Brian - Always Look On The Bright Side of Life was performed at the 2012 London Olympics by Eric Idle, ex Python and writer of the song. Re Drew's question about converters, I was 8 (in 1972, in the UK) when I changed school and as a class we were all taught cursive handwriting and had to use a fountain pen. Nearly all of us used cartridges. One or two used bottled ink, either lever or the squeezy sack filler type. I seem to remember a lot of spilled ink and messy fingers. I think we all changed to ballpoints when we could. Ink colours were blue, black, green and red. Green and red were for teachers only. It's only in the last 12 months that I rediscovered fountain pens via journaling for mental health reasons. First purchase was a cheap Parker Vector and a pack of cartridges. It's only after that that I started digging and discovered converters and bottled ink. I'm now deep in the rabbit hole and proud to have multi-coloured fingers.
Drew- doesn't matter if you work for a pen company or not. I work remotely in the insurance business and received a gift of my grandfathers old fountain pen several years ago - since I didn't know anything about fountain pens I searched TH-cam and found this young guy doing reviews and lessons on them. I clicked a link in one video and found out this Goulet kid sells stuff! Thats when my Visa card melted! 😂. Thanks Brian! Keep up the great videos guys - best way to end the week.
Interesting discussion of fountain pen introduction! One of my "things to know" when getting started is interchangeable nibs. That is an affordable way to initially explore the world of nib sizes. I did that, and it was helpful to me when deciding on purchasing pens without interchangeability, like the E95S or other pens for which nib swapping is impractical.
I think the biggest take-away from this week's episode for me was that Drew needs to be given a very tall and goofy Goulet Hat to parade around the offices (and conventions) in.
Omg... I can't believe Drew mentioned the portrayal of fountain pens in cartoons 😃! I grew up with old school Tom & Jerry. I was always fascinated by the lever-action fountain pens that I only found in those cartoons. I always wanted one growing up 😁! Also...Brian's ad-lib fantasy novel was hilarious 🤣!! Great pencast as always, guys!!
Growing up, I did have a lever action pen from mom’s school days, but it didn’t have a sac anymore; so, it was more of a thing to fiddle with than write with.
@@StacySchulze-cg1he Aww...that's pretty cool tho. I've never even seen a fountian till I'm well into my adulthood. lol. 😄. Do you still have it? Have u ever had it restored?
Yes, I still have that pen and another that was a cartridge only. Since they are very basic, school/everyday pens, I’ve held off spending the money to have them restored. @@CakeofPokke
I wish I had known about high quality notebooks (such as Tomoe River or Clairfontaine) when I first got into fountain pens, it makes such a huge difference.
I've got it! "The Outstanding Introverts' Club"! I was introduced to fountain pens in grade school when we transitioned from printing with pencils to writing cursive with ink. That was the accepted midwest curriculum in the early 1960s. First fountain pen was thus a Sheaffer's School pen with a cartridge. I thought bottled inks were for "expensive" fountain pens that were lever filled. I had NO idea what a converter was until about 5 years ago. I immediately understood the concept, but I had just never known about them. I thought ink reservoirs were rubber sacs or cartridges. Somehow, I just never talked about it and no one knew to educate me about it. But, I found Goulet Pens on TH-cam, and my life was changed forever! Please do note, my introduction was about 35+ years pre-internet. It was very rare in my age group to even find someone who regularly carried A pen on them, nevermind a fountain pen or talked about a favorite pen. By high school, I had some Sheaffer No Nonsense pens, and most people preferred the ballpoints to the fountain pens just for the convenience of the comparatively long-lasting ink, less about the writing experience. In my blue-collar world, the epitome of class was a Cross Century ballpoint pen and pencil set. Those who couldn't afford the upscale Cross were relegated to the world of Papermate and Wearever ballpoint pen and pencil sets. That's what you got for graduation gifts, promotion gifts, retirement gifts, etc. In my world, I don't think I knew anyone who knew what a Parker 51 (or 45, or Duofold) even was. Something for "rich people" no doubt. I mean, MacArthur and Eisenhower and Presidents and Queen Elizabeth used those "fancy" and "expensive" pens. Another part of the convenience factor of those "new-fangled" ballpoints in those relatively early years was that they did not need to be blotted (I remember a roller blotter sitting on my great-grandfather's rolltop desk!) and they were comparatively waterproof. I think the waterproof oil-based inks of the ballpoints were a HUGE factor in the shift from everyone using a fountain pen to everyone using a ballpoint in the 60s-70s.
I was into bullet journaling so I collected notebooks, markers, gel pens, etc etc before getting into fountain pens. But I am of the mindset where I try to find the best after testing a lot and then stop. Like currently 4 years into fountain pens, I have stopped buying fountain pens unless there's like a new color of a pen I already love.
Just wanted to say this past week I had a 2 hour drive through the rainforest on Vancouver Island and listened to the pencast, which was so great! But I also couldn’t comment while driving, and if I could, I also would have suggested “It Depends” for Brian’s bio lol. And I fully support that-I too am a person who answers questions like this, much to the dismay to all of my family and friends but I have no idea why. If you ask a question why wouldn’t you want the most thoroughly considered answer possible?!
I always enjoyed writing and improving my penmanship. My mother grew up in Denmark and wrote beautifully. I noted this as a child & wanted to emulate her and the beautiful writing older relatives. I was a Crafty/artistic, appreciating teenager, particular about pens I used. When I was 17 I started using Osmiroid and technical pens. I got India ink on my pajamas and bedding. As a new RN I used some type of stick pen which was provided for us. Blue for day shift, Green for PM, and Red for night. I switched to a multi pen and experimented with various other types of pens that met the requirement. When colored pens were no longer used we went to the 24 hour clock and all black or blue ink. Then I went to the G2 or fine line .38, permanent rollerball or felt tip pens that met my approval from a stationary store. Then came computer charting. That is when I started exploring fountain pens again. I always had a special pen. I never used an ordinary pen. It was impractical to keep a fountain pen working in the intensive care unit so I continued using G2 and other .38 permanent pens. (labeled so that nobody would steal it.) For my home life I continue to be a journal writer and also a letter writer. For that I always use one of my fountain pens. I continue to build my collection conservatively until I retired and then I kind of went bananas. I don’t regret it. I’ve worked hard I love good paper and beautiful, stationary and cards. I’m trying to use up the ones I have collected over the years. It’s a wonderful hobby, and it just feels so good to write with a fountain pen. I guess I’ve answered this a little more thoroughly than you wanted to but I’m sorry about that. It is one of my favorite hobbies along with knitting.🦊
You are singing a tale that resonates in me. I have worked in labs instead of nursing-with the changes to systems and requirements of what you use to write. Yes to good paper and beautiful stationary! I’m using my stash as well as pieces from other people’s stash (they were downsizing). And, I play in the big fiber-craft sand box as well.
Joking about "how wet is water"... Back when photography meant film, pretty much everyone who had done any darkroom work would be familiar with "water wetters" like Kodak Photo-flo. You mix with water and it makes the water more slippery, so it doesn't cling to film. As a result, it sheets off faster, dries faster, and prevents water spots. So yes, "it depends"!
Hobbies I enjoy that pair well with the fountain pen are motorcycle riding, fly fishing and tying, collection of knives, and collection of mechanical watches and clocks,. For me these interests share a common trait. All of them have a relaxed intentional pace to them. When I’m engaged in these activities I find myself completely absorbed in the moment. It’s very peaceful and great therapy for the fast paced modern world in which we live. Thank you Brian and Drew for keeping fountain pens alive and well in this disposal world we live in.
Re converters: My parents used shaeffer pens with cartridges. When I bought my first fountain (Preppy) in March 2020 it was with an order of gel pens and came with a cartridge. I found out about converters pretty quickly because I started poking around online and found y’all’s videos. Re collecting: diving in and getting involved with videos, Goulet Nation, etc is a personality thing that often includes a propensity to collect. People who are happy with their 1-2 pens aren’t going to get as involved in the community (and see all these other pens, and other people setting an example of collecting).
I really want to see Drew's International Nib Inspector hat come to fruition. And how dare you question the hat, Brian. I also do the pen flick to make sure I have all the ink out.
I was definitely a person who was SO particular about school supplies it used to drive my mom insane. I always loved high quality notebooks and pens so fountain pens definitely make sense as a hobby. I stumbled into pens because of a journal hobby so it was definitely something that correlates
You younger folk are so lucky to have access to great supplies. When we were young out supplies were awful and didn't have access to anything that was too great. Pens that leaked and bled through the paper, paper that was ultra thin, my "favourite" was watercolours that paid done no pigment what-so-ever.
I bought my first fountain pen for a drawing class and my second when I joined a writing group. Then in 2014, during a weaken state of illness, I came across this odd fellow on TH-cam talking about how to take care of your fountain pens and that led to another video on the top ten beginner pens. This led to one video after another and I learned about converters then. I bought my first Platinum, converter, and bottle ink (black, because why would you need more…😂 *I cry*). I also bought my first Noodler’s as well. I have been falling down this rabbit holes for 9 years now. Lovin’ it and the pen cast!!
When I got my first fountain pen it came with cartridges of different colours (Sheaffer Calligraphy Set) and a few years later my dad gave me a Cross pen with cartridges, I didn’t know that convertors existed until 20+ years later… There was no internet, we were not exposed to many niche items in my remote community. In my mind bottled inks were for dip pens only.
I had that one also. But it wasn’t , one of my first pens. I always got rid of those squeezy kind of converters. You could never see how much ink you had left. My son has picked up the habit, but he always uses cartridges as he travels a lot. I recently got him a vac filler with the shut off valve for that reason.
Same, my first fountain pen was a Sheaffer No Nonsense and packs of Skrip cartridges. I didn't find converters till I started buying stuff from Goulet....
I absolutely had a thing for pens from a young age. Started with the Crayola big box of crayons what was it like 100 and some crayons, I loved organizing them by shades, and the nifty sharpener made it SO cool. In high school I found a neat store that had stationery and stickers galore, back in the 80's Mrs. Grossman stickers ? and they had a pen section of colored pens and markers in little kits that I loved looking at. I couldn't buy them though because I never had enough money to spend on extras. Then as a young adult I fell in love with Papermate Blue ink med nib pens and thought nothing compared. My last leap before fountain pens was the new gel ink pens that everyone had. My intro to FP's has been like a culmination of a life's journey to writing supplies. 😅
I use Pilot Varsity's there is nothing wrong with them at all. I was buying Zebra's but don't like fine points 0.6mm. I don't have a standard Fountain Pen that I ink up with bottles. I don't want to get into the inking thing right now and I don't want to mess with cartridges either. I am going to take it slow and ease into all of this fountain pen thing. I believe that fountain pens do help people with aches and pains in our hands. And wish we were introduced to fountain pens in school. I believe my hand writing would be much better than it is today. Thanks for bringing this up. I ran into another video just this week on the subject. Love the videos BTW!!! 😁
I read this as someone who entered the fountain pen world before discovering the Pencast and TH-cam in general. I discovered fountain pens before TH-cam even existed. I had a Schaefer calligraphy pen that predates the internet.
re: pocket sewing: you can whip stitch it down from the top. Close to the edge of the patch, dip the needle into the jacket fabric and then come up through the patch. It creates a kind of spiral with the thread
There’s a gem shaped space in my heart where Steven Universe lives, and to hear it on the pencast - no words, just warm cozy feels. Fountain pens and Steven Universe served as anchors when I worked throughout lockdown.
On "discovering that converters are a thing": I'm French. In middle school we were asked to exclusively write with a fountain pen and blue erasable ink. So we got pens, ink cartridges and ink eradicators from the supper market. (Sandard issue stuff in France, alongside 97 pages 24x32cm séyès lined notebooks). I've bought and used packs of cartridges, and cheap plastic fountain pens from Mapped or Reynolds without thinking twice about this for at least the next 7 years. (I liked them more than the Bic ballpoint stuff. Especially because of writing without applying any pressure on the pen) I had the notion that old pens in the movies filled from bottles... But I only "discovered" cartridges converter (and the fact that FPs are a whole hobby) 10 years ago!
My pen origin story (I did not know converters existed): My dad bought me a fountain pen when we were in Paris together a million years ago. A Sheaffer Targa. I used their brown, lavender, turquoise, gold, and green cartridges. The only time I ever "cleaned" it was when I'd left it inked for months (or years) and it didn't write -- I would soak the nib unit in cold water. Mostly though, I would just replace the cartridge and watch as the ink slowly changed to the new color. Fast forward to 2010 when I caught the urban sketchers bug and I wanted waterproof ink to use with watercolors. That's when I learned about converters and bottled fountain pen ink. It still took me until a couple years ago to finally start using converters regularly. As an aside for Drew: recently I was in a Japanese stationery store here in southern California, and they were selling Kakunos that came with a cartridge and a converter. A clear body, and a transparent colored cap. Same packaging as other Kakunos. They were on sale from $29 down to $20. I bought a green one. I think Goulet should carry them ;~)
20:00 I was one of those people who was particular about my writing instruments from an early age. Even when gel pens were a bit of a luxury item. Ballpoints and pencils were all I had access too, but I knew the brands and their properties.
When it comes to preexisting ties for getting into fountain pens, i think less than "already into writing" its more being really picky about things that you touch for me. For example, as a kid I already knew I didnt like Ticonderoga pencils or composition notebooks. Would take literally anything else. Picky about socks. Picky about pants. Picky about hats. When i picked up a fountain pen, it was like "this is a pen i can touch and write with and not hate." Since then I've gone back and also found socks, pants, hats, pencils, that i like becuse i have money and can buy my own. Things you touch don't have to suck, turns out!
I learned how to turn a Platinum Preppy into an eye dropper pen from watching a Goulet video. The ability to use a pen filled with a lot of ink was an awesome discovery.😱
I never really ever had any knowledge about writing equipment at all and i wasnt really a collector collector, but i wrote with a pencil throughout the entirety of my schooling until just prior to university. Just before i graduated from high school, my dad gave me an untouched (probably left in a quite moist place) gold plated parker 75. I put in the age old cartridge and wrote with it and wow. I wasn't so impressed with it being gold plated and very... *shiny* and kinda obnoxious, but the writing experience... I had hated writing with pens and found a pen that I could write with using the tri-grip at the low angle I hold my pencils every now and then. That's where it all started because, I then went and forked out a few dollars for a Preppy. Now I have... too many pens and love writing more... and i started being unaware of converters and now that I know, I have too many bottles ok ink ahaha... and for context I'm still in uni :D
I bet a lot of people who decide to buy a fountain pen for the first time don't think of it as a hobby. They probably just think "Oh, I like how this writes, maybe I'll buy one for myself," and don't expect to buy more than one.
I've been using Drew's flicking technique with great success for ages! I actually use it to dry my pens after flushing them. I wrap them in a thick layer of tissue and shake them out a few times, and it gets rid of most of the moisture. It doesn't feel risky if you wrap it carefully enough, but obviously don't try this with very expensive pens.
Origin story: I first got into fountain pens via a stationery catalogue in the mid-1990s. Began with a starter pen that came with its own (glass!) converter, and I took to converter over cartridge immediately. My order included a set of six differently-colored bottled inks. Sales rep told me, "You'll love the Cocoa," so I want Drew to know the rep was right, and brown ink was getting the love back in the day.
Before I found your channel, I bought my first pen, based on Doodlebud's review of the Jinhao 82. It cost $8. It came a couple days ago and my first bottle of ink came today. I'm thrilled. For someone who hasn't used a fountain pen since the 80's, this thing writes like a dream! And it's really pretty. 😊 That was before I found your channel and future purchases will definitely come through your store! Ethan answered my email questions so quickly and thoroughly!
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Sith… you mean like Star Wars? 😂 Drew’s such a geek! Love it! 😄 On their days off or weekends, we learn that Drew would be watching movies or working on his jacket patches, while Brian would be doing anything house renovation work. Such opposite interests and we’re here for it! Aside from the fountain pens, of course. The Goulet Pencast is always a treat! Thank you!
In the 60s in England we had to write with fountain pens There was the Osmiroid pen company They had the market for school fountain pens Two colors red or black But They had a selection of over 30 nibs From fine medium and broad hard and soft And the whole gammit of italic nibs So the choice was in the nib you wrote with
I was (in 1976) bought an off-white Osmiroid Easy Change fountain pen with a Left Hand nib. I recently bought a similar one to see if my bad memories were the fault of the pen (not really, though it's a bit cheaply made). I gave it away, but not before I bought a 75 piston filler (probably what you would have had) with three Rolatip left hand nibs. That's a good pen.
I was also a “flicker” back in high school on rare occasions! I had a cheap pen with blue cartridges. Now fifty years later, I’ve rediscovered the fountain pen and I love it! No flicking required!🤗👏💥
Yes! I color my hair all these different wild colors. I once had 13 rainbow colors in my hair at once. But I’m extremely introverted. A simple “love your hair” is okay but I don’t actually crave the attention. I’m seriously in my own little world most of the time lol 😂
I'm from Russia, and when I first got a fountain pen (which was some cheap Schneider, maybe not even the genuine one) from a local stationary store, it only came with cartridges. I was completely blind about the converters for more than 10 years, up until a year ago, so I was just buying more and more cartridges. My sister refilled those from bottled ink by using a syringe, but cartridges were a discovery for both of us.
Currently, I am in FPs, and enjoy them immensely. I guess the writing passion started with pencils, onto Jotters, and now fountain pens. Just need to publish to complete my bucket list.
When I first got into fountain pens it was through the Schaeffer calligraphy pens, which came with cartridges. It wasn't until years later I learned about converters, and still later that you, Drew, taught me the trick of refilling a cartridge (or converter) with a syringe--GAME CHANGER!❤❤ Also, inquiring minds want to know. Hat sizes? Especially for Drew.
My Lady says that she got attached to FP in elementary school - 1967. Had a Schaffer FP with peacock blue cartridge ink. Wish I had that pen now. Then I moved to an accountant fine point (which they no longer make), That lead to calligraphy and dip pens with nib width in 1974. So I continue with calligraphy and dip pens which lead me back to fountain pens, bottled ink, cartridge's and grail pens. Love the pencast.
My first fountain was a Pilot Metropolitan which came with a converter and two cartridges.😊 I bought an expensive ballpoint from a well known company that sells notebooks and the pen leaked. I went back to the store and the customer service was not very good. The salesman told me that pens leak so he could not help me. This lead me to search other pens and I found fountain pens.❤
I love the Sailors for the colors. Not too crazy about the nibs. I will take the ones I have to a Nibmeister for tuning. Then I discovered Jin Hao 80/82 and I realized that I can collect all the colors I want for a fraction of the price. I already have the fountain pen that I love.😍
Re knowing about converters or not: my fountain pen story illustrates this point. I’ve been an avid fp user since my high school years in the 80-ies. I started out with Sheaffer Nononsense, and later with other non-expensive pens. I always used cartridges & knew of nothing else. For years I used my burgundy Kaweco Sport with Caramel Brown and/or my yellow Lamy Safari with turquoise ink. Then in January 2019 I went to London and an art store. There I discovered converters! And bottled inks! And down the rabbit hole I fell. I now have 40-50 pens & 70-80 ink bottles. I have gotten a passion & a great hobby - when before (for 35-40 years) I was a content, but somewhat unadventurous user. I’m happy about both phases of my fp journey, and the discovery of the converter was the turning point for me 😊. I love the pencast btw!
We had a push mower before we decided that lawns are too water intensive for California. It worked well for our small lawn, and was quite low maintenance.
Wow, the Taccia pens are very very beautiful!! I think the bee one is my fave. About my history of liking pens: I have always had a weak spot for anything pen and paper related. Normal teenage kids probably like toy stores, I was happiest in an office supply store😂 I think I did not even know what half of the stuff was, just liked seeing it all. My love for fountain pens has been on and off between the ages of 8 and 48. Now getting really into it and learning more over the past year. Including using a converter for the first time 😂 Now only using cartridges in my blue Lamy Safari.
Hahaha I just got my first converter and bottle of ink today! 10 months after my first fountain pen. I waited to make sure I was going to want to continue using the pen but I definitely wish I’d made the switch sooner. And I’m already ready for a new pen and several more inks - I’m in the rabbit hole of hours and hours of research now 😂
Thanks as always for the Friday afternoon diversion! So this is random, but what is that geometrically shaped object behind Brian's right ear? For that matter, what does your studio look like in its entirety? Would love a view of the rest of the room. Kinda related to that, where did you get the music? It's very catchy and a great addition to the show. For the record, I'm glad your show is a long one. Don't be podcast minimalists and push to shorten it! The fountain pen news, community interaction, and banter are all welcome parts of my Fridays.
I knew about converters, but initially never had any. My first fountain pen was a Sheaffer Calligraphy set....it had I think 4-5 different colored inks. Once the inks ran out, I found I could use a syringe and refill the empty cartridges with any ink color I wanted from a bottle. Once I found out I could get a converter that fit several different pens, I turned to them. Like I said I knew about the converters, but didn't have any...I didn't really get much into fountain pens because nobody around me ever used them. So up until about 6 years ago I didn't have a converter. I finally ordered one, and found out I could swap it between pens, then I ordered more converters and have been using them ever since. Its nice to have the converter because of the widely available ink colors. Cartridges are ok if you are on the go all the time, but it severely limits your color and ink choices...most if not all of the cartridge inks are quite dull and boring, and are typically your regular every day ink colors that are geared towards the professional writing line, so no wild color choices.
Drew is what you get when a villain origin story gets re-oriented towards wholesome activities. There is always an underlying glimmer of mischief, but towards wearing large hats instead of filling the rivers with radioactive waste.
As far as the convertors go...I think it really does depend on where you get your pen. If you go to an actual stationery store that sells fountain pens, quite likely to be introduced to converters. But if your first is one you got at an office supply store (like Office Depot), you are much less likely to come across them. A quick look at Office Depot, the only brand that seems to include converters is Parker. Cross, Waterman, & Schrivner don't seem to.
I watched Steven Universe as a 23 yo, and wished i had that show growing up... It truly is a passion project; a beautiful story beautifully told, Good job Archer for picking it
For as long as I've had a choice in writing instruments (elementary school) I've always been VERY particular about the pens/pencils I use. Also, every time you guys talk about maki-e pens, I think you're talking directly to me 😂
Drew, you’re totally right. I couldn’t decide on a machined pen, and as I was searching, I stumbled onto fountain pens and decided to jump right in with the TWSBI Draco when that was out, higher than my budget of course, but I haven’t looked back since that moment three years ago
I got into fountain pens, because I wanted re-fillable pens and less plastic waste. Having an engineering brain and wanting all the information, I did a lot of research. So I knew about converters from the beginning.
The kakimori nib is great for ink swatching. I used to use a Q-tip for the swatch, and fine and broad dip pen for the writing samples, but the kakimori nib can do it all by changing the angle you hold it at.
If you do multiple swatches, how do you clean it between colors? I just swatched a bunch of ink samples (from the Goulet sale!), and I just dipped it in water and wiped it between colors, but I wasn't sure if I should try to clean the slits better...
Steven Universe is a wonderful show. I watched in in my late 20s and there are takeaways that feel timeless and mature. Characters deal with complex heavy situations and emotions that span through multiple arcs, but not without plenty of episodes that are cute, charming, and heart-warming. And all the while it really is a gorgeously animated cartoon. Hope your son sticks with it as well!
On addiction to FP's, I have decided its not an addiction but a new and healthier way of life; like when you learn to cook healthy meals from whole foods, you crave it more and its a good thing that you get into figuring out new recipes, you have some quick favorites but others you may pass on, but you keep exploring new recipes your whole life. 💖
Brian and Drew: you are a source of relaxation for many of us-do you watch other pen content to unwind yourselves or are you all penned out because this is your work? Would you rather listen to 2 hours of podcasting about power tools and corgis than listen to someone else talking about pens and stationery?
Oh Drew, for sitting down rides, you can't beat the people mover in Magic Kingdom. Regarding the predilection towards fountain pen collecting; medical science had said that there are people who are wired to have addictive personalities. This goes directly to what Drew said about wondering if pen collectors previously collected other things. I definitely still have other collections. Also, I worked as a vet tech for seventeen years and had to do a lot of writing and it absolutely mattered to me if I had a smooth writing ballpoint or gel pen. I had many favorites, the Pilot G2, Pilot Acroball, Foray Embark. There were also some ballpoints that were handed out by pharmaceutical reps, that wrote well. That Maki-e Honeycomb pen is the first Maki-e pen that I've felt like I wish I could own. Previously, looking at Maki-e pens is like looking at the sun; dazzling; but you can't get too close. Drew, slice up a can of corned beef hash, brown it in a pan while placing a slice of pineapple on top, and drizzle with a little bit of butter. There's a county not far from here, that even people who were born around here, don't know how to pronounce. It's Rutherfordton. I *think* local people just say it like, Rullerford.
Hello Brian and Drew! I’m a newbie…I wish someone introduced me to fountain pens when I began scrapbooking and cardmaking. I’ve been a stationery nerd since I was little and have always been particular with my pens because I write a lot. When Dr. Grip came out that eased writing fatigue. But the fanciest pens I had in college were my 2 Sensa Pens. Fast forward 20 years, I am healing from a hand injury and as I am into this new hobby a few months I have 4 really good fountain pens. But I also am experimenting with the cheaper fountain pens for nibs since I don’t know what I like. I started the pen hobby from watching people on TH-cam but I am more interested in the inks esp, shading inks…thanks Drew!!! So I will be an ink addict! But I am pacing myself with the pen purchases until I know what brands I like and what feels comfortable for me to write with. As I am learning early that you can’t write with a pen for extended sessions. Can you recommended any brands that won’t cause hand fatigue when writing for extended sessions? Besides Mont Blanc…on my wishlist…Just received my first limited edition Kaweco in Black Crystal with Fuyu Gaki. But the Lamy 2000 is on my list because of the two of you and that I can swap the nib. So thank you to both of you! You have enhanced my knowledge of pens in my pen journey. Take care!
I had no idea cartridges existed when I first started using fountain pens! I discovered fountain pens through Sheaffer "calligraphy" pens when I found a calligraphy workbook on my mom's desk when I was in high school. She said she'd buy me calligraphy pens if I finished the workbook, and so...I did! Just like any good, nerdy high school student would do. She followed up on her promise, and I wrote with those Sheaffer pens through high school. I'm sure my teachers were delighted to get my homework assignments in faux calligraphy in that yellow ink that always came in the cartridge packs. None of them ever complained, though. At least to me. Haha. When they broke, the replacements wrote terribly, so I didn't get back into fountain pens until a few years ago. That's when I discovered that they were actually fountain pens, and that I had so many more options!
It is very interesting to read that many of us got into using fountain pens through the Sheaffer Calligraphy pens. My mom recently passed and going through her things I found my pen it its original box set with chew marks and all ! My pen was not clean when I put it away in 1991, I cleaned it in water and it works perfectly, even after all this time.
It is!! It must be because they can be found at Joann Fabrics and Michaels. I think mine were all purchased at Joanns. The older ones were definitely higher quality than the ones I got somewhat more recently!
Poussiere de Lune has been one of my absolute favorite purple inks for a while. Hard to find another I would prefer over it. It really matches with the aesthetic of what I picture "magical" moon dust to look like.
I think I learned about converters from the filters on the Goulet site, but what was life changing for me was learning that you could refill the cartridges from bottles - I hate the ball rattle in the CON-40 (it's not a paint pen for pete's sake!) So only refilled cartriges go back in my e95s.
I had someone give me a uniball vision needle in high school. The lines were darker. Writing took less pressure, and the feed (i didn't know what that was) was cool and metal clip were so much nicer than the disposable ballpoints. I found I could buy boxes of them at Staples and I was set. I didn't even know what a rollerball was then. I also had teachers require spiral bound notebooks and I would only use topbound spirals and got into it with at least one teacher because I refused to use a sidebound spiral. So I was from the beginning more intentional in that way. 😂
Another comment, sorta a follow up, especially after Brian talks about trying all the options out there. Even though my first fountain pen was in a different time/world, I know my younger self would have loved to have been able to try out more of what was out there. I still do. I wish I could try more things before buying them.
Every paper has a purpose even the ones who feather beyond control for instance they make great ice crystals when writing Christmas greetings :) Hope that helps
For compulsions, I started as a child gunning for the OG Chung Wa pencils in the 80s, and the Kid with his pencils, made a lot of friends in class. Still have a few around.
I wish I had known how a flexible nib would cure my death grip and prevent hand cramps. I could have saved all the money I spent on pens with non-flexible nibs and gone straight to Pilot with the FA nib for my first fountain pen. And then Santini Italia Superflexy, Scribo Flex, and vintage Omas.
Canadian here. Probably not the first to say it, but yes, we are collectively sorry for everything that happens related to us that affects others. It's part of our charm.
My origin story with fountain pens was an extremely rocky one and I'm surprised I love them as much as I do now. I picked up a Zebra fountain pen from a retail store (some general thing that had some office supply stuff, nothing better than a Pilot G2 or Pentel RSVP - I don't think they even carried Pilot Precise V5s) and it was horrible. A few years later, I got some Pilot Parallel pens as a Christmas gift (I do calligraphy and until then, I'd either been using a felt tip pen, like the Elegant Writer line or a Speedball C-nib dip pen, depending on the project) and I absolutely HATED those. They would not start for me at all, even after letting the ink saturate the feed. So I put them away in a box and forgot about them. Then, it was a bit before the pandemic started and I was like "I should give fountain pens another try...", so I got the Monteverde Ritma. It's nice. It's very heavy. Looks cool, feels nice. Hand got tired within about 5 minutes of writing with it. Very much not what I wanted in a fountain pen and it's sitting on my desk, mostly unused since then. I still do use it occasionally for small things and it's the only FP I keep inked with black ink. I've since picked up a LAMY Safari, an Al-Star, a TWSBI Eco, a Pilot Metropolitan and a Platinum Preppy, along with a few various flex nibbed pens. Realized that I really like the Safari and fell in love with the Al-Star. Decided to give the Parallels another try after learning about the sweet spots with different pens and now I love those, too. My inexpensive fountain pen surprise was the Platinum Preppy. Sure, it looks like a cheap pen and it feels like a cheap pen when you hold it, but it writes so much better than the $5 (or so) that it cost. If mine got lost, I'd be disappointed and annoyed that I'd have to use a G2 for small notes while the replacement Preppy arrived in the mail, but I wouldn't be that angry or upset.
It was converters that got me into fountain pens. I used a fountain pen at school but it was always cartridges and although I liked the pen, I hated the cartridges so went on to ballpoints and that was that. Many decades later I was setting up in business for myself and decided to get a 'nice' pen, it came with a converter and I've not used a ballpoint since!
I did not know much about convertors till about 2018. I took like an 18 year gap on my fountain pen use. I had used piston, disposable, and cartridge. I am glad I found convertors.
I totally fall into the camp of not knowing about converters. I used fountain pens in school with cartridges (Germany) and didn't use my fountain pen again until I found someplace that sold cartridges on-line years after i moved stateside. (I was pointed in the direction of Goulet Pens) And the moment I realized I could reuse/refill cartridges AND converters existed It changed the way I purchase ink.
Yes, do ask when someone got their first fountain pen in order to understand that person’s experience. My first fountain pen was a gift at around age 10 in the early 1980’s. I’d gotten interested in calligraphy through a marker set and the fountain pen was a calligraphy set-with cartridges and no converter. I’d been also messing around with stray pens found in Grandma’s attic (these were old school pens from my mom and aunts) and empty ink bottles from the family business. The pens didn’t have sacs anymore-I was told this to explain why I couldn’t fill the pen, but that’s about all I learned about something other than cartridges until more than a decade later. So, I would mix food coloring into water in the old ink bottles and use those as dip pens. A family friend later introduced me to true dip pens. I still have his collection of nibs that I was given after he passed. As for the question of if you would have liked school better, ask what pens you would have been able to use. I tried to use a fountain pen in high school and college (late 80’s-90’s) but really only ever was able to do so for taking notes in some classes. The medium nibs I had wrote too big for what I needed and often bleed through the paper. Then, being a science and math major, I needed some different properties not found in the pens I had access to. The pens remained more for art than day-to-day use. The only catalogs where I saw pens sold either carried the pens for art or the pens that are objects of art-too expensive for me. I didn’t see any everyday writers for sale until much later in life.
I loved the V7 precision pens when I was a kid. I would slightly been the tip using the clip on the cap, because I found it to be more enjoyable writing. But you can't go too far or snapped off.
I definitely had a crystal collection before I collected pens, but what swung the pendulum to collecting pens was my journaling practice and my love of paper crafting (like creative listing and scrapbooking)!!! Drew, I would definitely stop you and complement your shirt if I saw you in the wild 😂
32:39 What Drew said does help. I’ve always done it. But hold it like you do when writing. And aim it at the paper towel in your other hand, over a table, and use a jerking motion downwards. Not like you’re going to chuck the pen. Lol.
Brian and Drew called each other up in the morning and were all like "Dude lets wear our seafoam green shirts on the podcast."
Brian - Always Look On The Bright Side of Life was performed at the 2012 London Olympics by Eric Idle, ex Python and writer of the song.
Re Drew's question about converters, I was 8 (in 1972, in the UK) when I changed school and as a class we were all taught cursive handwriting and had to use a fountain pen. Nearly all of us used cartridges. One or two used bottled ink, either lever or the squeezy sack filler type. I seem to remember a lot of spilled ink and messy fingers. I think we all changed to ballpoints when we could. Ink colours were blue, black, green and red. Green and red were for teachers only. It's only in the last 12 months that I rediscovered fountain pens via journaling for mental health reasons. First purchase was a cheap Parker Vector and a pack of cartridges. It's only after that that I started digging and discovered converters and bottled ink. I'm now deep in the rabbit hole and proud to have multi-coloured fingers.
Drew- doesn't matter if you work for a pen company or not. I work remotely in the insurance business and received a gift of my grandfathers old fountain pen several years ago - since I didn't know anything about fountain pens I searched TH-cam and found this young guy doing reviews and lessons on them. I clicked a link in one video and found out this Goulet kid sells stuff! Thats when my Visa card melted! 😂. Thanks Brian! Keep up the great videos guys - best way to end the week.
Interesting discussion of fountain pen introduction! One of my "things to know" when getting started is interchangeable nibs. That is an affordable way to initially explore the world of nib sizes. I did that, and it was helpful to me when deciding on purchasing pens without interchangeability, like the E95S or other pens for which nib swapping is impractical.
I think the biggest take-away from this week's episode for me was that Drew needs to be given a very tall and goofy Goulet Hat to parade around the offices (and conventions) in.
Maybe to skip around in!
This should be a top priority for the business! 😂
Omg... I can't believe Drew mentioned the portrayal of fountain pens in cartoons 😃! I grew up with old school Tom & Jerry. I was always fascinated by the lever-action fountain pens that I only found in those cartoons. I always wanted one growing up 😁! Also...Brian's ad-lib fantasy novel was hilarious 🤣!! Great pencast as always, guys!!
Growing up, I did have a lever action pen from mom’s school days, but it didn’t have a sac anymore; so, it was more of a thing to fiddle with than write with.
@@StacySchulze-cg1he Aww...that's pretty cool tho. I've never even seen a fountian till I'm well into my adulthood. lol. 😄. Do you still have it? Have u ever had it restored?
Yes, I still have that pen and another that was a cartridge only. Since they are very basic, school/everyday pens, I’ve held off spending the money to have them restored. @@CakeofPokke
I wish I had known about high quality notebooks (such as Tomoe River or Clairfontaine) when I first got into fountain pens, it makes such a huge difference.
Same! Even my strong feedback pens write so smoothly on Tomoe river papers.
Favorite inexpensive pen Platinum Plaisir! Love this pen!
I've got it! "The Outstanding Introverts' Club"!
I was introduced to fountain pens in grade school when we transitioned from printing with pencils to writing cursive with ink. That was the accepted midwest curriculum in the early 1960s. First fountain pen was thus a Sheaffer's School pen with a cartridge. I thought bottled inks were for "expensive" fountain pens that were lever filled. I had NO idea what a converter was until about 5 years ago. I immediately understood the concept, but I had just never known about them. I thought ink reservoirs were rubber sacs or cartridges. Somehow, I just never talked about it and no one knew to educate me about it. But, I found Goulet Pens on TH-cam, and my life was changed forever! Please do note, my introduction was about 35+ years pre-internet. It was very rare in my age group to even find someone who regularly carried A pen on them, nevermind a fountain pen or talked about a favorite pen. By high school, I had some Sheaffer No Nonsense pens, and most people preferred the ballpoints to the fountain pens just for the convenience of the comparatively long-lasting ink, less about the writing experience. In my blue-collar world, the epitome of class was a Cross Century ballpoint pen and pencil set. Those who couldn't afford the upscale Cross were relegated to the world of Papermate and Wearever ballpoint pen and pencil sets. That's what you got for graduation gifts, promotion gifts, retirement gifts, etc. In my world, I don't think I knew anyone who knew what a Parker 51 (or 45, or Duofold) even was. Something for "rich people" no doubt. I mean, MacArthur and Eisenhower and Presidents and Queen Elizabeth used those "fancy" and "expensive" pens.
Another part of the convenience factor of those "new-fangled" ballpoints in those relatively early years was that they did not need to be blotted (I remember a roller blotter sitting on my great-grandfather's rolltop desk!) and they were comparatively waterproof. I think the waterproof oil-based inks of the ballpoints were a HUGE factor in the shift from everyone using a fountain pen to everyone using a ballpoint in the 60s-70s.
I was into bullet journaling so I collected notebooks, markers, gel pens, etc etc before getting into fountain pens. But I am of the mindset where I try to find the best after testing a lot and then stop. Like currently 4 years into fountain pens, I have stopped buying fountain pens unless there's like a new color of a pen I already love.
Just wanted to say this past week I had a 2 hour drive through the rainforest on Vancouver Island and listened to the pencast, which was so great! But I also couldn’t comment while driving, and if I could, I also would have suggested “It Depends” for Brian’s bio lol. And I fully support that-I too am a person who answers questions like this, much to the dismay to all of my family and friends but I have no idea why. If you ask a question why wouldn’t you want the most thoroughly considered answer possible?!
I always enjoyed writing and improving my penmanship. My mother grew up in Denmark and wrote beautifully. I noted this as a child & wanted to emulate her and the beautiful writing older relatives. I was a Crafty/artistic, appreciating teenager, particular about pens I used. When I was 17 I started using Osmiroid and technical pens. I got India ink on my pajamas and bedding. As a new RN I used some type of stick pen which was provided
for us. Blue for day shift, Green for PM, and Red for night. I switched to a multi pen and experimented with various other types of pens that met the requirement. When colored pens were no longer used we went to the 24 hour clock and all black or blue ink. Then I went to the G2 or fine line .38, permanent rollerball or felt tip pens that met my approval from a stationary store. Then came computer charting. That is when I started exploring fountain pens again. I always had a special pen. I never used an ordinary pen. It was impractical to keep a fountain pen working in the intensive care unit so I continued using G2 and other .38 permanent pens. (labeled so that nobody would steal it.)
For my home life I continue to be a journal writer and also a letter writer. For that I always use one of my fountain pens. I continue to build my collection conservatively until I retired and then I kind of went bananas. I don’t regret it. I’ve worked hard I love good paper and beautiful, stationary and cards. I’m trying to use up the ones I have collected over the years. It’s a wonderful hobby, and it just feels so good to write with a fountain pen. I guess I’ve answered this a little more thoroughly than you wanted to but I’m sorry about that. It is one of my favorite hobbies along with knitting.🦊
You are singing a tale that resonates in me. I have worked in labs instead of nursing-with the changes to systems and requirements of what you use to write. Yes to good paper and beautiful stationary! I’m using my stash as well as pieces from other people’s stash (they were downsizing). And, I play in the big fiber-craft sand box as well.
Shout out for the Pilot Precise V5! Wonderful smoothness, precise line, and I've always loved the way the ink glistens momentarily before it dries
Yes! I still have one that I owned back around 2005 or so and I recently picked up a lime green retractable one that I enjoy.
Joking about "how wet is water"... Back when photography meant film, pretty much everyone who had done any darkroom work would be familiar with "water wetters" like Kodak Photo-flo. You mix with water and it makes the water more slippery, so it doesn't cling to film. As a result, it sheets off faster, dries faster, and prevents water spots.
So yes, "it depends"!
Hobbies I enjoy that pair well with the fountain pen are motorcycle riding, fly fishing and tying, collection of knives, and collection of mechanical watches and clocks,. For me these interests share a common trait. All of them have a relaxed intentional pace to them. When I’m engaged in these activities I find myself completely absorbed in the moment. It’s very peaceful and great therapy for the fast paced modern world in which we live. Thank you Brian and Drew for keeping fountain pens alive and well in this disposal world we live in.
Re converters: My parents used shaeffer pens with cartridges. When I bought my first fountain (Preppy) in March 2020 it was with an order of gel pens and came with a cartridge. I found out about converters pretty quickly because I started poking around online and found y’all’s videos.
Re collecting: diving in and getting involved with videos, Goulet Nation, etc is a personality thing that often includes a propensity to collect. People who are happy with their 1-2 pens aren’t going to get as involved in the community (and see all these other pens, and other people setting an example of collecting).
I really want to see Drew's International Nib Inspector hat come to fruition. And how dare you question the hat, Brian.
I also do the pen flick to make sure I have all the ink out.
Drew has put his finger on why the pope wears a big funny hat, I think ...
I was definitely a person who was SO particular about school supplies it used to drive my mom insane. I always loved high quality notebooks and pens so fountain pens definitely make sense as a hobby.
I stumbled into pens because of a journal hobby so it was definitely something that correlates
Journaling for me as well, surprised there aren't more, actually
You younger folk are so lucky to have access to great supplies. When we were young out supplies were awful and didn't have access to anything that was too great. Pens that leaked and bled through the paper, paper that was ultra thin, my "favourite" was watercolours that paid done no pigment what-so-ever.
I bought my first fountain pen for a drawing class and my second when I joined a writing group. Then in 2014, during a weaken state of illness, I came across this odd fellow on TH-cam talking about how to take care of your fountain pens and that led to another video on the top ten beginner pens. This led to one video after another and I learned about converters then. I bought my first Platinum, converter, and bottle ink (black, because why would you need more…😂 *I cry*). I also bought my first Noodler’s as well. I have been falling down this rabbit holes for 9 years now. Lovin’ it and the pen cast!!
When I got my first fountain pen it came with cartridges of different colours (Sheaffer Calligraphy Set) and a few years later my dad gave me a Cross pen with cartridges, I didn’t know that convertors existed until 20+ years later… There was no internet, we were not exposed to many niche items in my remote community. In my mind bottled inks were for dip pens only.
Basically same!
I had that one also. But it wasn’t , one of my first pens. I always got rid of those squeezy kind of converters. You could never see how much ink you had left. My son has picked up the habit, but he always uses cartridges as he travels a lot. I recently got him a vac filler with the shut off valve for that reason.
@@ImCFoxx my daughter uses cartridges in school.
Same, my first fountain pen was a Sheaffer No Nonsense and packs of Skrip cartridges. I didn't find converters till I started buying stuff from Goulet....
Amen!
I absolutely had a thing for pens from a young age. Started with the Crayola big box of crayons what was it like 100 and some crayons, I loved organizing them by shades, and the nifty sharpener made it SO cool. In high school I found a neat store that had stationery and stickers galore, back in the 80's Mrs. Grossman stickers ? and they had a pen section of colored pens and markers in little kits that I loved looking at. I couldn't buy them though because I never had enough money to spend on extras. Then as a young adult I fell in love with Papermate Blue ink med nib pens and thought nothing compared. My last leap before fountain pens was the new gel ink pens that everyone had. My intro to FP's has been like a culmination of a life's journey to writing supplies. 😅
I use Pilot Varsity's there is nothing wrong with them at all. I was buying Zebra's but don't like fine points 0.6mm. I don't have a standard Fountain Pen that I ink up with bottles. I don't want to get into the inking thing right now and I don't want to mess with cartridges either. I am going to take it slow and ease into all of this fountain pen thing. I believe that fountain pens do help people with aches and pains in our hands. And wish we were introduced to fountain pens in school. I believe my hand writing would be much better than it is today. Thanks for bringing this up. I ran into another video just this week on the subject. Love the videos BTW!!! 😁
I read this as someone who entered the fountain pen world before discovering the Pencast and TH-cam in general.
I discovered fountain pens before TH-cam even existed. I had a Schaefer calligraphy pen that predates the internet.
re: pocket sewing: you can whip stitch it down from the top. Close to the edge of the patch, dip the needle into the jacket fabric and then come up through the patch. It creates a kind of spiral with the thread
I will do this! Thank you! - Drew
My only add to this is try and make small even stitches close together. Smaller stitches are stronger then big stitches
There’s a gem shaped space in my heart where Steven Universe lives, and to hear it on the pencast - no words, just warm cozy feels.
Fountain pens and Steven Universe served as anchors when I worked throughout lockdown.
I almost want to watch it all on my own, now! - Drew
On "discovering that converters are a thing": I'm French. In middle school we were asked to exclusively write with a fountain pen and blue erasable ink. So we got pens, ink cartridges and ink eradicators from the supper market. (Sandard issue stuff in France, alongside 97 pages 24x32cm séyès lined notebooks). I've bought and used packs of cartridges, and cheap plastic fountain pens from Mapped or Reynolds without thinking twice about this for at least the next 7 years. (I liked them more than the Bic ballpoint stuff. Especially because of writing without applying any pressure on the pen)
I had the notion that old pens in the movies filled from bottles... But I only "discovered" cartridges converter (and the fact that FPs are a whole hobby) 10 years ago!
And just as I finished typing the above comment, at 30:39 Mr Goulet start literally describing how I started my fountain pen life 🙂
Drew, what a great Father's Day goal. Glad you had a great day and a delicious breakfast. 🥰 Happy Father's Day to my Pencast dudes.
My pen origin story (I did not know converters existed): My dad bought me a fountain pen when we were in Paris together a million years ago. A Sheaffer Targa. I used their brown, lavender, turquoise, gold, and green cartridges. The only time I ever "cleaned" it was when I'd left it inked for months (or years) and it didn't write -- I would soak the nib unit in cold water. Mostly though, I would just replace the cartridge and watch as the ink slowly changed to the new color. Fast forward to 2010 when I caught the urban sketchers bug and I wanted waterproof ink to use with watercolors. That's when I learned about converters and bottled fountain pen ink. It still took me until a couple years ago to finally start using converters regularly. As an aside for Drew: recently I was in a Japanese stationery store here in southern California, and they were selling Kakunos that came with a cartridge and a converter. A clear body, and a transparent colored cap. Same packaging as other Kakunos. They were on sale from $29 down to $20. I bought a green one. I think Goulet should carry them ;~)
20:00
I was one of those people who was particular about my writing instruments from an early age. Even when gel pens were a bit of a luxury item. Ballpoints and pencils were all I had access too, but I knew the brands and their properties.
When it comes to preexisting ties for getting into fountain pens, i think less than "already into writing" its more being really picky about things that you touch for me. For example, as a kid I already knew I didnt like Ticonderoga pencils or composition notebooks. Would take literally anything else. Picky about socks. Picky about pants. Picky about hats. When i picked up a fountain pen, it was like "this is a pen i can touch and write with and not hate." Since then I've gone back and also found socks, pants, hats, pencils, that i like becuse i have money and can buy my own. Things you touch don't have to suck, turns out!
I learned how to turn a Platinum Preppy into an eye dropper pen from watching a Goulet video. The ability to use a pen filled with a lot of ink was an awesome discovery.😱
I never really ever had any knowledge about writing equipment at all and i wasnt really a collector collector, but i wrote with a pencil throughout the entirety of my schooling until just prior to university.
Just before i graduated from high school, my dad gave me an untouched (probably left in a quite moist place) gold plated parker 75. I put in the age old cartridge and wrote with it and wow.
I wasn't so impressed with it being gold plated and very... *shiny* and kinda obnoxious, but the writing experience... I had hated writing with pens and found a pen that I could write with using the tri-grip at the low angle I hold my pencils every now and then. That's where it all started because, I then went and forked out a few dollars for a Preppy. Now I have... too many pens and love writing more... and i started being unaware of converters and now that I know, I have too many bottles ok ink ahaha... and for context I'm still in uni :D
I also tried to use up my supplies before buying new. Relatives bought me pencils so I still have many of them
Yes! Short stacks for the win! I love restaurants that do that. And yes to corned beef hash! I like homemade and canned too!
I bet a lot of people who decide to buy a fountain pen for the first time don't think of it as a hobby. They probably just think "Oh, I like how this writes, maybe I'll buy one for myself," and don't expect to buy more than one.
I've been using Drew's flicking technique with great success for ages! I actually use it to dry my pens after flushing them. I wrap them in a thick layer of tissue and shake them out a few times, and it gets rid of most of the moisture. It doesn't feel risky if you wrap it carefully enough, but obviously don't try this with very expensive pens.
Origin story: I first got into fountain pens via a stationery catalogue in the mid-1990s. Began with a starter pen that came with its own (glass!) converter, and I took to converter over cartridge immediately. My order included a set of six differently-colored bottled inks. Sales rep told me, "You'll love the Cocoa," so I want Drew to know the rep was right, and brown ink was getting the love back in the day.
Before I found your channel, I bought my first pen, based on Doodlebud's review of the Jinhao 82. It cost $8. It came a couple days ago and my first bottle of ink came today. I'm thrilled. For someone who hasn't used a fountain pen since the 80's, this thing writes like a dream! And it's really pretty. 😊 That was before I found your channel and future purchases will definitely come through your store! Ethan answered my email questions so quickly and thoroughly!
Sith… you mean like Star Wars? 😂
Drew’s such a geek! Love it! 😄
On their days off or weekends, we learn that Drew would be watching movies or working on his jacket patches, while Brian would be doing anything house renovation work. Such opposite interests and we’re here for it! Aside from the fountain pens, of course. The Goulet Pencast is always a treat! Thank you!
Haha! You're right! - Thanks so much for joining us! - Drew
In the 60s in England we had to write with fountain pens
There was the Osmiroid pen company
They had the market for school fountain pens
Two colors red or black
But
They had a selection of over 30 nibs
From fine medium and broad hard and soft
And the whole gammit of italic nibs
So the choice was in the nib you wrote with
I was (in 1976) bought an off-white Osmiroid Easy Change fountain pen with a Left Hand nib.
I recently bought a similar one to see if my bad memories were the fault of the pen (not really, though it's a bit cheaply made). I gave it away, but not before I bought a 75 piston filler (probably what you would have had) with three Rolatip left hand nibs. That's a good pen.
I went to the school in the 90s in the UK and we also had to write with them :) So I didn't learn about coverters until yeeeears later
I was also a “flicker” back in high school on rare occasions! I had a cheap pen with blue cartridges. Now fifty years later, I’ve rediscovered the fountain pen and I love it! No flicking required!🤗👏💥
I hope you do more of the new format of common answers.
The Taccia pens, drool. Glad you both had a good Fathers Day!
Yes! I color my hair all these different wild colors. I once had 13 rainbow colors in my hair at once. But I’m extremely introverted. A simple “love your hair” is okay but I don’t actually crave the attention. I’m seriously in my own little world most of the time lol 😂
Ohhhh awesome ❤️ (both the hair as the being in your own world)
Yes! You're in good company! - Drew
I'm from Russia, and when I first got a fountain pen (which was some cheap Schneider, maybe not even the genuine one) from a local stationary store, it only came with cartridges. I was completely blind about the converters for more than 10 years, up until a year ago, so I was just buying more and more cartridges. My sister refilled those from bottled ink by using a syringe, but cartridges were a discovery for both of us.
Canned corned beef hash 👍Spam 👍Canned jellied cranberry sauce 👍any day of the year.
Doodlebud has done a lot of measurements with linewidths. Really nice work and a lot of effort he has put in it.
Currently, I am in FPs, and enjoy them immensely. I guess the writing passion started with pencils, onto Jotters, and now fountain pens. Just need to publish to complete my bucket list.
When I first got into fountain pens it was through the Schaeffer calligraphy pens, which came with cartridges. It wasn't until years later I learned about converters, and still later that you, Drew, taught me the trick of refilling a cartridge (or converter) with a syringe--GAME CHANGER!❤❤
Also, inquiring minds want to know. Hat sizes? Especially for Drew.
Pencast stats:
Average length of video: 1 hour, 54 minutes, 7 seconds
Total length of playlist: 7 days, 10 hours, 48 minutes, 4 seconds
My Lady says that she got attached to FP in elementary school - 1967. Had a Schaffer FP with peacock blue cartridge ink. Wish I had that pen now. Then I moved to an accountant fine point (which they no longer make), That lead to calligraphy and dip pens with nib width in 1974. So I continue with calligraphy and dip pens which lead me back to fountain pens, bottled ink, cartridge's and grail pens. Love the pencast.
My first fountain was a Pilot Metropolitan which came with a converter and two cartridges.😊
I bought an expensive ballpoint from a well known company that sells notebooks and the pen leaked. I went back to the store and the customer service was not very good. The salesman told me that pens leak so he could not help me. This lead me to search other pens and I found fountain pens.❤
I wish I had found Goulet Pens at the start of my fountain pen journey... oh wait, I did! Thanks for making the experience so wonderful, you two
Yes... I wish I knew I'd be happier with my casually puschased $2 Jin Hao than I've been with my >$200 Sailor...
I love the Sailors for the colors. Not too crazy about the nibs. I will take the ones I have to a Nibmeister for tuning. Then I discovered Jin Hao 80/82 and I realized that I can collect all the colors I want for a fraction of the price.
I already have the fountain pen that I love.😍
Re knowing about converters or not: my fountain pen story illustrates this point. I’ve been an avid fp user since my high school years in the 80-ies. I started out with Sheaffer Nononsense, and later with other non-expensive pens. I always used cartridges & knew of nothing else. For years I used my burgundy Kaweco Sport with Caramel Brown and/or my yellow Lamy Safari with turquoise ink.
Then in January 2019 I went to London and an art store. There I discovered converters! And bottled inks! And down the rabbit hole I fell. I now have 40-50 pens & 70-80 ink bottles. I have gotten a passion & a great hobby - when before (for 35-40 years) I was a content, but somewhat unadventurous user. I’m happy about both phases of my fp journey, and the discovery of the converter was the turning point for me 😊. I love the pencast btw!
We had a push mower before we decided that lawns are too water intensive for California. It worked well for our small lawn, and was quite low maintenance.
Yep, then electric now we just don't bother w/everyone else who took out their lawns
Love this Q&A
, and Brian love when you deep dive into things!! This is one of my favorite things on the Q&A!!! 😊
Wow, the Taccia pens are very very beautiful!! I think the bee one is my fave.
About my history of liking pens: I have always had a weak spot for anything pen and paper related. Normal teenage kids probably like toy stores, I was happiest in an office supply store😂 I think I did not even know what half of the stuff was, just liked seeing it all.
My love for fountain pens has been on and off between the ages of 8 and 48. Now getting really into it and learning more over the past year. Including using a converter for the first time 😂 Now only using cartridges in my blue Lamy Safari.
Hahaha I just got my first converter and bottle of ink today! 10 months after my first fountain pen. I waited to make sure I was going to want to continue using the pen but I definitely wish I’d made the switch sooner. And I’m already ready for a new pen and several more inks - I’m in the rabbit hole of hours and hours of research now 😂
Thanks as always for the Friday afternoon diversion! So this is random, but what is that geometrically shaped object behind Brian's right ear? For that matter, what does your studio look like in its entirety? Would love a view of the rest of the room. Kinda related to that, where did you get the music? It's very catchy and a great addition to the show. For the record, I'm glad your show is a long one. Don't be podcast minimalists and push to shorten it! The fountain pen news, community interaction, and banter are all welcome parts of my Fridays.
I knew about converters, but initially never had any. My first fountain pen was a Sheaffer Calligraphy set....it had I think 4-5 different colored inks. Once the inks ran out, I found I could use a syringe and refill the empty cartridges with any ink color I wanted from a bottle. Once I found out I could get a converter that fit several different pens, I turned to them. Like I said I knew about the converters, but didn't have any...I didn't really get much into fountain pens because nobody around me ever used them. So up until about 6 years ago I didn't have a converter. I finally ordered one, and found out I could swap it between pens, then I ordered more converters and have been using them ever since. Its nice to have the converter because of the widely available ink colors. Cartridges are ok if you are on the go all the time, but it severely limits your color and ink choices...most if not all of the cartridge inks are quite dull and boring, and are typically your regular every day ink colors that are geared towards the professional writing line, so no wild color choices.
Thanks for deciding not to cancel next week’s Pencast! We really appreciate it!
I wish I would do been more patient when switching inks. Flushing the pen and letting it dry over night really help.
Drew is what you get when a villain origin story gets re-oriented towards wholesome activities. There is always an underlying glimmer of mischief, but towards wearing large hats instead of filling the rivers with radioactive waste.
I love this. - Drew
As far as the convertors go...I think it really does depend on where you get your pen. If you go to an actual stationery store that sells fountain pens, quite likely to be introduced to converters. But if your first is one you got at an office supply store (like Office Depot), you are much less likely to come across them. A quick look at Office Depot, the only brand that seems to include converters is Parker. Cross, Waterman, & Schrivner don't seem to.
I have to say, enjoyed this week's Pencast, and I liked the community question. 👍 But I really missed Brian going down a rabbit hole! 😂
HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE! Brian & Drew, the openings are always the best! 😃
Thanks for joining us! - Drew
I watched Steven Universe as a 23 yo, and wished i had that show growing up... It truly is a passion project; a beautiful story beautifully told, Good job Archer for picking it
I know, right? It's terrific! - Drew
Oh those Maki-e's are just pure art!
For as long as I've had a choice in writing instruments (elementary school) I've always been VERY particular about the pens/pencils I use.
Also, every time you guys talk about maki-e pens, I think you're talking directly to me 😂
Drew, you’re totally right. I couldn’t decide on a machined pen, and as I was searching, I stumbled onto fountain pens and decided to jump right in with the TWSBI Draco when that was out, higher than my budget of course, but I haven’t looked back since that moment three years ago
I got into fountain pens, because I wanted re-fillable pens and less plastic waste. Having an engineering brain and wanting all the information, I did a lot of research. So I knew about converters from the beginning.
Brian: “no one is bankrupting themselves because of a fountain pen addiction”
Me, running up my credit card with pens, cases, and inks: 😳
The kakimori nib is great for ink swatching. I used to use a Q-tip for the swatch, and fine and broad dip pen for the writing samples, but the kakimori nib can do it all by changing the angle you hold it at.
If you do multiple swatches, how do you clean it between colors? I just swatched a bunch of ink samples (from the Goulet sale!), and I just dipped it in water and wiped it between colors, but I wasn't sure if I should try to clean the slits better...
@@ina_lina I swish it around in the water and wipe it on an old towel. Sometimes I have to do that a second time to get it clean.
@@amydebuitleir Thank you. That's what I did. Now I feel better. ☺
Steven Universe is a wonderful show. I watched in in my late 20s and there are takeaways that feel timeless and mature. Characters deal with complex heavy situations and emotions that span through multiple arcs, but not without plenty of episodes that are cute, charming, and heart-warming. And all the while it really is a gorgeously animated cartoon. Hope your son sticks with it as well!
It really is incredible. I'm pretty invested in it now, too! - Drew
My son introduced me to Steven Universe, and I was impressed with the way it tackled serious concerns. For similar reasons, I love The Owl House.
On addiction to FP's, I have decided its not an addiction but a new and healthier way of life; like when you learn to cook healthy meals from whole foods, you crave it more and its a good thing that you get into figuring out new recipes, you have some quick favorites but others you may pass on, but you keep exploring new recipes your whole life. 💖
Brian and Drew: you are a source of relaxation for many of us-do you watch other pen content to unwind yourselves or are you all penned out because this is your work? Would you rather listen to 2 hours of podcasting about power tools and corgis than listen to someone else talking about pens and stationery?
Oh Drew, for sitting down rides, you can't beat the people mover in Magic Kingdom. Regarding the predilection towards fountain pen collecting; medical science had said that there are people who are wired to have addictive personalities. This goes directly to what Drew said about wondering if pen collectors previously collected other things. I definitely still have other collections. Also, I worked as a vet tech for seventeen years and had to do a lot of writing and it absolutely mattered to me if I had a smooth writing ballpoint or gel pen. I had many favorites, the Pilot G2, Pilot Acroball, Foray Embark. There were also some ballpoints that were handed out by pharmaceutical reps, that wrote well. That Maki-e Honeycomb pen is the first Maki-e pen that I've felt like I wish I could own. Previously, looking at Maki-e pens is like looking at the sun; dazzling; but you can't get too close. Drew, slice up a can of corned beef hash, brown it in a pan while placing a slice of pineapple on top, and drizzle with a little bit of butter. There's a county not far from here, that even people who were born around here, don't know how to pronounce. It's Rutherfordton. I *think* local people just say it like, Rullerford.
Hello Brian and Drew! I’m a newbie…I wish someone introduced me to fountain pens when I began scrapbooking and cardmaking. I’ve been a stationery nerd since I was little and have always been particular with my pens because I write a lot. When Dr. Grip came out that eased writing fatigue. But the fanciest pens I had in college were my 2 Sensa Pens. Fast forward 20 years, I am healing from a hand injury and as I am into this new hobby a few months I have 4 really good fountain pens. But I also am experimenting with the cheaper fountain pens for nibs since I don’t know what I like. I started the pen hobby from watching people on TH-cam but I am more interested in the inks esp, shading inks…thanks Drew!!! So I will be an ink addict! But I am pacing myself with the pen purchases until I know what brands I like and what feels comfortable for me to write with. As I am learning early that you can’t write with a pen for extended sessions. Can you recommended any brands that won’t cause hand fatigue when writing for extended sessions? Besides Mont Blanc…on my wishlist…Just received my first limited edition Kaweco in Black Crystal with Fuyu Gaki. But the Lamy 2000 is on my list because of the two of you and that I can swap the nib. So thank you to both of you! You have enhanced my knowledge of pens in my pen journey. Take care!
I had no idea cartridges existed when I first started using fountain pens! I discovered fountain pens through Sheaffer "calligraphy" pens when I found a calligraphy workbook on my mom's desk when I was in high school. She said she'd buy me calligraphy pens if I finished the workbook, and so...I did! Just like any good, nerdy high school student would do. She followed up on her promise, and I wrote with those Sheaffer pens through high school. I'm sure my teachers were delighted to get my homework assignments in faux calligraphy in that yellow ink that always came in the cartridge packs. None of them ever complained, though. At least to me. Haha. When they broke, the replacements wrote terribly, so I didn't get back into fountain pens until a few years ago. That's when I discovered that they were actually fountain pens, and that I had so many more options!
It is very interesting to read that many of us got into using fountain pens through the Sheaffer Calligraphy pens. My mom recently passed and going through her things I found my pen it its original box set with chew marks and all ! My pen was not clean when I put it away in 1991, I cleaned it in water and it works perfectly, even after all this time.
It is!! It must be because they can be found at Joann Fabrics and Michaels. I think mine were all purchased at Joanns. The older ones were definitely higher quality than the ones I got somewhat more recently!
Poussiere de Lune has been one of my absolute favorite purple inks for a while. Hard to find another I would prefer over it. It really matches with the aesthetic of what I picture "magical" moon dust to look like.
I think I learned about converters from the filters on the Goulet site, but what was life changing for me was learning that you could refill the cartridges from bottles - I hate the ball rattle in the CON-40 (it's not a paint pen for pete's sake!) So only refilled cartriges go back in my e95s.
I had someone give me a uniball vision needle in high school. The lines were darker. Writing took less pressure, and the feed (i didn't know what that was) was cool and metal clip were so much nicer than the disposable ballpoints. I found I could buy boxes of them at Staples and I was set. I didn't even know what a rollerball was then.
I also had teachers require spiral bound notebooks and I would only use topbound spirals and got into it with at least one teacher because I refused to use a sidebound spiral. So I was from the beginning more intentional in that way. 😂
Another comment, sorta a follow up, especially after Brian talks about trying all the options out there. Even though my first fountain pen was in a different time/world, I know my younger self would have loved to have been able to try out more of what was out there. I still do. I wish I could try more things before buying them.
Definitely an intentionality and appreciation
Taccia pens took my breathe away! Lovely pieces of art🤌🏽
Aww! Looking forward to Adrianne next week!!!
Like the shirt color coordination, but that they still accent the personality traits lol.
Every paper has a purpose even the ones who feather beyond control for instance they make great ice crystals when writing Christmas greetings :) Hope that helps
For compulsions, I started as a child gunning for the OG Chung Wa pencils in the 80s, and the Kid with his pencils, made a lot of friends in class. Still have a few around.
I wish I had known how a flexible nib would cure my death grip and prevent hand cramps. I could have saved all the money I spent on pens with non-flexible nibs and gone straight to Pilot with the FA nib for my first fountain pen. And then Santini Italia Superflexy, Scribo Flex, and vintage Omas.
Canadian here. Probably not the first to say it, but yes, we are collectively sorry for everything that happens related to us that affects others. It's part of our charm.
My origin story with fountain pens was an extremely rocky one and I'm surprised I love them as much as I do now. I picked up a Zebra fountain pen from a retail store (some general thing that had some office supply stuff, nothing better than a Pilot G2 or Pentel RSVP - I don't think they even carried Pilot Precise V5s) and it was horrible. A few years later, I got some Pilot Parallel pens as a Christmas gift (I do calligraphy and until then, I'd either been using a felt tip pen, like the Elegant Writer line or a Speedball C-nib dip pen, depending on the project) and I absolutely HATED those. They would not start for me at all, even after letting the ink saturate the feed. So I put them away in a box and forgot about them.
Then, it was a bit before the pandemic started and I was like "I should give fountain pens another try...", so I got the Monteverde Ritma. It's nice. It's very heavy. Looks cool, feels nice. Hand got tired within about 5 minutes of writing with it. Very much not what I wanted in a fountain pen and it's sitting on my desk, mostly unused since then. I still do use it occasionally for small things and it's the only FP I keep inked with black ink.
I've since picked up a LAMY Safari, an Al-Star, a TWSBI Eco, a Pilot Metropolitan and a Platinum Preppy, along with a few various flex nibbed pens. Realized that I really like the Safari and fell in love with the Al-Star. Decided to give the Parallels another try after learning about the sweet spots with different pens and now I love those, too.
My inexpensive fountain pen surprise was the Platinum Preppy. Sure, it looks like a cheap pen and it feels like a cheap pen when you hold it, but it writes so much better than the $5 (or so) that it cost. If mine got lost, I'd be disappointed and annoyed that I'd have to use a G2 for small notes while the replacement Preppy arrived in the mail, but I wouldn't be that angry or upset.
Drew, that style of hat is called a Shako. And as the Heterodyne Jaegers would say, "Ya, dot'z a nize hat!"
Heterodyne Jaegers?
It was converters that got me into fountain pens. I used a fountain pen at school but it was always cartridges and although I liked the pen, I hated the cartridges so went on to ballpoints and that was that. Many decades later I was setting up in business for myself and decided to get a 'nice' pen, it came with a converter and I've not used a ballpoint since!
I did not know much about convertors till about 2018. I took like an 18 year gap on my fountain pen use. I had used piston, disposable, and cartridge. I am glad I found convertors.
I found, when in school, the Pilot Better ballpoint pen fine writing and I knew that was my jam! So I'm not surprised that I love fountain pens 😅
I totally fall into the camp of not knowing about converters. I used fountain pens in school with cartridges (Germany) and didn't use my fountain pen again until I found someplace that sold cartridges on-line years after i moved stateside. (I was pointed in the direction of Goulet Pens) And the moment I realized I could reuse/refill cartridges AND converters existed It changed the way I purchase ink.
Yes, do ask when someone got their first fountain pen in order to understand that person’s experience. My first fountain pen was a gift at around age 10 in the early 1980’s. I’d gotten interested in calligraphy through a marker set and the fountain pen was a calligraphy set-with cartridges and no converter. I’d been also messing around with stray pens found in Grandma’s attic (these were old school pens from my mom and aunts) and empty ink bottles from the family business. The pens didn’t have sacs anymore-I was told this to explain why I couldn’t fill the pen, but that’s about all I learned about something other than cartridges until more than a decade later. So, I would mix food coloring into water in the old ink bottles and use those as dip pens. A family friend later introduced me to true dip pens. I still have his collection of nibs that I was given after he passed.
As for the question of if you would have liked school better, ask what pens you would have been able to use. I tried to use a fountain pen in high school and college (late 80’s-90’s) but really only ever was able to do so for taking notes in some classes. The medium nibs I had wrote too big for what I needed and often bleed through the paper. Then, being a science and math major, I needed some different properties not found in the pens I had access to. The pens remained more for art than day-to-day use. The only catalogs where I saw pens sold either carried the pens for art or the pens that are objects of art-too expensive for me. I didn’t see any everyday writers for sale until much later in life.
I loved the V7 precision pens when I was a kid. I would slightly been the tip using the clip on the cap, because I found it to be more enjoyable writing. But you can't go too far or snapped off.
I definitely had a crystal collection before I collected pens, but what swung the pendulum to collecting pens was my journaling practice and my love of paper crafting (like creative listing and scrapbooking)!!! Drew, I would definitely stop you and complement your shirt if I saw you in the wild 😂
32:39 What Drew said does help. I’ve always done it. But hold it like you do when writing. And aim it at the paper towel in your other hand, over a table, and use a jerking motion downwards. Not like you’re going to chuck the pen. Lol.