossed in a bag, and is ALWAYs reliable...
I'd go straight for a dip pen, for flex writing, a glass pen for sampling inks along with the Pilot Metropolitan, for a great inexpensive writer.
I still love my first pen-a pilot metro. But I would skip the lamys and go straight to the TWSBi ecos!
Facts! My Eco is my daily writer (although I DO use my Benu and Lavande 3776 quite a bit as well). I just glare at my Lamy. I bought a tuning kit from Goulet to see if it helps, but I’m about to toss my Al-Star.
@@Linaskye143 lol you glare at it. I totally understand. I have never come around to love the Safari’s or any Lamy. I just don’t get it!
I've thought about getting an Eco but people say that it does crack...
@@センナ-h4c I haven’t had issues with cracking. I still prefer them to lamy
@@msjennwingo ah okay
I’d stick with the Pilot metropolitan as my first pen. It made me fall in love with fountain pens so I wouldn’t change a thing.
I am barely months into it. I started looking into fountain pens because I read they were easy on arthritis. My first was Amazon Basics, but I had done zero research and was just looking to try it out. It is decent (in my limited experience). I have since got platinum preppy, sailor compass (on sale), moonman with glass nib.
What I have learned about myself: I want to use bottle ink, so some form of converter is a must (though cartridge has its place and I intend to keep my cartridge only pens), I have no interest in doing the syringe thing, I probably want to stick to broader nibs, I want pens where I can change nibs.
To that end I finally bought a Lamy Safari (which I should have bought instead of Sailor Compass, but no looking back).
Any other recommended pens?
My first pen is the TWSBI Vac700 Iris. The rainbow nib is what sold me on it. I don’t really regret that purchase, but I wouldn’t call it a starter pen.
I think I’d still be happy with my Pilot Metropolitan as my first, but I might have gotten a Kaweco Sport sooner. I wouldn’t have bothered with so many basic Jinhao’s. No Al-Star, but still Safari. And after I had about 12 pens in that price range, I’d stop spending and save... there are high-end pens I want now. I think I will like them and I want to have the coin to pull the trigger when I actually try them out.
Might go with a Diplomat Magnum. I was really impressed by the very smooth and soft nib and the feed, can be fully disassembled, and takes standard international converters (also it came with a converter, anyway), as well as a common nib size for swapping. I actually started with a Platinum Preppy, which is a great pen, for the price, but I don't like that you can't disassemble it fully. Kind of hard to clean. It can also be a bit finnicky with some thicker inks. It has a lot of tip options, but you're limited to Platinum Preppy tips.
I’ve just purchased a TWISBY Eco and am delighted with it. 😃👌👏👏
When I was in school 60’s loved the esterbrook!
I love their vintage pens.
Brian, it sounds like you (as I am) are a 'generalist'. 'Specialists' learn more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. 'Generalists' learn less and less about more and more until they know nothing about everything! Kudos on being a member of the elite species! (And thanks for another great video.)
Going back decades now one ofy first pens was a Parker 25. Very untraditional styling and a great steel nib.
I still love the Pelikanos, and order the Pelikano Jr's from Germany to load up with shading inks. They are wonderfully wet writers, never seem to need tuning, and super affordable. I need to find a vintage Geha--loved the one I had in the 80s but have no idea what happened to it.
Does the Pelikan Stola III fill that entry level niche? I’m a big Pelikan fan, but I wonder if the Stola is worth recommending to beginners, or if it’s safer to stick with a Safari or Metro.
And your wife says, "Really Brian?" That just cracked me up.
I think I would probably still go with my original first choice, Pilot Metropolitan. Still use it, still love it.
It is an amazing pen and fantastic value.
So would I! I have quite a few and they all write great right out of the box. Can't say that about some more expensive ones.
I would go the same route I went the first time Diplomat Magnum. I would also get a vintage pilot elite.
I can't believe I didn't hear any TWSBI or Noodlers
Opus 88 Koloro Demo. Perfect steel nib. Holds plenty of ink. I like fiddling with the shuttle. Win. Win. Win.
me looking at the cubes in the background as I'm messing with my 4x4 lol
My favorite old pens, before most of you were collecting, were the Sheaffer No Nonsense and the Sheaffer Calligraphy (non-post ends). I would still have to buy them, in quantity. I have loved my Metropolitans, and jacked most of them up with italic nibs from Plumixes (Plumices?), and would probably have waited longer for the stub on the Metro. I wouldn't buy almost every color of Plaisir, which I jacked up with the cool colored nibs from the old Preppies. Basically, knowing what I know now, I would try to have some self-control and buy one at a time because they all just keep coming out with new ones now! I would have avoided the mass collection of Jinhaos, and stuck with the Shimmering Sands and the Goulet #6 1.1 stub. Okay, maybe a few 159s with my 750s. oh, yeah, no Lamy Vista or Safari, either. Who knew my hand would hate them?
The Vintage No Nonsense fine ltalic is one of my favourite pens now going for stupid prices on eBay.
I'm having a hard time finding the pilot plumix pens. Will you carry them again?
I started with my Dad’s Parker Duo-Fold…absolutely hated Shaeffer rough nibs, leaky AF
My first purchase was the limited edition Benu Pomegranate Wine. So I jumped in the deep end. Although I had previously been gifted an Esterbrook Camden, so I had a high bar. They are both smooth writers. I think if I had gotten a scratchy pen, I would have immediately gotten turned off of FP's.
i'm in that stage right now. i'm getting one new fountain pen every month. i research one brand and get their most recommended model. so far i got the metropolitan, safari, jotter, kaweco sport, le coule, twsbi eco. next months, maybe a pelicano and a magnum.
My first one was Lamy Al-Star. I wish I started with TWSBI ECO; it’s my go to now.
wow, I also been using fountain pens for I think 11*12 years (when I was finishing elementary school), but I started just because my hand aches when using classic ballpoints, so I got a Scheinder Base really cheap, now I have a Lamy Al-star that's been with me for almost 9 years and I never really dig in to it, it was just the past week when I discover that I can use a converter to stop producing wast, after 9 years using the same battered pen and I didn't know, I think because where I live fountain pens are something odd. I think if I could I would get something sturdier (made of steel) instead of the al-star because aluminum is to soft and I happen to study an outdoor-releated career, so after several years taking field notes and collecting data it's showing it's age (mostly scratches and dents) but still writes as new, now that I can refill my pen I got back to blue ink but with a more waterproof one. That's for the informative chanel, I'm learning more now than I did on the past decade.
WoW! Two years ago, doesn’t seen so
I am wondering, if you were stranded on a desert island for life (but you had unlimited paper and ink), which ONE pen would you choose to have? I only have 3 fountain pens (I'm just not a collector kind of person): a Pilot Metropolitan fine point, Edison Collier wide nib, and I just got a clear TWSBI ECO medium. I believe I would keep the TWSBI as my one pen (although my others are great, too) because I like being able to see the ink level, it feels good in my hand, and the nib is smooth and wet. It just writes really nice and I really really like it. I think if I could have only one pen, that would be it.
If I were starting again, I would definitely go for a Kaweco Sport straight away.
For a first, I should have gone TWSBI
Hello I have a question. I hear from a lot people that the Kaweco sport is a really great fountain pen and the classic sport is 25$ so why is the Kaweco sport not in one of your best beginner fountain pen videos ?
The videos aren't necessarily intended to be exhaustive. There's dozens of other great pens to start with. The Kaweco Sport is definitely one of those, great pocket pen. - Colin
I would have started with the Lamy Al-Star
Safari and Metropolitan were my first two pens, bought for comparison purposes. This is how I found out about proprietary cartridges, and I was OUTRAGED. I fuzted around with some pens that take standard cartridges, but the only ones that wrote as well at the Met and Safari cost more than $200. O.o. So, knowing what I know now? Met & Safari!
The European Pilot Metro (the MR) does take standard international cartridge/converters, so you could always go that route in this hypothetical.. :) - Colin
@@Gouletpens I could, but unless that version is sold in the USA, there go the savings.
If I had to go back in time to buying my first pen with the knowledge I have now, it would probably be a pilot PO or an EF realo and stop there, maybe throw in a pilot FA for a 2 pen combo, a 92 CH with medium nib for a three pen combo that covers all the nibs I like. I would skip the metropolitans I got, I wouldn't get a broad, a stub, a e95s, a falcon, a decimo. It was fun discovering all these different pens the first go around, and I don't mind having them in my collection, but I wouldn't do it all over again. I know what I like in a pen, I'd rather spend the money exploring something new, do more writing and drawing than shopping. I'd skip out on a lot of the inks I bought too, maybe even just stick to black, brown and blueblack, even though it was fun at first to try lots of different colours. I think the novelty just wouldn't be there the second go around, I'd be all business.
What is we full name of the Pilot PO and FA? What didn't you like about e95s?
After owning from my most prized Montblanc 146, sheffear preludes, lamy studio several metropolitan and lamy al- stars around 41 fountain pens I can't seem to pick a favourite each one has a different flavour to it and for me I don't look for reasons to why I prefer fountain pen over anything else I love em and that's that I love colours and that's that though I could pick a in shade and the winner is diamine marine
I've been interested in fountain pens since I was 17 and bought a cheap Platignum Varsity Pressmatic (that ages me!) I used to lust after the expensive pens in stationer's displays, but as a poor A level student couldn't afford them.
I still buy cheap Chinese pens, though I've bought an assortment of expensive and medium priced pens over the years.
Acquiesce = “accept something reluctantly but without protest”
Would the Pilot Metropolitan or a Lamy Safari be a good starter...please suggest...fine writing...note taking purpose...help 😅
Both are good options, but the fine nib option on the Metro is why I might lean towards that. Great on a variety of paper types and easy to clean. - Colin
@@Gouletpens thanks a bunch...always love watching u guys 🙂
Both are good but I started out with a pilot metropolitan fine nib and was amazed at the feel of the nib. Much smoother and of good quality materials. I sometimes write a bit with it on cheap paper with a pilot blue black ink just to test out what paper is best for me to write with it, so far I narrowed down what's a good option for me and learned a lot of things like feathering, ghosting, spread etc( reading is one thing but experiencing something is better). I can definitely attest to the fact that a good ink improves the writing experience and love the pilot blue black due to it's quick dry nature on a fine nib and it's highly water resistant which helped save my notes due to occasional sprays when I water my plant or have wet hands.
I planned to get a safari just to see if I'd like western nibs and whether it lives to the hype.
I don’t Know about the Safari, but the Metropolitan is nice. Looks and writes great. Only caveat: it has a low capacity converter, so it needs to be refilled a little too often for my taste. Quite annoying, really. If I had a starter pen to recommend, it would be the TWSBI Eco.
Thanks 🙂
I would get TWSBI ECO in M nib, TWSBI GO in 1.1 stub, and Lamy 2000 in F nib.
Parker Duofold 1990) version, my first fountain pen.
My first was a Parker Duofold International in the 90's.
Parker Duofold Centennial Black from 1996-with Penman sapphire and ebony inks.
Thanks for this Brian.
I’m similar to you: I like having a broad/diverse experience with things. Jack of all Trades... 😄
Faber-Castell Loom
Is there a flex nib that will fit the TWSBI ECO?
I think we have the same MO. I just got a bunch of fountain pens. I'm the same with the speed cubes. I want to try them all. I like to broaden my experience and not be a SME in one topic.
My first is preppy if i'm not wrong. If i could change it, i would buy Lamy Safari Petrol. And then i would buy lots and lots of petrol ink. I would treasure those babies ✒
With all the knowledge that i have now, my first pen would be a lamy 2k or a sailor realo 😍
Hey, I have a Q: how do you clean tarnish off of metal parts in a pen? I have a 3776 thats a few years old and the clip and cap ring are quite patina'ed. Thanks!
Polishing cloths or jeweler's cloth (www.gouletpens.com/products/goulet-polishing-cloth?variant=11884650659883 ) are good options for this. - Colin
I think Queen Elizabeth has been using a Parker 51 for her entire reign. She may be the opposite of you Brian. I’m more like you: variety is life. I just discovered Kaweco AL Sport (thought it was too small; it’s not) and I love it.
I really liked that you had a 9x9 in a checkerboardish pattern. Do you enjoy all type of twisty puzzles?
Edit: I anticipated myself, heard the love for all sorth of different puzzles. For fountain pain and puzzles
Id not buy ALL of them and get get a Pilot vanishing point.
I wish that was one of my first as well!
A pilot custom 823 fine nib and that’s it. Save my money from buying so many other pens that are now collecting dust.
Puzzles are fun!
A 'Brian' of all trades.
platinum preppy, 100%
I will go straight for Pilot 912 and Lamy 2000 If I could start over
Hey Brian, i was wondering why dont you sell Indian handmade pens at Goulet pens? I was watching one of your videos where you mentioned there aren't many ebonite FP's made anymore but a lot of Indian fountain pens are handmade & are made of ebonite. Just curious to know why not add them to you list of items, and moreover they are pretty reasonably priced. Love you work and all of your videos.
Generally, the production levels for these pens is not where we need them to be to stock at Goulet. Beyond that, most are set up with regular distribution channels to help facilitate carrying the brands easier. That said, they are great pens at a great price, and when it makes sense to pick them up, it's definitely something we'd look at. - Colin
@@Gouletpens i understand Colin. Thanks for replying. You guys are doing a great job, i mean the entire team at GPC. Cheers👍
Acquiesce: To accept something reluctantly but without protest.
Absolutely no question TWSBI 700R with a TWSBI refill bottle - fill that pen it will last you at least 6 months or longer.
What ? No TWSBI ? ? ?
Wish I had started with a Platinum Preppy instead of the Pilot Varsity!
I enjoy my Twsbi Eco but the Go pens I ordered were made in China and poor quality. I'm now too afraid to buy Twsbi anymore. Will stick with Pilot, I prefer Japanese fine points any way.
Pilot Custom 823.
My most trusted pen. It checks almost all my check boxes and I love it
I’d agree, and I own one, but I doubt I would’ve paid more than $100 on my first pen.
@@TheRealSk8rcruz if you take the question in the other way like if someone stole all your pen and you have to start over, which one would you buy. I'm sure I'll get the 823 first.
I would get jinhao 992 instead of my plastic Parker vector
Which is the darkest black ink?
Nib and paper play a huge factor in that, but in my experience, Aurora Black is pretty dark option. - Colin
I like Noodler’s X-Feather black. I use it in my calligraphy pens because of how dark it looks, and it doesn’t feather. Haven’t tried the Aurora though.
Hello
I'm mixed up with my thoughts to
Buy my first gold nib fountain pen(Pilot Custom 74)
Or
a Vinsconti Rembrandt
Or
Pelikan M200
Or
Sailor proffesional 21k god nib fountain pen.
I'm a student and write alot
Can anyone suggest the pen which I could use daily
and is Durable.
I'd go with the Pilot Custom 74. Jumping to a gold nib is worth the investment in that price range. It offers a great writing experience, large ink capacity with the Con-70 converter, and is easy to clean! - Colin
@@Gouletpens Thanks for the suggestion.
I would be orderring a Custom 74 soon.
@@GouletpensThe nibs on Custom 74 and Custom 92 are same?
Yeah, both use the 14kt gold Pilot nib. Super smooth writer. - Colin
@@Gouletpens Thank You.
One more similar kind of question I would like to ask is - if you had all the knowledge which pen ( Only one in each section ) would you recommend in each range)) viz. 1. Entry level starting pen
2. Next level gold nib pen
3. Costly very good quality pen....... I would love to know your answers
For me personally (though a great question from Brian as well!):
1. Entry level is even tough in terms of price range.... Jinhao 51A to TWSBI ECO to TWSBI 580 are all great places to start
2. LAMY 2000, not even close competition in my eyes.
3. Aurora Optima checks a lot of the boxes you want from a pen in that price range. Any sort of Namiki offers great quality in terms of build as well as writing experience too. - Colin
1. Kaweco Sport, 2. Pelikan M400, 3. Visconti Homo Sapiens Dark Age or Skylight (I’m saving my money)
I bought a Lamy safari and I hate that, the ef is huge
Yeah, not comparable to a Japanese EF if someone would be looking for that. - Colin
My Safaris are both too dry, and I've even tried an extra nib. I've tried to like them but I don't. I have several Pilot Metropolitans and all have written wonderfully right out of the box.
Twisbi
Lots of Twsbi comments. But the first thing I see after googling is 30+ cases of people cracking their plastic and having twsbi send them a replacement. Not a good look. Maybe I'll go for the Safari's instead.
Hip vid Bri, but it’s too late for me now, I’m a fountain pen junkie. I just love the sound of nib on paper. Disgusting, eh ?
I would definitely not buy 10 metros and go for the prera right away
My my. Since I’ve only started owning/collecting fountain pens a couple months ago, this is a hard question for me. As with many of us who have quickly fallen in love with the idea, I’ve started out on the frugal spending side to make sure I even liked them. Pros and cons to that aspect. Super cheap toss always, meh. Cheap questionably manufactured pens from online stores that sell anything from cutsie paper clips to womens’ lingerie. (Then they turn out ok and usable…who knew?!) to decent knockoffs from Jinhao. If I had to start over (what would lead to that freak event?) I’d start with decent budget pens (like Jinhao), starter pens from Pilot, Platinum and Sailor to get my feet wet. I mean, who starts out with a pricey Montblanc right out of the gate? That’s like a mum and dad buying their 17-year-old a brand new fully loaded Tesla and he doesn’t have a license yet. He’s going to break it. IMHO 🤔 Let me clarify, I’m actually a watercolor artist and my interest in fountain and dip pens is 99% for ink and wash art.
I feel called out with your Montblanc comment 😅 I’ve recently decided to stop using disposable pens for ecological reasons, so am going back to fountain pens. I had one in secondary school, so asked my mum if she could find my old Parker for me. She couldn’t, but she had a few others I could have if I wanted? “Yes, please! What are they?” “A Dupond, a Caran d’Ache and a Montblanc.” 😮
I said yes to all, but bought a TWSBI 580 in the meantime so I can practice and earn the right to write with the fancy ones 😂
@@ellieisbusy Lol no worries! That is amazing she had those to give to you! It must have felt like Christmas!
@@sunnycharacter as it happens, it *will* feel like Christmas because that's exactly when I'll be receiving them! She lives abroad and will come to visit during the holidays.
And, another fun fact, my TWSBI arrived today :D It's taken all my willpower to continue working instead of playing with it right away... Guess what I'll be doing this evening, haha
@@ellieisbusy Love it! I have a couple pens to put on my Christmas wish list from my husband. Nothing too extravagant. But there are a couple from Penbbs, a Jinhao and some glorious Diamine inks. 😍🖋…and paper.
@@sunnycharacter I got two Diamine inks with my new pen! One red, one purple. They're glorious indeed, am I'm slightly intimidated by them :)
Ah, paper. I've got my eyes on the Midori MD notebooks, because their covers are paper also (like I've mentioned before, this is a quest to be more eco-friendly). I might copy you and ask the husband for some stationery!
If you happen to remember, do come back and let me know what you thought of your new pens, particularly the Jinhao. I grew up in China and get nostalgic whenever there's some good quality wares coming from there (shoutout to the knock-off luxury-brand clothing we got direct from the factories that made those same original luxury items!)
If I started again , I would get a pilot metropolitan but I started with a Parker vector italic set because my dad was teaching me calligraphy at the age of nine. Now I am thirteen with a lamy 2000 for a birthday gift. My dad is silently cursing himself.
That's so awesome! I love hearing about folks getting into the FP hobby at a young age. And what a sweet birthday gift. :) -Rachel