JerryGeiger you don't actually have to "cap" the pen as you see it. You just have to set the pen in the cap, up and until the point where you would otherwise have to begin twisting or pushing. It takes less than a second and just that much cover will keep your pen ready to go for a long time. I actually basically do this at home when doing research and I need to write a few lines every few minutes, I stick my pen cap in a custard cup full of beans and that converts any pen into a desk pen. So when I'm done writing I'll just rest my pen in the cap on top of the threads at roughly a forty five degree angle and its ready to just pull out and write very easily. I've actually left it like that over night and the next day it wrote with no hard starting.
There was so much to want to engage in conversation on this video! I forgot to say what you said. Totally agreed! It may get Goulet some deserved, local business or new pen enthusiasts!
My vote for meetings and work is for the Vanishing Point too! Especially if work involves working around, I like not having to worry about dropping or loosing a pen cap. Alternatively, if I'm using a non-VP pen in a meeting, I compromise by not fully closing the pen cap - the cap is on so it doesn't dry out but I also don't need to wait and unscrew the cap to start writing.
For JerryGeiger: I use my pen in meetings all the time, sometimes with 15 minutes uncapped between writing anything. It's all about the ink choice. J Herbin Saphir and Pelikan 4001 Violet are my favorites. Parker Quink Blue-Black also works well for meetings. Noodler's Heart of Darkness is good for about 8 minutes, which might still be long enough for you. I've also had excellent luck Rohrer & Klingner Solferino, but it isn't the kind of hue that would work well in a meeting. :-) Anyway, whenever I get a new ink I test its cap-off time, and as a result I have divided my collection into what I call "meeting and markup" inks that require almost no cap-consciousness, and then "writing" inks where I plan to write out a page or two at a time and put the cap back on. To qualify as a "meeting and markup" ink it has to be able to write without a hard start after 10 minutes AT LEAST. I've tested a few past 20 minutes.
I’ve always been a fan of fine/extra fine nibs, and had no desire to try anything new. I write on cheap paper most of the time, so it makes sense. But I was lucky enough to win a free pen from Karas Kustoms recently, and they sent me a broad. I‘m absolutely in LOVE with how the broad writes. I don’t think I’m going to switch over completely, as the fine nibs are still more practical for daily use, but I will definitely have to consider more broads in the future.
if you dont mind non waterproof inks, the waterman inks (blue black ,serenity blue etc) are fantastic cheap paper inks even when loaded into modified noodler pens which dump lots of ink to accommodate the 3-4mm flex they can achieve. they also dry extremely quick. I write a lot at my work and often have to pass papers around quickly which I have written on and I have had no issues even when writing with flex pens. Currently still looking for a black ink but unfortunately have not found one yet. Noodler borealis black is close but unfortunately does feather on cheap paper.
That's not a surprise that you're on the top work place thing. I wish companies where more like yours. Keep up the great work you are a inspiration to all of us.
Congratulation on your workplace achievement! I was just telling my husband yesterday how I enjoy your videos and love the friendly laid back environment you have. (Very different where I work) If I ever move to VA I will definitely be submitting my application!
Fine and medium nibs are what i gravitate towards mostly, however i have tried broader nibs and i dont seem to have much of use in day to day life where i could use the broad nibs. For me its fine and medium always.
Great video. Always entertaining and you learn something. QotW- I tend to stick with fine and medium nibs, but I have a variety of nibs in my pile of pens. As a graphic designer, you need different tools to pull off the desired effect of your art. So I have lots of Extra fine, fine, medium, 1.0, 1.1, stub, calligraphy, and others. No two are exactly alike, and you get that wonderful line variation in your drawing, calligraphy, and work that you've created.
Really looking forward to the Lamy production video. I remember that "How it's made" has done a video on the production of fountain pens. Correct me if I am wrong but II think the company featured in the video was Aurora. I am sure you can find it on UA-cam.
I think you can test the roughness of the paper by 1) using a grid-microscope to measure the bumps on the paper (like measuring the grit of micromesh), 2) measuring the decibel when writing with a specific pen, ink, and stroke, or 3) using dry time to assume the level of coating on a specific paper(not really recommended, since 'dried' ink is a relative term). Not the greatest solution by all means, but I hope it helps!
I am INCREDIBLY indecisive when it comes to pen nib sizes. I have several Fines and Mediums, but i have been considering getting a 1.5 or B to just mess around with on some T. River paper.
Thank you Brian! I know that this is a year old.. but I really enjoy this installment.. I'm getting closer to buying my own Belleza but I'm concerned about that grip section.. Hey, cool shirt.. my favorite color.. your team is really an impressive group.. be well and best from Boulder, Colorado! Frank Bruno
I love fountain pens but have not been able to dive in and try very many. I have used the Pilot Varsity and find for school work it is a bit to wet for me, I like a finer nib for school, even in my roller balls. I bought a Monteverde Monza Crystal on Wednesday at a local shop and it has a fine nib and I am loving it so far. I do feel I would be willing to try all sorts of different pens especially when writing letters and I hope to try out more mediums, broads and beyond once I can afford to get more. Also congrats on the recognition for all the hard work the whole team provides!
During the Q&A around the 38th minute Brian ask about ideas to test paper and there's a technic that I use to test mine. It goes as follows: I use a very wet nib and touch the paper and count the time that it takes to saturate the paper until it bleeds or in some cases to make a hole on it. In other hand to test scientifically the smoothness of a paper there is instruments to mesure the difference in a surface, I use one of those in my college but I don't know the name. It mesure te texture in a 1/10 of mm. Hope that give you some ideas. Really like the Q&As. Keep it up.
Thanks for the great channel. For close-ups on pens have you considered a second camera that is fixed and overhead that you could put the pen underneath and then to switch to that feed? You could even get fancy and have that camera as a box-in to the main feed or as the whole screen.
I love that pilot vanishing point in twilight!!! I tend to gravitate towards medium, although every medium I have is slightly different so even though I’m getting one size some are finer and broader than others. It just works for me haha
Thanks for great Q&A’s. I’m new to pens and being new I think you need options. That’s why I got a Lamy. I’ll be buying the nib sets shortly so I can try all sizes.
Lamys are great if you're unsure which size to get. I bought a medium CP1 because I already had an extra fine Logo. I quickly got an extra fine replacement nib and am able to enjoy both pens.
I love trying different nib sizes. I gravitate towards fine nibs natively, but I've discovered recently that I find them a little scratchy, especially when I'm using a drier ink, and that has amped up my inclination to pick up a broad and stub next order. That's in large part because I love interesting inks, too, and I want them to shine (sometimes literally).
Parker 51s do a great job in meetings. The hooded nib can go quite a while without needing to get recapped. And the slip cap comes on and off very easily.
On the meetings thing my notes all have random dots in the corners because if I’m not writing for a bit I just dot the nib on the paper to keep it going. Works for me!
QotW: for Spencerian it's a semi-flex needlepoint for me. I do have a couple of wet noodles, but the way fountain pen ink flows back into hairlines is, ahem, unhelpful. So dip pen it is for the fancy writing. For general use a soft, narrowish stub suits me nicely. On the subject of not-too-smooth paper, Elco Prestige is worth a try if you can find it. It doesn't have that laid texture, but there's a velvety sort of tooth instead which is subtle enough not to cause problems even with sharp nibs.
Another engaging vlog! Loved this so much. About the the paper questions.... How about creating a new Goulet Station at the office/shop where you create little, staple-bound sample paper booklets or maybe even simple envelopes? (Or do you already do that and I have failed to procure your offerings? 🙃) I might venture to say that many of us “FP people” are very tactile. I know I am. The paper has to be under my fingers and/or under my moving, inked pen for me to know if I want more of that paper experience with that pen, that ink and that nib/feed.
Congrats on being one of the top 10 businesses to work for. That is something to boast about, even though it doesn't seem like it since that is the way you run the business. QOTW: I typically stay with mediums as they suit my writing style and they lay down a decent amount of ink, but not too much. I got my first stub with the Pilot Plumix and enjoy writing with it. I'm starting to lean toward stubs but will get mediums of the pen doesn't have a stub option. I won't steer away from a pen if it doesn't offer a nib size I want, I'm up to try new things.
For fountain pen friendly paper that is not slick you can go with the Sugar Cane or bamboo papers. The eco friendly sugar cane papers are cheep at office supply stores. The Lamy 2000 is a great pen for not drying out in meetings. Also you can “soft cap” pens to keep them from drying out. Just set it in the cap but don’t worry about screwing the cap down. You would want to be using a pen you are happy with not posted so you can keep the cap in your off hand for doing that. For the question of the week. I am the type that wants to try out different nibs to see what I like and my taste in nibs has changed from doing it. I used to like F nibs best now I am in more the Medium or Broad nib camp. Actually the TWSBI Eco with a 1.1 stub (writes more of a 0.6mm line) was my gateway to wider nibs and italics. I find I like wider nibs better when you have the fine mixed in with a cursive italic or stub.
QOTW: Japanese fines for everyday use, cursive italics or stubs for recreational writing … my “library” ranges from a Platinum UEF to a Nagahara Cross Concord Emperor (not counting a 6mm Pilot Parallel). Other Meeting pens: Pilot Fermo (no clickety-click), Parker 51 (hooded) Usually well writing and outside the F-M-B range: Franklin-Christoph offers nibs ground by Mike Masuyama on their pens and Aurora also has quite a variety to choose from.
For nibs, I wrote with a Schaeffer fine for over 25 years, and was pleased with it. Then I discovered GP & Lamy EF nibs. Went through 3 of those (even lost one during Hurricane Harvey). Then Susan recommended stub nibs, and I’ve been a stub guy ever since. I progressed to custom ground italic stubs (0.5mm…0.6mm) and bsolutely love them. Going to stay on the stub hub for a long time, I think. It seems to be the one for me. (THANKS SUSAN)!
One solution for testing the texture or smoothness of paper is to measure it's coefficient of friction. Get a small weight that you can set on a sheet of paper that is clamped down to a table and then pull the weight using a huge to measure the force necessary to move the weight. You could use a scale similar to those used to measure trigger pulls on firearms. Pretty basic setup but I think it can work, assuming that the texture of the paper is directly related to the papers coefficient of friction.
Once you get to a certain threshold of pens, exclusive or limited-edition pens are usually the only ones grabbing your attention. Then it's all your collection ends up being! - Colin
I'm afraid I'm falling down the rabbit hole with Kaweco sports pens. I also have my eye on limited colors and some art sports as well. You're right, the regular line just won't do anymore!
I would love to see paper samples similar to how you do ink samples. And not just paper from tear out pads, but cut out the pages from notebooks too. It would allow people to test various paper, see the color and rulings etc.
We remember you mentioning the father-daughter dance last year. Was hoping you'd share some pics of the both of you all dressed up! Maybe next year, for sure?? 😊
QOTW - I gravitate toward medium nibs. For me they are the best all around point. Plus, it's difficult to appreciate your inks' characteristics with fine and ef nibs. I also like my 1.1 stub.
QOTW: I have just started out my collection and most are medium. But I like the suggestion about ordering new TWSBI with different nibs. Colin said new colors come out pretty frequently earlier today, and TWSBI is affordable for me. So I will try yellowgreen in stub. Next broad, then fine?
Oo... Nib options for the Lamy 2000 ... I will certainly be on the look out ... Understand the pricing issue, it'll be rare for any variant from the norm will have huge volumes ... But factory stubs, italics and obliques ... If feasible ... Would certainly of interest 👍👍✒️👍👍
Medium seems to be my favorite. I don’t adjust my writing well for broad so the letters aren’t well defined. Fines or extra fines tend to feel scratchy. Medium just feels natural and smooth to my hand.
Variety is the spice of pens. I write small, so I like fine nibs. Medium nibs work better for shines and sheen than fine. Many of my nibs work well for reverse writing. Stub nibs are also quite nice.
QOTW: I've been using fines, stubs and broads. Stub: twsbi vac 700r AMAZING super smooth. Fine: Platinum cool for the snap cap, incredible and very reliable when I want some feedback and quick capping. Fine: Pilot custom 74 for my to do list. And I always take extra time to write as nicely as I can with it. Broad: twsbi 580 for notes when I want to write fast and feel like I'm using a stick of butter on glass. Each have different ink so I'll break those guidelines when I want a different color. Honorable mention: noodlers neponset for fun at home. (get the 308 ink cartridge if your neponset accepts them, for me the flow is sooo much better then the plunger that it comes with)
QOTW: I have several different nibs, but use each for different purposes. When marking up papers, I like a fine nib. When writing lecture notes, usually a medium or broad. When writing letters, broads and my only stub nib. So, for seven pens, I have 1 EF, 2 F, 1 M, 2 B, and a 1.5 Stub. All steel...I am pleased enough with the experience of steel to not invest in a gold nib.
Question! I haven't been exactly timely with cleaning out my pens, I'm ashamed to say. I have some that have dried ink in them after leaving them for...a few months (sorry pens!!). I soak them in water for days and this tends to breakdown most of the ink but there is still some ink that just won't go wash away (in the crevices of the barrel and probably in the feed where I can't see it). Is there a brush or some stronger solvent I can use to make my pens shiny new again? I won't be asking this again as I swear I this lack of attention will not happen again. :-) Thank you for your help! Thanks for the Q&A! It's my Friday ritual to watch on my lunch hour...I look forward to them every week!
Definitely use some pen flush next time (www.gouletpens.com/goulet-pen-flush/p/GP-10003 ). Mixing that with water before soaking the pen will definitely loosen up that stubborn ink even further. - Colin
I usually gravitate to a fine nib or a 1.1mm stub, but I have everything from an Ultra Extra Fine (a veritable needle) up to a 1.9mm stub. Different types of ink and paper deserve certain nibs, and it's fun to experiment and try them all I believe.
I'm a little behind on Q&A, but I wanted to answer regardless. Iver definitely tried every nib size I've been able to but I am now more than content in the Japanese Medium/Western fine range. I'll deviate occasionally - I have a fine Decimo that I love for work - but I'm just not using any extra fine or stub nibs so getting them would mean I don't use the pen as much (and that'd be sad!)
I am trying to have at least one pen with each type of nib, just because they can be used for different purposes. That said, I do find that my most pleasurable writing experiences occur with a medium. Fines (and even worse, ultra-extra-fines) show every shake and shimmy when I write.
The length of the nib has to do with stability, and it applies to any object that you need to keep in a rigid position, so the tip doesn't move. That's one of the problems of Lamy nibs sometimes. The nib wiggles from side to side and gets slightly misaligned. The longer the body of the nib, the most rigid and aligned you can keep the tip of the nib.
QOTW: I absolutely go for Broad, BB, 1.5 mm stub, and broad Italic nibs. But mostly B and BB. They are just a joy to use. They are smooth and leave lots of ink on the paper. And I can read what I wrote! A very good thing since I am legally blind. I never liked extra fin or fine nibs. They are scratchy and just don't show off the ink. But they are good if you have a tiny space in which to write. Mediums used to be my go to, and some 1.1 mm nibs. But now, give me a B or bigger, or don't give it to me at all! I wish more people saw the virtue in writing with broad nibs. Then Monteverde and Conklin might make them available on their pens. Thank goodness for Goulet nibs, which are great. But I really hate having to add that extra $15 on to the cost of the pen. And that adds up!!! So everyone, buy more broad nibs!!!!! They are just wonderful!
Hello Brian! Love your videos. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for converters? I got a mysterious old pen from my dad the other day and as far as i can tell it seems to take standard cartridges. Any Ideas?
You usually don't have options with converters, you gotta get what fits the pen. Try to find out what pen it is (Fountain Pen Network or Goulet Nation on FB can help), and that will determine what you need. -Brian
QOTW: I pretty new to the fountain pen game but I know I like/gravitate towards mediums however recently I've purchased a broad and a stub and I fell in LOVE with them. I have the twsbi 580al rose and she's so wet and smooth just an absolute delight to write with. And the stubs flair make me feel like my personality is truly being delivered through my fingers. So all in all I'm so happy I tried some new things👍👌👌👍❤
QOTW: I started with fine, use for junk paper & signatures. I have a number of mediums because that the largest nib that was available for the pen but my love is stub and broad nibs. I still want to try a music nib. I saw your Butterfly dance picture, soooo sweet. Your little girl is beautiful, love her curly hair. I love the Butterfly kiss song, a real tear jerker at weddings! Thankfully you have a few years before you have to think about that 👰🏼😀
QOTW: While I tend to only use Fine and Extra-Fine nibs, I do sometimes buy other nib sizes with the understanding that I have a compatable Fine/Extra-Fine nib incase I don't like the other sizes.
QOTW: I have several different nib sizes, but I haven't tried a broad nib. If I had it to do over I would buy one of my TWSBI pens in broad. I have naturally small handwriting, but ink looks so fantastic in a broader line that I'm starting to think I'd rather adapt my handwriting than use finer nibs, lol!
Ooh, Lamy 2000 with an oblique nib! I've avoided getting this pen because I tend to rotate my nibs a little, and I know this pen has a narrow sweet spot. But an oblique would totally change that. I'm definitely, DEFINITELY interested. Also, @maemakesthings-Kokuyo's Campus "Shikkari" looseleaf (in the red packaging) comes to mind as a grippier paper. It's a Japanese brand with narrower (6 or 7mm) lines and vertically-aligned dots, and I actually find it to be a great compromise between lined and dot paper. (There's also a smooth version, which I personally prefer.) Unfortunately, not sold by Goulet, but should be easy enough to find via a Google search.
for paper smoothness tests you could try using a friction test, after all friction would tell easily how smooth a surface is.... kind of like rolling a ball over grass vs ice it'd roll faster further on ice than grass, not sure what all there'd be for paper friction tests but surely we could find something.
We do have a notebook sampler set (www.gouletpens.com/package-notebooksampler/p/Package-NotebookSampler ). It doesn't cover all the bases, but a good place to start! - Colin
QOTW: I prefer broad nibs as my go-to but will often get out of my comfort zone and get a medium, fine, or extra fine. My taste in stubs is like my taste in sushi: once in a blue moon; though the two stubs I do own (Conklin and TWSBI) are excellent.
QOTW: Starting out, I have tried to go for a variety of pens. I think it's smart to try out different sizes with cheaper pens. I've also tried to vary the brands I have as well. It's interesting. I thought I would be more interested in the fine nibs. I appreciated finer lines before I got into fountain pens, but I am finding that the broads give the ink so much more character and they flow so well. The fines seem to just be weak and underwhelming for me? It's been an interesting process to realize that I am actually interested in broads. I think going forward, I would definitely be sticking to the broader nibs unless I have a specific purpose in mind when purchasing. One case would be if I want to get a pen to use on less than ideal paper. That would likely cause a deviation from my broad preference towards a fine nib. I would be interested to hear how Rachel does things. From the Write Nows, I know she prefers broad nibs. By the way, very cool segment! I find it really fun to know there is someone out there with a similar love of broad nibs! It feels like so many people focus on fine or medium nibs. It's really neat to see someone who is so hooked on larger nib sizes and it helps me feel like less of an odd ball. How does she deal with writing in more confined spaces, or writing on less than ideal paper? So far, my biggest issue has been writing in the A6 notebook. I started with a fine Pilot Metropolitan, and I'm up to a medium Lamy Safari. The broad in my Vac 700r is definitely too big. As usual, awesome segment! Thank you so much for everything you do!
I stick with the Fine side (granted, I only have 3 pens, with the yellowgreen Eco-T now ordered, in fine of course). I will, however, be getting a Jinhao with a few Goulet nibs in the future to test out!
Stubs and italics is my preferred nib sizes. Then my writing looks interesting not just plan ugly. The few times I get compliments for the writing, it is always written with a broad stub or italic nib
I think it's just that stub nibs have become so incredibly rare that people are just generally surprised that writing can look like that. I remember when I was in school in the 90s you still got the odd person (maybe 1-3 people in the classroom) who wrote with stubs so it wasn't as uncommon.
27:20 I'd be willing to bet that the nib would be traditionally larger just so the people making them would have something to hold on to when manufacturing technology was less sophisticated (totally a guess).
KingProne hmmmm. Then the save money by limiting material was probably the goal of the day, interesting. Thanks for the insight ;!) I've virtually no experience with vintage pens.
My nib comfort zone is from medium to 1.1 stub. Anything within, and including the ends I'm happy with. Any finer and my hand writing looks horrendous. Any wider and I'm drenching my paper in ink.
Nib size: I like to have a variety to experiment. But when I buying a more expensive pen I get a broad because I want this special pen with the best nib size (for me). I think its interesting that finer nibs are more popular. For me personally I like broads and stubs. I don't like fins at all. Luckily one can choose the nib size with fountain pens.
I have no preference for nib size. I have broad, double and triple broad. I also have fine and extra fine and enjoy using them all. I like stub nibs up to 2.4 and even flex and other calligraphy nibs. I use them all even in meetings, which can create some reaction as people see the different style of writing. Still a lot of fun.
I realised that today with a Jin Hao .. :) it has always been a little scratchy but I noticed if I tilted it a bit it got really smooth.. so now I know how to write with it . lol
QotW: I buy stubs if I can get them. All my Lamy's get upgraded to stub, Twisbi's, Conklin,etc. I reserve fine nibs for less expensive Chinese pens like Wing Sung, Hero, Baoer, PenBBS, Delike, Jinhao, and Kaigelu(if only because most are only available in fine or medium and changing nibs is iffy at best). I an still rabid in my collecting of pens, but my new focus is INKS.
@highdefhunty What I ended up doing was buying a Jinhao x450, which comes with a medium nib, and then bought a Goulet Broad Nib that I could swap in and out. In fact, I was using it as I was watching this video. (Although, the timing was bad, because I did something wrong and when I pulled off the cap, it leaked on me: not their fault!) That combo, although among my cheapest fountain pen expenses, is right at the top of smoothness. It is a wonderful writing experience!
Interesting about meetings ... I've not really found un capping / un screwing the cap of a fountain pen in meetings an issue ... Taking notes with fountain pens has made me more intentional with what I write ... Most meetings follow the 80:20 principle... 80% of what is meaningful comes from 20% of time you sit in a meeting ... 😀.... In a lot of them it's actually 90:10... For the rest the PowerPoint deck is shared later on ...
QOTW: I used to be into the really fine nibs, but lately I've been wanting to try broader nibs really hardcore. I got a Lamy 2000 in Fine at the start of January as a little New Year's thing and while I love the pen, I have to be honest, after a few months of using it I'm disappointed I didn't take the risk with a Medium. I kinda took a bath jumping straight from a Pilot Metropolitan to a Lamy 2000, but them's the breaks I guess. My next pen is definitely going to be a Medium, though, and if I like that, I might just sell my current Lamy 2000 and get another one with a Medium instead.
QOTW My preferred nib is extra extra fine custom ground by Brian Gray (Edison Pens). I have 4 pens with this nib. It perfectly suits my handwriting in line width and wetness. Second to it would be the Vanishing Point extra fine.
I use fine nibs because of my writing style. Platinum UEF or EF. Wanted to try pilot posting nib for a while. In the medium range, Pilot MF is best and my all time favorite is Sailor M. I like Lamy 2000 a lot, but even EF is a bit wide for me.
I stick with F (and occasional EF) and some stubs, and I'd love to pick up some M nibs and even Bs - but the thing is, there's no way I could get good paper here without spending way more than I'm comfortable with :)
I tend to stick with the size I prefer. Originally I stuck with medium nibs, extra fine and fine are too scratchy for my taste, but then I ended up trying a 1.4 stub nib and it's my new favorite size now. They make my horrible handwriting look not so bad.
Not sure I've seen Faber-Castell do exclusives before? Could be something interesting to discuss, maybe a GPC exclusive Loom color or something. - Colin
For paper smoothness I guess you could measure the RA or roughness average. It is used to measure the effectiveness of polishing concrete and other surfaces. But a decent RA meter/tester is going to set you back a grand or more.
QOTW: I tend to stay with medium nibs. They are wide enough to have nice flow and feel super smooth and small enough to take notes at school with. I started with fine nibs but I find they are just too scratchy for me. I'll also only experiment if I'm getting a cheaper pen and have the opportunity to swap the nib if necessary
Have you considered putting together sample packs of paper? A single sheet from a bunch of different paper types/notebooks would be cool. I realize this may be a logistical pain, but thought I'd through the idea out.
Not quite that, but we do have a notebook sampler (www.gouletpens.com/package-notebooksampler/p/Package-NotebookSampler) that could work. Doesn't cover all the bases, but a good start. - Colin
Or! Just use any screw-cap pens, hold the cap with your non-writing hand, when you're not using it, put the cap on but don't screw it. Works well with heavier pens I guess, and also snap-caps.
I've watched every episode of Q&A in the last 4 months and I've got one for you I know you have never answered before. We all know you started turning pens (and power washing houses because/with your father) but you've never said what started you on the path of pen turning... Why pens basically? Thanks
Man I love that blue wall, and the new format, and of course the products. Goulet rocks! Frank from Boulder, Colorado here!
JerryGeiger you don't actually have to "cap" the pen as you see it. You just have to set the pen in the cap, up and until the point where you would otherwise have to begin twisting or pushing. It takes less than a second and just that much cover will keep your pen ready to go for a long time. I actually basically do this at home when doing research and I need to write a few lines every few minutes, I stick my pen cap in a custard cup full of beans and that converts any pen into a desk pen. So when I'm done writing I'll just rest my pen in the cap on top of the threads at roughly a forty five degree angle and its ready to just pull out and write very easily. I've actually left it like that over night and the next day it wrote with no hard starting.
Congratulations! I have always envied your workers and their environment. What a terrific job to always enjoy going in. You guys deserve it.
There was so much to want to engage in conversation on this video! I forgot to say what you said. Totally agreed! It may get Goulet some deserved, local business or new pen enthusiasts!
My vote for meetings and work is for the Vanishing Point too! Especially if work involves working around, I like not having to worry about dropping or loosing a pen cap. Alternatively, if I'm using a non-VP pen in a meeting, I compromise by not fully closing the pen cap - the cap is on so it doesn't dry out but I also don't need to wait and unscrew the cap to start writing.
For JerryGeiger: I use my pen in meetings all the time, sometimes with 15 minutes uncapped between writing anything. It's all about the ink choice. J Herbin Saphir and Pelikan 4001 Violet are my favorites. Parker Quink Blue-Black also works well for meetings. Noodler's Heart of Darkness is good for about 8 minutes, which might still be long enough for you. I've also had excellent luck Rohrer & Klingner Solferino, but it isn't the kind of hue that would work well in a meeting. :-)
Anyway, whenever I get a new ink I test its cap-off time, and as a result I have divided my collection into what I call "meeting and markup" inks that require almost no cap-consciousness, and then "writing" inks where I plan to write out a page or two at a time and put the cap back on. To qualify as a "meeting and markup" ink it has to be able to write without a hard start after 10 minutes AT LEAST. I've tested a few past 20 minutes.
Thank you, Brian. Bringing in staff in the Write Now videos is excellent.
I love the write now's. They are awesome
I’ve always been a fan of fine/extra fine nibs, and had no desire to try anything new. I write on cheap paper most of the time, so it makes sense. But I was lucky enough to win a free pen from Karas Kustoms recently, and they sent me a broad. I‘m absolutely in LOVE with how the broad writes. I don’t think I’m going to switch over completely, as the fine nibs are still more practical for daily use, but I will definitely have to consider more broads in the future.
if you dont mind non waterproof inks, the waterman inks (blue black ,serenity blue etc) are fantastic cheap paper inks even when loaded into modified noodler pens which dump lots of ink to accommodate the 3-4mm flex they can achieve. they also dry extremely quick. I write a lot at my work and often have to pass papers around quickly which I have written on and I have had no issues even when writing with flex pens. Currently still looking for a black ink but unfortunately have not found one yet. Noodler borealis black is close but unfortunately does feather on cheap paper.
KingProne Thanks! I’ll plan to give those a try. I do tend to prefer more waterproof inks, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker for me.
Jamie The Waterman turquoise and purple inks are also very nice. I enjoy them both a lot.
well.... i prefer waterproof inks which i can wash out of my clothes. i.e. doesnt exist haha
That's not a surprise that you're on the top work place thing. I wish companies where more like yours. Keep up the great work you are a inspiration to all of us.
Thanks :) -Margaret
Congratulation on your workplace achievement! I was just telling my husband yesterday how I enjoy your videos and love the friendly laid back environment you have. (Very different where I work) If I ever move to VA I will definitely be submitting my application!
Fine and medium nibs are what i gravitate towards mostly, however i have tried broader nibs and i dont seem to have much of use in day to day life where i could use the broad nibs. For me its fine and medium always.
i honestly misread the title as "203 pens for meetings"
as in you were going to show off 203 individually different pens for the workplace one by one
This is Brian Goulet we're talking about... - Colin
He is trying to get that gold medal in endurance talking.
Great video. Always entertaining and you learn something. QotW- I tend to stick with fine and medium nibs, but I have a variety of nibs in my pile of pens. As a graphic designer, you need different tools to pull off the desired effect of your art. So I have lots of Extra fine, fine, medium, 1.0, 1.1, stub, calligraphy, and others. No two are exactly alike, and you get that wonderful line variation in your drawing, calligraphy, and work that you've created.
In case anyone asks: No. The Honey Comb cannot be converted into an eyedropper.
David Heverly 😂😂😂😂
If it is holy it does not need to be converted
Welllll, I'm not so sure it can't. It kinda depends on what kind of ink capacity you want.
Coy Stark and how you hold it
Benedek Farkas
???
I like to try different nibs, though I'm new to fountain pens and still figuring out what I like.
Really looking forward to the Lamy production video. I remember that "How it's made" has done a video on the production of fountain pens. Correct me if I am wrong but II think the company featured in the video was Aurora. I am sure you can find it on UA-cam.
I think you can test the roughness of the paper by 1) using a grid-microscope to measure the bumps on the paper (like measuring the grit of micromesh), 2) measuring the decibel when writing with a specific pen, ink, and stroke, or 3) using dry time to assume the level of coating on a specific paper(not really recommended, since 'dried' ink is a relative term). Not the greatest solution by all means, but I hope it helps!
I am INCREDIBLY indecisive when it comes to pen nib sizes. I have several Fines and Mediums, but i have been considering getting a 1.5 or B to just mess around with on some T. River paper.
That is a serious pen case. You can fit so many pens in it. I had no clue there was a Goulet Nation on Facebook. I just joined, great group.
Thank you Brian! I know that this is a year old.. but I really enjoy this installment.. I'm getting closer to buying my own Belleza but I'm concerned about that grip section.. Hey, cool shirt.. my favorite color.. your team is really an impressive group.. be well and best from Boulder, Colorado!
Frank Bruno
I love fountain pens but have not been able to dive in and try very many. I have used the Pilot Varsity and find for school work it is a bit to wet for me, I like a finer nib for school, even in my roller balls. I bought a Monteverde Monza Crystal on Wednesday at a local shop and it has a fine nib and I am loving it so far.
I do feel I would be willing to try all sorts of different pens especially when writing letters and I hope to try out more mediums, broads and beyond once I can afford to get more.
Also congrats on the recognition for all the hard work the whole team provides!
During the Q&A around the 38th minute Brian ask about ideas to test paper and there's a technic that I use to test mine. It goes as follows: I use a very wet nib and touch the paper and count the time that it takes to saturate the paper until it bleeds or in some cases to make a hole on it. In other hand to test scientifically the smoothness of a paper there is instruments to mesure the difference in a surface, I use one of those in my college but I don't know the name. It mesure te texture in a 1/10 of mm. Hope that give you some ideas. Really like the Q&As. Keep it up.
Thanks for the great channel. For close-ups on pens have you considered a second camera that is fixed and overhead that you could put the pen underneath and then to switch to that feed? You could even get fancy and have that camera as a box-in to the main feed or as the whole screen.
for sure. We've done that with videos in the past...it's a lot of editing for a video this long though. we'll give it some thought! -Brian
I love that pilot vanishing point in twilight!!! I tend to gravitate towards medium, although every medium I have is slightly different so even though I’m getting one size some are finer and broader than others. It just works for me haha
Thanks for great Q&A’s. I’m new to pens and being new I think you need options. That’s why I got a Lamy. I’ll be buying the nib sets shortly so I can try all sizes.
Lamys are great if you're unsure which size to get. I bought a medium CP1 because I already had an extra fine Logo. I quickly got an extra fine replacement nib and am able to enjoy both pens.
I love trying different nib sizes. I gravitate towards fine nibs natively, but I've discovered recently that I find them a little scratchy, especially when I'm using a drier ink, and that has amped up my inclination to pick up a broad and stub next order. That's in large part because I love interesting inks, too, and I want them to shine (sometimes literally).
Parker 51s do a great job in meetings. The hooded nib can go quite a while without needing to get recapped. And the slip cap comes on and off very easily.
On the meetings thing my notes all have random dots in the corners because if I’m not writing for a bit I just dot the nib on the paper to keep it going. Works for me!
QotW: for Spencerian it's a semi-flex needlepoint for me. I do have a couple of wet noodles, but the way fountain pen ink flows back into hairlines is, ahem, unhelpful. So dip pen it is for the fancy writing. For general use a soft, narrowish stub suits me nicely.
On the subject of not-too-smooth paper, Elco Prestige is worth a try if you can find it. It doesn't have that laid texture, but there's a velvety sort of tooth instead which is subtle enough not to cause problems even with sharp nibs.
Another engaging vlog! Loved this so much. About the the paper questions.... How about creating a new Goulet Station at the office/shop where you create little, staple-bound sample paper booklets or maybe even simple envelopes? (Or do you already do that and I have failed to procure your offerings? 🙃)
I might venture to say that many of us “FP people” are very tactile. I know I am. The paper has to be under my fingers and/or under my moving, inked pen for me to know if I want more of that paper experience with that pen, that ink and that nib/feed.
Congrats on being one of the top 10 businesses to work for. That is something to boast about, even though it doesn't seem like it since that is the way you run the business.
QOTW: I typically stay with mediums as they suit my writing style and they lay down a decent amount of ink, but not too much. I got my first stub with the Pilot Plumix and enjoy writing with it. I'm starting to lean toward stubs but will get mediums of the pen doesn't have a stub option. I won't steer away from a pen if it doesn't offer a nib size I want, I'm up to try new things.
For fountain pen friendly paper that is not slick you can go with the Sugar Cane or bamboo papers. The eco friendly sugar cane papers are cheep at office supply stores.
The Lamy 2000 is a great pen for not drying out in meetings. Also you can “soft cap” pens to keep them from drying out. Just set it in the cap but don’t worry about screwing the cap down. You would want to be using a pen you are happy with not posted so you can keep the cap in your off hand for doing that.
For the question of the week. I am the type that wants to try out different nibs to see what I like and my taste in nibs has changed from doing it. I used to like F nibs best now I am in more the Medium or Broad nib camp. Actually the TWSBI Eco with a 1.1 stub (writes more of a 0.6mm line) was my gateway to wider nibs and italics. I find I like wider nibs better when you have the fine mixed in with a cursive italic or stub.
QOTW: Japanese fines for everyday use, cursive italics or stubs for recreational writing … my “library” ranges from a Platinum UEF to a Nagahara Cross Concord Emperor (not counting a 6mm Pilot Parallel).
Other Meeting pens: Pilot Fermo (no clickety-click), Parker 51 (hooded)
Usually well writing and outside the F-M-B range: Franklin-Christoph offers nibs ground by Mike Masuyama on their pens and Aurora also has quite a variety to choose from.
Thank you all for taking our thumbnail feedback into consideration! Looks great!
Appreciated the feedback! Still evolving here with our thumbnails so bear with us as we try things out. - Colin
For nibs, I wrote with a Schaeffer fine for over 25 years, and was pleased with it. Then I discovered GP & Lamy EF nibs. Went through 3 of those (even lost one during Hurricane Harvey). Then Susan recommended stub nibs, and I’ve been a stub guy ever since. I progressed to custom ground italic stubs (0.5mm…0.6mm) and bsolutely love them. Going to stay on the stub hub for a long time, I think. It seems to be the one for me. (THANKS SUSAN)!
One solution for testing the texture or smoothness of paper is to measure it's coefficient of friction. Get a small weight that you can set on a sheet of paper that is clamped down to a table and then pull the weight using a huge to measure the force necessary to move the weight. You could use a scale similar to those used to measure trigger pulls on firearms. Pretty basic setup but I think it can work, assuming that the texture of the paper is directly related to the papers coefficient of friction.
I like to take the exclusive pens for my collection and posterity.....and to make us feel jealous in later videos! You love doing that!
Once you get to a certain threshold of pens, exclusive or limited-edition pens are usually the only ones grabbing your attention. Then it's all your collection ends up being! - Colin
I'm afraid I'm falling down the rabbit hole with Kaweco sports pens. I also have my eye on limited colors and some art sports as well. You're right, the regular line just won't do anymore!
I would love to see paper samples similar to how you do ink samples. And not just paper from tear out pads, but cut out the pages from notebooks too. It would allow people to test various paper, see the color and rulings etc.
Doing a two pen combo these days. Fine extra fine with dry ink for cheap paper and small writing and a 1.1 stub for notes, etc on friendly paper
We remember you mentioning the father-daughter dance last year. Was hoping you'd share some pics of the both of you all dressed up! Maybe next year, for sure?? 😊
QOTW - I gravitate toward medium nibs. For me they are the best all around point. Plus, it's difficult to appreciate your inks' characteristics with fine and ef nibs. I also like my 1.1 stub.
Fabriano paper is worth checking out it has some tooth but does not bleed or feather with most normal inks.
QOTW: I have just started out my collection and most are medium. But I like the suggestion about ordering new TWSBI with different nibs. Colin said new colors come out pretty frequently earlier today, and TWSBI is affordable for me. So I will try yellowgreen in stub. Next broad, then fine?
Oo... Nib options for the Lamy 2000 ... I will certainly be on the look out ... Understand the pricing issue, it'll be rare for any variant from the norm will have huge volumes ... But factory stubs, italics and obliques ... If feasible ... Would certainly of interest 👍👍✒️👍👍
Medium seems to be my favorite. I don’t adjust my writing well for broad so the letters aren’t well defined. Fines or extra fines tend to feel scratchy. Medium just feels natural and smooth to my hand.
Variety is the spice of pens. I write small, so I like fine nibs. Medium nibs work better for shines and sheen than fine. Many of my nibs work well for reverse writing. Stub nibs are also quite nice.
QOTW: I've been using fines, stubs and broads.
Stub: twsbi vac 700r AMAZING super smooth.
Fine: Platinum cool for the snap cap, incredible and very reliable when I want some feedback and quick capping.
Fine: Pilot custom 74 for my to do list. And I always take extra time to write as nicely as I can with it.
Broad: twsbi 580 for notes when I want to write fast and feel like I'm using a stick of butter on glass.
Each have different ink so I'll break those guidelines when I want a different color.
Honorable mention: noodlers neponset for fun at home. (get the 308 ink cartridge if your neponset accepts them, for me the flow is sooo much better then the plunger that it comes with)
QOTW: I have several different nibs, but use each for different purposes. When marking up papers, I like a fine nib. When writing lecture notes, usually a medium or broad. When writing letters, broads and my only stub nib. So, for seven pens, I have 1 EF, 2 F, 1 M, 2 B, and a 1.5 Stub. All steel...I am pleased enough with the experience of steel to not invest in a gold nib.
Question! I haven't been exactly timely with cleaning out my pens, I'm ashamed to say. I have some that have dried ink in them after leaving them for...a few months (sorry pens!!). I soak them in water for days and this tends to breakdown most of the ink but there is still some ink that just won't go wash away (in the crevices of the barrel and probably in the feed where I can't see it). Is there a brush or some stronger solvent I can use to make my pens shiny new again? I won't be asking this again as I swear I this lack of attention will not happen again. :-) Thank you for your help! Thanks for the Q&A! It's my Friday ritual to watch on my lunch hour...I look forward to them every week!
Definitely use some pen flush next time (www.gouletpens.com/goulet-pen-flush/p/GP-10003 ). Mixing that with water before soaking the pen will definitely loosen up that stubborn ink even further. - Colin
I usually gravitate to a fine nib or a 1.1mm stub, but I have everything from an Ultra Extra Fine (a veritable needle) up to a 1.9mm stub. Different types of ink and paper deserve certain nibs, and it's fun to experiment and try them all I believe.
I'm a little behind on Q&A, but I wanted to answer regardless. Iver definitely tried every nib size I've been able to but I am now more than content in the Japanese Medium/Western fine range. I'll deviate occasionally - I have a fine Decimo that I love for work - but I'm just not using any extra fine or stub nibs so getting them would mean I don't use the pen as much (and that'd be sad!)
The Vanishing point twilight is beautiful!
I am trying to have at least one pen with each type of nib, just because they can be used for different purposes. That said, I do find that my most pleasurable writing experiences occur with a medium. Fines (and even worse, ultra-extra-fines) show every shake and shimmy when I write.
The length of the nib has to do with stability, and it applies to any object that you need to keep in a rigid position, so the tip doesn't move. That's one of the problems of Lamy nibs sometimes. The nib wiggles from side to side and gets slightly misaligned. The longer the body of the nib, the most rigid and aligned you can keep the tip of the nib.
So far I’ve enjoyed switching it up but I am noticing I’m starting to have preferences
QOTW: I absolutely go for Broad, BB, 1.5 mm stub, and broad Italic nibs. But mostly B and BB. They are just a joy to use. They are smooth and leave lots of ink on the paper. And I can read what I wrote! A very good thing since I am legally blind. I never liked extra fin or fine nibs. They are scratchy and just don't show off the ink. But they are good if you have a tiny space in which to write. Mediums used to be my go to, and some 1.1 mm nibs. But now, give me a B or bigger, or don't give it to me at all! I wish more people saw the virtue in writing with broad nibs. Then Monteverde and Conklin might make them available on their pens. Thank goodness for Goulet nibs, which are great. But I really hate having to add that extra $15 on to the cost of the pen. And that adds up!!! So everyone, buy more broad nibs!!!!! They are just wonderful!
Hello Brian! Love your videos. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for converters? I got a mysterious old pen from my dad the other day and as far as i can tell it seems to take standard cartridges. Any Ideas?
You usually don't have options with converters, you gotta get what fits the pen. Try to find out what pen it is (Fountain Pen Network or Goulet Nation on FB can help), and that will determine what you need. -Brian
QOTW: I pretty new to the fountain pen game but I know I like/gravitate towards mediums however recently I've purchased a broad and a stub and I fell in LOVE with them. I have the twsbi 580al rose and she's so wet and smooth just an absolute delight to write with. And the stubs flair make me feel like my personality is truly being delivered through my fingers. So all in all I'm so happy I tried some new things👍👌👌👍❤
QOTW: I started with fine, use for junk paper & signatures. I have a number of mediums because that the largest nib that was available for the pen but my love is stub and broad nibs. I still want to try a music nib. I saw your Butterfly dance picture, soooo sweet. Your little girl is beautiful, love her curly hair. I love the Butterfly kiss song, a real tear jerker at weddings! Thankfully you have a few years before you have to think about that 👰🏼😀
QOTW: While I tend to only use Fine and Extra-Fine nibs, I do sometimes buy other nib sizes with the understanding that I have a compatable Fine/Extra-Fine nib incase I don't like the other sizes.
QOTW: I have several different nib sizes, but I haven't tried a broad nib. If I had it to do over I would buy one of my TWSBI pens in broad. I have naturally small handwriting, but ink looks so fantastic in a broader line that I'm starting to think I'd rather adapt my handwriting than use finer nibs, lol!
Ooh, Lamy 2000 with an oblique nib! I've avoided getting this pen because I tend to rotate my nibs a little, and I know this pen has a narrow sweet spot. But an oblique would totally change that. I'm definitely, DEFINITELY interested.
Also, @maemakesthings-Kokuyo's Campus "Shikkari" looseleaf (in the red packaging) comes to mind as a grippier paper. It's a Japanese brand with narrower (6 or 7mm) lines and vertically-aligned dots, and I actually find it to be a great compromise between lined and dot paper. (There's also a smooth version, which I personally prefer.) Unfortunately, not sold by Goulet, but should be easy enough to find via a Google search.
for paper smoothness tests you could try using a friction test, after all friction would tell easily how smooth a surface is.... kind of like rolling a ball over grass vs ice it'd roll faster further on ice than grass, not sure what all there'd be for paper friction tests but surely we could find something.
Would you ever consider doing a "paper sampling kit"?
We do have a notebook sampler set (www.gouletpens.com/package-notebooksampler/p/Package-NotebookSampler ). It doesn't cover all the bases, but a good place to start! - Colin
QOTW: I prefer broad nibs as my go-to but will often get out of my comfort zone and get a medium, fine, or extra fine. My taste in stubs is like my taste in sushi: once in a blue moon; though the two stubs I do own (Conklin and TWSBI) are excellent.
Brian what about Platinum nibs? They don't have nib replacement units but maybe that could change in the future. I fired off a request on fb.
QOTW: Starting out, I have tried to go for a variety of pens. I think it's smart to try out different sizes with cheaper pens. I've also tried to vary the brands I have as well. It's interesting. I thought I would be more interested in the fine nibs. I appreciated finer lines before I got into fountain pens, but I am finding that the broads give the ink so much more character and they flow so well. The fines seem to just be weak and underwhelming for me? It's been an interesting process to realize that I am actually interested in broads. I think going forward, I would definitely be sticking to the broader nibs unless I have a specific purpose in mind when purchasing. One case would be if I want to get a pen to use on less than ideal paper. That would likely cause a deviation from my broad preference towards a fine nib.
I would be interested to hear how Rachel does things. From the Write Nows, I know she prefers broad nibs. By the way, very cool segment! I find it really fun to know there is someone out there with a similar love of broad nibs! It feels like so many people focus on fine or medium nibs. It's really neat to see someone who is so hooked on larger nib sizes and it helps me feel like less of an odd ball. How does she deal with writing in more confined spaces, or writing on less than ideal paper? So far, my biggest issue has been writing in the A6 notebook. I started with a fine Pilot Metropolitan, and I'm up to a medium Lamy Safari. The broad in my Vac 700r is definitely too big.
As usual, awesome segment! Thank you so much for everything you do!
I stick with the Fine side (granted, I only have 3 pens, with the yellowgreen Eco-T now ordered, in fine of course). I will, however, be getting a Jinhao with a few Goulet nibs in the future to test out!
Stubs and italics is my preferred nib sizes. Then my writing looks interesting not just plan ugly. The few times I get compliments for the writing, it is always written with a broad stub or italic nib
I think it's just that stub nibs have become so incredibly rare that people are just generally surprised that writing can look like that. I remember when I was in school in the 90s you still got the odd person (maybe 1-3 people in the classroom) who wrote with stubs so it wasn't as uncommon.
27:20 I'd be willing to bet that the nib would be traditionally larger just so the people making them would have something to hold on to when manufacturing technology was less sophisticated (totally a guess).
KingProne hmmmm. Then the save money by limiting material was probably the goal of the day, interesting.
Thanks for the insight ;!) I've virtually no experience with vintage pens.
My nib comfort zone is from medium to 1.1 stub. Anything within, and including the ends I'm happy with. Any finer and my hand writing looks horrendous. Any wider and I'm drenching my paper in ink.
Nib size: I like to have a variety to experiment. But when I buying a more expensive pen I get a broad because I want this special pen with the best nib size (for me).
I think its interesting that finer nibs are more popular. For me personally I like broads and stubs. I don't like fins at all.
Luckily one can choose the nib size with fountain pens.
I have no preference for nib size. I have broad, double and triple broad. I also have fine and extra fine and enjoy using them all. I like stub nibs up to 2.4 and even flex and other calligraphy nibs. I use them all even in meetings, which can create some reaction as people see the different style of writing. Still a lot of fun.
Adore the Honeycomb. I hope it stays around for awhile.
I realised that today with a Jin Hao .. :) it has always been a little scratchy but I noticed if I tilted it a bit it got really smooth.. so now I know how to write with it . lol
Great stuff!
QotW: I buy stubs if I can get them. All my Lamy's get upgraded to stub, Twisbi's, Conklin,etc. I reserve fine nibs for less expensive Chinese pens like Wing Sung, Hero, Baoer, PenBBS, Delike, Jinhao, and Kaigelu(if only because most are only available in fine or medium and changing nibs is iffy at best). I an still rabid in my collecting of pens, but my new focus is INKS.
@highdefhunty What I ended up doing was buying a Jinhao x450, which comes with a medium nib, and then bought a Goulet Broad Nib that I could swap in and out. In fact, I was using it as I was watching this video. (Although, the timing was bad, because I did something wrong and when I pulled off the cap, it leaked on me: not their fault!) That combo, although among my cheapest fountain pen expenses, is right at the top of smoothness. It is a wonderful writing experience!
Interesting about meetings ... I've not really found un capping / un screwing the cap of a fountain pen in meetings an issue ... Taking notes with fountain pens has made me more intentional with what I write ... Most meetings follow the 80:20 principle... 80% of what is meaningful comes from 20% of time you sit in a meeting ... 😀.... In a lot of them it's actually 90:10... For the rest the PowerPoint deck is shared later on ...
QOTW: I used to be into the really fine nibs, but lately I've been wanting to try broader nibs really hardcore. I got a Lamy 2000 in Fine at the start of January as a little New Year's thing and while I love the pen, I have to be honest, after a few months of using it I'm disappointed I didn't take the risk with a Medium. I kinda took a bath jumping straight from a Pilot Metropolitan to a Lamy 2000, but them's the breaks I guess. My next pen is definitely going to be a Medium, though, and if I like that, I might just sell my current Lamy 2000 and get another one with a Medium instead.
QOTW My preferred nib is extra extra fine custom ground by Brian Gray (Edison Pens). I have 4 pens with this nib. It perfectly suits my handwriting in line width and wetness. Second to it would be the Vanishing Point extra fine.
I use fine nibs because of my writing style. Platinum UEF or EF. Wanted to try pilot posting nib for a while. In the medium range, Pilot MF is best and my all time favorite is Sailor M. I like Lamy 2000 a lot, but even EF is a bit wide for me.
I stick with F (and occasional EF) and some stubs, and I'd love to pick up some M nibs and even Bs - but the thing is, there's no way I could get good paper here without spending way more than I'm comfortable with :)
I tend to stick with the size I prefer. Originally I stuck with medium nibs, extra fine and fine are too scratchy for my taste, but then I ended up trying a 1.4 stub nib and it's my new favorite size now. They make my horrible handwriting look not so bad.
I didn’t know y’all were based in Richmond! I live in VA as well😌
27:46 shorter nibs (or pens which let you insert the nib deep) are by far the better writers imho.
ever thought about going for a goulet - fc exclusive?
Not sure I've seen Faber-Castell do exclusives before? Could be something interesting to discuss, maybe a GPC exclusive Loom color or something. - Colin
The Lamy Aion is super quiet also!
For paper smoothness I guess you could measure the RA or roughness average. It is used to measure the effectiveness of polishing concrete and other surfaces. But a decent RA meter/tester is going to set you back a grand or more.
Interesting, never knew that even existed! Probably matters more for building material than fountain pen paper texture... - Colin
Yeah don't think it really would matter for paper since it is so subjective but there is a scientific way to measure almost anything.
QOTW: I tend to stay with medium nibs. They are wide enough to have nice flow and feel super smooth and small enough to take notes at school with. I started with fine nibs but I find they are just too scratchy for me. I'll also only experiment if I'm getting a cheaper pen and have the opportunity to swap the nib if necessary
get a medium japanese pen. Then you have a fine one which doesnt scratch. (craftsmanship is a bit better there ha)
KingProne That's precisely what I do. I have a vanishing point and Custom 74 both in medium.
boom
I wonder if you guys got the Lamy Aion and could make a video on it. ^_^
We do have the LAMY Aion (www.gouletpens.com/lamy-aion/c/687 ). Definitely on our radar to do a quick look on it. - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company thank you very much :)
Have you considered putting together sample packs of paper? A single sheet from a bunch of different paper types/notebooks would be cool. I realize this may be a logistical pain, but thought I'd through the idea out.
Not quite that, but we do have a notebook sampler (www.gouletpens.com/package-notebooksampler/p/Package-NotebookSampler) that could work. Doesn't cover all the bases, but a good start. - Colin
Ah, surprised Brian didn't mention that. I sort of did something similar on my own. Good to know the sampler is there. Thanks!
Or! Just use any screw-cap pens, hold the cap with your non-writing hand, when you're not using it, put the cap on but don't screw it. Works well with heavier pens I guess, and also snap-caps.
Question for Q and A: I would love to hear about your strategic planning process :)
4:30 That's not a mug, it's a stein! I'm just kidding... or am I? ;)
Why aren't there many affordable pens with a magnetic capping mechanism
wheat straw paper has good texture. i find even regular apica paper super smooth :-)
Anything with a screw cap and really good threads is both silent and very pleasant to cap and uncap.
I've watched every episode of Q&A in the last 4 months and I've got one for you I know you have never answered before.
We all know you started turning pens (and power washing houses because/with your father) but you've never said what started you on the path of pen turning... Why pens basically? Thanks
"Cartridge-converter because, ya know, holes..." *thumbs up*