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Goulet Q&A 170: Dip Nibs in Fountain Pens, and Lamy Extra-Fine Nib Availability
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2024
- For links to the products mentioned and Brian's answers, check out the Q&A 170 blog post: bit.ly/GouletQA170
In this episode, I talk about dip nibs in fountain pens, grip diameter, and Lamy extra-fine nib availability.
Pens/Writing - (6:49)
1) Ultimate Pixel- UA-cam - (6:51)
There are a lot of fancy dip nibs that are super-flexible or have 5 lines and stuff like that. Are there any fountain pens that could hold such nibs without the need to always dip them? Or are these nibs just plainly incompatible with regular feeds?
2) molindela- Instagram - (16:40)
How do you measure grip diameter for your site? Many (most?)
3) pro_echo_12- Instagram - (21:37)
I have this really burning question. how many fountain pen deaths/accidents have occurred?
4) Andrew W.- Facebook - (25:05)
Will the new Duo-Cart from Aurora be able to hold two cartridges inside the barrel like the original, hence the name Duo-Cart?
Troubleshooting - (27:08)
5) Ginger O.- Facebook - (27:08)
Why does my fountain pen make such LOUD scratching noise when I write?
6) @dongzefei- Twitter - (35:34)
Any idea about how to solve a wobbling nib after a swap? Haven't decided to buy a Goulet Nib yet for many previous wobble experience...
Business - (40:41)
7) kittytoug- Instagram - (40:43)
I recently read on another distributor's blog that Lamy was doing away with EF nibs on Safari and Al-Star. What have you heard about this? Would it still be possible to purchase EF nibs separately or would they disappear from the FP landscape for good? Would love to hear your thoughts.
QOTW: If you could go back in time to talk to yourself on the first day you discovered fountain pens, what advice would you give? - (47:41)
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OMG Brian, you still have that Brause set around! Memory lane. That set was my FIRST purchase from GP, ever. I started out with a minor interest in calligraphy. I happened across the gp website. Back in the day poor Brian answered all support questions by himself, late at night, too! None of us had kids and it was such a different time. Then, with Brian and Rachel's information and vids, I got into fountain pens. Loved seeing this. Love how far you guys have come.
10:00 I completely agree, I started looking for a nice pen after I got one I started to focus on my handwriting and now I give my best shot at calligraphy.
#nuggetsofwisdom every week! Thank you for all you do to educate us. Greatly appreciated as always.
I think the question about fountain pen accidents or deaths might have been intended in a different way... Possibly it was meant to ask if anybody ever died in an accident with a fountain pen, like if somebody tripped over something while holding an open fountain pen in his hand and accidentally stabbed himself to death when he fell on it. Or maybe I'm just overly cynical...
Éowyn lol that's what I was thinking
Maybe it's not even _that_ cynical, it sometimes comes up in the press that the risk of dying in a ballpoint pen accident is still considerably higher than that of dying by a lightning stroke or even in a terrorist attack. Apparently in Germany alone every year 300 people die by accidentally swallowing ballpoint pen parts. Who knows how many people have already died by swallowing fountain pen nibs ;-)
Éowyn yup, my thoughts, too. Knitters and crocheters have equally morbid convos on Ravelry. Like, knitting in a moving vehicle, what if the needle goes into your body in a car accident? Someone I know had a husband who stepped on a super fie crochet hook (stainless steal) while it was on the porch and he had to go to the Er. It just missed an artery and took surgery to get out (bc it's a hook). Ouch!
Ha! More morbid than cynical. Just from hearing from customers, some tend to taste the inks, so perhaps a poisoning or two? I feel like you have to be pretty intentional when stabbing a nib for it to do any real damage, but I guess falling on it might count. Not sure on the death toll number! - Colin
This gives a very different angle on "The pen is mightier than the sword" :-)
Thanks for another great Q&A, Brian & Team!
QOTW: I'd tell myself to ditch cartridges and crummy paper ASAP. I stuck with cartridges for a long time. There's nothing wrong with that exactly (I still use them in some pens), but popping a converter in that first Lamy Safari and exploring the wide, wide world of ink radically changed my experience for the better. I wasn't hating life with Lamy cartridges, but I had no idea what I was missing. I also languished in the world of cheap legal pads for way too long. It took me a year or so to ditch them in favor of Clairefontaine/Rhodia.
Brian's summary of the pitfalls of fitting a dip nib to a fountain pen seemed excellent to me. Just because it's possible doesn't make it a good idea. I seem to recall that a Gillott 303 is not a bad match for a Noodler Nib Creaper, and of course you can hack and heat set that feed to your heart's content. Which is just as well because you'll probably have to turn it into a spoon, near enough. In the unlikely event that all goes according to plan and you have a working Frankenpen on your hands, you then have all the fun of getting to know the 303, which is a frisky little critter and no mistake. Hasn't Nathan made a video about doing this, by the way? As well as the Ackerman and Desiderata pens, the German calligrapher Peter Unbehauen used to make "flex and wet" pens which were quite something. Well worth searching for his videos: extreme fountain pen action. :-)
Anyway, I speak as one who has largely converted to dip pens, so I'm biased. Dipping really isn't that much of a problem ... or is it? You get used to it - and as Brian suggested you can dip your disposable nib into pretty much anything: full strength iron gall ink, masking fluid, bleach, India ink, gouache, gilding media and so forth. If you're interested in sharpness and flexibility there really is no comparison with any fountain pen nibs, and it's a wrench to go back - so beware.
Briefly on the QOTW, I'd tell myself to research for another year before buying anything, and save up in the meantime.
#QOTW I got into it in quiet early days when I was 7 or 8 years old. Even then I drove my parents and the stuff in shops mad by testing pens before buying. This way I became the first user of the in those days unknown Lamy Safari in my primary school. I found out about converters early. What I missed was the broad variety of inks and papers. I just had access to Pelikan 4001 and some Lamy inks. That is why I would advice myself to research for inks and great papers. One more thing is that I had been decades on the search for my own handwriting I like. Finally I found a concept and re-trained my writing skills. I would hint myself in the very early days of pen writing to those non-school training methods of writing.
Answer: I'd say, you'll love fountain pens, don' only buy a couple platinum preppys, use the money to get different inks or higher quality pens.
Side note: you guys do amazing work, shipping is always fast (even the cheapest option) and I can tell you're in the business because you love it and that's just amazing!! Keep up the good work!!!
Thanks for the comment & support, we really appreciate it! - Colin
If you like to tinker as you would with a Noodlers Ahab the dip nib in a fountain pen is fun. I have a Zebra G nib in my Jinhao x450. Just have to bend the nib slightly. Jinhao is great because they adapt well and if you mess it up then you are out $10 for a pen. The only negative is you have to keep an eye on your nib. Will start to corrode inside over time.
Q: With summer coming on and high humidity how does this impact paper? Will there be a greater chance for feathering? Will it take longer to dry? Will the ink apply to the paper as smooth as a time when there is less humidity in the air? Etc and etc?
It would be great if we could have the best of both worlds - a modern fountain pen with a flexible nib that was as inexpensive as a dip pen nib. But even if someone was to start making inexpensive dip pen nibs in a size/profile that would fit on a fountain pen feed, the feed would probably provide a little additional support that would compromise the nib's flexibility. I tried using dip pens several years ago, but didn't get very far. Among other things I suspect I didn't prepare the nibs properly. I'm about to give dip pens another try. I love the look of both flex pen handwriting and calligraphy, and would love to learn to do a little of both.
QOTW: Don't buy so many pens just for the body color (except TWSBI brand because I'm in love), but seriously buy one of a type and write with it for months before buying others with similar nibs or body. I have a bunch of Lamy Safari pens but it turns out I prefer the heft of the Al-Star, and I wish I had saved more money by holding back and telling myself, "I like the body but not the weight. Let me buy a Lamy Al-Star for comparison." It isn't that I have an issue with the same pen in multiple colors but only if I love the pen because I want to use the things I buy.
Love my TWSBIs!
Oh cool, that would be just last December for me when I got into fountain pens. My advice would be to try a lot of different pens. Got an Lamy Safari as my first and love the new TWSBI Eco. So as my first pend and second pen choice goes I'm pretty happy with it. Still exploring inks and working towards my third pen (too many inks to try).
That's the best part of getting into fountain pens, all the pens & ink options out there to try & learn from. - Colin
Lamy has been making really strange business decisions lately - from not wanting certain British retailers, de-prioritizing the US market, not telling retailers Pacific Blue was the same ink as Lamy turquoise, inventory issues for their Al-star and Safari special inks. Almost feels like they have had a change in management lately. Personally, I'm not a fan of their recent business decisions.
ns I'm still not sure that Lamy Pacific Blue and Turquoise are the same. In Germany, the special colours are only available in cartridges not at all bottled. Lamy itself differentiates Turquoise and Pacific Blue on its German shop-site. I got the feeling, that Turquoise is slightly more greenish than Ocean Blue. May be I get myself a package of turquoise cartridges to compare both having more time.
Lamy came out and told vendors that it is the same ink, so that is the information which I am going off of
QOTW: I really have no regrets. I've been with fountain pens all my life and all of the experiences that happened, happened as they did and I enjoyed each one of them. I distinctly remember some moments in my life simply because of the pen I had at the time, since my first-grade 51 Hero knock-off to my 32nd birthday M1000.
Lamy have stopped supplying certain british retailers because they don't have a brick and mortar presence , this was part and the terms and conditions reissued for 2017 , now if this is the case worldwide , has i understand it is having spoken to the Managing Director of one such online store, this opens up some questions about US retailers and other retailers online in other parts of the world .I love Lamy's products but they seem to make some pretty weird and inconsistent business decisions. Another example was the Lamy pacific ink , which was Turquoise reboxed , maybe an oversight but quite naughty . Some other commenters have said pretty much the same thing , why remove their top selling nib from large markets , surely if its a capacity issue and the demand is there would it not make more sense to address the capacity issue , is that not viable perhaps are they in financial difficulties?
QOTW: I'd tell myself that parker quink ink was not the only ink available
as for putting dip nibs on fountain pens, I know SBREBrown has done it.
He put it on a Neponset if I recall right. it can't be done with just any nib. it need's to be a number 6 and it needs to be made of a material that's at least slightly corrosion resistant.
consider it a new level of tinkering. ebonite feeds can be more easily heat set for better results.
I think a range of grip sizes would be cool!
Two questions: 1) Is it just my eyes or does Noodler's Air-Corp Blue-Black have green undertones? (I like it!) 2) When might we have another Q&A that included Rachel? It's always a pleasure to see her bright smiling face.
Michael Winn : Noodler's Air-Corp Blue-Black does, indeed, have a blue/green undertone to it.
Yeah ACBB (trying to start that acronym!) does have some green to it. It's a really unique color that can appear black, blue, or green depending on paper/nib. Check it out in one of our Monday Matchups (blog.gouletpens.com/2016/08/noodlers-air-corp-blue-black-with-pilot.html). Also, there should be a Q&A with Brian & Rachel at some point this summer! :) - Colin
QoTW: I would tell my younger self to "not lose any of the fountain pens at all and keep them safe because when you grow older, those beauties would not be available any more.... And yes life is much better with fountain pens in it" ... The pens I lost include Parker 51s, 45s of so many varieties, Mont Blancs ( the Carrera was one 😢😢😢😢) Shaeffers .... So yup ... That's it ...
What advice? Do your research and go for exactly what you want. Don't hesitate and don't waste too much time and money on what you'll quickly outgrow (i.e.: don't go cheap if you don't have to.)
I had a friend who gave me a tip about house buying, "spend more than you think you can. You'll never be sorry. Don't be reckless. But don't be timid either." I think fountain pens would be well served by the same approach.
Interesting advice! I know a lot of people use those more affordable options to learn exactly what they want. But yeah, if you know you want EF nibs & metal body, don't waste time with anything other than that. - Colin
Yes, Colin. And I do agree that the general rule of thumb is to start inexpensively as most people are used to spending nearly nothing for writing instruments (pens, pencils, rollerballs.) A disposable fountain pen, even at $3.95 seems a big jump. Personally, I have a handful of stored, unused pens, which I regret purchasing and wish I'd made the leap to what I truly wanted quicker. You can easily re-home/give-away inexpensive pens without thinking but mid-range pens ($50- $100) are a tougher decision. So I would suggest saving up & making that leap for the pen you really want (just my personal dislike of waste talking here.) In the end, how you use your pens also makes a big difference. For instance, if inks are your real interest, you'll need more pens to indulge that interest. If collecting is your focus, that will drive your purchases. I personally like a small quiver of trustworthy, dependable instruments which write every time they're picked up.
That said, I'm aware my choices may not be the same as others.
I'd advise myself to not work my way slowly up and keeping my eye on "grail pens". I would just jump right into a Visconti Homosapiens Dark age in bold or med and get it custom ground into a stub. I spend a lot of time with great pens that just didn't suit me because I'm in a weird place where I like a good stub or flex, but not something as thick as the 1.1mm TWSBI vac700.. I've cycled through so many mid tier pens, I could have just bought the grail and been done with it (ish).
That's an interesting approach. I've found joy in trying the other mid-tier pens to really fine tune what I would like in a 'grail' pen. But you really can't go wrong with the Homo Sapiens, so that would have been an understandable jump. :) - Colin
It's kind of unfortunate with Lamy's decision on EF nibs, especially because at least from the F nibs I've tried from them they write about the same as their mediums sometimes. While I use good quality fountain pen paper (tomoe river, Clairfontaine, and Rhodia paper) I personally I still prefer finer nibs to mediums because I have better control. It's a pet peeve of mine when people make a general statement about how finer nibs are popular because they write well on crappy paper. While that's true, more importantly, the finer nib also gives better control. Especially these days when Hobonichis and bullet journaling is so popular people are looking for finer nibs that can write well within the small grid or dot grid space. Definitely, need to snatch an EF nib before they're all gone because with a fine nib on my Lamy Safari I barely use it at all. Honestly, it writes about as wet as the medium nib and I've tried about a dozen inks with it. While I wasn't looking for a Japanese fine with this I was hoping I could use it in my grid journal without it looking way too wet. If it wasn't the LE dark lilac I would've given it away. Maybe I'll get the EF petrol for my husband and swap my fine nib with the EF haha. But moving forward I can't see myself buying another Lamy pen just to try to source an EF nib from Asia or Germany. :(
QOTW: Ink samples! Save some money up front by testing inks in small amounts and then buy the ones you really like! I bought several bottles up front and only really like 2 or 3 of them. Via ink samples I've found several that I like much better than my initial investment.
Yeah, that's one I want to shout from the mountain tops! Love ink samples as you really try to figure out which colors you like & brands that work with your writing. - Colin
Since you guys sold out of the petrol ink, when are you guys going to be restocking?
It was, unfortunately, a one-time shipment. There wasn't a lot of stock available for us or other retailers. If you're looking for alternatives, Noodler's Squeteague is really close: www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-squeteague-3oz-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/N19023. - Colin
What is the best flex pen or pen to get the best line variation like supper tiny and supper big
Definitely go with a Noodler's flex pen (www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-writing-instruments/c/130). By far the most affordable flex nib option & can give great line variation. - Colin
Thanks
QOTW I would tell myself several things .First how come I did not discover fountain pens sooner. Second you don't have to buy every fountain pen you see. Lastly connect with the fountain pen community both in person and online .
QOTW: 1. You have to use certain kinds of paper with FP. My FP journey almost ended as quickly as it began until I realized loose leaf paper, mead composition books, etc, were the bane of FP. 2. Save up your money. I'm about $10,000 into the hobby now after discovering FP 2 years ago.
Going from cheaper loose leaf paper to Rhodia or Tomoe River is such a rewarding transition with fountain pens. - Colin
QOTW: My advice would be not to put my pen in my backpack. I was rough on my packs and ended up snapping my Parker 25s in half (the plastic grip section as it meets the barrel). Yes, I broke at least 2 of them. Being a HS student with a limited budget, those weren't cheap to me.
That's about it. If I had kept it longer, I probably would be not far from where I am now with them.
I thought you weren't going to carry the Visconti traveling well anymore?
We were just out-of-stock for a long time, never had a clear timetable on when it would return. But it's back now and we do plan on carrying it ongoing. - Colin
Aaacchhhhh.... My Lamy Safari nib does indeed wobble... and I've never ever tried swapping nibs....What do I do?
Pranay Godha First make sure you got a real Safari not a fake one. If you have access to a Lamy nib you are absolutely sure it is from Lamy swap nibs with this one. If it happens that the real Lamy just falls off the pen your writing instrument is no Lamy. There are more symptoms but the described one is the most striking one. 2. Control the wings of the nib. Sit both sides properly on the feed? 3. Is the whole feed firm in the pen? Push it carefully into the pen. If it clicks the feed itself had been loose. At least it shouldn't loose itself on its own. 4. In Germany I simply would send it to Lamy to let them fix it.
Andreas Janke Thank you Andreas, for your guidance. My Lamy is original... that's for sure. Will follow steps 2 and 3 to see if those remediate my problem.
I'd tell myself to keep inked up and write more and to go ahead and buy all the pens I want too.
But I am quite disappointed with Lamy's decision. It took me quite a while to give and buy and now they won't sell to me. Thanks. Kind of ruins things.
QOTW: HIDE YOUR WALLET!!
QOTW: advice to pre fountain pen me:
You can't use fountain pens for everything. Start with one pilot met, move on to platinum cool. Then maybe one kakuno. That gives a variety of nib options to have on hand early on. Too many pens and it's hard to keep up with maintenance.
Get LOTS of ink samples!!!!!
And don't leave a fp with ink un-cleaned for three years. Yeah, that breaks it.
QOTW: Soon a "very expensive pen" will become available. It's called the Edision Nouveau Premiere in Waterlily. BUY IT.
It came and went all too quickly! I do think this years Spring Premiere (Seaglass) looks similarly, maybe like a fitting sequel. :) - Colin
QOTW: Damn I would have saved myself a lot of money and problems... So first I would have told myself to stay away from Levenger pens, they're expensive and they're not even that great. Non existent customer service either unless you purchased directly from them. I would also tell myself to stop being lazy and stay away from the Higgins and Speedball inks... yea those are for dip pens you knob. They were the only thing I could find at the time, luckily didn't ruin any pen I cared to keep.
Gotta agree on the Levenger Pens and their lack of support. I have one pen from them that turned out to be a wet noodle - and it's not a True Writer.
qotw: don't spend sooo much money on pens & ink, you can only use a very limited amount of them so save the money for a rainy day instead! ;)
New goals : "Like to show you pen you can't have" min 17.45
Seems to happen every week! Brian can be evil in that regard. ;) - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company pls tag me if he change his mind, maybe planning to tidy-up & make some space on his drawer's 🤞
the jinhao feeds are actually very happy to take a zebra comic g nib. they railroad if you flex them a lot due to a small ink channel and need priming. the pliers route i mentioned is actually VERY safe and easy. but it is dry writing and the noodlers pen is far better. my konrad writes absolutely perfectly and required no customization beyond that simple bend of a new nib and sliding it easily!
I would tell Rosa...stay away from those Mediums...you hate them! Get more Stubs and EF and F! And buy alllll the bottles of Dark Lilac you can find! You're miserable without it!
Good advice on the Dark Lilac ink. I think all of us could use more of that! - Colin
QOTW: I'd tell myself, "using pliers to adjust a nib is a terrible idea."
I used pliers on my Jinhao x750 because it would stop writing. So I pinched the shoulders of the nib because the tines were too far apart, and now this pen writes superbly wet and smoothly,. Admittedly it was risky and I could of messed it up.
#QOTW: I would tell myself, "If a pen is described as having a 'smell' (i.e. is made in India from vegetal resin) DO NOT BUY IT. The smell will not go away and you will gag every time you smell it. You do not need an inexpensive flex pen that badly. Seriously, I'm not even kidding here, don't do it. Some people can stand the smell. You cannot. Don't. Buy. It."
It's so strange, I really don't mind the Noodler's smell! But I know bad scents can really ruin everything, so I understand. :) - Colin
I think it's like cilantro - people either like "the smell" or it makes them gag. It's an odd thing. (I don't like cilantro, either ;) ). Luckily, the Noodler's Konrad Acrylics don't have "the smell" at all, and they are GORGEOUS! They are as beautiful as pens that cost 2-3 times as much. My very favorite pen is my Noodler's Konrad Marbled Marianas with a Goulet EF nib and Noodler's Navajo Turquoise ink.
QOTW: "Hey Idiot, buy a Pilot Metropolitan fine nib first thing."