Great channel for people like me who love fountain pens as there is always new news and knowledge about fountain pens.i appreciate the efforts you put in your videos to share information and knowledge about fountain pens.Thank you.
Hi Tom, my question is when will you give us another factory tour...I don't know how many times I have watched your Lamy and Pelikan factory tours...I think it's time to head to Japan for part 2.
What features of pens/stationary/ink keep you excited and motivated about this wonderful hobby, through 100k subscribers and beyond? What is happening in the pen and ink world that you are super excited about for 2024?
Big congrats on 100K! 🎉 My question for next week's show is, does the color of an ink have anything to do with how they flow on the paper? I've noticed many of my blues tend to be wetter, but some purples and oranges seem a bit more dry in my nib.
Yes, congrats to winner of that fab custom Crossflex and wanted to comment on your last JOYful post... so fun! My Q to U (hopefully LMZ worthy): there is lots of info about cleaning the nib, feed and filling parts of fountain pens, but what about our pen bodies? I know this will vary, but in general what is safe on acrylic, metallic / modern Maki-e and other popular finishes on somewhat pricey pens? Like our digital devices, everything needs germ removal. thanks and as always, write on 🖋
Hi Tom, my question of the week is… what inks remind you most of weather? For me, Robert Oster Thunderstorm would be up there at the top of my list as the colour fits the name perfectly. Excited to hear your thoughts!
Congratulations!!!! I love your videos and it was the majority of the videos I watched when starting my obsession with fountain pens back in 2022! Which pen ignited your love for fountain pens? And do you still have said fountain pen?
Do you keep a log of pen attributes to, for instance, know which ones stay well sealed & can handle permanent or shimmer inks without drying up and clogging, or do you just have a better memory than me? I feel like I should keep some sort of pen reference/log so I know what I have for different circumstances. So, I could pair dry writers with wetter ink, etc.
Clips are often overlooked, as long as they are serviceable, but Leonardo is well known for their roller clips. What are some of your favorite other clip innovations that make the pens a joy to carry around, even if it doesn't really impact the writing experience?
Some of the pen crafters at my local pen group were talking about custom resins, particularly those made by Mr. Brooks. How does someone ( not me) learn how to make these? Are there companies that make the bases for pen resins, like the companies that distribute pen kits? What equipment is needed to create the rods or other forms? Can substances like old bowling balls or glass slag be cut into smaller pieces for drilling out to make pens? And when a penmaker collaborates with a seller for exclusive editions of pens, to what extent can you ask for particular colors and additives in the resin? Thanks for the cool, fun videos.
This question is best asked to the pen resin makers like Jonathon. I know that many makers use alumilite as the base liquid resin, but I'm not sure about anything else after that.
I have been watching for awhile and find it very entertaining and informative. My question is what pen and ink would you recommend for pre-teens who are starting to learn to write in cursive?
Thanks for the videos Tom! Ever thought of a collaboration with a smaller pen maker? I recently had a custom pen built with Tailored Pen Co using a Johnathan Brooks Earth Magic 2.0. True artists
I don't have a large personal collection, so I can generally recall which pens are best suited for particular types of inks. For example, I tend to put shimmer inks in my Kaweco Sport, B nib or my Lamy Safari in a 1.1mm stub.
Another great video. As far as a question goes... What are your favorite pen and ink combinations for late winter / early spring? I'm especially interested in items released in the last year.
Who comes up with the designs for the collaborations with Leonardo or any collaboration that you guys do with pen manufacturers? How long does it take start to finish? In love with your newest Leonardo Collab! Thanks Goldspot!
Under what conditions is it appropriate to use and ultrasonic cleaner? Follow up question ... could you provide a demonstration? I'm hesitant to take the plunge; but, I know that some pens really need it. Thanks!
Great video! I LOVE the look/function of the Esterbrook Estie Raven 🖤🐦 My question is about my ever-growing collection of fountain pens... If I am not using a few of my pens on a consistent basis, should I completely empty them and clean them out? How long can/should ink sit in a pen if it's not being used that often?
If you aren't planning on using a particular pen for longer than 2 weeks, then I would empty it out and clean it completely. Even if the nib is sealed in the cap, ink will evaporate over time and cause flow issues when you try to write with it again.
Do you have any stub nib recommendations for someone who wants to get into practicing calligraphy? Right now I just use a medium nib for journaling. In my middle school art class I remember using a dip pen with a flex nib and I loved the result, but in retrospect I think we were jumping in at the deep end!
Are there ink additives out there that reduce the clogging issue of shimmer inks? I've been adding my own micca powder to some of my favorite inks as it's difficult to always justify an entirely new bottle when I just want to mess around.
Great videos! How often do you recommend emptying out your ink in the demonstrators to prevent any type of staining? Is there a list of know inks that stain your pens?
Great video and congrats on 100k! My question concerns your personal journaling habits. Are you a daily writer or sporadic? Print or cursive? Plain text or adorned with stickers and washi tape? Its interesting to see what other people's habits are. All the best!
It sounds like you have a lot of exciting things in store for 2024! I'm not interested in expensive color changes, so what is the advantage of exclusives to me as the consumer?
Thanks, Tom! Here's a question: As I get further along in my fountain pen journey, I find that I am purchasing more and more expensive pens. At what point do you think it is worthwhile to insure a pen collection? I rent, so homeowner's insurance might not cover any theft or damage. Thanks!
If you rely on the value of your pen collection as a significant part of your net worth, then I'd insure it. You could get a separate renter's insurance policy, which will cover possessions in your dwelling. You'll have to gauge if it's worth it, being that the deductible of the policy might be more than the value of the pens.
I love that new Opus 88! The new Leonardo unfortunately sold out before I could place that order, but I won't make the same mistake with the Opus 88. What are your Top 5 most important lessons learnt in your fountain pen journey, or Top 5 best pieces of advice for other people in this hobby?
As I asked in a previous video, I would love to hear your opinion on this one. What would be your go to pen for a kid that has a safe age to use a fountain pen, and how would you encourage his love for writing instruments to keep him close to books and handwriting and a bit away from screens? Would love to here from you!
Great video. If you could have any pen body with any nib and nib size, what would you come up with? I would go with something like a Namiki Emperor with a Sumo wrestler maki e design, with a Jowo no 5 nib, just because the ridiculously small nib would get attention from people.
Tell us more about the production team that does your videos? Who else on the Goldspot team helps with shooting? Editing? Or are you one-man-band Tom? Thanks for the great content and the great pens!
As a fountain pen newbie how long is it considered “safe” to leave ink in a fountain pen? I only have 6 fountain pens currently and are using them all regularly. Thanks!
Great video, what specialty grind nib would you recommend for someone who wants to branch out from “standard” round nibs? Stubs are easy to find, but what else is out there?
Congrats to johan that looks like an amazing beautiful pen. Just getting into fountain pens so my question is, what are some of the characteristics of German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and USA manufacturers of fountain pens? If you blind tested a pen from each country/region would you be able to tell which country/region it was from? 🤔Cheers glad to see you guys are based in NJ I guess that means short shipping time for me since I’m in NYC. 🎉
Hi Tom, I do have a question to be answered. It is often as such that vintage pens are sought after for their soft and flexible nibs. How come in this modern day and age of manufacturing the modern flex nibs either are “not so flexible” or are extremely expensive? It makes no sense to me?
I just subscribed to your channel. I have about 30 fountain pens, 25.00 up to 1000.00. I'm old school and I just would like to know about these shimmering inks and inks laden with metallic sheen. Are these inks hard to clean from your pens? Are they recommend for certain types of pens and nibs? Just curious. Im glad I watched your video.
all the pens are soooo nice this round. The Benu are great pens. I do have a question. On the Sailor Ebonite king of pen, are the nibs flexible or pretty stiff? There seem to be different versions of the ebonite with different nibs? can you explain the differences of the nibs on the sailor ebonite king of pen please. Thank you.
I'm a recent subscriber and have really enjoyed all of your videos so keep them coming! My question is how many pens do you keep inked at a time? And how do you decide what pen or pens to use? My collection is getting ridiculous (in a good way) but I'd love to know strategies you have used to decide how many pens you keep ready to go and how you go about choosing which one to use. (I just placed an order with Goldspot today so I guess my collection is going to grow yet again)
Hey Tom, you asked us who we would want to see a collaboration with. What about you? Who would you love to collaborate with, whom you haven't yet collaborated with before?
What pens do you sell that are available with an architect grind? That nib is sooooo hard to find on a nib unless you send it to a nib Meister. What pens can we buy that already has an architect nib on it??
Hi Tom, my question is - when can I throw away my pen? I seem to keep dropping them and duck taping back together. Can’t muster to part with any of my pens.
This is a tough one. If it would be too costly to repair or replace the part in question, then I would consider selling (or giving away) my pen for parts. You never know - there's probably someone just like you that has a broke pen part that could use a replacement and is willing to buy your broken pen for parts.
Nice episode Question what is the smoothest notebook paper for fountain pen, the reason for my question is that this Christmas I was given a Leuchtturm 1917 120 g notebook and to be trustful is not as smooth as my Tul notebook from Office Depot I was disappointed because it was supposed to be one of the best notebooks for fountain pen. Thanks any advise will be apreciated
All your new introductions here are interesting! Here's my question: Why do the numbers 88 or 188 feature so prominently in pen marketing? You featured Opus 88 here, it's in the name. Many other manufacturers use "88" in model names or issue limited editions of 88 or 188 units. These numbers are clearly being used intentionally.
Thank you for the video, Tom! Recently I had a conversation with another penaficiando. Our discussion centered around "Why do people feel the need to match pens and ink colors? Doesn't that limit what you can do with that pen?" What are your thoughts, Tom?
Admittedly, I'm one of those people who love matching ink colors with pens. It's a weird hangup of mine. I can't help it, especially when there are so many ink colors that are available that could match nearly exactly to the same color of your pen.
Congrats to the winner. That’s a beautiful pen. I don’t have a question for next week though so that stinks. Good luck to everyone else.
Great channel for people like me who love fountain pens as there is always new news and knowledge about fountain pens.i appreciate the efforts you put in your videos to share information and knowledge about fountain pens.Thank you.
Congratulations to the winner🎉.
Congrats Johan! Great prize!
Really enjoy your presentations of pens!
Hi Tom, my question is when will you give us another factory tour...I don't know how many times I have watched your Lamy and Pelikan factory tours...I think it's time to head to Japan for part 2.
Oh, I so wish we could! Maybe sometime in the future.
What features of pens/stationary/ink keep you excited and motivated about this wonderful hobby, through 100k subscribers and beyond? What is happening in the pen and ink world that you are super excited about for 2024?
Big congrats on 100K! 🎉
My question for next week's show is, does the color of an ink have anything to do with how they flow on the paper? I've noticed many of my blues tend to be wetter, but some purples and oranges seem a bit more dry in my nib.
Congratulation to the winner. Love the new pens and can’t wait to see what’s to come this year. What is your favorite nib size and why?
Yes, congrats to winner of that fab custom Crossflex and wanted to comment on your last JOYful post... so fun! My Q to U (hopefully LMZ worthy): there is lots of info about cleaning the nib, feed and filling parts of fountain pens, but what about our pen bodies? I know this will vary, but in general what is safe on acrylic, metallic / modern Maki-e and other popular finishes on somewhat pricey pens? Like our digital devices, everything needs germ removal. thanks and as always, write on 🖋
Congrats to the winner! My question is, if you could only write with one style of nib and or pen for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Congratulations to the winner! My question:Do leather pen cases cause the ink in pens to dry up more quickly?
Hi Tom, my question of the week is… what inks remind you most of weather? For me, Robert Oster Thunderstorm would be up there at the top of my list as the colour fits the name perfectly. Excited to hear your thoughts!
Congratulations!!!! I love your videos and it was the majority of the videos I watched when starting my obsession with fountain pens back in 2022! Which pen ignited your love for fountain pens? And do you still have said fountain pen?
Thank you! For me, it was the Lamy Safari, and I still have it and write with it on occasion!
Do you keep a log of pen attributes to, for instance, know which ones stay well sealed & can handle permanent or shimmer inks without drying up and clogging, or do you just have a better memory than me? I feel like I should keep some sort of pen reference/log so I know what I have for different circumstances. So, I could pair dry writers with wetter ink, etc.
Congratulations Johan on winning such a beautiful pen.
My question is, do you have any custom-made pens in your collection and if so, by who?
Love the Opus 88 Mini Sakura design! 👏👏👏
Gorgeous isn’t it.
Clips are often overlooked, as long as they are serviceable, but Leonardo is well known for their roller clips.
What are some of your favorite other clip innovations that make the pens a joy to carry around, even if it doesn't really impact the writing experience?
Congratulations to the winner of that beautiful pen! Do you have any hints or ideas about what the new Lamy Safari colors will be for 2024?
Some of the pen crafters at my local pen group were talking about custom resins, particularly those made by Mr. Brooks. How does someone ( not me) learn how to make these? Are there companies that make the bases for pen resins, like the companies that distribute pen kits? What equipment is needed to create the rods or other forms? Can substances like old bowling balls or glass slag be cut into smaller pieces for drilling out to make pens? And when a penmaker collaborates with a seller for exclusive editions of pens, to what extent can you ask for particular colors and additives in the resin? Thanks for the cool, fun videos.
This question is best asked to the pen resin makers like Jonathon. I know that many makers use alumilite as the base liquid resin, but I'm not sure about anything else after that.
I have been watching for awhile and find it very entertaining and informative. My question is what pen and ink would you recommend for pre-teens who are starting to learn to write in cursive?
Question: How do you recommend making an informed decision (nib sizes, grip section, balance) to the buyers who can't try before they buy?
Which Alchemy Ink by Endless are you going to crack into first? The bottles look super cool--especially for sitting on a desk and fidgeting with.
Thanks for the videos Tom! Ever thought of a collaboration with a smaller pen maker? I recently had a custom pen built with Tailored Pen Co using a Johnathan Brooks Earth Magic 2.0. True artists
I don't have a large personal collection, so I can generally recall which pens are best suited for particular types of inks. For example, I tend to put shimmer inks in my Kaweco Sport, B nib or my Lamy Safari in a 1.1mm stub.
Another great video. As far as a question goes... What are your favorite pen and ink combinations for late winter / early spring? I'm especially interested in items released in the last year.
Who comes up with the designs for the collaborations with Leonardo or any collaboration that you guys do with pen manufacturers? How long does it take start to finish? In love with your newest Leonardo Collab! Thanks Goldspot!
Thank you so much! 🎉
What is you favorite calligraphy style? I’m starting copperplate and I love it!
I do also prefer copperplate and spencerian.
I have a question for the next video: which materials do you like the most in fountain pen? And what are the types of resin you can find at the store?
Under what conditions is it appropriate to use and ultrasonic cleaner? Follow up question ... could you provide a demonstration? I'm hesitant to take the plunge; but, I know that some pens really need it. Thanks!
Great video! I LOVE the look/function of the Esterbrook Estie Raven 🖤🐦 My question is about my ever-growing collection of fountain pens... If I am not using a few of my pens on a consistent basis, should I completely empty them and clean them out? How long can/should ink sit in a pen if it's not being used that often?
If you aren't planning on using a particular pen for longer than 2 weeks, then I would empty it out and clean it completely. Even if the nib is sealed in the cap, ink will evaporate over time and cause flow issues when you try to write with it again.
@@GoldspotPens Thank you!
Do you have any stub nib recommendations for someone who wants to get into practicing calligraphy? Right now I just use a medium nib for journaling. In my middle school art class I remember using a dip pen with a flex nib and I loved the result, but in retrospect I think we were jumping in at the deep end!
Are there ink additives out there that reduce the clogging issue of shimmer inks? I've been adding my own micca powder to some of my favorite inks as it's difficult to always justify an entirely new bottle when I just want to mess around.
Great videos! How often do you recommend emptying out your ink in the demonstrators to prevent any type of staining? Is there a list of know inks that stain your pens?
What cleaning regimen do you recommend for piston fillers that aren't easily disassembled? (for example, Viscontis and the like)
Great video and congrats on 100k! My question concerns your personal journaling habits. Are you a daily writer or sporadic? Print or cursive? Plain text or adorned with stickers and washi tape? Its interesting to see what other people's habits are. All the best!
It sounds like you have a lot of exciting things in store for 2024!
I'm not interested in expensive color changes, so what is the advantage of exclusives to me as the consumer?
Good day Tom! I'd like to ask what your Pen and Ink recommendations for the coming Chinese New Year - Year of the Wood Dragon?
Thanks, Tom! Here's a question: As I get further along in my fountain pen journey, I find that I am purchasing more and more expensive pens. At what point do you think it is worthwhile to insure a pen collection? I rent, so homeowner's insurance might not cover any theft or damage. Thanks!
If you rely on the value of your pen collection as a significant part of your net worth, then I'd insure it. You could get a separate renter's insurance policy, which will cover possessions in your dwelling. You'll have to gauge if it's worth it, being that the deductible of the policy might be more than the value of the pens.
I love that new Opus 88! The new Leonardo unfortunately sold out before I could place that order, but I won't make the same mistake with the Opus 88.
What are your Top 5 most important lessons learnt in your fountain pen journey, or Top 5 best pieces of advice for other people in this hobby?
As I asked in a previous video, I would love to hear your opinion on this one. What would be your go to pen for a kid that has a safe age to use a fountain pen, and how would you encourage his love for writing instruments to keep him close to books and handwriting and a bit away from screens? Would love to here from you!
Question: what pen model under 200 dollars would you like more customers to order and why? Love that Leonardo!
Great video. If you could have any pen body with any nib and nib size, what would you come up with?
I would go with something like a Namiki Emperor with a Sumo wrestler maki e design, with a Jowo no 5 nib, just because the ridiculously small nib would get attention from people.
The mag600 was a disappointing pen that promised flex and did not deliver. What pens can you recommend that truly provide obvious line variation?
Tell us more about the production team that does your videos? Who else on the Goldspot team helps with shooting? Editing? Or are you one-man-band Tom? Thanks for the great content and the great pens!
As a fountain pen newbie how long is it considered “safe” to leave ink in a fountain pen? I only have 6 fountain pens currently and are using them all regularly. Thanks!
Great video, what specialty grind nib would you recommend for someone who wants to branch out from “standard” round nibs? Stubs are easy to find, but what else is out there?
Congrats to johan that looks like an amazing beautiful pen. Just getting into fountain pens so my question is, what are some of the characteristics of German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and USA manufacturers of fountain pens? If you blind tested a pen from each country/region would you be able to tell which country/region it was from? 🤔Cheers glad to see you guys are based in NJ I guess that means short shipping time for me since I’m in NYC. 🎉
That Op88 Sakura is just too cute.
What's your favorite filling mechanism?
Hi Tom, I do have a question to be answered. It is often as such that vintage pens are sought after for their soft and flexible nibs. How come in this modern day and age of manufacturing the modern flex nibs either are “not so flexible” or are extremely expensive? It makes no sense to me?
I just subscribed to your channel. I have about 30 fountain pens, 25.00 up to 1000.00. I'm old school and I just would like to know about these shimmering inks and inks laden with metallic sheen. Are these inks hard to clean from your pens? Are they recommend for certain types of pens and nibs? Just curious. Im glad I watched your video.
all the pens are soooo nice this round. The Benu are great pens. I do have a question. On the Sailor Ebonite king of pen, are the nibs flexible or pretty stiff? There seem to be different versions of the ebonite with different nibs? can you explain the differences of the nibs on the sailor ebonite king of pen please. Thank you.
If you had to choose 3 types of fountain pens (pocket pen, retractable, piston filler, etc) for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Is there some way to ensure you can get your desired nib width on a pen you might have to save months to purchase?
Tom! Is there any news on Sailor's pen of the year for 2024?
I'm a recent subscriber and have really enjoyed all of your videos so keep them coming! My question is how many pens do you keep inked at a time? And how do you decide what pen or pens to use? My collection is getting ridiculous (in a good way) but I'd love to know strategies you have used to decide how many pens you keep ready to go and how you go about choosing which one to use. (I just placed an order with Goldspot today so I guess my collection is going to grow yet again)
Could you explain what it means for an ink to be "dry"? I am confused. It seems like it means different things for different people.
Where do you get an inspiration for inky thoughts journal prompts?
But the drawing on the Benu is an European dragon, not a Chinese dragon 😅
Hey Tom, you asked us who we would want to see a collaboration with. What about you? Who would you love to collaborate with, whom you haven't yet collaborated with before?
When will you feature Tracy interview for the design?
Congratulations to winner 🎉and what is your favorite lamy fountain pen
Will Goldspot be at the 2024 DC pen show?
My question is what is the best nib for shimmering ink.
What pens do you sell that are available with an architect grind? That nib is sooooo hard to find on a nib unless you send it to a nib Meister. What pens can we buy that already has an architect nib on it??
Hi Tom, my question is - when can I throw away my pen? I seem to keep dropping them and duck taping back together. Can’t muster to part with any of my pens.
This is a tough one. If it would be too costly to repair or replace the part in question, then I would consider selling (or giving away) my pen for parts. You never know - there's probably someone just like you that has a broke pen part that could use a replacement and is willing to buy your broken pen for parts.
Why are architect, "long blade" nibs more readily available as stub nibs?
Can I put filtered water in my pen if I feel the color is too dark?
Nice episode
Question what is the smoothest notebook paper for fountain pen, the reason for my question is that this Christmas I was given a Leuchtturm 1917 120 g notebook and to be trustful is not as smooth as my Tul notebook from Office Depot I was disappointed because it was supposed to be one of the best notebooks for fountain pen. Thanks any advise will be apreciated
Thanks! We shared our favorite notebooks with the best paper for fountain pens here - goldspot.com/blogs/magazine/best-notebooks-for-fountain-pens
Appreciate the information as always! What is your go-to red ink you recommend others try?
This one - goldspot.com/products/taccia-aka-red-fountain-pen-ink
All your new introductions here are interesting!
Here's my question: Why do the numbers 88 or 188 feature so prominently in pen marketing? You featured Opus 88 here, it's in the name. Many other manufacturers use "88" in model names or issue limited editions of 88 or 188 units. These numbers are clearly being used intentionally.
8 is an auspicious/lucky number, especially in Asian cultures.
What is your favorite nib size
I mostly buy Broad and I rather large handwriting
Love the vids and your store... Now, can you whisper to Lamy? We need an acrylic 2K, maybe a Demo. Thoughts?
Absolutely! We've told them maybe a hundred times already.
As a person of Swedish descent, I am a bit unnerved that the Endless folio uses a Swede liner.😄
How long did it take you in the fountain pen hobby to refine your likes and dislikes in your writing experience?
What is your most go to fountain pen and ink combo?
I feel like I know the answer to this question but I don't want to look it up. Why are 1.1 stubs the most common.
Thank you for the video, Tom! Recently I had a conversation with another penaficiando. Our discussion centered around "Why do people feel the need to match pens and ink colors? Doesn't that limit what you can do with that pen?" What are your thoughts, Tom?
Admittedly, I'm one of those people who love matching ink colors with pens. It's a weird hangup of mine. I can't help it, especially when there are so many ink colors that are available that could match nearly exactly to the same color of your pen.
My question: are there pen companies that give tours of their manufacturing sites? Any in the US?
Fisher and Edison Pen Co would be two candidates that come to mind. You would have to contact them before visiting to make sure, though.
What is your favorit 5 pens of all time?
Are there going to more collabs with Mr. Reyes in 2024?
We hope so!
What company would you like Goldspot to do a collaboration with that hasn't happened yet?
Why do I keep hearing bad stories about Visconti nibs writing bad out of the box. Seems this has been a recent problem
The problematic QC has been a problem for years now and hasn't improved much since Dante DelVecchio left the company.