Brian, I know it’s been 2 yrs since you recorded this Q&A but I loved it. I’m knew to the fountain pen hobby as of earlier this year and love it. So many of your comments are so relevant even today. I had to laugh at your reminiscing about traveling as a young kid and as a business owner and CEO. I was fortunate to travel a lot as a young person in summers when my dad had business conferences - they always encouraged families to come and planned activities. They were all in the US and one in Canada. Later as an adult I travelled for my job mostly in the US with a couple of trips to Europe. Your imagining of traveling to Florence without someone to guide you was so spot on-or should I say “Write on!” When traveling with my coworkers and those meeting with us from multiple countries, I will always treasure that experience and how blessed I was to be there at that place with them. Thank you for reminding me of that experience!
I think that Brian is adding a really great professional perspective on how higher end and lower end pens from the same manufacturer are different. From my perspective, as a consumer and a relative newcomer, I have found that my confidence in a brand is based on my experience with their lower end pens, bolstered by reviews of their higher end pens, so that I have a better idea of what to expect from, for example, a Pilot gold nib vs. a Pilot steel nib. The reason I bought my Diplomat Aero is because I was so impressed by the Diplomat Magnum. The lower end pens can build a lot of consumer confidence.
Confidence and somewhat brand loyalty! I'd love to see every brand try to offer something in that under-$50 price point to see what they come up with. Visconti, Montegrappa, etc would be interesting. - Colin
While I did not take advantage of the Military Discount, I too express my appreciation for the gesture. In counseling some veterans, I see just how difficult life can be for many veterans who have reached their 70s and beyond. But for our VA programs, most would be bankrupted by healthcare costs, especially for acquisition of some prescription drugs. I called it a “gesture” because not many in such dire economic circumstances are likely customers; however, business people who offer this discount show a spirit of appreciation that I too appreciate.
Brian, regarding @sixwingstudios question (at 43:20) -- try your tests again AFTER using a bit of Blotting Paper to make certain of the ink's dryness. I've had very good luck using Noodler's 54th Massachusetts ink on JL Darling's "Rite-In-The-Rain" (waterproof) notebooks and one of those notebooks has gone through the washing machine (by accident) twice. The ink will smudge a little bit (nothing like your test showed, but a little) and, after two washing cycles, the ink was a bit faded, but it remained very legible. My "trick" is to always use a small piece of J.Herbin blotting paper inserted inside the notebook immediately after writing. 54th Mass also works pretty well on slick calendars.
I think for beginners, one of the best things to do is to attend a pen show, you can try many pens, talk to experts and connect with other who love fountain pens..Eileen
This was a bit long; but, as usual, it was interesting and informative. QOTW: The first place I traveled to was to England. It was after I finished third grade and my dad had gotten his orders to transfer, first to Bentwaters and then to Whethersfield. When my dad was stationed at Bentwaters, we had to live off base since the base did not have family housing. Although, our school was located on base. We lived in a town called Kesgrave. The apartment was above a yarn shop. I guess that the yarn was called wool by the Brits. My sister and I learned how to knit from the shop owner, when she offered to teach us and my mom gave the okay. When my dad got transferred to Whethersfield, we were able to live on base and had a three bedroom townhouse. How many times did I fall going up the stairs? I can't even count the times. Luckily, I never broke anything. But, it was while we were living there that I leaned how to color so that scribble lines did not show. We had the best sitter whenever my dad and mom had to go to the NCO club for one thing or another.
Brian's comparison of Platinum's high end and low end nibs is spot on. I enjoy the writing experience of my Preppys (05 and 03 nibs). I tried the extra fine (02) and couldn't get used to the needle-like point. These pens have been extremely reliable and consistent. In addition to these good qualities the price makes it one of the most affordable fountain pens available.
I love that you were using a Pelikan while discussing the unsung heroes. I've long felt that the secret to Pelikans is their feed. Yes, they have great nibs and the best piston on the market. But their feed is second to none in its ability to deliver a consistent and wet flow, without burping, from the initial fill until every single drop of ink is gone.
I was an Military brat so I have lived all over the US and the world. My first international travel was to Thailand and while living there we went to several other countries to include the Philippines, Hong Kong and India. While I was in the Army I was stationed in Greece and had the opportunity to travel to several countries in Europe to include Germany, Italy and France. This summer I traveled to India again for my job. I found that folks are folks all over the world.
Question for the next Q&A: Do you know of any products similar to the guide sheets bundled with the Colorverse notebooks, but sold separately and with greater variety? I greatly prefer blank paper and I could put to use a whole range of guide sheets; from different line widths, to differently sized grids, to music paper, to blank calendar lay-outs and so on.
22:50 Unsung hero would be the grip section. although having a converter is cool, you can get by with the included cartridge and a syringe in most cases. the grip is what assists in the angle to the paper, the comfort in the hand, it also tends to be the weakest area (easiest to break; easiest doesn't mean easy) in fountain pens.
My only international travel has been to London and I loved it. Many years ago, a friend and her mother and I took advantage of cheap airfares and a few years after I did a business trip. I love how all the walking tours end up in a pub :-)
Thank you Brian, and thanks to your team too; once again it has been great fun to watch the q&a. I like the long sessions very much, it is always so entertaining and it´s so likable to watch you carried away by your enthusiasm. QOTW: Born and raised in the far west of Germany, half an hour away of the durch boarder, I travelled my first time abroad, 8 years old, of course to .. Austria (Salzburg region) on family vacation. Given that in a one day drive (by car or train) or in a one hour flight you can cross every border of the 9 neighboring countries encircle Germany, no matter where you start, it is a bit easier here to meet people with an other language and an other way to live. First time I boarded a plane, I was 24 and flew to Halifax (NS) in family business. I really got thrilled about the people (so nice!), the landscape (so huge!) and the way of life (so different!). The one and only time I´ve been in the US was in 2003, visiting a conference in San Francisco. It was awesome, in every regard!
I loved your travel story! We really are much the same and want the same things around the world. My first international travel was to Japan at the age of around 50. My friend lived in the Kyushu Prefecture in a town called Ibusuki. So we spent a week there and then took the Shinkansen up to Kyoto for another week. It was fabulous. I've never seen a more beautiful city than Kyoto.
I am from the UK. I have travelled a fair bit. The place that impressed me was the USA. For all it’s flaws and faults (and all societies have them) I felt it was a country that if you want to create something do something, you can. And you can fail. And you can just start again, and again, and again, until it works. I think there’s an element of that in the American culture which is missing here. There is flip side of course...
Roy Hughes thank you from an American The US is still a place that rewards individual achievement Hard work and new ideas. We love improving good ideas, tools, you name it I'm a small businessman myself, it's why I support Goulet Pens Just so you know I'm a history buff and have read a lot about the U.K. , England , your history of monarchy etc. The world could have done a lot worse than The British Empire spreading its values throughout the world PEACE
That is America - no matter who you are or what background you come from, if you are willing to work for it, you can be whatever you want to be. That is our culture.
I am sure I don’t have any answers. The US is a big country, very diverse. It’s at its best when it’s positive, go ahead and looks for solutions. It’s a nation that excels once it unites and looks forward. Empires are usually bad, and I don’t think the British Empire was any different, in some ways worse because it was successful at spreading its badness! However, judging the past by today, especially a distant past is a difficult exercise, particularly when you remember it wasn’t the people making or backing decisions or mostly even being informed or having knowledge of them. The best you can say is it could have been worse and left some positive legacies.
QotW: Living in WA state, took several trips into Canada as a kid - either camping or visiting Victoria BC (w/ a British vibe) or Vancouver. My grandmother came over from France in WW2, so I always had that bit of influence in my otherwise small town life. Fond memory was a maternal side family reunion and Luau, meeting lots of Hawaiian relatives. First time out of North America was a 2 week jaunt with my fiance to the UK, Paris, and Amsterdam in 2006. Eye-opening and wonderful, especially how different the trains are versus here in the US/West Coast..
I can now say that today on social media I watched ink dry. 😄 😉. Thanks for another interesting Q&A! QOTW: I would like to travel to Ireland and Denmark.🌻🍁🌿
Edit: The pen works perfectly now after an ink change. Some fresh Pilot fuyu-gaki and AMA-iro are working seamlessly. I can drag the pen and it writes smoothly under it's own weight. Either my noodlers black ink is going bad or it just isn't meant for finer nibs. It may very well have been the problem with my 149 as well. With the pilot ink it's buttery smooth and has no skipping even with the fastest test pen strokes. I'm glad I got the pen in extra fine now, it's just right. By the way thank you to Goulet for responding go my question so promptly. I am leaving the below just as a possible helpful description of how much ink can really mess with your pen. If you're experiencing something like I was you might want to try a different ink not just a cleaning. I had written a short review of the Skylight that I received but I deleted it. I love everything about the pen except for the most important part, the writing. I ordered it in extra fine and I really wanted to like it because it was new and exciting but I just can't accept the way it is writing after a day of use. I'm not a fountain pen expert myself but I am positive that I don't think anyone would find the ink flow on this nib satisfactory. I would need someone who has more experience than myself to tell me if an extra fine nib really has this kind of line inconsistency that I'm getting, or hard starting, or the amount of pressure required to write halfway decent on certain surfaces. Comparing it to my much cheaper pens a cross bailey, and wing sung 699 is when it really falls short. I got the Baily in medium and the Wing Sung 699 in fine. Honestly the wing sung 699 is the best writing experience. To be fair I have a Mont Blanc 149 90th anniversary that is now in the shop for the 2nd time and have never written well. It made me give up on fountain pens for years until I ordered the wing sung 699 on a whim one day and it wrote perfectly out of the box. When I got the Bailey and it wrote almost as good I figured maybe I just had a bad nib on the 149 that they didn't correct the first time. I really love the Homosapiens skylight and have messaged Goulet about my options at this point because I still want the pen I'm just not sure what my options are to improve the writing and I'm not brave enough to mess with the nib myself.
1:06:30 Here in Europe there are places where you can cross 3 or 4 different borders and meet people that speak 4 different languages in just a few hours of driving. Being part of an heterogeneous landscape is very cool, you get a lot more exposure to different cultures and learn that the world is a big place even when you travel just a little bit :D
Answer to the question: First place internationally was going across the border to Mexico to help a church as a junior higher. Second time was when I was 15 and going north across the border into Canada. Done that twice. Since then did an archeology dig in Israel. And then did a European trip of seven countries studying the effect of Martin Luther and how that has affected history in Europe. And that is it. One side note, my parents, when growing up wanted my brother and I to see the United States by touring 42 states in one summer and to learn our history and see where history happened. So very cool.
QOTW: The first country I traveled to outside the US was Russia (twice) back in 1999 for university studies. I would not go there now. Those trips also included Estonia, Sweden, and Austria for short visits. Regarding inks on glossy-type paper, I have used Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng and Baystate Blue with some success. I use them for those cheap greeting and postcards we buy. They also work in magazines (with a little bit of drying time). Generally, I just prefer to stay away from glossy paper when I can.
In my personal aesthetic preferences, I like a pen cap that screws on and off and can be posted by screwing it onto the back end of the pen. My preference would be hidden threads. A great example of this is the Muji aluminum pen. The cap caps and posts with a "hidden" feature that I really, REALLY like. The only thing I would really change is that it screw on and off rather than "push/pull." I just think a good fountain pen should have threaded post and cap positions. Again, just a personal aesthetic preference.
QOTW: Is Michigan to Canada international travel? Maybe not, since I lived 40 miles away! So then it would be England. In 1977-78 I traveled to and lived a year in Yorkshire on a Graduate fellowship. First time out of the USA.
My first international travel was courtesy of the US Army. My first duty station was in Germany. While stationed there I traveled to many other countries.
I was also 33 when I first traveled internationally. First trip was to Canada. I actually ended up buying a bottle of Iroshizuku Hoteison while I was there. I never thought I'd be able to say I bought a special edition fountain pen ink in o foreign country, but here I am.
Technically, the first place I ever traveled internationally was Greenland in the summer of 1967. Planes couldn't fly as far without refueling as they do now so our plane had to stop in Greenland for fuel and they let us off the plane to get our passports stamped. The next stop was London where I spent a couple of days before traveling to Wales for summer school. I was living in a rather conservative city outside Portland, OR at that time so I found the culture of London during the height of the Hippie era to be both shocking and invigorating. It was an eye-opening experience for an eighteen-year-old. All these years later I still have vivid memories of parts of the trip. If I was struck by one thing it was the friendliness of the people in Wales. We had plenty of time to interact with the locals and they were always happy to talk with you and explain things that were totally outside of my experience base. Since then I've had the opportunity to travel to a number of other Europian countries but Wales will always have a special place form.
I have traveled to Thailand. Umm is Aruba international 🤔 hahaha but I would LOVE to go to Japan. Question: so I love shimmering Ink and have J Herbin Emerald Chivon which is my favorite but it seems to smear well after it has dried on Tomoe River paper. Is there any shimmering or sheening ink that doesnt smear even after minutes of drying? Or do I need to just get the waterproof ink to use on Tomoe paper? I have a habit of running my hand over pages I have already written on. 🤦♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ I also do not think I will stop this habit 😬
When he was listing all the communities at about 17:20, what was he referring to when he said "rabblery"? I tried looking it up, but couldn't find anything to do with fountain pens.
Can you do a review of Pelikan's 4001 line of inks? And maybe a comparison of blue inks for everyday note taking (for example in the context of a school class or at a univercity) ?
Hi Brian Goulet, I have one question, please answer me in comment as I might not watch every episode, I have seen certain twsbi pens in which the ink forms a wall of color on whole body inside reservoir and other pics in which ink doesn’t stains/forms a wall of color when bent but the wall remain squeaky clean .. so I want to know which ink should I use so that it falls clean and leave reservoir transparent clear and doesn’t form a wall of ink inside reservoir?
Colin, if you're still monitoring TH-cam, Brian's answer about how entry level pens match to the higher end pens in a brand is insanely awesome and needs to be pulled out in a Q&A Slice so we can send people to it.
Does carrying rulers and protractors mean you may someday start carrying woodcase pencils? :) I also have quite a pencil habit and have to buy online because you can only find Dixon Ticonderogas on shelves these days.
The Jinhao 51A (www.gouletpens.com/collections/jinhao-51a-fountain-pens ), Platinum Preppy (www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-crystal ) or Pilot Varsity (www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-varsity-fountain-pens ) are all great options! - Colin
I have never traveled abroad. When my family does go for the first time though, we will be going to Denmark. My wife has family there. There are many countries in Europe we would love to explore though.
I'd like to recommend two inks from GPS. Noodlers Apache Sunset and Aurora Borealis are both spectacular shading inks that will get you compliments Love mine PEACE
All the pens that you show your personal pens? Because I see you drop pens often and physically touch them and they get scratched, and I know people don’t want their pens touched when it leaves the manufacturer lol
Guys I would be so thankful if you clear my doubts and give me some suggestions.. 1.) Pls suggest me a FP friendly blue ink that is slightly darker ink than lamy blue for my college work (that works for both lamy safari and pilot metropolitan.. slightly lubricated) 2.)How smooth is an Lamy 2k EF compared to Pilot custom 74 F with same ink?? Is pilot scratch resistant for EDC?? Thank you guys👍
1) Assuming you have a converter, Monteverde blue inks could be a good option as they are lubricated and flow well. Ocean Noir or DC Supershow Blue could be good options. 2) The LAMY 2000 EF is very smooth and slightly broader than the C74 F. It does have a bit of a learning curve with writing rotation. It can have flow issues if over rotated. In terms of an EDC, the C74 is just transparent resin so it's not super durable. The LAMY 2000 is definitely the better option for that purpose. - Colin
You have to practice more with italian Brian :D you are saying it more like Ghentiana than Genziana ... practice practice!!! It's a difficult word i admit :P
Mead 5-Star notebooks have surprisingly good paper; try to stick to them when possible, seek out smoother papers otherwise and avoid anything recycled or that feels rough at all, and you'll be in decent shape until you can reliably use your own truly nice papers with regularity.
qotw: by the age of 5 i had visited italy, germany, greece, former czechoslovakia and former yugoslavia. germany was probably the first... but i am not sure.
The first place I traveled outside the US was Scotland in 1972. We hitchhiked around and camped , it was great. I was in college., I still have to get to Paris, Japan and Austrailia!
Brian, I know it’s been 2 yrs since you recorded this Q&A but I loved it. I’m knew to the fountain pen hobby as of earlier this year and love it. So many of your comments are so relevant even today. I had to laugh at your reminiscing about traveling as a young kid and as a business owner and CEO. I was fortunate to travel a lot as a young person in summers when my dad had business conferences - they always encouraged families to come and planned activities. They were all in the US and one in Canada. Later as an adult I travelled for my job mostly in the US with a couple of trips to Europe. Your imagining of traveling to Florence without someone to guide you was so spot on-or should I say “Write on!” When traveling with my coworkers and those meeting with us from multiple countries, I will always treasure that experience and how blessed I was to be there at that place with them. Thank you for reminding me of that experience!
I think that Brian is adding a really great professional perspective on how higher end and lower end pens from the same manufacturer are different. From my perspective, as a consumer and a relative newcomer, I have found that my confidence in a brand is based on my experience with their lower end pens, bolstered by reviews of their higher end pens, so that I have a better idea of what to expect from, for example, a Pilot gold nib vs. a Pilot steel nib. The reason I bought my Diplomat Aero is because I was so impressed by the Diplomat Magnum. The lower end pens can build a lot of consumer confidence.
Confidence and somewhat brand loyalty! I'd love to see every brand try to offer something in that under-$50 price point to see what they come up with. Visconti, Montegrappa, etc would be interesting. - Colin
While I did not take advantage of the Military Discount, I too express my appreciation for the gesture. In counseling some veterans, I see just how difficult life can be for many veterans who have reached their 70s and beyond. But for our VA programs, most would be bankrupted by healthcare costs, especially for acquisition of some prescription drugs. I called it a “gesture” because not many in such dire economic circumstances are likely customers; however, business people who offer this discount show a spirit of appreciation that I too appreciate.
Brian, regarding @sixwingstudios question (at 43:20) -- try your tests again AFTER using a bit of Blotting Paper to make certain of the ink's dryness.
I've had very good luck using Noodler's 54th Massachusetts ink on JL Darling's "Rite-In-The-Rain" (waterproof) notebooks and one of those notebooks has gone through the washing machine (by accident) twice. The ink will smudge a little bit (nothing like your test showed, but a little) and, after two washing cycles, the ink was a bit faded, but it remained very legible. My "trick" is to always use a small piece of J.Herbin blotting paper inserted inside the notebook immediately after writing. 54th Mass also works pretty well on slick calendars.
I think for beginners, one of the best things to do is to attend a pen show, you can try many pens, talk to experts and connect with other who love fountain pens..Eileen
This was a bit long; but, as usual, it was interesting and informative.
QOTW: The first place I traveled to was to England. It was after I finished third grade and my dad had gotten his orders to transfer, first to Bentwaters and then to Whethersfield. When my dad was stationed at Bentwaters, we had to live off base since the base did not have family housing. Although, our school was located on base. We lived in a town called Kesgrave. The apartment was above a yarn shop. I guess that the yarn was called wool by the Brits. My sister and I learned how to knit from the shop owner, when she offered to teach us and my mom gave the okay.
When my dad got transferred to Whethersfield, we were able to live on base and had a three bedroom townhouse. How many times did I fall going up the stairs? I can't even count the times. Luckily, I never broke anything. But, it was while we were living there that I leaned how to color so that scribble lines did not show. We had the best sitter whenever my dad and mom had to go to the NCO club for one thing or another.
Brian's comparison of Platinum's high end and low end nibs is spot on. I enjoy the writing experience of my Preppys (05 and 03 nibs). I tried the extra fine (02) and couldn't get used to the needle-like point. These pens have been extremely reliable and consistent. In addition to these good qualities the price makes it one of the most affordable fountain pens available.
I love that you were using a Pelikan while discussing the unsung heroes. I've long felt that the secret to Pelikans is their feed. Yes, they have great nibs and the best piston on the market. But their feed is second to none in its ability to deliver a consistent and wet flow, without burping, from the initial fill until every single drop of ink is gone.
I was an Military brat so I have lived all over the US and the world. My first international travel was to Thailand and while living there we went to several other countries to include the Philippines, Hong Kong and India. While I was in the Army I was stationed in Greece and had the opportunity to travel to several countries in Europe to include Germany, Italy and France. This summer I traveled to India again for my job. I found that folks are folks all over the world.
Question for the next Q&A: Do you know of any products similar to the guide sheets bundled with the Colorverse notebooks, but sold separately and with greater variety? I greatly prefer blank paper and I could put to use a whole range of guide sheets; from different line widths, to differently sized grids, to music paper, to blank calendar lay-outs and so on.
Rick de Maaijer THIS! Please!
Check out www.wellappointeddesk.com/2019/11/guide-sheet-updates/
Thank you Mr. Goulet for your lovely channel . From my own experience I found that Parker cartridges fit well on my lamy safari
22:50 Unsung hero would be the grip section. although having a converter is cool, you can get by with the included cartridge and a syringe in most cases. the grip is what assists in the angle to the paper, the comfort in the hand, it also tends to be the weakest area (easiest to break; easiest doesn't mean easy) in fountain pens.
totally AGREE
Thanks for raising the military discount for veteran's day!
My first travel overseas was to Frankfurt, Germany. We also spent time in Köln, Hamburg, München, and Bielefeld.
Ordered on Fountain Pen Day, and received today on the West Coast. You guys rock, as usual. Thanks for all the fun!
My only international travel has been to London and I loved it. Many years ago, a friend and her mother and I took advantage of cheap airfares and a few years after I did a business trip. I love how all the walking tours end up in a pub :-)
Thank you Brian, and thanks to your team too; once again it has been great fun to watch the q&a. I like the long sessions very much, it is always so entertaining and it´s so likable to watch you carried away by your enthusiasm.
QOTW: Born and raised in the far west of Germany, half an hour away of the durch boarder, I travelled my first time abroad, 8 years old, of course to .. Austria (Salzburg region) on family vacation. Given that in a one day drive (by car or train) or in a one hour flight you can cross every border of the 9 neighboring countries encircle Germany, no matter where you start, it is a bit easier here to meet people with an other language and an other way to live. First time I boarded a plane, I was 24 and flew to Halifax (NS) in family business. I really got thrilled about the people (so nice!), the landscape (so huge!) and the way of life (so different!). The one and only time I´ve been in the US was in 2003, visiting a conference in San Francisco. It was awesome, in every regard!
I loved your travel story! We really are much the same and want the same things around the world. My first international travel was to Japan at the age of around 50. My friend lived in the Kyushu Prefecture in a town called Ibusuki. So we spent a week there and then took the Shinkansen up to Kyoto for another week. It was fabulous. I've never seen a more beautiful city than Kyoto.
I am from the UK. I have travelled a fair bit. The place that impressed me was the USA. For all it’s flaws and faults (and all societies have them) I felt it was a country that if you want to create something do something, you can. And you can fail. And you can just start again, and again, and again, until it works. I think there’s an element of that in the American culture which is missing here. There is flip side of course...
Roy Hughes thank you from an American The US is still a place that rewards individual achievement Hard work and new ideas. We love improving good ideas, tools, you name it I'm a small businessman myself, it's why I support Goulet Pens Just so you know I'm a history buff and have read a lot about the U.K. , England , your history of monarchy etc. The world could have done a lot worse than The British Empire spreading its values throughout the world PEACE
That is America - no matter who you are or what background you come from, if you are willing to work for it, you can be whatever you want to be. That is our culture.
I am sure I don’t have any answers. The US is a big country, very diverse. It’s at its best when it’s positive, go ahead and looks for solutions. It’s a nation that excels once it unites and looks forward. Empires are usually bad, and I don’t think the British Empire was any different, in some ways worse because it was successful at spreading its badness! However, judging the past by today, especially a distant past is a difficult exercise, particularly when you remember it wasn’t the people making or backing decisions or mostly even being informed or having knowledge of them. The best you can say is it could have been worse and left some positive legacies.
QotW: Living in WA state, took several trips into Canada as a kid - either camping or visiting Victoria BC (w/ a British vibe) or Vancouver. My grandmother came over from France in WW2, so I always had that bit of influence in my otherwise small town life. Fond memory was a maternal side family reunion and Luau, meeting lots of Hawaiian relatives. First time out of North America was a 2 week jaunt with my fiance to the UK, Paris, and Amsterdam in 2006. Eye-opening and wonderful, especially how different the trains are versus here in the US/West Coast..
I can now say that today on social media I watched ink dry. 😄 😉. Thanks for another interesting Q&A! QOTW: I would like to travel to Ireland and Denmark.🌻🍁🌿
At least watching Brian's inks dry on social media is more interesting than watching grass grow! :D
Is that like watching the grass grow in Toledo, Ohio? lol 😉😂😁
Edit: The pen works perfectly now after an ink change. Some fresh Pilot fuyu-gaki and AMA-iro are working seamlessly. I can drag the pen and it writes smoothly under it's own weight. Either my noodlers black ink is going bad or it just isn't meant for finer nibs. It may very well have been the problem with my 149 as well.
With the pilot ink it's buttery smooth and has no skipping even with the fastest test pen strokes. I'm glad I got the pen in extra fine now, it's just right.
By the way thank you to Goulet for responding go my question so promptly.
I am leaving the below just as a possible helpful description of how much ink can really mess with your pen. If you're experiencing something like I was you might want to try a different ink not just a cleaning.
I had written a short review of the Skylight that I received but I deleted it.
I love everything about the pen except for the most important part, the writing. I ordered it in extra fine and I really wanted to like it because it was new and exciting but I just can't accept the way it is writing after a day of use. I'm not a fountain pen expert myself but I am positive that I don't think anyone would find the ink flow on this nib satisfactory. I would need someone who has more experience than myself to tell me if an extra fine nib really has this kind of line inconsistency that I'm getting, or hard starting, or the amount of pressure required to write halfway decent on certain surfaces.
Comparing it to my much cheaper pens a cross bailey, and wing sung 699 is when it really falls short. I got the Baily in medium and the Wing Sung 699 in fine. Honestly the wing sung 699 is the best writing experience.
To be fair I have a Mont Blanc 149 90th anniversary that is now in the shop for the 2nd time and have never written well. It made me give up on fountain pens for years until I ordered the wing sung 699 on a whim one day and it wrote perfectly out of the box. When I got the Bailey and it wrote almost as good I figured maybe I just had a bad nib on the 149 that they didn't correct the first time.
I really love the Homosapiens skylight and have messaged Goulet about my options at this point because I still want the pen I'm just not sure what my options are to improve the writing and I'm not brave enough to mess with the nib myself.
That's interesting about the metal Montagrappa metal threads. I REALLY like the smooth, rounded, sturdy resin threads on the blue Elmo I have.
1:06:30 Here in Europe there are places where you can cross 3 or 4 different borders and meet people that speak 4 different languages in just a few hours of driving. Being part of an heterogeneous landscape is very cool, you get a lot more exposure to different cultures and learn that the world is a big place even when you travel just a little bit :D
Answer to the question: First place internationally was going across the border to Mexico to help a church as a junior higher. Second time was when I was 15 and going north across the border into Canada. Done that twice. Since then did an archeology dig in Israel. And then did a European trip of seven countries studying the effect of Martin Luther and how that has affected history in Europe. And that is it. One side note, my parents, when growing up wanted my brother and I to see the United States by touring 42 states in one summer and to learn our history and see where history happened. So very cool.
QOTW: The first country I traveled to outside the US was Russia (twice) back in 1999 for university studies. I would not go there now. Those trips also included Estonia, Sweden, and Austria for short visits. Regarding inks on glossy-type paper, I have used Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng and Baystate Blue with some success. I use them for those cheap greeting and postcards we buy. They also work in magazines (with a little bit of drying time). Generally, I just prefer to stay away from glossy paper when I can.
In my personal aesthetic preferences, I like a pen cap that screws on and off and can be posted by screwing it onto the back end of the pen. My preference would be hidden threads. A great example of this is the Muji aluminum pen. The cap caps and posts with a "hidden" feature that I really, REALLY like. The only thing I would really change is that it screw on and off rather than "push/pull." I just think a good fountain pen should have threaded post and cap positions.
Again, just a personal aesthetic preference.
QOTW: Is Michigan to Canada international travel? Maybe not, since I lived 40 miles away! So then it would be England. In 1977-78 I traveled to and lived a year in Yorkshire on a Graduate fellowship. First time out of the USA.
My first international travel was courtesy of the US Army. My first duty station was in Germany. While stationed there I traveled to many other countries.
Aarlene Campion where in Germany? I was a DAC in Baumholder but lived in Kusel
MK Buike I was in Pirmasens.
I was also 33 when I first traveled internationally. First trip was to Canada. I actually ended up buying a bottle of Iroshizuku Hoteison while I was there. I never thought I'd be able to say I bought a special edition fountain pen ink in o foreign country, but here I am.
Technically, the first place I ever traveled internationally was Greenland in the summer of 1967. Planes couldn't fly as far without refueling as they do now so our plane had to stop in Greenland for fuel and they let us off the plane to get our passports stamped. The next stop was London where I spent a couple of days before traveling to Wales for summer school. I was living in a rather conservative city outside Portland, OR at that time so I found the culture of London during the height of the Hippie era to be both shocking and invigorating. It was an eye-opening experience for an eighteen-year-old. All these years later I still have vivid memories of parts of the trip. If I was struck by one thing it was the friendliness of the people in Wales. We had plenty of time to interact with the locals and they were always happy to talk with you and explain things that were totally outside of my experience base. Since then I've had the opportunity to travel to a number of other Europian countries but Wales will always have a special place form.
I have traveled to Thailand. Umm is Aruba international 🤔 hahaha but I would LOVE to go to Japan.
Question: so I love shimmering Ink and have J Herbin Emerald Chivon which is my favorite but it seems to smear well after it has dried on Tomoe River paper. Is there any shimmering or sheening ink that doesnt smear even after minutes of drying? Or do I need to just get the waterproof ink to use on Tomoe paper? I have a habit of running my hand over pages I have already written on. 🤦♀️ 🤷🏻♀️ I also do not think I will stop this habit 😬
When he was listing all the communities at about 17:20, what was he referring to when he said "rabblery"? I tried looking it up, but couldn't find anything to do with fountain pens.
He was talking about Ravelry (www.ravelry.com/account/login ) which is a knitting community that is also into fountain pens. - Colin
Can you do a review of Pelikan's 4001 line of inks? And maybe a comparison of blue inks for everyday note taking (for example in the context of a school class or at a univercity) ?
Hi Brian Goulet, I have one question, please answer me in comment as I might not watch every episode, I have seen certain twsbi pens in which the ink forms a wall of color on whole body inside reservoir and other pics in which ink doesn’t stains/forms a wall of color when bent but the wall remain squeaky clean .. so I want to know which ink should I use so that it falls clean and leave reservoir transparent clear and doesn’t form a wall of ink inside reservoir?
Colin, if you're still monitoring TH-cam, Brian's answer about how entry level pens match to the higher end pens in a brand is insanely awesome and needs to be pulled out in a Q&A Slice so we can send people to it.
Does carrying rulers and protractors mean you may someday start carrying woodcase pencils? :)
I also have quite a pencil habit and have to buy online because you can only find Dixon Ticonderogas on shelves these days.
Learned so much in this episode. and so fun!!
What is a good $5 to $10 fountain pen gift to introduce someone to the experience?
The Jinhao 51A (www.gouletpens.com/collections/jinhao-51a-fountain-pens ), Platinum Preppy (www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-preppy-fountain-pen-crystal ) or Pilot Varsity (www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-varsity-fountain-pens ) are all great options! - Colin
I could also recommend a Lamy Logo or a Safari. That was my first starter pen and helped me learn how to grip a fountain the right way.
I have never traveled abroad. When my family does go for the first time though, we will be going to Denmark. My wife has family there. There are many countries in Europe we would love to explore though.
I'd like to recommend two inks from GPS. Noodlers Apache Sunset and Aurora Borealis are both spectacular shading inks that will get you compliments Love mine PEACE
Thank you, Brian.
All the pens that you show your personal pens? Because I see you drop pens often and physically touch them and they get scratched, and I know people don’t want their pens touched when it leaves the manufacturer lol
Guys I would be so thankful if you clear my doubts and give me some suggestions..
1.) Pls suggest me a FP friendly blue ink that is slightly darker ink than lamy blue for my college work (that works for both lamy safari and pilot metropolitan.. slightly lubricated)
2.)How smooth is an Lamy 2k EF compared to Pilot custom 74 F with same ink?? Is pilot scratch resistant for EDC??
Thank you guys👍
1) Assuming you have a converter, Monteverde blue inks could be a good option as they are lubricated and flow well. Ocean Noir or DC Supershow Blue could be good options.
2) The LAMY 2000 EF is very smooth and slightly broader than the C74 F. It does have a bit of a learning curve with writing rotation. It can have flow issues if over rotated. In terms of an EDC, the C74 is just transparent resin so it's not super durable. The LAMY 2000 is definitely the better option for that purpose. - Colin
@@Gouletpens Thank you Colin.. I am considering buying a Lamy 2k..
... okay, I’ll accept your comment on nib being the “sung” hero.
You have to practice more with italian Brian :D you are saying it more like Ghentiana than Genziana ... practice practice!!! It's a difficult word i admit :P
My main paper is crappy school paper.
Mead 5-Star notebooks have surprisingly good paper; try to stick to them when possible, seek out smoother papers otherwise and avoid anything recycled or that feels rough at all, and you'll be in decent shape until you can reliably use your own truly nice papers with regularity.
@@CatalogK9 Thanks, Oxford notebooks should be here today!
QOTW: Frankfurt, Germany... military TDY.
Are you taunting me with that Ocean Swirl?
qotw: by the age of 5 i had visited italy, germany, greece, former czechoslovakia and former yugoslavia. germany was probably the first... but i am not sure.
The first place I traveled outside the US was Scotland in 1972. We hitchhiked around and camped , it was great. I was in college., I still have to get to Paris, Japan and Austrailia!
Giveaway
Video starts at 8:24