Thanks for sharing your Japanese Pen Odyssey experience; I felt like I was there! For those who might not be aware; there is a great collection of videos published on UA-cam by Virtuthe3rdTV titled “Masters of the Fountain Pen”. In total there are 14 different ones (10 or so original and 4 variations). These are so worth the time to watch. All about Japanese pen makers, nibmeister and pen sales professionals in modern time who started some as long ago as the immediate post WW2 period. EuroBox is one of the featured shops/proprietors. At the end of each vid, the master is videoed closeup signing his name with an FP. Seeing your trip Q&A and WriteNow with Rachel makes these vids even more meaningful. Finally; kudos to Rachel for holding down the home front; in my own journeys for work, I remember leaving my wonderful wife with 2 screaming little tikes, I also remember returning to said family lots of joy, followed by lots of dad-kids time!
The VP you picked up is the Pilot Capless Sunset Blue. It was a special Tokyo only edition from 2016 and came with a bottle of Yu-Yake. There was a matching one done in silver marble a year later called the Moonlight as well.
@@thegrynne Because a blue sunset is usually blue with white clouds with an orange sun on the horizon. As opposed to a rainbow sunset that is yellow, orange, blue and purple.
A number of years ago I visited Toledo, in Spain, and bought a fountain pen with Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and the windmills embossed on the barrel. I still have it and write with it. A wonderful souvenir!
Being able to walk into a brick-and-mortar store and find the exact thing you're looking for is great. Finding something that surpasses the thing you were looking for is wonderful!
When I was coming back from Ireland on the ferry over to Wales I bought a Guinness pen, wasn't planned, my journal pen ran out. At the time I only used marker pens. It's pretty big & silly looking, but still have it after 20 some years... every time I see it I laugh. We had the best time on that boat!
Loved the VP “marbled” and the pilot multipens, if you guys carry those that would be awesome! The puzzle box is an absolute work of art! Thanks for sharing that!
O, yes, since I got into this hobby I always try to find a fountain pen to remind me of a journey and a place. I just came home from the UK and as a souvenir from an antiques store in a lovely little town called Church Stretton, close to the Welsh border, I bought a sweet little green Parker "17" Lady, made in England. In the beautiful town of Shrewsbury lies a great pen shop called Write here and from there I came out with a Lamy 2000 ( yes, at last I had to try it...)with a fantastic smooth broad oblique nib and an order for a green Scribo pen I will hopefully get in May. I really recommend going to this shop, the staff is super friendly and let me try so many pens with an admirable patience! And then, as the "clou" of this trip- at my hotel awaited a parcel sent from the great British shop IZod with one of the most gorgeous pens I have so far seen- a Leonardo Officina Momento Zero in Positano colour with a fantastic nib. As a last pen souvenir I picked up three old pens at an antique stall in the marketplace in Shrewsbury, the owner just saw them as junk and I got all three for 8 pounds not really knowing if they would work or not. But one turned out , behind years of grime, to have a 14 k nib of the Platinum brand and writing beautifully! One was hopeless and will be sent to a penfried who collects spare fountain pen parts and the third I think I will make write rather ok as soon as I have found a new sack. So Yes, these pens will for sure make me remember this trip with great fondness! And, as I told my husband, getting pens as souvenirs is better than buying spare car parts as souvenirs- they take up far less luggage space....;-))
QotW: Yes, I got my Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age in Florence, Italy on my first trip to Eruope. I was so excited when we went to the store, that directly after we went over to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and snapped a picture with the clip and the bridge in the same frame 😀
I haven't ever bought a pen specifically as a souvenir, but I did spend a summer in Germany studying. I've only been into fountain pens for about six months but I've always had a weakness for stationery, and I also forgot to bring paper or pens. Yes, on a trip where I was studying, I forgot writing supplies. I couldn't tell you what brand of pen or notebook I bought while there, but I still have them and look at them with fondness from time to time.
Brian, regarding the purchase of pens in the country of origin, there is one "gotcha" which is currency conversion, so something to be mindful of. The video you posted about the puzzle box maker was truly fantastic, not into woodworking, but the craftsmanship was just fenomenal.
The KitKat Chocolatory store is right around the corner from Itoya. Many exclusive flavors that are only available at that particular shop. I'm kicking myself for not having mentioned it. My favorite is the Cassis, but you can only get that in a box of other fruit flavors. Your blue Vanishing Point is called Sunset Blue Capless. I think it may be a Tokyo exclusive. I have the Moonlight, which is a silver version with the same marbled finish.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my Abalone Green Avatar! It is the SMOOTHEST nib I own, even more than my gold nib pens, and I got a FINE nib! Now I want some of the other colors too!
Absolutely! I purchased a Pilot Cavalier with gold colored hardware and a pink marble pattern while studying in China from a store called Monogram that I walked to every weekend!
QOTW: I was in Heidelberg, Germany at the end of November. My first stop after the hotel was the Lamy Flagship store! I bought two pens exclusive to that store. One was a black Safari inscribed in white with #ORIGINAL.HEIDELBERG. and a white Pico ballpoint with the Heidelberg skyline graphic in black. The final days of the trip were spent in my former home village (I'm American but lived and worked there for 5 years MANY years ago). In a small stationery shop that was still there I found the Safari limited edition Petrol that I missed getting. So I bought it there... both the limited edition I wanted and bought in my home village!
The sale issue/int’l: My experience in Japan was that cameras could be more expensive; EU, the VAT can make goods higher! But, if you are more patient and purchasing a high-priced item, you can get the VAT (value-added tax) either knocked off or rebated. But it is tricky. Sometimes it is difficult to find the bargains you expect. I think a used pen purchased in some places can be a real bargain. In ancient times (when I was living in Japan in 1969, used goods were not valued like they were here, so a friend developed an incredible collection of used clocks, watches, era. Alas, I was not interested in pens when I was 20!).
I went to a pen shop in Oklahoma City called Bradford Ink (Bradford being my last name made it even more fun). I bought a celluloid vintage pen with a gold nib. They are a great source of vintage pens if you happen to be in the area or are looking for something specific, you could call them. It was fun to “ geek out “ with the owner who is extremely knowledgeable about pens.
Yes, its made of blue and yellow but no actual black. And you can really see this in writing because it is actually a darker grey ink sold as black. Its really not a great ink based just on its appearance.
Four of my five pens were bought while traveling. Partly as a reminder of the trip and partly because I need to hold a pen and try it to know if it’s “my pen.” So I’ve got a Nakaya I bought at an event at Maruzen while I was in Tokyo and an Online from Itoya ( like you), my Sailor Realo that I bought in Sydney, and my Twsbi that I bought at Akkerman in The Hague, the Netherlands.
For QOTW - Bought a Pelikan 120 (1950's version) in Frankfurt Germany at an antique market once, awesome little pen still going strong. Now for the real question... Did Brian try the matcha green tea kit kats in Japan?
Buy pens as souvenirs; Always, and everywhere. For about 35 years. Anything that looked fun or different came back with me. Got used. Refilled if possible. Have disappeared over the years, especially when I had a break-in, and here things get destroyed by the salty humid air. But yes, I believe in buying pens when travelling instead of the usual stuff. Souvenirs have to have a use. As a side note, when I was temping (which I did for years) I used to pick up a pen from every place I worked...you know the cheap printed promo pens that littered every office and reception. If they didn't write well I'd leave them behind at an other place, often as a biz card for something someone was looking for. Those where the days😜
Hi Brian, are there specific inks that work well with flex pens? I mean the only cause of railroading is that the tines spread apart too much and the cohesive forces between the ink molecules isn't able to maintain the surface tension to keep the capillary action going. So if we used an ink with a more soap like consistency, wouldn't railroading be a thing of the past? Love your videos.
I think a different consistency might lead to other issues with flow but could be wrong! That said, I've found the Monteverde lubricated inks the best in keeping up with ink flow and avoiding the railroading that tends to happen. (Pair it with an ebonite feed, and you're good to go!) - Colin
QOTW: We took a trip to France, our first and likely only trip overseas for the foreseeable future. We were in 2 cities mostly Annecy and Lyon. In Annecy we were in a small pen store and i got a Lépine Indigo in blue. Gorgeous pocket pen. And in Lyon, the Faber Castell Ambition Op Art Flamingo. Each shop owner was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and passionate about fountain pens. It was an amazing part of our trip. And the brick and mortar experience was phenomenal.
Just coming back from Heidelberg, so it was a no Brainerd to get the new Bronze Al-Star there instead of ordering it just a few days earlier when it came out). I will always remember the wonderful trip when using the pen.
QotW: I brought back some non-Fountain style pens and pencils from various trips. From Japan specifically I brought back ulta fine ballpoints, brush markers, multi pens, and I also picked up one of those puzzle boxes for my fiancé. I purchased the last bottle of Dark Lilac ink and the Vibrant Pink Lamy set w/ 1.5mm stub while I was traveling in B.C. and look forward to picking up something at the San Fran pen show this year. I keep waiting for the Disney employee/company stores to have a fountain pen for me to pick up.
Hey Brian! Have you thought about redoing your top ten beginner and next level pen videos? It's been about 5 years since you did those and even though I'm new to fountain pens, I would think there would be cool new pens released since you did those videos. Keep up the great work! I got my girlfriend hooked on fountain pens with a metro! Now I'm waiting for the pastel pink safari to drop!
Definitely something we've thought about! It wouldn't necessarily be a redoing of the videos but more so additions. The lists we had still hold up and would be our top recommendations, but there's more to add for sure! Diplomat Magnum, Pilot Kakuno, Jinhao Shark all worthy pens for beginners. - Colin
QOTW: I'm a Spanish teacher and am fortunate to be able to take small groups of students to Spain every few years, so when I'm there I try to buy a pen for myself as a souvenir. I think this makes a lot more sense than having a bunch of bits and bobs that I'll never use. There's a store on Calle Mayor in Madrid called Sacristan which has been on that street in the same location for more than 100 years, and was the first pen store I found there after getting into pens. When I was first getting into pens, I bought a Lamy Safari Charcoal there, and then on my next visit I bought an Oak Faber-Castell Ondoro.
Hello Brian. I am currently looking to buy a premium fountain pen for my self. I've got my eyes on the Lamy 2000, and the pilot custom 92/74. I'm wondering if the plastic pens such as the pilots get a lot of scratches on the body. And, I would also like to ask how thick the Lamy 2000 ef nib a actually is. I'm worried that the pen might be too wet and too thick for writing with low quality paper. At my school I generally don't have much of a say with what kind of paper I want to use. Thanks in advanced.
That copper orange looks good. I'm bummed I missed out on it. Congrats on all the new pens, especially on the Sailors and that gorgeous Goulet exclusive! Very tempted, I am. :D
QOTW: I had the urge to buy a pen as a souvenir once in my life: I was in Indianapolis at the speedway and I went to the museum. I saw some pens and checked them out, and none of them were fountain pens, so I was disappointed and left them. This was well before I knew how uncommon fountain pens are in the US.
When I went to Eurobox in 2017, they weren't accepting international credit cards. (Ended up running back to my hotel in Ginza to make a Paypal payment for my purchases.) Did you have the same issue when you were there?
Hey Brian, I'm looking for a very smooth, wet pen that just works well. Basically having trouble deciding between the Pilot vanishing point, pilot custom 74 and Lamy 2000. Which one would you recommend?
I think it does depend on your nib size. If you like a finer line, either Pilot would be great. If you like a medium or especially a broad nib, the LAMY 2000 is excellent. - Colin
I would be curious, Brian. My last trip to Japan was with students and was a business class trip; hence, we had out students looking at differences. So, in 2000, we could understand low, low levels of unemployment, because the department stores often still employed people to wrap gifts, young women with white gloves and in uniform to push the buttons to the elevator for you (?, yea, I don’t get it). Japanese said Costco would never work there; however, the one in Hiroshima was flourishing. The Japanese did say, “Yes, we can box our own unwrapped items for these low prices.” As a retailer, you should have come home realizing that America’s distribution system (purely capitalist, sorry AOC) is the most efficient in the world. [Our German friends flew to the USA annually to buy clothes annually for their 5 children & themselves here; could pay for their vacation). We are still under stress as entrepreneurs but consumers win.
Owakudani was the place you were looking for at the end :) And the Pilot is a "gran-say" (or at least that is how they pronounce it in Japan, so like fiance rather than chance)
Hi Brian. I’m about to buy a pilot custom 823 and am torn between the fine and medium nib. I assume the medium would be smoother but the fine more practical for notes. What are your thoughts?
You're definitely right on the advantages of each nib size. It comes down to what use the pen will get. If you're using it on less-than-ideal paper, the Fine would be my pick. - Colin
The LAMY Bronze is very much still available (www.gouletpens.com/products/lamy-al-star-fountain-pen-bronze-special-edition?variant=15383339794475 ), but the CopperOrange was a past special edition they showed in the Write Now episode. It was included as a historical comparison to the Bronze since people were very curious to see them side-by-side. Apologies if it came off as being available still! - Colin
Thanks for sharing your Japanese Pen Odyssey experience; I felt like I was there! For those who might not be aware; there is a great collection of videos published on UA-cam by Virtuthe3rdTV titled “Masters of the Fountain Pen”. In total there are 14 different ones (10 or so original and 4 variations). These are so worth the time to watch. All about Japanese pen makers, nibmeister and pen sales professionals in modern time who started some as long ago as the immediate post WW2 period. EuroBox is one of the featured shops/proprietors. At the end of each vid, the master is videoed closeup signing his name with an FP. Seeing your trip Q&A and WriteNow with Rachel makes these vids even more meaningful. Finally; kudos to Rachel for holding down the home front; in my own journeys for work, I remember leaving my wonderful wife with 2 screaming little tikes, I also remember returning to said family lots of joy, followed by lots of dad-kids time!
The VP you picked up is the Pilot Capless Sunset Blue. It was a special Tokyo only edition from 2016 and came with a bottle of Yu-Yake. There was a matching one done in silver marble a year later called the Moonlight as well.
Why a blue pen would be matched with an orange ink is baffling to me. Not complaining; like Yu-yake.
@@thegrynne Because a blue sunset is usually blue with white clouds with an orange sun on the horizon. As opposed to a rainbow sunset that is yellow, orange, blue and purple.
Thanks for that clarifying information! Seems like a good Japanese find for Brian then. - Colin
wouldn't it be interesting if the Goulet 10th Anniversary Edition pen came in a lovely puzzle box?
A number of years ago I visited Toledo, in Spain, and bought a fountain pen with Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and the windmills embossed on the barrel. I still have it and write with it. A wonderful souvenir!
Sundays are best spent watching GPC videos! 😊
Being able to walk into a brick-and-mortar store and find the exact thing you're looking for is great. Finding something that surpasses the thing you were looking for is wonderful!
When I was coming back from Ireland on the ferry over to Wales I bought a Guinness pen, wasn't planned, my journal pen ran out. At the time I only used marker pens. It's pretty big & silly looking, but still have it after 20 some years... every time I see it I laugh. We had the best time on that boat!
Loved the VP “marbled” and the pilot multipens, if you guys carry those that would be awesome! The puzzle box is an absolute work of art! Thanks for sharing that!
O, yes, since I got into this hobby I always try to find a fountain pen to remind me of a journey and a place. I just came home from the UK and as a souvenir from an antiques store in a lovely little town called Church Stretton, close to the Welsh border, I bought a sweet little green Parker "17" Lady, made in England. In the beautiful town of Shrewsbury lies a great pen shop called Write here and from there I came out with a Lamy 2000 ( yes, at last I had to try it...)with a fantastic smooth broad oblique nib and an order for a green Scribo pen I will hopefully get in May. I really recommend going to this shop, the staff is super friendly and let me try so many pens with an admirable patience! And then, as the "clou" of this trip- at my hotel awaited a parcel sent from the great British shop IZod with one of the most gorgeous pens I have so far seen- a Leonardo Officina Momento Zero in Positano colour with a fantastic nib.
As a last pen souvenir I picked up three old pens at an antique stall in the marketplace in Shrewsbury, the owner just saw them as junk and I got all three for 8 pounds not really knowing if they would work or not. But one turned out , behind years of grime, to have a 14 k nib of the Platinum brand and writing beautifully! One was hopeless and will be sent to a penfried who collects spare fountain pen parts and the third I think I will make write rather ok as soon as I have found a new sack. So Yes, these pens will for sure make me remember this trip with great fondness! And, as I told my husband, getting pens as souvenirs is better than buying spare car parts as souvenirs- they take up far less luggage space....;-))
QotW: Yes, I got my Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age in Florence, Italy on my first trip to Eruope. I was so excited when we went to the store, that directly after we went over to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and snapped a picture with the clip and the bridge in the same frame 😀
Thanks for sharing! Love watching your channel, you are all so awesome!
I haven't ever bought a pen specifically as a souvenir, but I did spend a summer in Germany studying. I've only been into fountain pens for about six months but I've always had a weakness for stationery, and I also forgot to bring paper or pens. Yes, on a trip where I was studying, I forgot writing supplies. I couldn't tell you what brand of pen or notebook I bought while there, but I still have them and look at them with fondness from time to time.
I loved hearing about your adventures in Tokyo pen stores!
Brian, regarding the purchase of pens in the country of origin, there is one "gotcha" which is currency conversion, so something to be mindful of.
The video you posted about the puzzle box maker was truly fantastic, not into woodworking, but the craftsmanship was just fenomenal.
The KitKat Chocolatory store is right around the corner from Itoya. Many exclusive flavors that are only available at that particular shop. I'm kicking myself for not having mentioned it. My favorite is the Cassis, but you can only get that in a box of other fruit flavors.
Your blue Vanishing Point is called Sunset Blue Capless. I think it may be a Tokyo exclusive. I have the Moonlight, which is a silver version with the same marbled finish.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my Abalone Green Avatar! It is the SMOOTHEST nib I own, even more than my gold nib pens, and I got a FINE nib! Now I want some of the other colors too!
Absolutely! I purchased a Pilot Cavalier with gold colored hardware and a pink marble pattern while studying in China from a store called Monogram that I walked to every weekend!
Wow, I just realized the Metro I bought in Japan is a japan exclusive! Nice surprise.
QOTW: I was in Heidelberg, Germany at the end of November. My first stop after the hotel was the Lamy Flagship store! I bought two pens exclusive to that store. One was a black Safari inscribed in white with #ORIGINAL.HEIDELBERG. and a white Pico ballpoint with the Heidelberg skyline graphic in black. The final days of the trip were spent in my former home village (I'm American but lived and worked there for 5 years MANY years ago). In a small stationery shop that was still there I found the Safari limited edition Petrol that I missed getting. So I bought it there... both the limited edition I wanted and bought in my home village!
The vanishing point is the “Sunset Blue” version. It was an Itoya exclusive back on 2016-2017
The sale issue/int’l: My experience in Japan was that cameras could be more expensive; EU, the VAT can make goods higher! But, if you are more patient and purchasing a high-priced item, you can get the VAT (value-added tax) either knocked off or rebated. But it is tricky. Sometimes it is difficult to find the bargains you expect. I think a used pen purchased in some places can be a real bargain. In ancient times (when I was living in Japan in 1969, used goods were not valued like they were here, so a friend developed an incredible collection of used clocks, watches, era. Alas, I was not interested in pens when I was 20!).
Your blue pilot capless you found is the "Sunset Blue". They also had a white marbled one called "moonlight" that is awesome as well.
Those puzzle boxes are incredible!
I went to a pen shop in Oklahoma City called Bradford Ink (Bradford being my last name made it even more fun). I bought a celluloid vintage pen with a gold nib. They are a great source of vintage pens if you happen to be in the area or are looking for something specific, you could call them. It was fun to “ geek out “ with the owner who is extremely knowledgeable about pens.
Black ink: Parker Quink Black washable apparently has no black dye. If you do a chromatography with it, you find several colors, but no black.
Yes, its made of blue and yellow but no actual black. And you can really see this in writing because it is actually a darker grey ink sold as black. Its really not a great ink based just on its appearance.
Four of my five pens were bought while traveling. Partly as a reminder of the trip and partly because I need to hold a pen and try it to know if it’s “my pen.” So I’ve got a Nakaya I bought at an event at Maruzen while I was in Tokyo and an Online from Itoya ( like you), my Sailor Realo that I bought in Sydney, and my Twsbi that I bought at Akkerman in The Hague, the Netherlands.
I bought Pilot Prera on my trip to Japan - that was actually my first fountain pen ever, and it instantly ignited my addition
For QOTW - Bought a Pelikan 120 (1950's version) in Frankfurt Germany at an antique market once, awesome little pen still going strong.
Now for the real question... Did Brian try the matcha green tea kit kats in Japan?
Buy pens as souvenirs; Always, and everywhere. For about 35 years. Anything that looked fun or different came back with me. Got used. Refilled if possible. Have disappeared over the years, especially when I had a break-in, and here things get destroyed by the salty humid air. But yes, I believe in buying pens when travelling instead of the usual stuff. Souvenirs have to have a use.
As a side note, when I was temping (which I did for years) I used to pick up a pen from every place I worked...you know the cheap printed promo pens that littered every office and reception. If they didn't write well I'd leave them behind at an other place, often as a biz card for something someone was looking for. Those where the days😜
Hi Brian, are there specific inks that work well with flex pens? I mean the only cause of railroading is that the tines spread apart too much and the cohesive forces between the ink molecules isn't able to maintain the surface tension to keep the capillary action going. So if we used an ink with a more soap like consistency, wouldn't railroading be a thing of the past? Love your videos.
I think a different consistency might lead to other issues with flow but could be wrong! That said, I've found the Monteverde lubricated inks the best in keeping up with ink flow and avoiding the railroading that tends to happen. (Pair it with an ebonite feed, and you're good to go!) - Colin
QOTW: We took a trip to France, our first and likely only trip overseas for the foreseeable future. We were in 2 cities mostly Annecy and Lyon. In Annecy we were in a small pen store and i got a Lépine Indigo in blue. Gorgeous pocket pen. And in Lyon, the Faber Castell Ambition Op Art Flamingo. Each shop owner was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and passionate about fountain pens. It was an amazing part of our trip. And the brick and mortar experience was phenomenal.
Just coming back from Heidelberg, so it was a no Brainerd to get the new Bronze Al-Star there instead of ordering it just a few days earlier when it came out). I will always remember the wonderful trip when using the pen.
QotW: I brought back some non-Fountain style pens and pencils from various trips. From Japan specifically I brought back ulta fine ballpoints, brush markers, multi pens, and I also picked up one of those puzzle boxes for my fiancé. I purchased the last bottle of Dark Lilac ink and the Vibrant Pink Lamy set w/ 1.5mm stub while I was traveling in B.C. and look forward to picking up something at the San Fran pen show this year.
I keep waiting for the Disney employee/company stores to have a fountain pen for me to pick up.
We were in the Phoenix area over a year ago, visited the pen shops, but only bought ink at each store.
Stephen Brown used Franklin-Christoph Midnight Emerald in a review, and that was really interesting. Private Reserve Ebony Purple is also quite nice.
Hey Brian! Have you thought about redoing your top ten beginner and next level pen videos? It's been about 5 years since you did those and even though I'm new to fountain pens, I would think there would be cool new pens released since you did those videos.
Keep up the great work! I got my girlfriend hooked on fountain pens with a metro! Now I'm waiting for the pastel pink safari to drop!
Definitely something we've thought about! It wouldn't necessarily be a redoing of the videos but more so additions. The lists we had still hold up and would be our top recommendations, but there's more to add for sure! Diplomat Magnum, Pilot Kakuno, Jinhao Shark all worthy pens for beginners. - Colin
That Crow Black Magnum is my jam.
Andrew Laye Ah, I see you’re a man of culture as well.
QOTW: I'm a Spanish teacher and am fortunate to be able to take small groups of students to Spain every few years, so when I'm there I try to buy a pen for myself as a souvenir. I think this makes a lot more sense than having a bunch of bits and bobs that I'll never use. There's a store on Calle Mayor in Madrid called Sacristan which has been on that street in the same location for more than 100 years, and was the first pen store I found there after getting into pens. When I was first getting into pens, I bought a Lamy Safari Charcoal there, and then on my next visit I bought an Oak Faber-Castell Ondoro.
Really cool reason to get a new fountain pen! Writing with it will bring about the memories of that particular trip to Spain. - Colin
Hello Brian. I am currently looking to buy a premium fountain pen for my self. I've got my eyes on the Lamy 2000, and the pilot custom 92/74. I'm wondering if the plastic pens such as the pilots get a lot of scratches on the body. And, I would also like to ask how thick the Lamy 2000 ef nib a actually is. I'm worried that the pen might be too wet and too thick for writing with low quality paper. At my school I generally don't have much of a say with what kind of paper I want to use. Thanks in advanced.
I did notice my Visconti Breeze I bought at their store in Florence was €100 (~$115) whereas it’s $95 here on Goulet.
That copper orange looks good. I'm bummed I missed out on it.
Congrats on all the new pens, especially on the Sailors and that gorgeous Goulet exclusive! Very tempted, I am. :D
I got my Platinum Izumo Tagayasan from the Itoya Ginza store !
Lamy LX Rose Gold from the Lamy store in SF! Super fun time.
I like Monteverde Jade Noir. I also like Graf von Faber Castell Moss Green. It's not quite as dark but it's permanent.
Diamine Damson for purple-black!
Noodler's Zhivago is on many of my pens! And of course on my daily driver Levenger L-Tech 3.0
Appropriately, I picked up a Pilot Metropolitan in New York, and a Pilot E95s in Japan (was half price at Mito Shoji in Ameyoko market).
QOTW: I had the urge to buy a pen as a souvenir once in my life: I was in Indianapolis at the speedway and I went to the museum. I saw some pens and checked them out, and none of them were fountain pens, so I was disappointed and left them. This was well before I knew how uncommon fountain pens are in the US.
When I went to Eurobox in 2017, they weren't accepting international credit cards. (Ended up running back to my hotel in Ginza to make a Paypal payment for my purchases.) Did you have the same issue when you were there?
“You know, as much as the Japanese freak out” ha ha ha ha omg I’m dying.
Hey Brian, I'm looking for a very smooth, wet pen that just works well. Basically having trouble deciding between the Pilot vanishing point, pilot custom 74 and Lamy 2000. Which one would you recommend?
I think it does depend on your nib size. If you like a finer line, either Pilot would be great. If you like a medium or especially a broad nib, the LAMY 2000 is excellent. - Colin
Lamy 2000 in Medium or upwards
Brian, I heard you say you are a woodworker as am I, are you in to wood turning and do you turn any pens for your collection?
Brian got his start buy turning pens (You can see a few in this Q&A slice: ua-cam.com/video/-GuYOufPNIw/v-deo.html ). - Colin
I would be curious, Brian. My last trip to Japan was with students and was a business class trip; hence, we had out students looking at differences. So, in 2000, we could understand low, low levels of unemployment, because the department stores often still employed people to wrap gifts, young women with white gloves and in uniform to push the buttons to the elevator for you (?, yea, I don’t get it). Japanese said Costco would never work there; however, the one in Hiroshima was flourishing. The Japanese did say, “Yes, we can box our own unwrapped items for these low prices.” As a retailer, you should have come home realizing that America’s distribution system (purely capitalist, sorry AOC) is the most efficient in the world. [Our German friends flew to the USA annually to buy clothes annually for their 5 children & themselves here; could pay for their vacation). We are still under stress as entrepreneurs but consumers win.
Diamine 1864 Blue Black👍🏻👍🏻
Owakudani was the place you were looking for at the end :) And the Pilot is a "gran-say" (or at least that is how they pronounce it in Japan, so like fiance rather than chance)
Good to know! Sounds a lot fancier that way. :) - Colin
Hi Brian. I’m about to buy a pilot custom 823 and am torn between the fine and medium nib. I assume the medium would be smoother but the fine more practical for notes. What are your thoughts?
You're definitely right on the advantages of each nib size. It comes down to what use the pen will get. If you're using it on less-than-ideal paper, the Fine would be my pick. - Colin
Pretty sure you’ve been out of the copper lamy before your wife an Drew’s video on Monday at least when I was looking for it on the website
The LAMY Bronze is very much still available (www.gouletpens.com/products/lamy-al-star-fountain-pen-bronze-special-edition?variant=15383339794475 ), but the CopperOrange was a past special edition they showed in the Write Now episode. It was included as a historical comparison to the Bronze since people were very curious to see them side-by-side. Apologies if it came off as being available still! - Colin