Saw this video and had to have a Charlie pen. I got it last week. It's a winner. Keep up the good work Mr. Tardif! I've also become a fan of Heart of Darkness!
Mr. Nathan Tardiff I'm 71 years old and you just brought me to tears. I hope you get to read this. I've written with a fountain pen all my life. I've always used Scrip ink because it was used in school and at home. Finally ran out and found that bottled ink is no longer available at local stores. Went online and looking for ink found the Goulet Pen Co. and discovered your Noodler's Ink. Did some research and thought it would be what I wanted. Ordered Heart of Darkness and Baystate Blue. Got them today and got online to see about the "Charlie" pen. By accident I stumbled across this video. I will treasure this simple, handsome pen for the rest of my life and every time I write with it I will see and hear your awesome video in my head. Thank you for the wonderful inks, thank you for the awesome "Charlie" pen and thanks for the wonderful story explaining it. Evil shall never defeat us Mr. Tardiff. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!! Thanks.
I really like Heart of Darkness ink. It seems to be a true black, and is permanent, making it good for writing checks. After following the advice to tweak the Charlie pen, it is performing well. This free pen writes more smoothly than my Cross fountain pen. Keep up the good work, Mr. Tardiff. Thanks also for your patriotism. And-- God bless the USA.
I am fairly new to fountain pens. I became aware about your Noodler's brand through The Goulet Pen company. I recently listened to your interview with Brian and now becoming aware of your youtube channel, I have to say I love your conviction as a business owner AND the fact you are a no shame, proud American. It's nice as consumer to know the business you are supporting has strong beliefs on top of just being a well made product. Thank you! -Future US Sailor Richard.
Nathan, I applaud your video, the sentiments and the gesture. I have asked to be notified when Heart of Darkness is back in stock at Goulet and I will then buy my bottle, with the Charlie pen. Best wishes to you and thank you for the work you do producing the most wonderful ink.
I just got this ink, not knowing that this pen was included, or it's name. After filling it, I started drawing with it, and found it very suited to that task. I just stumbled on this video and thought that this was quite the class act.
God bless you, Mr. Tardif. You are a true patriot, a true American, a caring person. You give me hope for the America I grew up loving and living in. Yours will be the only inks I will use from now on. I salute you, sir.
Makes me want to buy another HoD...I recommended this ink to like everyone, maybe one of them will get one of the 140! I don't really use HoD for freedom or expression though, I mostly use it as my everyday workhorse writing ink.... May another Marathon-like event never happen.
I love your style and inks Nathan. The Charlie pen is a great little writer too though I did have to make the adjustments you mention below to control the ink flow. The artwork on the Heart of Darkness label (and some of your British inks for Niche Pens) are worth the price alone.
Do a large bottle of park red and include the "charlie" with it. I am sure you can come up with name for it. I am buying both anyway. Cool stuff, Thanks.
I absolutely love the Charlie that came with my heart of darkness order. A fine quality ink with a fine quality pen. Thank you Nathan for the time, energy, and thought you put into your quality products. As a student, I really appreciate being able to own fountain pens without breaking the bank.
Ebonite eye dropper pens will take a lot more fiddling than the average plastic converter pen. One of my two Charlies worked with a small amount of adjustment. The other one took boiling water, and "squashing" the upper half of the ebonite to tighten the fit and then a heat set. Both of them end up getting 1:6 diluted ink because they waste ink much faster than a converter pen even when dialed in.
Thank you Nathan. I shall wield my Charlie with pride. Although I use words instead of the sketch and the finely drawn line, it will definitely be put good use. Keep up the great work. I will always support your amazing inks and fountain pens.
Hi Nathan, just got the free Charlie pen with Heart of Darkness and I just wanted to say I love the pen -- ink flow is just perfect and it's a nice nifty little size. Love the ink too. Thanks again
I'll wait for reports on how people like the first 140, which are in transit to distribution now. They will be available in a few places. The feeds may be made more generous, just in case people want to make the pens into wide italics (a video will be posted on this subject).
The nib/feed should be firmly pushed into the section (if it is a loose fit, too much air will get into the chamber - air should only enter the chamber through the air vent in the nib and the feed channel...a loose fitting nib/feed can allow air to bypass this restricted channel - a firm/tight fitting prevents it). Secondly, when an air bubble is larger than a third of the barrel it can then expand due to temperature changes such as the heat from your hand on a cold day (eyedropper pens are among those kind of fountain pens that are not insulated ink chamber pens as the ink rests directly on the barrel wall - much like plunger fillers and vacumatics) - so the routine should be to refill the pen whenever increased flow is noticed or when 1/3rd of the barrel or more is an air bubble. If one writes constantly, one can use up the entire ink supply just fine...but if one writes only now and then, temperature changes and air expansion become more important.
I love this pen!!! Thank you for including it with your bottles. Sits in my pen stand between my $75 and $165 pen and gets the most use using Kung Te-Cheng, my favorite ink! Beautiful color.
Dear sir, I am discovering your beautiful inks and am truly enjoying them. As a Parisian with friends who were at the Boston Marathon, your words are really meaningful and touching. Let's keep expressing our freedom! MERCI!
It is made of an early biodegradable plastic from the late 1930s. I am particularly fond of it due to its extreme durability, UV light resistance, and the fact that it was the only plastic form from that era which maintained uniform color and could still be obtained without cracked caps in mandarin yellow (other forms of plastic from the 1930s and postwar period generally had a poor performance in comparison, particularly in that color). The most unique property is that for biodegradable plastic...it can last a LONG time....several decades - if kept in a desk drawer or in a home/office environment. When it is put in the ground with moisture/compost/etc, however...it does degrade. So if you ever lose it on a walk in the woods - don't expect to come back and find it there a few years later. Yet if you lose it in the attic, unless the roof sprung a leak and the house went to seed....it will likely be just fine many years into the future. It is a plastic that has proven itself over a long test of time - something I found more valuable than any newer/untried material. In another video on this channel...it survives being driven over...among other tests ;-)
Noodler's Ink as a company is a national treasure, but does anyone else have their Charlie pen "burb" onto the page as you're writing? Mine writes great, then suddenly stops...or writes great, then suddenly blows a full gob of ink onto the page, mid-word... 🤷♂️ Anyone know how to defeat this flaw?
Hi! I've read somewhere that with Noodler's pens alcohol shouldn't be used for cleaning any of their parts, but what if i rub some denatured alcohol on the external body of the pen?
I just got a Charlie pen and it looks like the nib section has something stuck in the hole. Is that supposed to come out or does the the ink soak through whatever is in that hole because right now my pen won’t write at all.
Watching this video for the first time, two years after it was posted. I bought Baystate Blue because of your "mic drop" set the record straight video on that ink, i bought the 4.5oz bottle of BSB because it came with a free pen i planned to dedicate to the ink. Now that i have Charlie, and now that i know why Charlie exists. I'm even happier with my decision.
+InkNeedLastForever It was my great pleasure to meet you face-to-face at the Boston Pen Show last fall. I wanted to put a face to the voice that I enjoy. I love your history lessons and thoughts on America and the Beloved Constitution. Your comments on the First and other Amendments left me with a thought -- Molon Labe. :) Thank you, sir!
Hey Nathan, I just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for all that you've contributed to the fountain pen world. I recently picked up the hobby again, and thanks to Brian Goulet, I found out about your inks/pens. I am very impressed that you do all of this work yourself and that you add your own individuality to it. I hope you'll always keep up what you do!
I just got into fountain pens through Peter Draws. Picked up drawing after 20+ years of not drawing even a doodle. I found the old pen I got from my parents at a wedding anniversary 20+ years ago and filled it with my wife’s ink. Amazing feeling. Best creative boost I’ve had in decades. And now, in my search for better, I find this golden nugget of a video. To know that the founder and creator of one of the coolest ink brands I’ve found so far is a believer in the freedoms I hold dear, is just amazing. So often I find that the products I find cool are created by snowflake cowards who are willing to throw away the hard fought freedoms of the west, because they’re scared of overused labels ending in -ism. It’s liberating to know that I need not look further for my future inks and have found my go to brand that I can support without remorse within days of picking up a new hobby. I will draw without limitations and use my rights to defend the rights of those too scared to protect them themselves. Consider me a new customer. And thanks for the free pen I’m about to receive, a fantastic side benefit!
Pierre Miller 1st amendment is followed by the 2nd. amendment, and the fellows who wrote them expected later generations to be free to speak and write without any fear. Some people try to live up to that expectation after all the blood that was spilled to obtain freedoms that few others have been fortunate enough to have in the horrible history of our species.
Aw man, I've just bought a Heart of Darkness bottle with a normal pen D: Didn't know about these... but I'm sure they're probably already sold out by now! If you keep on making more of these with Heart of Darkness, I'll definitely support the cause and have one of those 'Charlie' pens to write stories and express my free will!
Amaryllis Lachapelle 490 are being shipped with Heart of Darkness bottles today, all with unique cap patterns (no two are identical), and with a LARGER "Charlie" imprint on the barrel than that of the company! It is my intention to also release 70 Charlie pens with a unique ink called "Voltaire" which I hope inspires some to draw ANYTHING about Voltaire's plays that pleases them (including a play written in 1736). Voltaire will be done for FPN...which I hope will also carry the $1 nib for the benefit of calligraphers and artists regardless of what they might dare to draw.
Amaryllis Lachapelle You will have to contact them for that info. I'm sort of the bottom guy on a tall totem pole ;-) There will be more later, so if you miss this group - eventually there will be more. One does not make a pen called the "Charlie" only once. Like the 1st amendment, I would like it to live a long time.
InkNeedLastForever I sent them a message this morning about it and they told me they would be telling their inventory team about it :) I'll make sure to grab one at some point though! :) Have a very nice day, Mr. Tardif!
Amaryllis Lachapelle The Charlie pen I received with Heart of Darkness deposits a blob (drop) of ink every time I try to write with it. I guess I can't complain because it was free, but it's basically unusable. I'm new to FPs, so I don't know how to make any adjustments to the pen. So don't be too disappointed!
Even before I knew this, when I got my charlie and adjusted it to not burp, I found it to be one of the most compelling fountain pens I've ever laid eyes on, much less held. There's something so minimalistic and honest about Charlie, I just feel compelled to write with him over pens that literally cost infinitely more, and will have to buy more 4.5oz bottles just to have more charlies, because I'm just so damned enamored with him. Just another reason you're one of the best things to ever happen to fountain pens, Nathan.
Any chance of creating art nib packs that fit the Charlie? It seem a little weird to have a fountain pen named for cartoonists that can't use the art nibs.
See his other video, "Infinite Calligraphy." It details his really easy-to-duplicate process for making (quite reasonable!) italic and stub nibs using a $10 10-pack of Noodler's nibs and a pair of wirecutters. I believe a standard Noodler's flex nib will also fit - but at that point, why not buy an Ahab or a Nib Creaper?
Yes, I am proud to be an American. Thank you Mr. Tardiff for sharing more American history than I've heard since high school. By the way, I love your pens. And isn't ebonite what is used for bowling balls?
Heart of Darkness ( costs $41.22 in India ) vs Bulletproof black ($29.23 in India ) , which one's better for college use , meaning cheap paper ? Thanks for this amazing inks btw .Lots of love and respect from India :))
I used a calligraphy pen back in high school many years ago, but stopped when I had my first ink incident. Now, more than two decades later, I'm getting back into it... Heart of Darkness was my first purchase. I live in Upstate NY and we recently had temperatures of -25F. Needless to say, the shipping order coincided with these low temperatures and I was greeted with a bottle of Heart of Darkness in a frozen-solid state. "Great, I picked the perfect time to get back into this." I left the bottle on my desk and forgot about it for a day, thinking it was ruined due to it being frozen. This ink must be indestructible as I was able to fill up Charlie and start writing with it the next day! I'll have to order some more Noodler's Ink once the weather becomes more favorable for a comparison, see if non-frozen-then-thawed ink performs any differently, but I suspect the differences will be negligible. Kudos to you, sir! Never stop doing what you're doing!
Just received the Ink and the Charlie Pen yesterday. All I can say is wow. This might become my favorite pen, at least it is in contention with my Konrad Ebonite (with the same nib). The Ink is amazing too. This pen and Ink combination is fast becoming my daily writer... Consider retailing these pens, would love to be able to get a few more! Thank You!
how do i get a Charlie? :) very true message! And so horrible hearing these things with the "isl" stay strong my almighty YWHW(God) protect you and us all
I got a Konrad Demonstrator yesterday just because I wanted to try a flex nib and I truly appreciate the honesty of this pen. I use fountain pens for the last 30 years, quite expensive ones, from taking simple notes, to shopping lists and everything. I did not know about "Charlie", and "Heart of Darkness", symbolism till now! It is a true honor to hold in my hand something from you sir!
I was just randomly looking for informations about your inks and this video really moves me - I wasn't expecting that and I'm really moved. A huge thank you from France Mister Tardiff !
I got my Charlie with a bottle of Baystate Blue (my favorite) and I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I liked a "free" pen. It may be free, but it's not cheap. Great ink, great pen, great ideals. Nicely done sir.
You Are wonderful Nathan. And a good thinker and thank for your contribution to the energy we need to write down all what we think. Like you do, I too believe all our thoughts really deserve to be written down. Thank you again.
I think I am a little bit in love with you. The way your hands shiver a little for no reason - my hands do that too. And my hands are also stained with ink, always.
I am a fountain pen user, like my father, thanks to your work. I inherited two of his pens and my love for writing has made fountain pen writers out of a few of my friends. Penmanship is an art and I love expressing it using your inks :)
I apologize for being a bother, but is it normal for this lovely Charlie pen to leak into the cap when placed nib down? And at a fairly steady rate might I add. About a drop or two every approximate half hour.
***** Push the nib/feed into the pen until at least 2mm of the feed is exposed in the BACK of the section - this tightens the fitting and serves as an ink drain when upright in the pocket (just like the "lucky curve" feature of a certain 1920s pen). Also...please note the instructions....if you have a large bubble of air in the chamber it is time to refill!! The air WILL expand with the heat of your hand...so as with all eyedropper filled pens, the air should be reduced when it gets beyond a third of the barrel volume simply by refilling.
Ahh lovely, I will try that when I get the moment to do so. Thank you very much for the reply, I love the inks I've tried thus far. I also can't wait to get Purple Wampum. ( I think that's the name.) Also is there a good way to pinch the tip of the nib together? I seemed to have accidentally damaged it with out noticing. That or the few people I've let use it may have been a tad heavy handed. As a side note, at the time of the leak, the pen was nearly 95% full.
First I have to say I love your inks and your pens, however, I have a question. How do you feel that Charlie Hebdo fired and then demanded an apology from their only cartoonist, Maurice Sinet, who worked there for 20 years in 2009 after he drew a cartoon critical of Judaism? Is Charlie really a freedom of speech issue since the organization fails to live up to the standard of protecting freedom of speech? While I personally believe the incident is a complete tragedy, I would like to hear your thoughts. Keep making great products, and I hope you're able to make them for many more years.
InkNeedLastForever Well, I have to say I completely agree with you. I actually am a university student about an hour north west of Garland and was rather saddened by the events there. Have to say over here we love our freedom of expression and speech and practice it daily on campus; I do go to a rather liberal university here in Texas. Unfortunately I missed out on the stock of HoD for this semester, perhaps I'll pick up a bottle for next semester...I could always use an eyedropper. Thank you for the article, very informative. As always, hope you keep making great products and continue standing up for speech. Noodler's is the only company I'll buy ink from because it stands on principles I agree with (and because the catfish is a cool mascot).
I just got a Charlie. I filled it up and got the ink flowing, and within minutes it started blobbing. It blobs about every half-page in a reporter notebook. The barrel is full and the nib is firmly pushed in. I would like to use this pen, but I obviously can't use it if it's going to ruin whatever I'm writing with it. Any suggestions?
Matthew Raiche See Nathan's comment above. It is probably the feed that needs to be pushed in a bit more.Take a tissue and push down gently on the feed and move it down a few millimetres (trial and error) so more of the nib tip is showing. That fixed it for me as mine too would not write properly out of the box also. If that does not work try setting the feed. It is ebonite hard rubber. Put the nib and feed in water just off the boil for 30 seconds then take the pen out and with finger and thumb push the feed and nib together for a minute or so so the fit moulds together better: good luck!
I just got my new bottle of HoD ink and the free Charlie pen. I made the mistake of telling my wife she could have the Charlie, as she likes a smaller diameter pen, lol. It initially puked ink out of the feed when writing, but we worked with it a bit (cleaning, heat setting, etc.) and now she's in love all over again with Noodler's pens. Personally, I really like this little pen and may just order another color to get one for myself, pen diameter be damned. As for the ink, I'm pretty sure this is the one I'll be using at work and at home. Great stuff!!
+Lance B I explain more about Charlie maintenance and adjustments a little after the political part of this video that I'm getting into so much trouble for.... th-cam.com/video/eIXyBr3-af0/w-d-xo.html
+InkNeedLastForever I enjoyed your video and agree with your views. I am new to fountain pens and inks but have quickly introduced them into my artist arsenal. I am very attracted to the idea and beliefs of the "Charlie" pen and would like to know, if you could tell me, if they will come back into production again anytime soon with the "Heart of Darkness" and other respective Noodler's ink selections? I would be very delighted and proud to own one. Thank you again for the video.
+naota888 Charlie pens have begun to be included with every kind of Noodler's ink that previously had a free pen included in the 4.5 oz size. It survived my car driving over it....so I have far greater confidence in its durability than the previous pens that could not survive my car driving over them! ;-)
My conscience needs this pen to be free with your purchase of ink. How on earth could we charge for a pen named "Charlie" after what has happened? If you need another bottle of the ink and don't need the extra free pen....please consider introducing a child to the world of the fountain pen. Many of us remember the first as a gift from somebody when we were children too. If you don't know anyone that young, find somebody with some time for creativity and give it to them with a single filling....see what happens! Everyone knows rollerball and ball pens...everyone knows a stylus upon a pad - but when that classic fountain pen is in the hand for the first time, to some people...if you are lucky - it is magic.
Not sure what retailer will get it first, as the cold weather is altering delivery times constantly in the US right now. It is highly likely there will be more within four weeks, unless one of the people who hate Charlie get to me as well...(but so many people have come out we might stand a chance of overwhelming them with numbers). I have been listening to the works of Voltaire again while making ink and preparing/adjusting pens....he had a lot to say about the very enemies of freedom we face today. Imagine if he released the following play at a university in the United States today....say within the "cradle of liberty"? en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mahomet_%28Voltaire%29 Would even Voltaire be subjected to the restrictions of political correctness and the fear of cowards who can't seem to see that the 1st amend. requires a vigorous and strong defense? Are we that far gone? Next step is a dark age if we fail to defend the age of reason... www.constitution.org/volt/tolerance.htm
+MooInShades The feed and nib of the "Nib Creeper" piston filler pen can easily interchange with the Charlie - the "Nib Creeper" piston fillers are the self filling & flexible "brothers" of the Charlie in that they both share the same cap and same diameter feed....and same sized nib (though very different nibs in function/flex). Just remember the flex feed must be used with the flex nib and the Charlie feed should be used with the Charlie nib or any conventional vented nib that might fit....as they feed ink in different ways.
Морчібальд Портішевіч Трікін Communists can be amusing too...many good jokes came out of communism. Who can create a sand shortage in the Sahara? A communist can... I have always liked accordion filling pens (even though the late Frank Dubiel called them "Ruskie Junksie"...I kept repairing them and showing him how remarkable some of the mechanisms were...even had one that beat a Parker vac on multiple measures of efficiency and corrosion resistance). Thus, communist pens were indeed "doing the pens"...
I missed my opportunity. This pen/concept is amazing. I go to school for comics/cartooning and the Paris attacks are still on our minds. I hope you bring the pen back.
Travis Walker Preppies are out...Charlies will eventually replace them all. The last of the flat nibbed celluloid derivative pens (two included per box) will be in the next Borealis, Dragon's Napalm, & Nikita. Then they will be history as well. There might be a special red trim Charlie in the future for Nikita.
InkNeedLastForever I have a small but representative collection of fountain pens. From a Waterman ideal to a Mont blanc to your Ahab. After hours of engineering work, writing with this pen, I've come to the conclusion that this is the best pen I've ever used. I am baffled by your achievement. You should sell the "Charlie" pen as singles or packs of multiple. Superb pen. It will draw more people from disposable pens to reusable ones. I hope this can be manufactured in large scale. For me, this is just astonishing. Congratulations!
Marco Giardiello Thank you very much for your kind words...in a perfect world, everyone would receive everything specific to their particular needs. In reality, some people are happy...and others write with ball pens. A perfect pen is one where 99.5% of users naturally adapt to its use....eyedropper filled pens being used by an individual that expects a ball pen (somebody who drops it cap first on the floor and is then surprised a bead of ink shot into the cap due to the force of the fall and does not clean it out with a q-tip or tissue, for example) always worry me... If you expect to toss the pen around and never have to refill it when the air bubble gets larger than a third of the barrel....please stick to ball points.
People's hearts are always won over by the victim, but it should be remembered that the Socialists at Charlie Hebdo attacked anyone whose opinion differed from their own in the most vicious and craven ad hominem way, and especially those who expressed scepticism towards the multi-cultural fata morgana that they espoused. There is no redeeming irony in the tragic events that unfolded in Paris, only inevitability. Je ne suis pas Charlie.
I am far from a socialist. I am also far from a fascist. However, I will defend the right to free expression and free speech by both to my last breath. The moment we fail to do so as a society is the moment the public square ceases to be a useful market of all ideas and concepts. Once suppression takes hold, the ideas that might save us all could be those that are squashed because they are seen as "ad hominem" or "craven". If you think I support socialists, well...you have not seen my other videos.
InkNeedLastForever You have misconstrued my comment, Nathan. I am well aware of your political leanings, and I broadly share these, although I will offer a correction to the widely held perception that Fascism is a polar opposite of Socialism; it is merely a pragmatically reasoned variation of it. I also share the Miltonian view that freedom of expression is sacrosanct, and that all human progress is dependent on it. My comment is first and foremost a counter-argument to the knee-jerk hagiography that will surely follow these despicable acts, and the conceit that Charlie Hebdo ultimately stood for these same ideals. Charlie Hebdo was a neo-Jacobin, Marxist organ, and therefore equally aspiring to a totalitarian world-view as the Islamic Universalists who committed slaughter in Paris. The crimes of one party do not validate or excuse the crimes that would be committed by the other if (or when) they became ascendant; “A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is the act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets and cannon... and if the victorious party does not want to have fought in vain, it must maintain this rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire in the reactionists.” Engels.
M00nsplitter My apologies.... I still will defend their right to free expression though. I mentioned the fascists more due to their being driven underground in many places and out of the public square. They seem to become far more dangerous when hidden from debate with captive audiences always sharing their exact views until the day of the putsch. How can more reasonable people debate the ideas of radicals when they are driven out of the public debate - where the worst ideas often wither under the light of reason?? Free speech must cover all views, even the worst....perhaps especially the worst. Although I acknowledge this might be naive when it comes to....whether or not to bear arms in 1940.
InkNeedLastForever I am in complete agreement in regard to this right. My vehement opinion is however that there is that there is no requirement for an emotively-driven logical fallacy such as the impetuous declaration of 'Je suis Charlie', which is based on a false syllogism. One totalitarian ideology's vile attack on another does not validate the latter. They both pose grave threats to the right to hard-won freedoms, and this episode will, if carelessly viewed through the deceptive prism of outrage and media-fueled hysteria, only further the interests and potential of those who wish to contain and control humankind.
M00nsplitter Ideas are not murder. Cartoons are not hostages. Satire is not religious war. Socialism is not a call to arms, and neither is Islam for that matter. "Je suis Charlie" is indeed true, because we free, civilized people embrace open discourse, and not only the discourse that we personally find amenable. Je ne suis pas 9th Century barbarians!
This was well over a year ago... the pen still included? Can I order "heart of darkness" from anyone and the pen is included? Ron Paul for prez #freedom
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
There is no better ink for writing that that of Nathan Tardiff.
Saw this video and had to have a Charlie pen. I got it last week. It's a winner. Keep up the good work Mr. Tardif! I've also become a fan of Heart of Darkness!
I've recently discovered your inks. Based on this video, I ordered one of your 4.5 oz. bottles and am looking forward to using the Charlie pen.
Mr. Nathan Tardiff I'm 71 years old and you just brought me to tears. I hope you get to read this. I've written with a fountain pen all my life. I've always used Scrip ink because it was used in school and at home. Finally ran out and found that bottled ink is no longer available at local stores. Went online and looking for ink found the Goulet Pen Co. and discovered your Noodler's Ink. Did some research and thought it would be what I wanted. Ordered Heart of Darkness and Baystate Blue. Got them today and got online to see about the "Charlie" pen. By accident I stumbled across this video. I will treasure this simple, handsome pen for the rest of my life and every time I write with it I will see and hear your awesome video in my head. Thank you for the wonderful inks, thank you for the awesome "Charlie" pen and thanks for the wonderful story explaining it. Evil shall never defeat us Mr. Tardiff. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!! Thanks.
I really like Heart of Darkness ink. It seems to be a true black, and is permanent, making it good for writing checks. After following the advice to tweak the Charlie pen, it is performing well. This free pen writes more smoothly than my Cross fountain pen. Keep up the good work, Mr. Tardiff. Thanks also for your patriotism.
And-- God bless the USA.
Your an amazing person Nathan, keep it up.
I am fairly new to fountain pens. I became aware about your Noodler's brand through The Goulet Pen company. I recently listened to your interview with Brian and now becoming aware of your youtube channel, I have to say I love your conviction as a business owner AND the fact you are a no shame, proud American. It's nice as consumer to know the business you are supporting has strong beliefs on top of just being a well made product. Thank you!
-Future US Sailor Richard.
Thank you for standing up to the fear mongers
Nathan, I applaud your video, the sentiments and the gesture. I have asked to be notified when Heart of Darkness is back in stock at Goulet and I will then buy my bottle, with the Charlie pen. Best wishes to you and thank you for the work you do producing the most wonderful ink.
I just got this ink, not knowing that this pen was included, or it's name. After filling it, I started drawing with it, and found it very suited to that task. I just stumbled on this video and thought that this was quite the class act.
God bless you, Mr. Tardif. You are a true patriot, a true American, a caring person. You give me hope for the America I grew up loving and living in. Yours will be the only inks I will use from now on. I salute you, sir.
The feedback is positive. I hope you market the "Charlie". I know I want one, or several.
Where can we buy this particular ink with the pens? Thank you for standing up and making the world a better place in your own unique way!
Thanks. They will be available in a few places soon, and likely will become a general offering later - I hope.
Makes me want to buy another HoD...I recommended this ink to like everyone, maybe one of them will get one of the 140!
I don't really use HoD for freedom or expression though, I mostly use it as my everyday workhorse writing ink....
May another Marathon-like event never happen.
I love your style and inks Nathan. The Charlie pen is a great little writer too though I did have to make the adjustments you mention below to control the ink flow. The artwork on the Heart of Darkness label (and some of your British inks for Niche Pens) are worth the price alone.
Do a large bottle of park red and include the "charlie" with it. I am sure you can come up with name for it. I am buying both anyway. Cool stuff, Thanks.
Maybe call it the current events package #1.
Je suis Charlie.
If anyone wonders why I buy Noodlers ink, this is why.
I absolutely love the Charlie that came with my heart of darkness order. A fine quality ink with a fine quality pen. Thank you Nathan for the time, energy, and thought you put into your quality products. As a student, I really appreciate being able to own fountain pens without breaking the bank.
My Charlie pen leaks "Heart of Darkness" out of the feeder/nib like a sieve. Any tips to get it to work correctly?
Ebonite eye dropper pens will take a lot more fiddling than the average plastic converter pen. One of my two Charlies worked with a small amount of adjustment. The other one took boiling water, and "squashing" the upper half of the ebonite to tighten the fit and then a heat set. Both of them end up getting 1:6 diluted ink because they waste ink much faster than a converter pen even when dialed in.
Thank you Nathan. I shall wield my Charlie with pride. Although I use words instead of the sketch and the finely drawn line, it will definitely be put good use. Keep up the great work. I will always support your amazing inks and fountain pens.
Ink, the fluid of democracy. I like that.
Hi Nathan, just got the free Charlie pen with Heart of Darkness and I just wanted to say I love the pen -- ink flow is just perfect and it's a nice nifty little size. Love the ink too. Thanks again
The Charlie pen is a good pen! And I couldnt agree with you more on the barbarianism!
Good job Nathan!
Hello Nathan, I like your thoughts and initiative and love your products. Where to buy HoD with this Charlie?
I'll wait for reports on how people like the first 140, which are in transit to distribution now. They will be available in a few places. The feeds may be made more generous, just in case people want to make the pens into wide italics (a video will be posted on this subject).
my charlie pen blobs ink occasionally....is that a trait of the pen, or did I get a bad one? makes me nervous to use it.
The nib/feed should be firmly pushed into the section (if it is a loose fit, too much air will get into the chamber - air should only enter the chamber through the air vent in the nib and the feed channel...a loose fitting nib/feed can allow air to bypass this restricted channel - a firm/tight fitting prevents it). Secondly, when an air bubble is larger than a third of the barrel it can then expand due to temperature changes such as the heat from your hand on a cold day (eyedropper pens are among those kind of fountain pens that are not insulated ink chamber pens as the ink rests directly on the barrel wall - much like plunger fillers and vacumatics) - so the routine should be to refill the pen whenever increased flow is noticed or when 1/3rd of the barrel or more is an air bubble. If one writes constantly, one can use up the entire ink supply just fine...but if one writes only now and then, temperature changes and air expansion become more important.
Wow! Thank you Nathan! I just ordered a 4.5 oz. bottle of Heart of Darkness from Goulet.
Thank you Nathan
I love this pen!!! Thank you for including it with your bottles. Sits in my pen stand between my $75 and $165 pen and gets the most use using Kung Te-Cheng, my favorite ink! Beautiful color.
I just ordered one from jetpens and eager to start scribbling with it.
Dear sir,
I am discovering your beautiful inks and am truly enjoying them. As a Parisian with friends who were at the Boston Marathon, your words are really meaningful and touching.
Let's keep expressing our freedom!
MERCI!
I was wondering if this pen has a biodegradable body. I recently received one and I love it! It writes so well (:
It is made of an early biodegradable plastic from the late 1930s. I am particularly fond of it due to its extreme durability, UV light resistance, and the fact that it was the only plastic form from that era which maintained uniform color and could still be obtained without cracked caps in mandarin yellow (other forms of plastic from the 1930s and postwar period generally had a poor performance in comparison, particularly in that color). The most unique property is that for biodegradable plastic...it can last a LONG time....several decades - if kept in a desk drawer or in a home/office environment. When it is put in the ground with moisture/compost/etc, however...it does degrade. So if you ever lose it on a walk in the woods - don't expect to come back and find it there a few years later. Yet if you lose it in the attic, unless the roof sprung a leak and the house went to seed....it will likely be just fine many years into the future. It is a plastic that has proven itself over a long test of time - something I found more valuable than any newer/untried material. In another video on this channel...it survives being driven over...among other tests ;-)
Noodler's Ink as a company is a national treasure, but does anyone else have their Charlie pen "burb" onto the page as you're writing? Mine writes great, then suddenly stops...or writes great, then suddenly blows a full gob of ink onto the page, mid-word... 🤷♂️ Anyone know how to defeat this flaw?
Love Heart of Darkness, love my Charlie pen! Great combo to work with.
Hi! I've read somewhere that with Noodler's pens alcohol shouldn't be used for cleaning any of their parts, but what if i rub some denatured alcohol on the external body of the pen?
Just got Heart of Darkness and Charlie pen today.... almost seven years later.
I want a "Charlie"
I just received my first Charlie. This great and I am a supporter for the rest of my life. Thank you for your services!
I just got a Charlie pen and it looks like the nib section has something stuck in the hole. Is that supposed to come out or does the the ink soak through whatever is in that hole because right now my pen won’t write at all.
A true patriot. Sometimes something as simple as a pen can change the world.
Love the reference to the second amendment at the very end. 👊🏼USA 💪.
Watching this video for the first time, two years after it was posted. I bought Baystate Blue because of your "mic drop" set the record straight video on that ink, i bought the 4.5oz bottle of BSB because it came with a free pen i planned to dedicate to the ink.
Now that i have Charlie, and now that i know why Charlie exists. I'm even happier with my decision.
+InkNeedLastForever It was my great pleasure to meet you face-to-face at the Boston Pen Show last fall. I wanted to put a face to the voice that I enjoy. I love your history lessons and thoughts on America and the Beloved Constitution. Your comments on the First and other Amendments left me with a thought -- Molon Labe. :) Thank you, sir!
Just bought Heart of Darkness with the Charlie pen! Thank you Nathan for sharing this video! If its possible do sell it in India it will be popular
Hey Nathan, I just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for all that you've contributed to the fountain pen world. I recently picked up the hobby again, and thanks to Brian Goulet, I found out about your inks/pens. I am very impressed that you do all of this work yourself and that you add your own individuality to it. I hope you'll always keep up what you do!
"Sell me this pen" you did a nice job.
I just got into fountain pens through Peter Draws. Picked up drawing after 20+ years of not drawing even a doodle. I found the old pen I got from my parents at a wedding anniversary 20+ years ago and filled it with my wife’s ink. Amazing feeling. Best creative boost I’ve had in decades. And now, in my search for better, I find this golden nugget of a video. To know that the founder and creator of one of the coolest ink brands I’ve found so far is a believer in the freedoms I hold dear, is just amazing. So often I find that the products I find cool are created by snowflake cowards who are willing to throw away the hard fought freedoms of the west, because they’re scared of overused labels ending in -ism. It’s liberating to know that I need not look further for my future inks and have found my go to brand that I can support without remorse within days of picking up a new hobby. I will draw without limitations and use my rights to defend the rights of those too scared to protect them themselves. Consider me a new customer. And thanks for the free pen I’m about to receive, a fantastic side benefit!
LOL He said his first word after 2 min in the video,
SAD NO //////////////Talking in Video.
The end of that video may well have said, "If you want to come and get me, I'd like to see you try."
Pierre Miller 1st amendment is followed by the 2nd. amendment, and the fellows who wrote them expected later generations to be free to speak and write without any fear. Some people try to live up to that expectation after all the blood that was spilled to obtain freedoms that few others have been fortunate enough to have in the horrible history of our species.
InkNeedLastForever Well said.
Aw man, I've just bought a Heart of Darkness bottle with a normal pen D: Didn't know about these... but I'm sure they're probably already sold out by now! If you keep on making more of these with Heart of Darkness, I'll definitely support the cause and have one of those 'Charlie' pens to write stories and express my free will!
Amaryllis Lachapelle 490 are being shipped with Heart of Darkness bottles today, all with unique cap patterns (no two are identical), and with a LARGER "Charlie" imprint on the barrel than that of the company! It is my intention to also release 70 Charlie pens with a unique ink called "Voltaire" which I hope inspires some to draw ANYTHING about Voltaire's plays that pleases them (including a play written in 1736). Voltaire will be done for FPN...which I hope will also carry the $1 nib for the benefit of calligraphers and artists regardless of what they might dare to draw.
InkNeedLastForever Will Goulet Pens carry these? I definitely want one!
Amaryllis Lachapelle You will have to contact them for that info. I'm sort of the bottom guy on a tall totem pole ;-) There will be more later, so if you miss this group - eventually there will be more. One does not make a pen called the "Charlie" only once. Like the 1st amendment, I would like it to live a long time.
InkNeedLastForever I sent them a message this morning about it and they told me they would be telling their inventory team about it :) I'll make sure to grab one at some point though! :)
Have a very nice day, Mr. Tardif!
Amaryllis Lachapelle The Charlie pen I received with Heart of Darkness deposits a blob (drop) of ink every time I try to write with it. I guess I can't complain because it was free, but it's basically unusable. I'm new to FPs, so I don't know how to make any adjustments to the pen. So don't be too disappointed!
Even before I knew this, when I got my charlie and adjusted it to not burp, I found it to be one of the most compelling fountain pens I've ever laid eyes on, much less held. There's something so minimalistic and honest about Charlie, I just feel compelled to write with him over pens that literally cost infinitely more, and will have to buy more 4.5oz bottles just to have more charlies, because I'm just so damned enamored with him.
Just another reason you're one of the best things to ever happen to fountain pens, Nathan.
Any chance of creating art nib packs that fit the Charlie? It seem a little weird to have a fountain pen named for cartoonists that can't use the art nibs.
See his other video, "Infinite Calligraphy." It details his really easy-to-duplicate process for making (quite reasonable!) italic and stub nibs using a $10 10-pack of Noodler's nibs and a pair of wirecutters. I believe a standard Noodler's flex nib will also fit - but at that point, why not buy an Ahab or a Nib Creaper?
Can we order ink off of Nathan's website? I cant find a store link :/
It is not yet in distribution...still in transit.
Yes, I am proud to be an American. Thank you Mr. Tardiff for sharing more American history than I've heard since high school. By the way, I love your pens. And isn't ebonite what is used for bowling balls?
+Judith Meyer Bakelite was used as well....several fountain pen materials are shared with the bowling ball!
Heart of Darkness ( costs $41.22 in India ) vs Bulletproof black ($29.23 in India ) , which one's better for college use , meaning cheap paper ? Thanks for this amazing inks btw .Lots of love and respect from India :))
I used a calligraphy pen back in high school many years ago, but stopped when I had my first ink incident. Now, more than two decades later, I'm getting back into it... Heart of Darkness was my first purchase.
I live in Upstate NY and we recently had temperatures of -25F. Needless to say, the shipping order coincided with these low temperatures and I was greeted with a bottle of Heart of Darkness in a frozen-solid state. "Great, I picked the perfect time to get back into this." I left the bottle on my desk and forgot about it for a day, thinking it was ruined due to it being frozen.
This ink must be indestructible as I was able to fill up Charlie and start writing with it the next day! I'll have to order some more Noodler's Ink once the weather becomes more favorable for a comparison, see if non-frozen-then-thawed ink performs any differently, but I suspect the differences will be negligible.
Kudos to you, sir! Never stop doing what you're doing!
Just received the Ink and the Charlie Pen yesterday. All I can say is wow. This might become my favorite pen, at least it is in contention with my Konrad Ebonite (with the same nib). The Ink is amazing too. This pen and Ink combination is fast becoming my daily writer... Consider retailing these pens, would love to be able to get a few more! Thank You!
how do i get a Charlie? :) very true message! And so horrible hearing these things with the "isl" stay strong my almighty YWHW(God) protect you and us all
I got a Konrad Demonstrator yesterday just because I wanted to try a flex nib and I truly appreciate the honesty of this pen. I use fountain pens for the last 30 years, quite expensive ones, from taking simple notes, to shopping lists and everything. I did not know about "Charlie", and "Heart of Darkness", symbolism till now! It is a true honor to hold in my hand something from you sir!
I was just randomly looking for informations about your inks and this video really moves me - I wasn't expecting that and I'm really moved. A huge thank you from France Mister Tardiff !
I got my Charlie with a bottle of Baystate Blue (my favorite) and I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I liked a "free" pen. It may be free, but it's not cheap. Great ink, great pen, great ideals. Nicely done sir.
Hi, can one use the Noodlers Ahab Flex nib on this free Charlie pen? Thanks in advance, Vikas
You Are wonderful Nathan. And a good thinker and thank for your contribution to the energy we need to write down all what we think. Like you do, I too believe all our thoughts really deserve to be written down. Thank you again.
I think I am a little bit in love with you. The way your hands shiver a little for no reason - my hands do that too. And my hands are also stained with ink, always.
I am a fountain pen user, like my father, thanks to your work. I inherited two of his pens and my love for writing has made fountain pen writers out of a few of my friends. Penmanship is an art and I love expressing it using your inks :)
Oooo now I will wait to get my Heart of Darkness ink refill until The Goulet Pen Company has the Charlie Thanks Nathan
:-)
I apologize for being a bother, but is it normal for this lovely Charlie pen to leak into the cap when placed nib down? And at a fairly steady rate might I add. About a drop or two every approximate half hour.
***** Push the nib/feed into the pen until at least 2mm of the feed is exposed in the BACK of the section - this tightens the fitting and serves as an ink drain when upright in the pocket (just like the "lucky curve" feature of a certain 1920s pen). Also...please note the instructions....if you have a large bubble of air in the chamber it is time to refill!! The air WILL expand with the heat of your hand...so as with all eyedropper filled pens, the air should be reduced when it gets beyond a third of the barrel volume simply by refilling.
Ahh lovely, I will try that when I get the moment to do so. Thank you very much for the reply, I love the inks I've tried thus far. I also can't wait to get Purple Wampum. ( I think that's the name.)
Also is there a good way to pinch the tip of the nib together? I seemed to have accidentally damaged it with out noticing. That or the few people I've let use it may have been a tad heavy handed.
As a side note, at the time of the leak, the pen was nearly 95% full.
InkNeedLastForever A bit confusing at times, but yes helpful indeed. Thank you for the assistance.
Mr. Tardiff, you are a true inspiration. I think it's time for me to start writing again.
I have the Heart of Darkness. It's awesome.
I just got one! In time for inktober 2019!
Can they use standard international converters
I'm going to assume this is Nathan himself?
First I have to say I love your inks and your pens, however, I have a question. How do you feel that Charlie Hebdo fired and then demanded an apology from their only cartoonist, Maurice Sinet, who worked there for 20 years in 2009 after he drew a cartoon critical of Judaism? Is Charlie really a freedom of speech issue since the organization fails to live up to the standard of protecting freedom of speech?
While I personally believe the incident is a complete tragedy, I would like to hear your thoughts. Keep making great products, and I hope you're able to make them for many more years.
InkNeedLastForever Well, I have to say I completely agree with you. I actually am a university student about an hour north west of Garland and was rather saddened by the events there. Have to say over here we love our freedom of expression and speech and practice it daily on campus; I do go to a rather liberal university here in Texas. Unfortunately I missed out on the stock of HoD for this semester, perhaps I'll pick up a bottle for next semester...I could always use an eyedropper.
Thank you for the article, very informative.
As always, hope you keep making great products and continue standing up for speech. Noodler's is the only company I'll buy ink from because it stands on principles I agree with (and because the catfish is a cool mascot).
I just got a Charlie. I filled it up and got the ink flowing, and within minutes it started blobbing. It blobs about every half-page in a reporter notebook. The barrel is full and the nib is firmly pushed in. I would like to use this pen, but I obviously can't use it if it's going to ruin whatever I'm writing with it.
Any suggestions?
Matthew Raiche See Nathan's comment above. It is probably the feed that needs to be pushed in a bit more.Take a tissue and push down gently on the feed and move it down a few millimetres (trial and error) so more of the nib tip is showing. That fixed it for me as mine too would not write properly out of the box also. If that does not work try setting the feed. It is ebonite hard rubber. Put the nib and feed in water just off the boil for 30 seconds then take the pen out and with finger and thumb push the feed and nib together for a minute or so so the fit moulds together better: good luck!
I just got my new bottle of HoD ink and the free Charlie pen. I made the mistake of telling my wife she could have the Charlie, as she likes a smaller diameter pen, lol. It initially puked ink out of the feed when writing, but we worked with it a bit (cleaning, heat setting, etc.) and now she's in love all over again with Noodler's pens. Personally, I really like this little pen and may just order another color to get one for myself, pen diameter be damned. As for the ink, I'm pretty sure this is the one I'll be using at work and at home. Great stuff!!
+Lance B I explain more about Charlie maintenance and adjustments a little after the political part of this video that I'm getting into so much trouble for.... th-cam.com/video/eIXyBr3-af0/w-d-xo.html
+InkNeedLastForever I enjoyed your video and agree with your views. I am new to fountain pens and inks but have quickly introduced them into my artist arsenal. I am very attracted to the idea and beliefs of the "Charlie" pen and would like to know, if you could tell me, if they will come back into production again anytime soon with the "Heart of Darkness" and other respective Noodler's ink selections? I would be very delighted and proud to own one. Thank you again for the video.
+naota888 Charlie pens have begun to be included with every kind of Noodler's ink that previously had a free pen included in the 4.5 oz size. It survived my car driving over it....so I have far greater confidence in its durability than the previous pens that could not survive my car driving over them! ;-)
Nathan - how do I love thee
Let me count the ways :-)
I was scared for the white desk this entire video
Will it be possible to just buy the pen?
My conscience needs this pen to be free with your purchase of ink. How on earth could we charge for a pen named "Charlie" after what has happened? If you need another bottle of the ink and don't need the extra free pen....please consider introducing a child to the world of the fountain pen. Many of us remember the first as a gift from somebody when we were children too. If you don't know anyone that young, find somebody with some time for creativity and give it to them with a single filling....see what happens! Everyone knows rollerball and ball pens...everyone knows a stylus upon a pad - but when that classic fountain pen is in the hand for the first time, to some people...if you are lucky - it is magic.
InkNeedLastForever well said.
Do you know which of the vendors will receive this first? This is an ink and pen I would like to purchase as soon as it is released.
Not sure what retailer will get it first, as the cold weather is altering delivery times constantly in the US right now. It is highly likely there will be more within four weeks, unless one of the people who hate Charlie get to me as well...(but so many people have come out we might stand a chance of overwhelming them with numbers). I have been listening to the works of Voltaire again while making ink and preparing/adjusting pens....he had a lot to say about the very enemies of freedom we face today. Imagine if he released the following play at a university in the United States today....say within the "cradle of liberty"? en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mahomet_%28Voltaire%29 Would even Voltaire be subjected to the restrictions of political correctness and the fear of cowards who can't seem to see that the 1st amend. requires a vigorous and strong defense? Are we that far gone? Next step is a dark age if we fail to defend the age of reason... www.constitution.org/volt/tolerance.htm
hi, i have a question: can the Charlie pen nib be replaced with one of the Noodler's flex nibs?
+MooInShades The feed and nib of the "Nib Creeper" piston filler pen can easily interchange with the Charlie - the "Nib Creeper" piston fillers are the self filling & flexible "brothers" of the Charlie in that they both share the same cap and same diameter feed....and same sized nib (though very different nibs in function/flex). Just remember the flex feed must be used with the flex nib and the Charlie feed should be used with the Charlie nib or any conventional vented nib that might fit....as they feed ink in different ways.
Oh! Communists again?!..
Dude! )) Do the pens! ))
Морчібальд Портішевіч Трікін Communists can be amusing too...many good jokes came out of communism. Who can create a sand shortage in the Sahara? A communist can... I have always liked accordion filling pens (even though the late Frank Dubiel called them "Ruskie Junksie"...I kept repairing them and showing him how remarkable some of the mechanisms were...even had one that beat a Parker vac on multiple measures of efficiency and corrosion resistance). Thus, communist pens were indeed "doing the pens"...
Thank you.
Thank you.
I missed my opportunity.
This pen/concept is amazing.
I go to school for comics/cartooning and the Paris attacks are still on our minds.
I hope you bring the pen back.
Goulet Pens has the ink with the Charlie. I am going to order one as well.
Ricardo Medeiros
They've been out of stock as far as I know. It only comes with the Heart of Darkness. The other inks come with Preppies.
Travis Walker Preppies are out...Charlies will eventually replace them all. The last of the flat nibbed celluloid derivative pens (two included per box) will be in the next Borealis, Dragon's Napalm, & Nikita. Then they will be history as well. There might be a special red trim Charlie in the future for Nikita.
InkNeedLastForever That is great news! Keep the awesome coming!
InkNeedLastForever
Thank you so much for the update, Nathan! I am ready to buy some Napalm.
“…And sometimes from within quarters that we previously thought were friendly.”
*cough cough* Goulet
InkNeedLastForever I have a small but representative collection of fountain pens. From a Waterman ideal to a Mont blanc to your Ahab. After hours of engineering work, writing with this pen, I've come to the conclusion that this is the best pen I've ever used. I am baffled by your achievement. You should sell the "Charlie" pen as singles or packs of multiple. Superb pen. It will draw more people from disposable pens to reusable ones. I hope this can be manufactured in large scale. For me, this is just astonishing. Congratulations!
Marco Giardiello Thank you very much for your kind words...in a perfect world, everyone would receive everything specific to their particular needs. In reality, some people are happy...and others write with ball pens.
A perfect pen is one where 99.5% of users naturally adapt to its use....eyedropper filled pens being used by an individual that expects a ball pen (somebody who drops it cap first on the floor and is then surprised a bead of ink shot into the cap due to the force of the fall and does not clean it out with a q-tip or tissue, for example) always worry me... If you expect to toss the pen around and never have to refill it when the air bubble gets larger than a third of the barrel....please stick to ball points.
People's hearts are always won over by the victim, but it should be remembered that the Socialists at Charlie Hebdo attacked anyone whose opinion differed from their own in the most vicious and craven ad hominem way, and especially those who expressed scepticism towards the multi-cultural fata morgana that they espoused. There is no redeeming irony in the tragic events that unfolded in Paris, only inevitability. Je ne suis pas Charlie.
I am far from a socialist. I am also far from a fascist. However, I will defend the right to free expression and free speech by both to my last breath. The moment we fail to do so as a society is the moment the public square ceases to be a useful market of all ideas and concepts. Once suppression takes hold, the ideas that might save us all could be those that are squashed because they are seen as "ad hominem" or "craven". If you think I support socialists, well...you have not seen my other videos.
InkNeedLastForever You have misconstrued my comment, Nathan. I am well aware of your political leanings, and I broadly share these, although I will offer a correction to the widely held perception that Fascism is a polar opposite of Socialism; it is merely a pragmatically reasoned variation of it.
I also share the Miltonian view that freedom of expression is sacrosanct, and that all human progress is dependent on it. My comment is first and foremost a counter-argument to the knee-jerk hagiography that will surely follow these despicable acts, and the conceit that Charlie Hebdo ultimately stood for these same ideals. Charlie Hebdo was a neo-Jacobin, Marxist organ, and therefore equally aspiring to a totalitarian world-view as the Islamic Universalists who committed slaughter in Paris. The crimes of one party do not validate or excuse the crimes that would be committed by the other if (or when) they became ascendant; “A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is the act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets and cannon... and if the victorious party does not want to have fought in vain, it must maintain this rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire in the reactionists.” Engels.
M00nsplitter My apologies.... I still will defend their right to free expression though. I mentioned the fascists more due to their being driven underground in many places and out of the public square. They seem to become far more dangerous when hidden from debate with captive audiences always sharing their exact views until the day of the putsch. How can more reasonable people debate the ideas of radicals when they are driven out of the public debate - where the worst ideas often wither under the light of reason?? Free speech must cover all views, even the worst....perhaps especially the worst. Although I acknowledge this might be naive when it comes to....whether or not to bear arms in 1940.
InkNeedLastForever I am in complete agreement in regard to this right. My vehement opinion is however that there is that there is no requirement for an emotively-driven logical fallacy such as the impetuous declaration of 'Je suis Charlie', which is based on a false syllogism. One totalitarian ideology's vile attack on another does not validate the latter. They both pose grave threats to the right to hard-won freedoms, and this episode will, if carelessly viewed through the deceptive prism of outrage and media-fueled hysteria, only further the interests and potential of those who wish to contain and control humankind.
M00nsplitter Ideas are not murder. Cartoons are not hostages. Satire is not religious war. Socialism is not a call to arms, and neither is Islam for that matter. "Je suis Charlie" is indeed true, because we free, civilized people embrace open discourse, and not only the discourse that we personally find amenable. Je ne suis pas 9th Century barbarians!
This was well over a year ago... the pen still included? Can I order "heart of darkness" from anyone and the pen is included? Ron Paul for prez #freedom
It is still included. The cost might one day go up, but right now...it is exactly the same deal as last year! ;-)
Charles J Gartner Goulet Pens is a good place to order in the US. If you are in Europe you can only find Noodlers at Pure Pens in Wales (online store)