As someone who has used fountain pens in a medical setting for decades, I highly recommend the Varsity as a starter but if you can afford the Lamy go for it. The clip is versatile for a pocket or lanyard and if you’re writing on charts , notecards or the ever-popular paper towel you may need a finer nib. Someone will need to borrow your pen and you will not be able to decline-the Lamy on the lanyard is a great option so when you offer up your pen you can stealthily keep the cap. No one steals an uncapped pen. BTW my love for blue inks began with writing in charts. Firstly you can tell a copied page from an original (back then there were no color copiers) and it makes it easier to find your orders or progress notes from the rest.
Another lady in the pen world that I think deserves a mention is Audrey at Franklin-Christoph. I don’t know that she designs pens per se, but she is a nib-meister. Jim Rouse trained her to grind their unique nib grind, the SIG. While the pen world lost Jim last year, Audrey carries on his legacy. As a child, I wanted to be a nun. Being Presbyterian created some difficulties though. I also wanted to be a writer. At one point I wanted to be a missionary. The thing I wanted most of all though was to be a mommy.
You could be an Episcopalian religious! We have these orders. Also, there are lay relationships to the orders which honor the basic calling (mommy, for instance), but also the further spiritual vocation. Sharing your love for the spirituality of writing.
Hey Brian, nice vid as always! 48:48 Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think the Pilot/Namiki Yukari Royal "Frog" was done by a female makie artist by the name of Yumi. It's heartwarmingly cute and I tend to remember that one especially well, but I'm pretty sure the Kokkoukai (the group that's behind all of Namiki's makies) also has a few other ladies responsible for some very artistic pens.
ImoMushi Yumi Hayashi! She was the first female maki-e artist hired by Namiki. I have a Nightline Moonlight by her, so she definitely has a hand in making a few different models.
Brought a tear to my eye - my kids still see us as heroes, through rose coloured glasses, maybe that will change - I saw my dad that way from day one, until he passed three years ago at age 84. Never changed, not for a minute. I'd say you're on the right course :>
When I was younger I wanted to be a princess at Disney. In high school I wanted to enlist in the navy. Now as a college student I have changed my major 4 times. I am currently a nursing student and I don’t think I am going to change my major anytime soon.
Goulet team, would you consider a "mystery box' on your site such as setting a price that includes pens of a certain price/value and ink samples or bottled ink. I think it would be neat to receive a random pen and ink/supplies in the mail. Anyway, thanks for the videos and amazing products.
I love these Q&A's, thank you Brian and I can't even you keep doing these over 7 years with that upload frequency and duration for each video, your passion really amaze me and they re really helpful and relax to listening. Had ordered one edison pen from your company, looking forward to add more of my collections through your store in future!
As a pediatrician in practice for 28 years... I would recommend the Visconti Homo Sapiens for daily use. First, you pretty much can't destroy it. Second, it's clearly a nice pen and I tend to treat it like any piece of jewelry. I've never lost it (though I generally don't loan it out for other people to use). Third, it's an absolute joy to use (and as much writing as I do in a day, it's nice to have a little joy amidst all the paperwork - even with the electronic medical record). Yes - it's expensive. But if you look at the price and my daily use/joy of use, I think it's a worthy investment. (Another worthy choice - also pricey - is the Pineider La Grande Bellezza. Also a great writer, and a bit less expensive as compared to the Visconti.
I'm a hospital chaplain, and couldn't agree more . . . but, at 62, if I really get my "grail" pen (Pelikan M800), it will be mostly assuming I leave it to the son who likes fountain pens. Meanwhile, I'm happy with my inexpensive Chinese pens, plus a couple of gold nib use-at-home-only treasures.
I first wanted to be a teacher, lawyer, and finally, a fashion designer. My favourite school subjects were math, science, and art. I would help my mom settle the financial books for the organization (a popular civil group) she worked for, and I quickly realized two things I would never go into the accounting or legal fields. I worked my way through university as a customer svc. rep. and by doing "tech" co-ops/internships (I was an electrical/computer engineering major). I worked as a POS SW system analyst, then left corporate America to be a stay-at-home homeschooling mom (the hardest thing I've EVER done - raising & nurturing young humans, NOT for the faint-of-heart!). Now trying to re-enter the workforce in the UI/UX industry. I have always loved writing instruments (got this passion from my dad - the architect)! Since my parents were raised under the "British" educational system, I was given my first fountain pen in elementary school. I used them until I got to university. Now I'm back and enjoying it! I am looking forward to trying some of the pens highlighted in this video.
As far as women pen designers and the mentioning of Taccia.... The first pen show I attended I came across a Taccia Pinnacle (already spent the cash I took). Sales rep. let me give it "a spin" and I liked the way the pen wrote/handled. When I had the opportunity I purchased one with a "F" nib. The pen is well made, solid and is a great writer. I have no regrets whatsoever with the purchase.
I LOVE my Lamy Safari, it's certainly the most reliable pen in my small collection. Writes the first time every time! I can't say the same about an eyedropper converted Preppy. It works excellent with the included cartridge, but when it's converted it's always a struggle to get it started after it sits for a little bit (using a fine nib Preppy)
Something not considered but potentially really important for a doctor's pen: Self-sanitizing. While it's certainly not as cheap as any of the options Brian mentioned, I've turned several doctors on to using pens like the Karas Kustoms copper and brass pens, since they self-sanitize, something especially useful when working in fields like pediatrics.
I'm 23. I always wanted to be a doctor or teacher. I'm going back to school this summer to work on getting that degree. And, I am also currently working with students with special needs. So I guess I'm not doing too badly right now Haha ☺
I started with the Lamy Safari and Joy (for the 1.1mm stub). Now I keep the Joy nib in the Safari for portability (that Joy body is too long for my tastes). Also, I have a lathe coming in on Wednesday, primarily for turning some acrylic/wood pens. Custom resin blank pouring will come soon enough.
QOTW - I wanted to be a librarian and a novelist. I majored in English in college, but ended up in banking and I’m still here. The local state college does have a master’s program in library sciences, so every once in a while I ponder that option...but can’t imagine being back in school while working and with a 4- and a 9- year old at home.
I remember telling older women who asked me, as a kid, what I wanted to be when I grew up that I wanted to be a garbage man. That pretty much ended the conversation, which I enjoyed.
When I was 5 I was going to grow up to be a ballerina. When I was 11 I wanted to be a journalist. When I was 18 I thought that I would be an anthropologist. At 23 I was going to grow up to be a nurse...which I did. For a long time. Then I burnt out. Now at 38 I am in school to be a luthier. Hopefully I will have it figured out by the time I'm 40 and can make guitars full time. My 8 yo daughter wants to be a vet. Before that she was going to be a space-police-dinosaur-princess-witch.
Liked the update you did partway through. Sat going through your back catalogue waiting for the next pencast to release. As always some useful & interesting information for the pen community, May your business continue for many more years.
Considered being a vet as a kid but couldn't deal with the idea of pets dying in my care. I imagine it would be so cool to work under Rachel's lead and to learn from her! I'm sure you'd be a fun boss, too 😁
QOTW: I remember going to see my Mom's quartet The Friesen Sisters, sing when I was a kid. And I remember seeing "A Hard Days' Night" purportedly about a day in the life of the Beatles. And I thought "That looks like a nice job. I'd like doing that." And I have done exactly that. I have traveled the country, played and sang in many states of the US. Currently, I am teaching at a music school in Lawrence, KS, passing along my love of the music to the next generation.
QOTW: When I was younger, in my 20s, I wanted to be a veternarian. So, I ended up going to a tech school to become a nurse. I was licensed as an LPN for about 10 years; but, the industry had changed so much that if I wanted to stay in it, I either had to advance to become an RN or go back to being a nursing assistant; so, I went back to school to become a home economist. My major area of interest was in family and consumer sciences and I got my BS degree in 1994. It was a good move on my part. I am retired now and continually learning new things.
Regarding the grease to use on the piston for the TWSBI: the instruction manual that comes with the pen specifically states to use "bearing grease" on that part. So it does appear to be lithium grease or something comparable.
QOTW: In first grade I wanted to be an accountant, because my dad was and I didn't know any better. My freshman year in high school, I wanted to be an engineer. Three engineering degrees later (2 BS, 1 MS), I'm in technical management/leadership, which is exactly where I want to be.
Great video and I appreciate the recommendations for workhorse pens (#4, minute 17:06) that write well and are economical as well. I wanted to check out the 2nd pen recommended and a little GP website search uncovered that the pen Brian recommended was the Jinhao 51A, not "Pilot 51A". Thank you again for your promotion of fountain pens and the FP community!
I enjoy videos featuring luxury fountain pens that are way out of my price range; but, it's great to see more affordable pens (the ones that make up my collection) such as the Jinhao 51a and Diplomat Magnum getting some love for their many positive features.
@jaydddeee I would say for a lanyard I would say a TWSBI Go. Instead of a clip it has a little loop on the cap to attach a lanyard, snap the pen out, write, and snap it back into the cap.
I am not a child, but I still don't quite know what I want to be when I grow up. LOL. When I *was* a child, I wanted to be a detective and a writer. I still want to be both of those things, in fact. Haha.
With the rise of pastel color pens, do you think more pastel (but readable) inks will be the new thing? Thinking of blue myotis, rose gilt, barossa grape etc
QOTW: I wanted to be a nurse and then changed to be a music teacher. I went to college and got my degree in Music Ed. and never taught in a school. Kids were too intimidating and I had no self confidence. So I went into retail as a department manager in a large department store. Merchandising was not in my blood. So I finally remembered nursing! I went to Nursing school and absolutely loved being a nurse for over 30 years until I became legally blind. As for fountain pen brick and mortar stores, I wish there were still more of them. Sometimes I buy a pen, just because I want to see and feel and hold it in person. I probably would not buy so many if I could do that.
I don't own expensive FPs (Lamy Safaris all the way) - but would spend in the $100-$250 pens by women pen makers in a heartbeat. Please make a women pen makers page in your store!
Yo Brain suddenly there are a lot more fountain pens in stores along with the journals.. Artist supply shops are carrying the "drawing fountain pens" which use true fountain pen ink not india inks These pens come in various "Iridium" nib widths . Brush pens and of course the calligraphy sets are available and slowly bulk ink is back Most of the pens are coming with cartridges and converters..Also good papers are now available but that Clairefontaine 68141C from Goulet was what got the cursive back. .Of course Goulet Pens has always been the go to for most of my pens and inks as there seems to be a quality control coupled with your name.and business. Goulet packing is so good that it is often reused as when a coworker saw your box and reused it to send an expensive surf casting reel to her boy in Puerto Rico.. QOTW : I wanted to invent FTL ( faster than light ) drive you know it as warp speed
Apologies if it is already answered in one of your video's, but do your kids also write with fountain pens and which ones? I remember I had to learn to write with a fountain pen at school when I was 6.
Entering college in the fall and I have no idea what I want to do! When I was little I wanted to be a teacher (which is one of the few things I have on my ABSOLUTELY NOT list, ironically)
When I was a kid I wanted to be an orthodontist, now I am in grad school studying to become a therapist and currently work in community (child) mental health.
Vinyl is more expensive by far to get equivalent quality compared to FPs. I would suggest that maintenance is more expensive and difficult as well. You can get your lifetime pen and every maintenance tool required for under $300. That isn't likely for a phono setup.
QOTW: ever since I was 6y.o. I wanted to be a scientist. But that's just because I didn't know what a scientist do, nowadays I have the job that I always wanted being a concept designer, just because my dream was to invent things and come up with ideas. Everytime that I look back I give my 6yo self a high five as in "we did it bro!!"
I remember being in Pre-k and my teacher was preparing a "book" for my mom for Mother's Day. I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was, " I want to be a MOMMY!" My teacher replied, "No, seriously, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Fast forward, I married at 19. I was SO blessed to live my dream of being a MOMMY to 3 beautiful daughters. We celebrated or 26th anniversary on Wednesday June 5th. Last week, my husband suffered a stroke. He is no longer able to work and having to re-learn so basically functions. I am qualified for nothing, really. We are facing a hard financial crash with losing our income and with that our insurance. . I guess I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up!
Wow! I agreed- being a mom is the greatest calling! I'm going through a dramatic change in our family also (mine - hubby of 29 yrs decided he wanted to be free). So I know how hard it can be to get on one's feet after being home (out of the workforce) for an extended period. But it gets better - one step at a time. You are accumulating many skills that businesses (look at small/start-up shops) can utilize. Don't sell yourself short. You doing something that most wouldn't (& couldn't) dare to do! You have value! You can still be whatever you put your mind to.
QoTW: I grew up in West Texas, and our family ranch leased an entire mountain to the University of Texas (on which they built McDonald’s Observatory). We visited often - I even had my 11th birthday party there to see Halley’s Comet through the big scope - and of course growing up in the middle of nowhere meant REALLY dark skies, so I always wanted to be an astronomer when I grew up. When it finally came to needing to make a decision on a college major, I quite literally flipped a coin between astronomy and music. Music won.
In regards to TWSBI 580AL maintenance…. Have you ever had an end cap of the piston mechanism get stripped? I can't seem to keep the end cap securely on, and it appears the interior threads may be stripped. Not sure what to do at this point. :(
I've heard that TWSBI customer service is pretty good and that they have replaced broken parts for people before. Disclaimer: I haven't had to contact TWSBI myself.
I wanted to be a nurse. One season as a lifeguard and I knew I wanted to be a Science Teacher instead. 😂 And thanks for highlighting women in the pen community. I immediately thought of Andrea Gray. I met her at the LA Pen Show lasts yet and reconnected with her this year. She’s great! I’ll definitely check out Scriptorium Pens too. Had no idea a woman ran that! 😁
QOTW: Paleontologist (this was before the Jurassic Park movie came out, so I was super stoked for that) or an astronomer. Ended up in finance then IT with a financial focus over the last 14 years. Still not amazingly sure what I want to be when I grow up. 😉 - Jeff
Would the Custom 912's #10 nib fit into the Custom 74 using the 74's feed or would it be too large? They don't look *too* different in size like the #5 and #15 Pilot nibs.
P. V. S They won't fit. Feed is a different diameter and length, and so are the nibs. It's regretable there is no built in filling mechanism pen for the size 10s. The 742 is the size ten that looks more like the 74, if it's just looks you're concerned with. Gaudier and wider appointments, but not too terrible.
@@CaptainWumbo I was thinking of putting a #10 music nib onto the Custom 74. Do you think it would fit onto the larger feed of the Custom 823 that has the #15 nib? I already have an 823, but I don't have a 912 to verify if this would work.
P. V. S I gave it a go. It is a bit loose. I don't have it inked, there could be some problems. It doesn't exactly fall out on its own, but it can wiggler a bit and it takes almost nothing to slide it out. Can't say I recommend it, I think it would probably leak. Forcing the size 10 nib onto the size 15 feed doesn't work, the nib is not flush with the feed. You'd need a bit of diy cutting of the feed on the size 15. Maybe if you could find some feeds somewhere to practice? Pilot doesn't sell them itself. I think it would be a waste of time for a mediocre result.
QotW: wanted to be detective or forensics pathologist in elementary school. From middle school on - either computer programmer (at Apple or MS) or fashion designer. Eventually, went into software QA and now a Tech/InfoSec Program Mgr.
QOTW: I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid, but realized that also includes putting animals to sleep:( By the time I got to high school, I discovered I could draw and decided I wanted to go into graphic design. I graduated college in 2004 and 2006 (community college then university) with Associates and Bachelors degrees in graphic design. I've been in the field since my first design job in 2004. Have been at the same place now for 11 years, a non profit with music, dance and theatre programs. I mostly design for the local orchestra!
Well actually up till 50 years ago we ONLY had fountain pens to write with (or pencils, purple indelible pencils or mechanical pencils). And before them of course "dip pens" which were even more of an art
You're pretty close on the $10 per hour for video game testers, the first job I could get with my business degree was testing the Xbox One OS for Microsoft, I made $13 per hour, not too bad for a 30 year old husband and father of 2. Oh, and due to contracting issues, you are only allowed to work there for 18 months, then they fire you without having another job. So, the point of this rambling is to give you the perspective that you chose a better (imo) path. ;^) Plus, none of the 30 people in one big room doing this job were using pens.
*1. Glad to hear that you will take a little time off - you need that, for your health and for your family enjoyment of together time. 2. Some day any pens made by Brian Goulet are going to be true collector items! and 3.0 What kind of idiot would vote thumbs down on a simple video like this??? Derrr!*
Nemosine was in the process of redesigning the Singularity (the only model we carried) so we decided to wait until that transition is complete. Love those pens though and hope to carry them again soon. - Colin
@@Gouletpens Do you know what they are changing and how long it may take? I am looking into getting a new pen in that price range and I may just wait to get my hands on one of those small stub nibs
Doctors get a decent pen. I use a Pelikan M805 Stresseman and a Sailor Pro Gear Realo for work. Get a 2 pen case with a flap for your pocket. Fold the flap back so you can reach the pen inside to quickly pull it out. And make sure you have it before you leave a desk.
Okay, how awesome-looking is that Pilot Heritage Custom 92 body with that transparent blue Pilot Custom 74 cap. That is just incredible! It's not very pragmatic to do so, but I'd love to buy both and have an awesome Franken pen. I'm sure Pilot execs. would be horrified! LOL Also, yeah if your pen has dried out, CLEAN IT! Unless it dried out because you thought there was more ink in the pen than there actually was. In which case, yeah just fill it back up. *QOTW:* I wanted to be President of the United States of America..... And then I found out I couldn't because I wasn't born in this wonderful, beautiful country. Quite frankly I think that's an idiotic requirement as I constantly see Americans born here who happily bash their nation at every opportunity. Especially when news organizations waste their reporters' time by doing campus interviews.
I have mixed feelings about this episode. I think the one thing I like about the pen hobby in general is that there is very little sexism in it. Women nib meisters like at Indy Pen Dance are just as respected and their male peers on the basis of their work. On forums women can be just as authoritative as men and in a lot of cases, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW whether you are talking to a male or a female. I am not against the idea of highlighting women contributors or companies, but the idea of wanting to buy something based upon the gender of the person who made it feels like a step backwards. By the same token if you spoke about good companies from a particular country (made in America or Italy or China or Japan) I wouldn't probably notice, so likely it is just me being oversensitive. I work with a lot of women and basically co-workers are co-workers, so when I hear someone saying they want a pen designed by a woman, it somehow makes me a bit sad, possibly because I thought the fountain pen space was a space where ones gender doesn't matter as much and we are all just people here. It never really occurred to me that women are not as prevalent in any of these companies because every time I see a factory tour, women are all over the place, assembling pens and testing nibs, etc., so I figured that they were designers and executives as well. I guess I learned I was a little naive today. It is good to be surprised. That's how we grow and get better. :)
The Over/UnderThinker totally fair points in my opinion and that's been my experience with the pen community so far too... I would also say: hard to say if it's a matter of "sexism" or just matter of different interests and goals within the industry/hobby?
@@dianeandbrad529 I also don't think it is sexism, but more curiosity. Maybe he/she meant that since he/she had not seen any blatant sexism, he/she doesn't think in terms of women this or men that, hopefully not saying covering the topic was sexism. I think Brian answers the questions he gets asked and since he had not already covered this, and he likes new questions, he chose this one. I am sure no more thought went into it than that. To be honest, I never really considered pen "designers" as personalities at all. I see a pen, I like it enough, I can afford it, I buy it. some brands I like the nib of, but that's about it. I can however get that somebody might want to collect pens on that basis though. People collect pens on all kinds of basis: color, model, year, material, country or origin, filling mechanism, etc. so it is just one more twist. I think that I like most that the pen community is focused more on what we have in common more than how we are different, but a lot of interest based communities can be like that.
@@dianeandbrad529 Sorry, I was truly not saying that the actual question was sexist. I truly apologize if it came across that way. I don't know Brian at all personally but he always comes across to me as one of the most fair minded people who have a public profile in any field of endeavor, so I apologize profusely to both you and him if it came across that way. I meant to say that it is rare to see things spoken of in terms of gender, so I would not think that women designers have a harder road or were less prominent than male designers (I have no idea if it is true to not, it just never occurred to me to think about it). I remember Wancher put out some advertising recently (if I have it correctly) about a glass pen recently and it was labeled as "for her" in their advertising and they got a fair amount of of pushback for it because anyone could like any pen really. I thought the pink striped Pelikans were pretty awesome for example and the turquoise equally so. I cannot believe that either was really marketed to men or women, just people who love pens. My comment was more surprise than criticism and reacting to the fact that I was surprised and also to state that I think most people who are interested in pens are glad to learn from whomever they can learn from and share with whomever shares their passion. If they had asked about pens made in a particular state, for example, it would not have struck me as odd, so there was information about me in why this question struck me differently because it is a variation of the same question. That was it. Thanks for your understanding comment and I promise I was not trying to start trouble, just thinking out loud.
The Over/UnderThinker I think we are pondering the same things... thinking out loud 👍 and I think saying similar things.. I don't think any of your comments were offensive at all... 😀
Hahahahahaha ... Fax machines are irrelevant ... hahahahahaha. I still use a fax at work every day! I work for a small company (a turf farm) that is behind the times.
Derek Burgess My Dad said the same thing! He distinctly remembers his 6th grade teacher (back in the early 50s) giving him a C on an essay because he wanted to be a cowboy and pen the state of Texas when he grew up. The teacher said being a cowboy is unrealistic. 🤨
As someone who has used fountain pens in a medical setting for decades, I highly recommend the Varsity as a starter but if you can afford the Lamy go for it. The clip is versatile for a pocket or lanyard and if you’re writing on charts , notecards or the ever-popular paper towel you may need a finer nib. Someone will need to borrow your pen and you will not be able to decline-the Lamy on the lanyard is a great option so when you offer up your pen you can stealthily keep the cap. No one steals an uncapped pen. BTW my love for blue inks began with writing in charts. Firstly you can tell a copied page from an original (back then there were no color copiers) and it makes it easier to find your orders or progress notes from the rest.
I so miss paper charting.
Another lady in the pen world that I think deserves a mention is Audrey at Franklin-Christoph. I don’t know that she designs pens per se, but she is a nib-meister. Jim Rouse trained her to grind their unique nib grind, the SIG. While the pen world lost Jim last year, Audrey carries on his legacy.
As a child, I wanted to be a nun. Being Presbyterian created some difficulties though. I also wanted to be a writer. At one point I wanted to be a missionary. The thing I wanted most of all though was to be a mommy.
You could be an Episcopalian religious! We have these orders. Also, there are lay relationships to the orders which honor the basic calling (mommy, for instance), but also the further spiritual vocation. Sharing your love for the spirituality of writing.
Hey Brian, nice vid as always!
48:48 Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think the Pilot/Namiki Yukari Royal "Frog" was done by a female makie artist by the name of Yumi. It's heartwarmingly cute and I tend to remember that one especially well, but I'm pretty sure the Kokkoukai (the group that's behind all of Namiki's makies) also has a few other ladies responsible for some very artistic pens.
ImoMushi Yumi Hayashi! She was the first female maki-e artist hired by Namiki. I have a Nightline Moonlight by her, so she definitely has a hand in making a few different models.
Brought a tear to my eye - my kids still see us as heroes, through rose coloured glasses, maybe that will change - I saw my dad that way from day one, until he passed three years ago at age 84. Never changed, not for a minute. I'd say you're on the right course :>
When I was younger I wanted to be a princess at Disney. In high school I wanted to enlist in the navy. Now as a college student I have changed my major 4 times. I am currently a nursing student and I don’t think I am going to change my major anytime soon.
I'm a hospital chaplain, and hope that you are living your calling in joy.
Goulet team, would you consider a "mystery box' on your site such as setting a price that includes pens of a certain price/value and ink samples or bottled ink. I think it would be neat to receive a random pen and ink/supplies in the mail. Anyway, thanks for the videos and amazing products.
I almost wanted to say that was craziness. But if i could choose specifics and get randomness within that range, i could get behind that.
I love these Q&A's, thank you Brian and I can't even you keep doing these over 7 years with that upload frequency and duration for each video, your passion really amaze me and they re really helpful and relax to listening.
Had ordered one edison pen from your company, looking forward to add more of my collections through your store in future!
As a pediatrician in practice for 28 years... I would recommend the Visconti Homo Sapiens for daily use. First, you pretty much can't destroy it. Second, it's clearly a nice pen and I tend to treat it like any piece of jewelry. I've never lost it (though I generally don't loan it out for other people to use). Third, it's an absolute joy to use (and as much writing as I do in a day, it's nice to have a little joy amidst all the paperwork - even with the electronic medical record). Yes - it's expensive. But if you look at the price and my daily use/joy of use, I think it's a worthy investment. (Another worthy choice - also pricey - is the Pineider La Grande Bellezza. Also a great writer, and a bit less expensive as compared to the Visconti.
I'm a hospital chaplain, and couldn't agree more . . . but, at 62, if I really get my "grail" pen (Pelikan M800), it will be mostly assuming I leave it to the son who likes fountain pens. Meanwhile, I'm happy with my inexpensive Chinese pens, plus a couple of gold nib use-at-home-only treasures.
I first wanted to be a teacher, lawyer, and finally, a fashion designer. My favourite school subjects were math, science, and art. I would help my mom settle the financial books for the organization (a popular civil group) she worked for, and I quickly realized two things I would never go into the accounting or legal fields. I worked my way through university as a customer svc. rep. and by doing "tech" co-ops/internships (I was an electrical/computer engineering major). I worked as a POS SW system analyst, then left corporate America to be a stay-at-home homeschooling mom (the hardest thing I've EVER done - raising & nurturing young humans, NOT for the faint-of-heart!). Now trying to re-enter the workforce in the UI/UX industry.
I have always loved writing instruments (got this passion from my dad - the architect)! Since my parents were raised under the "British" educational system, I was given my first fountain pen in elementary school. I used them until I got to university. Now I'm back and enjoying it!
I am looking forward to trying some of the pens highlighted in this video.
As far as women pen designers and the mentioning of Taccia....
The first pen show I attended I came across a Taccia Pinnacle (already spent the cash I took). Sales rep. let me give it "a spin" and I liked the way the pen wrote/handled. When I had the opportunity I purchased one with a "F" nib.
The pen is well made, solid and is a great writer. I have no regrets whatsoever with the purchase.
I LOVE my Lamy Safari, it's certainly the most reliable pen in my small collection. Writes the first time every time! I can't say the same about an eyedropper converted Preppy. It works excellent with the included cartridge, but when it's converted it's always a struggle to get it started after it sits for a little bit (using a fine nib Preppy)
Something not considered but potentially really important for a doctor's pen: Self-sanitizing. While it's certainly not as cheap as any of the options Brian mentioned, I've turned several doctors on to using pens like the Karas Kustoms copper and brass pens, since they self-sanitize, something especially useful when working in fields like pediatrics.
Am I the only one who noticed him call the Jinhao 51a a pilot pen at first?
i was thinking "A pilot pen for $8 that comes with a converter! Wowee!"
Scrolled down just to see if anyone else mentioned that. He caught himself the second time "Piiiiih, Jinhao" :)
I'm 23. I always wanted to be a doctor or teacher.
I'm going back to school this summer to work on getting that degree. And, I am also currently working with students with special needs.
So I guess I'm not doing too badly right now Haha ☺
I started with the Lamy Safari and Joy (for the 1.1mm stub). Now I keep the Joy nib in the Safari for portability (that Joy body is too long for my tastes). Also, I have a lathe coming in on Wednesday, primarily for turning some acrylic/wood pens. Custom resin blank pouring will come soon enough.
Wanted to be a velociraptor when I grew up.
Didn’t get accepted into Raptor School though, so I had to find something else to do. Sucks.
QOTW - I wanted to be a librarian and a novelist. I majored in English in college, but ended up in banking and I’m still here. The local state college does have a master’s program in library sciences, so every once in a while I ponder that option...but can’t imagine being back in school while working and with a 4- and a 9- year old at home.
QOTW: I wanted to be a marine biologist at 6 and then a mathematician at 8. I'm now a physicist.
I remember telling older women who asked me, as a kid, what I wanted to be when I grew up that I wanted to be a garbage man. That pretty much ended the conversation, which I enjoyed.
When I was 5 I was going to grow up to be a ballerina. When I was 11 I wanted to be a journalist. When I was 18 I thought that I would be an anthropologist. At 23 I was going to grow up to be a nurse...which I did. For a long time. Then I burnt out. Now at 38 I am in school to be a luthier. Hopefully I will have it figured out by the time I'm 40 and can make guitars full time. My 8 yo daughter wants to be a vet. Before that she was going to be a space-police-dinosaur-princess-witch.
Liked the update you did partway through. Sat going through your back catalogue waiting for the next pencast to release.
As always some useful & interesting information for the pen community, May your business continue for many more years.
Considered being a vet as a kid but couldn't deal with the idea of pets dying in my care.
I imagine it would be so cool to work under Rachel's lead and to learn from her! I'm sure you'd be a fun boss, too 😁
If I was a medical student, I would love to have the Kaweko sport, even though the clip is optional. Small, great cool look, writes well.
QOTW: I remember going to see my Mom's quartet The Friesen Sisters, sing when I was a kid. And I remember seeing "A Hard Days' Night" purportedly about a day in the life of the Beatles. And I thought "That looks like a nice job. I'd like doing that." And I have done exactly that. I have traveled the country, played and sang in many states of the US. Currently, I am teaching at a music school in Lawrence, KS, passing along my love of the music to the next generation.
My new fav. quote:
"Quality? Quantity? Whatever! Give it all to me!"
- Brian Goulet on Fountain Pens, 6/2019
:D
I love these Q&A's, thank you Brian. I find it very relaxing and I always learn something new. :)
QOTW: When I was younger, in my 20s, I wanted to be a veternarian. So, I ended up going to a tech school to become a nurse. I was licensed as an LPN for about 10 years; but, the industry had changed so much that if I wanted to stay in it, I either had to advance to become an RN or go back to being a nursing assistant; so, I went back to school to become a home economist. My major area of interest was in family and consumer sciences and I got my BS degree in 1994. It was a good move on my part. I am retired now and continually learning new things.
Regarding the grease to use on the piston for the TWSBI: the instruction manual that comes with the pen specifically states to use "bearing grease" on that part. So it does appear to be lithium grease or something comparable.
QOTW: In first grade I wanted to be an accountant, because my dad was and I didn't know any better. My freshman year in high school, I wanted to be an engineer. Three engineering degrees later (2 BS, 1 MS), I'm in technical management/leadership, which is exactly where I want to be.
Great video and I appreciate the recommendations for workhorse pens (#4, minute 17:06) that write well and are economical as well. I wanted to check out the 2nd pen recommended and a little GP website search uncovered that the pen Brian recommended was the Jinhao 51A, not "Pilot 51A". Thank you again for your promotion of fountain pens and the FP community!
I enjoy videos featuring luxury fountain pens that are way out of my price range; but, it's great to see more affordable pens (the ones that make up my collection) such as the Jinhao 51a and Diplomat Magnum getting some love for their many positive features.
@jaydddeee I would say for a lanyard I would say a TWSBI Go. Instead of a clip it has a little loop on the cap to attach a lanyard, snap the pen out, write, and snap it back into the cap.
I am not a child, but I still don't quite know what I want to be when I grow up. LOL. When I *was* a child, I wanted to be a detective and a writer. I still want to be both of those things, in fact. Haha.
About the custom 74 and 92 having the same nib and feed, do you know why only the 74 is available with an EF nib?
With the rise of pastel color pens, do you think more pastel (but readable) inks will be the new thing? Thinking of blue myotis, rose gilt, barossa grape etc
QOTW: I wanted to be a nurse and then changed to be a music teacher. I went to college and got my degree in Music Ed. and never taught in a school. Kids were too intimidating and I had no self confidence. So I went into retail as a department manager in a large department store. Merchandising was not in my blood. So I finally remembered nursing! I went to Nursing school and absolutely loved being a nurse for over 30 years until I became legally blind. As for fountain pen brick and mortar stores, I wish there were still more of them. Sometimes I buy a pen, just because I want to see and feel and hold it in person. I probably would not buy so many if I could do that.
You 'all are such genuine great people, that's why I always order on Goulet Pen Company.
I don't own expensive FPs (Lamy Safaris all the way) - but would spend in the $100-$250 pens by women pen makers in a heartbeat. Please make a women pen makers page in your store!
Shaunak De ,
that would be a great addition to the filters!!!
Yo Brain suddenly there are a lot more fountain pens in stores along with the journals.. Artist supply shops are carrying the "drawing fountain pens" which use true fountain pen ink not india inks These pens come in various "Iridium" nib widths . Brush pens and of course the calligraphy sets are available and slowly bulk ink is back Most of the pens are coming with cartridges and converters..Also good papers are now available but that Clairefontaine 68141C from Goulet was what got the cursive back. .Of course Goulet Pens has always been the go to for most of my pens and inks as there seems to be a quality control coupled with your name.and business. Goulet packing is so good that it is often reused as when a coworker saw your box and reused it to send an expensive surf casting reel to her boy in Puerto Rico.. QOTW : I wanted to invent FTL ( faster than light ) drive you know it as warp speed
Apologies if it is already answered in one of your video's, but do your kids also write with fountain pens and which ones? I remember I had to learn to write with a fountain pen at school when I was 6.
Entering college in the fall and I have no idea what I want to do! When I was little I wanted to be a teacher (which is one of the few things I have on my ABSOLUTELY NOT list, ironically)
Brian, very good Q&A episode. You covered a lot of bases, including the subject of women designers. I hope the pen mfgers watched your Q&A.
When I was a kid I wanted to be an orthodontist, now I am in grad school studying to become a therapist and currently work in community (child) mental health.
What are the pens in the thumbnail? Some I recognize (e.g. the BENU) but not all. Thx.
From left to right; Edison Nouveau Premiere Delphinium, Scriptorium Idyll (not sure on color) , BENU Hexagon Titan, and Kanilea Maui Makai. - Colin
Vinyl is more expensive by far to get equivalent quality compared to FPs. I would suggest that maintenance is more expensive and difficult as well. You can get your lifetime pen and every maintenance tool required for under $300. That isn't likely for a phono setup.
QOTW: ever since I was 6y.o. I wanted to be a scientist. But that's just because I didn't know what a scientist do, nowadays I have the job that I always wanted being a concept designer, just because my dream was to invent things and come up with ideas. Everytime that I look back I give my 6yo self a high five as in "we did it bro!!"
I remember being in Pre-k and my teacher was preparing a "book" for my mom for Mother's Day. I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was, " I want to be a MOMMY!" My teacher replied, "No, seriously, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Fast forward, I married at 19. I was SO blessed to live my dream of being a MOMMY to 3 beautiful daughters. We celebrated or 26th anniversary on Wednesday June 5th.
Last week, my husband suffered a stroke. He is no longer able to work and having to re-learn so basically functions.
I am qualified for nothing, really. We are facing a hard financial crash with losing our income and with that our insurance. .
I guess I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up!
Wow! I agreed- being a mom is the greatest calling! I'm going through a dramatic change in our family also (mine - hubby of 29 yrs decided he wanted to be free). So I know how hard it can be to get on one's feet after being home (out of the workforce) for an extended period. But it gets better - one step at a time. You are accumulating many skills that businesses (look at small/start-up shops) can utilize. Don't sell yourself short. You doing something that most wouldn't (& couldn't) dare to do! You have value! You can still be whatever you put your mind to.
QoTW: I grew up in West Texas, and our family ranch leased an entire mountain to the University of Texas (on which they built McDonald’s Observatory). We visited often - I even had my 11th birthday party there to see Halley’s Comet through the big scope - and of course growing up in the middle of nowhere meant REALLY dark skies, so I always wanted to be an astronomer when I grew up. When it finally came to needing to make a decision on a college major, I quite literally flipped a coin between astronomy and music. Music won.
I wanted to be a scientist... and I graduated with a chemistry major
In regards to TWSBI 580AL maintenance…. Have you ever had an end cap of the piston mechanism get stripped? I can't seem to keep the end cap securely on, and it appears the interior threads may be stripped. Not sure what to do at this point. :(
I've heard that TWSBI customer service is pretty good and that they have replaced broken parts for people before. Disclaimer: I haven't had to contact TWSBI myself.
QOTW - Fighter pilot. No, never achieved. I did serve in the Navy for four years on an aircraft carrier, so I was around a lot of them.
I wanted to be a nurse. One season as a lifeguard and I knew I wanted to be a Science Teacher instead. 😂
And thanks for highlighting women in the pen community. I immediately thought of Andrea Gray. I met her at the LA Pen Show lasts yet and reconnected with her this year. She’s great! I’ll definitely check out Scriptorium Pens too. Had no idea a woman ran that! 😁
I wanted to be a paleontologist, ended up a university professor of Arabic dialectology. Still dunno which one is the weirdest
I am 16 currently and I would love to become a police officer.
QOTW: Paleontologist (this was before the Jurassic Park movie came out, so I was super stoked for that) or an astronomer. Ended up in finance then IT with a financial focus over the last 14 years. Still not amazingly sure what I want to be when I grow up. 😉
- Jeff
Would the Custom 912's #10 nib fit into the Custom 74 using the 74's feed or would it be too large? They don't look *too* different in size like the #5 and #15 Pilot nibs.
P. V. S They won't fit. Feed is a different diameter and length, and so are the nibs. It's regretable there is no built in filling mechanism pen for the size 10s.
The 742 is the size ten that looks more like the 74, if it's just looks you're concerned with. Gaudier and wider appointments, but not too terrible.
@@CaptainWumbo I was thinking of putting a #10 music nib onto the Custom 74.
Do you think it would fit onto the larger feed of the Custom 823 that has the #15 nib? I already have an 823, but I don't have a 912 to verify if this would work.
P. V. S I gave it a go. It is a bit loose. I don't have it inked, there could be some problems. It doesn't exactly fall out on its own, but it can wiggler a bit and it takes almost nothing to slide it out. Can't say I recommend it, I think it would probably leak. Forcing the size 10 nib onto the size 15 feed doesn't work, the nib is not flush with the feed.
You'd need a bit of diy cutting of the feed on the size 15. Maybe if you could find some feeds somewhere to practice? Pilot doesn't sell them itself. I think it would be a waste of time for a mediocre result.
@@CaptainWumbo darn. Thanks for checking for me!
QotW: wanted to be detective or forensics pathologist in elementary school. From middle school on - either computer programmer (at Apple or MS) or fashion designer. Eventually, went into software QA and now a Tech/InfoSec Program Mgr.
QOTW: I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid, but realized that also includes putting animals to sleep:(
By the time I got to high school, I discovered I could draw and decided I wanted to go into graphic design. I graduated college in 2004 and 2006 (community college then university) with Associates and Bachelors degrees in graphic design. I've been in the field since my first design job in 2004. Have been at the same place now for 11 years, a non profit with music, dance and theatre programs. I mostly design for the local orchestra!
Re: First pens. Maybe it was the Preppy that you used first, since it comes inked up (I think).
Well actually up till 50 years ago we ONLY had fountain pens to write with (or pencils, purple indelible pencils or mechanical pencils). And before them of course "dip pens" which were even more of an art
You're pretty close on the $10 per hour for video game testers, the first job I could get with my business degree was testing the Xbox One OS for Microsoft, I made $13 per hour, not too bad for a 30 year old husband and father of 2. Oh, and due to contracting issues, you are only allowed to work there for 18 months, then they fire you without having another job. So, the point of this rambling is to give you the perspective that you chose a better (imo) path. ;^)
Plus, none of the 30 people in one big room doing this job were using pens.
I wanted to be a PE teacher or a truck driver and I am now a nurse 😁
Which pens were on the cover? I know a couple but not all of them
From left to right; Edison Nouveau Premiere Delphinium, Scriptorium Idyll (not sure on color) , BENU Hexagon Titan, and Kanilea Maui Makai. - Colin
Was that thunder at 38:00? Oops, Brian just answered my question.
Started to ask the same question! Couldn’t decide between thunder and Drew playing drums in the hallway.
*1. Glad to hear that you will take a little time off - you need that, for your health and for your family enjoyment of together time. 2. Some day any pens made by Brian Goulet are going to be true collector items! and 3.0 What kind of idiot would vote thumbs down on a simple video like this??? Derrr!*
I have that Pelikano in a Goulet-approved blue!
Why'd you guys stop selling nemosine pens?
Nemosine was in the process of redesigning the Singularity (the only model we carried) so we decided to wait until that transition is complete. Love those pens though and hope to carry them again soon. - Colin
@@Gouletpens Do you know what they are changing and how long it may take? I am looking into getting a new pen in that price range and I may just wait to get my hands on one of those small stub nibs
As a kid I wanted to be "Emperor Of The World". So far nada. 😡
Doctors get a decent pen. I use a Pelikan M805 Stresseman and a Sailor Pro Gear Realo for work. Get a 2 pen case with a flap for your pocket. Fold the flap back so you can reach the pen inside to quickly pull it out. And make sure you have it before you leave a desk.
"Forget me not STL" Don't know what the STL stands for but that's what I think it is.
Okay, how awesome-looking is that Pilot Heritage Custom 92 body with that transparent blue Pilot Custom 74 cap. That is just incredible! It's not very pragmatic to do so, but I'd love to buy both and have an awesome Franken pen. I'm sure Pilot execs. would be horrified! LOL
Also, yeah if your pen has dried out, CLEAN IT! Unless it dried out because you thought there was more ink in the pen than there actually was. In which case, yeah just fill it back up.
*QOTW:*
I wanted to be President of the United States of America..... And then I found out I couldn't because I wasn't born in this wonderful, beautiful country. Quite frankly I think that's an idiotic requirement as I constantly see Americans born here who happily bash their nation at every opportunity. Especially when news organizations waste their reporters' time by doing campus interviews.
❤️ work hard and family hard❤️
I wanted to be a mortician! Now I'm studying to be a nurse.
I have mixed feelings about this episode. I think the one thing I like about the pen hobby in general is that there is very little sexism in it. Women nib meisters like at Indy Pen Dance are just as respected and their male peers on the basis of their work. On forums women can be just as authoritative as men and in a lot of cases, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW whether you are talking to a male or a female. I am not against the idea of highlighting women contributors or companies, but the idea of wanting to buy something based upon the gender of the person who made it feels like a step backwards. By the same token if you spoke about good companies from a particular country (made in America or Italy or China or Japan) I wouldn't probably notice, so likely it is just me being oversensitive. I work with a lot of women and basically co-workers are co-workers, so when I hear someone saying they want a pen designed by a woman, it somehow makes me a bit sad, possibly because I thought the fountain pen space was a space where ones gender doesn't matter as much and we are all just people here. It never really occurred to me that women are not as prevalent in any of these companies because every time I see a factory tour, women are all over the place, assembling pens and testing nibs, etc., so I figured that they were designers and executives as well.
I guess I learned I was a little naive today. It is good to be surprised. That's how we grow and get better.
:)
The Over/UnderThinker totally fair points in my opinion and that's been my experience with the pen community so far too...
I would also say: hard to say if it's a matter of "sexism" or just matter of different interests and goals within the industry/hobby?
@@dianeandbrad529 I also don't think it is sexism, but more curiosity. Maybe he/she meant that since he/she had not seen any blatant sexism, he/she doesn't think in terms of women this or men that, hopefully not saying covering the topic was sexism. I think Brian answers the questions he gets asked and since he had not already covered this, and he likes new questions, he chose this one. I am sure no more thought went into it than that. To be honest, I never really considered pen "designers" as personalities at all. I see a pen, I like it enough, I can afford it, I buy it. some brands I like the nib of, but that's about it.
I can however get that somebody might want to collect pens on that basis though. People collect pens on all kinds of basis: color, model, year, material, country or origin, filling mechanism, etc. so it is just one more twist.
I think that I like most that the pen community is focused more on what we have in common more than how we are different, but a lot of interest based communities can be like that.
@@dianeandbrad529 Sorry, I was truly not saying that the actual question was sexist. I truly apologize if it came across that way. I don't know Brian at all personally but he always comes across to me as one of the most fair minded people who have a public profile in any field of endeavor, so I apologize profusely to both you and him if it came across that way.
I meant to say that it is rare to see things spoken of in terms of gender, so I would not think that women designers have a harder road or were less prominent than male designers (I have no idea if it is true to not, it just never occurred to me to think about it). I remember Wancher put out some advertising recently (if I have it correctly) about a glass pen recently and it was labeled as "for her" in their advertising and they got a fair amount of of pushback for it because anyone could like any pen really. I thought the pink striped Pelikans were pretty awesome for example and the turquoise equally so. I cannot believe that either was really marketed to men or women, just people who love pens. My comment was more surprise than criticism and reacting to the fact that I was surprised and also to state that I think most people who are interested in pens are glad to learn from whomever they can learn from and share with whomever shares their passion. If they had asked about pens made in a particular state, for example, it would not have struck me as odd, so there was information about me in why this question struck me differently because it is a variation of the same question. That was it. Thanks for your understanding comment and I promise I was not trying to start trouble, just thinking out loud.
The Over/UnderThinker I think we are pondering the same things... thinking out loud 👍 and I think saying similar things..
I don't think any of your comments were offensive at all... 😀
QOTW: Fighter pilot or achitect.
Forget Me Not St. Louis!
Hahahahahaha ... Fax machines are irrelevant ... hahahahahaha. I still use a fax at work every day! I work for a small company (a turf farm) that is behind the times.
I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up.
Derek Burgess My Dad said the same thing! He distinctly remembers his 6th grade teacher (back in the early 50s) giving him a C on an essay because he wanted to be a cowboy and pen the state of Texas when he grew up. The teacher said being a cowboy is unrealistic. 🤨
The Benu Titan ❤
Scriptorium Pens!
Wow, I'm actually super early for once. First comment
Lamy has all their designers on their webpage. They're all dudes, mostly with beards.
Well I've seen a few chicks with beards also. 😉