Fun Fact: I live in the northern part of Iraq (Kurdistan region). Here, you hardly find anyone who has seen or used a fountain pen. The majority do not even know about them, except for those who were using them in the 1960s or the 1970s or earlier. However, many people call ballpoint pens "pandan" in Kurdish language, which literally means "fountain pen". It seems that this term still remains in the language to describe any pen. What is interesting is that when I show them my fountain pens, I tell them that these are real "pandan" (fountain pens), not the ones they use. They are always surprised.
Clinging ink is often a sign that the ink has a low surface tension and is likely to be a wet ink. Tsuki-yo, for example, is quite a wet ink compared to many of the traditional inks.
Listening to you talk about adjusting your bass made me smile so hard. Your delight was infectious because anyone who's followed your videos for more than five minutes knows how much you like to tinker with things. 😉 Though not a bass player, I studied classical guitar and played folk music as a costumed character in a renaissance festival in my youth, so I knew exactly where you were coming from. I really enjoy the "personal news" segment, but I understand the need for circumspection. I would never want you to share anything that might put you or your lovely family at risk from any of the crazies in the world today. ❤
Great Video Brian, as always! The highlight for me was watching you light up with joy as you described learning about adjusting the truss-rod to your bass guitar! For someone who is so technically-minded about all things in the sensate world to come into an on-line learning Eureka moment - a two-fold Eureka moment - one, learning a new skill in guitar maintenance, but two, seeing that what you do for all us fountain pen enthusiasts is a very similar thing! That is what you do for us..... That description and the look on your face! That's priceless!
I really like the analogy of wine tasting to gold nibs, and how subtle certain elements can be. And I love the story of moving an entire playset, that is pretty cool. Happy Fountain Pen Day!
1. Maybe a desk pen, with a stand, would be easier to remember to close. 2. Even though I have mostly gold nibs, I don't actually specifically recommend them. Delay the leap from steel as long as possible, then chose a pen that you love regardless of the nib metal, to moderate the disappointment.
In addition to infinity inks for forgetful writers and hooded nibs, Pilot and Waterman inset nibs are also good because they similarly protect the feed from air. If this is *really* a big problem, the use of classic Royal Blue inks of low saturation, specifically Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, Lamy standard blue, and the like, all have some of the least negative effects and can almost always be trivially reconstituted in a pen, which makes it super easy to get the pen working the next day when you forget to cap it. A simple dip in the bottle of ink is likely to do the trick, and there's almost no risk of harm to the ink in the bottle by doing so. These inks are particularly resistant to neglect, and their properties are one of the reasons they are so well loved as school inks.
Thank you for taking my question about ballpoint pens. It could be there is a lower demand for them but I still see them as an extremely usable alternative to fountain pens. There are gel refills for ballpoint pens, now. They were less expensive alternatives to fountain pen versions but still had the (modified) style of the body and material of the fountain pen.
Actually, dont put any pen that may have plating damage in an ultrasonic cleaner. It will make the damage worse. I've stripped Platinum Preppy nibs that had a nick in the paint.
Hi Brian! Just have to say I LOVE these Q&A videos! So much info. and cool stuff! Really connected with the segment on how to extend the ink capacities of those pens, which I have done almost all of those things on mine! Keep up the great work, and Happy Fountain Pen Day Everybody!
I agree upon the workhorse, knockabout choice of the Kaweco Perkeo, especially in Black, very office appropriate. The long cartridge helps with ink capacity without dealing with piston cleaning, and having backup emergency cartridges. Affordable, no fuss, and travel friendly. To celebrate today, I went to Scriptus in Toronto this past Sunday, and the affordable route this year. Happy Fountain Pen Day, folks.
Fror me workhorse would be Parker vector ( the old normal one, not this plastic horror) and jotter. Inkwise Pelikan 4001 royal blue and parker quink washable. It's the smoothest combination on any paper, not drying, not bleeding through. I have plenty of other options in my collection but they all needed some matching pen to ink to paper.
Just came back to finish this video, but I immediately went to you site and took advantage of your Fountain Pen Day Sale! Love my new Explorer notebook! ✨🖋️✨
The most challenging pick for a fountain pen that I'm trying to find alternatives for is to be used in a setting where I have to constantly open and close a pen in a lot of short instances, being durable since I ended up dropping my pens accidently several times since I'm taking it out of my pocket occasionally and sadly lands on hard floor, good ink capacity. I am currently using the Pineider La Grande Bella Rocca blue in this case. It has sadly taken quite a beating with parts of the pen fading in black color, I think I may have slight crack on the cap somehow from the clip, the twist part at the end feel like it's loose especially after capping then taking it off and the whole twisting part comes out, and a slight part of the nib black cover has slightly pealed off. My usage for this is a little more than a year of constant usage. It's a bit unfortunate of a waste despite the brilliant color and style of the pen. I'm seeking alternatives to eventually put this pen to rest. My previous pens were the Pilot Metropolitan which I now no longer use because of the crack on the barrel and part of the cap deforming due to dropping it several times on hard floors since it's quite slippery; Platinum Preppy I have used quite a lot but due to constant capping and closing the fit has become flimsy and not a tight seal now; Twisbi Eco is out of service because the cap is broken from the clip upwards due to me constantly over tightening the cap after every time I twist it open and close multiple times due to my work nature, although there is still the seal on the cap, I just don't use it anymore since the clip is gone and the top is broken even though the usability has not been affected. My other pens I have are the Pilot E95 which is leave at home due to being a gold nib, Pineider UR avatar because it's a medium nib which I don't use often for work, and the Lamy Vista clear which I do occasionally use for work if I feel like inking it up to take to work. The only other pen I could probably think of that would fit my situation for constant capping and uncapping would be a vanishing point. Any one else with other suggestion?
I have another question. I recently bought a new Conklin pen, medium nib. I like the medium nibs generally. I have it inked with Noodlers Colour La Royale. Beautiful color, beautiful pen. So here’s my problem. Inconsistent ink flow. It writes, but then it will suddenly be releasing extra flow, like I’m “bolding” my words. 😮 then it’s back to a regular flow. Is it the nib, the ink? I really like the pen, but not the inconsistency of the flow of ink. Thanks, Pam
NEW QUESTIONS: I just got a Platinum Shape of Heart Pen for FPD… it came with a whole presentation box including a Platinum Mixable ink in Aurora blue. The literature about it says to only mix with other Platinum mixable inks. There is a mixable ink kit from them too which includes some sort of lubricant which didn’t come with my pen. So the question is 1) do you have any comments on using this mixable ink on their own in fountain pens? Anything about the inks as they are? 2) any thoughts on the Platinum mixable inks thing using their kit including the lubricant? Wondering if there is an additive that could be a problem unless mixed with their kit? I’m kind of hesitant to use this new ink at all. Thanks much!
If using an ultrasonic cleaner or even a vibrating cleaner, avoid anything with appliques, like Parker 61 or its modern copies, pens with glued-on slices of mollusk shells, any pen with exposed paint, like some "modern maki-e" preppies. Do not put pens made of bamboo, wood, products derived from cotton or milk or tree bark. Pens that have beads or jewels could be damaged in these cleaners. But most modern injection molded plastic resin pens are fairly impervious to water and detergent and to pen flushes with ammonia.
Referring to the question about who sells ballpoints and rollerballs, Goldspot pens, appelboom pens, Anderson pens and Altas stationers. So the person who asked that question can check those retailers selections.
Sir, I have not used a ball point pen since I found fountain pens last December. Well, except when I’ve had to sign a credit card receipt and they didn’t offer me a fountain pen to sign with. How rude of them😂.
What is a good Demonstrator Pen? I am looking for a Medium Nib, good capacity and a body that does not stain easily. I may use it with Diamine Sapphire Blue or Noodler’s Baystate Blue ink. Also, a nice converter for that pen. Thank you
Great video, lots of fun. I am going to try that Pilot varsity modification, specifically to have some fun with the shimmer inks. If the nib clogs, it won't be so heart-breaking.
Moving that playset....did that last year helping my cousin....his wife decided the kids needed one of those playsets....didn't cost them anything, they just had to move it, which actually translated to me moving it while they basically got in the way of everything. Top it off with, they never have put it back together, we had to take it out in pieces because there wasn't room to get anywhere close to it with the trailer, and wasn't room to get it through the back yard between the house and fence in one piece. Told them next time they get something "Free" don't call me....I have since sold my flatbed trailer so that really put a quick stop to them wanting stuff moved now that they don't have access to a free trailer either.
Still miss the Pencast, but SO Enjoying the new videos! Thanks for what I'm sure is a lot of work to bring us such joy! Question: I've wondered if there are any other pens that fit well in the Travelers company pen loop? I have the Travelers pen but was wondering if you carried any others that worked?
Great video, I had been wondering the same about different ink viscosity and adhesion properties super helpful 🙏 lots of fascinating facts and some classic one and only Brianisms 😂
For swatching I use the reverse side of Maruman Mnemosyne 184 notebook pages (approx. 3"x4", so a bit larger than business card). They have a graph on the front but they're plain on the back. The pages are perforated, so once you tear them off (super easy) they don't have holes.
I felt the excitement of learning something new when you described your bass adventure. I also like learning more about the instruments and music even tho I don't play. Your story reminded me of my first TH-cam dive - how to make kindling, start fires in wet woods (survival). That led to making outfitting my car and my daughter's car with emergency equipment and First Aid kits. Also, backup batteries for phones, etc. in case of outages. The office heat problem was interesting.
Re Ballpoint, gel and rollerball pens: Ballpoint pens use thick oil based ink which makes them work on low quality paper and slick (thermal) paper. You have to use more pressure which can be tiring. Gel pens are water based with a suspension of gel pigment. The ink is vibrant (lots of colors) and flows smoothly, so easy to write with. They come in tip sizes as small as 2.4 (ink drawings with tiny lines). They will skip a bit (more than ballpoints or rollerballs). Longer dry time can make them smudge. Rollerball pens use dye and water based inks, similar to fountain pens. They require less pressure than either gel or ballpoint. They bleed through low quality paper. Rollerballs often have more feedback than either gel or ballpoint. A little feedback makes a pen easier to control. The free-flowing liquid ink prevents heavy handed (tiring) writing. [this information comes from JetPens which specializes in such pens as well as pencils]. I did a deep dive for relatives who used ballpoints to encourage a switch to gel and fountain pens depending on purpose. I gave them different types of gel pens along with Varsity fountain pens. My daughter, a designer, uses some gels and the Varsity. She loves her Lamy 2000 but doesn't reach for it as much as a preppy with carbon black. I avoid ballpoints. As a long time rollerball user, I moved to fountain pens. But I do like gel for grocery lists and editing
Brian, thank you for this longer video. There were many interesting questions. My Kaweco Brass Sport started to leak from the nib and consequently from the finial. Never happened before. What could be the problem? You have a very interesting personal life. Thanks for sharing. Blessings
In my experience the feed and nib design of humble Platinum Preppy and it's more aesthetic cousins Prefounte and Plasir are very resistant to drying out. I use a Plasir body with a EF nib/feed/section from a black Preppy and Diamine Red Dragon as my grading pen at school. I often get distracted and forget to cap it. It just writes when many of my open feed pens would hard start.
Question, I saw Kaweco Sketch Up can work as a nib holder for the Kakimori nibs. Would you recommend that, not sure how that would affect the material on the chrome Sketch up getting water on them in the side.
for the swatches, i have an old 100 pack business style cards (160gram) from fecedy and just tested them with a pilot parallel 3mm, an FPR flex nib using hongdian ink, and a hongdian m2 with pilot iroshizuku and while it does take a while to dry, i got absolutely zero bleeding or feathering but I cant find them for sale on amazon anymore, not sure if it's worth looking around for them
It’s funny that Brian couldn’t find a rollerball. There’s a bin behind him that literally is labeled “rollerballs and ballpoints”… 😂 have a great Fountain pen day, everyone.
Hi Thank you so much for answering my question! I had no idea there were so many options. I mentioned no cartridges. Because I have so many issues in general with them. However, they do hold more ink! Also I’d forgotten that one can eye dropper Kawecos! I never eye stoppered but May try it. Again thank you for taking the time to respond and surprising to me to respond with hands LOL (reference to your comment about using hands to show and tell)! 😊
What are some of your favorite ink-ink pairings? For example when journaling you may want to use 2 or 3 different pens with inks that complement each other well. I love a Diamine Marine and Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake pairing, since the colors are nearly compliments, but there’s other satisfying combo types I like where it’s different shades of the same color, such as Yu-Yake and Diamine Ancient Copper. Do you have any favorite ink-ink pairings?
Could you demonstrate the Lamy left-handed nib? What's different about it from the other Lamy nibs? Are they going to come out with left-handed stub nibs?
I have a question! Can you recommend some good wetter inks? the ones that flow really freely and just love to spill out a little haha. I tried a bunch of inks but its one of those features where you can’t tell from pictures all that much. I looove wet inks cuz I like to draw into absorbent papers.
Ink centrifuge: tie a string around the neck of the tightly closed ink bottle and spin it around. Easy and cheap, to get solids to the bottom of the ink bottle
my pelikan 4001 royal blue ink is so wet and it takes forever to dry. with an extra fine oder fine nib it is ok but with a m nib it's really wet. i use it in my old school pelikan fountain pen from the 80s/90s and in my faber castell e-motion wood - both with a m nib.
You can get a cheap hand driven centrifuge for $50-$100. Probably still not cost effective but they are at least an order of magnitude cheaper than the scientific models.
What is the best pen and nib to get the flow to show off your shimmer or sparkle inks. I have a M twsbi, B lamy, B diplomat, BB pelican. For some reason, I don't feel the joy or see some awesome experience that everyone talks about . Is there a special pen or nib,that shows these inks off.
This!! most of my pens get clogged, im starting to hate shimmers! which is a shame cuz I love the look but gosh, the maintenance issues it gives me is annoying
What a great, fun video! You are seriously knowledgeable, man. Have a question for you. I want to get your Colorverse Fountain Pen Day ink - it looks gorgeous. What do you think would be great pens to use it in? Matching color? Complementary color? I’m thinking about maybe one of the TWSBI ECOs with gold trim, to show off that rich blue-purple ink.
Opinion question: An early version of a higher-end fountain pen has a cap ring with engraving that is not quite symmetrical, especially compared to its current version. Do you think this makes the pen more valuable (like a coin that was double struck), less valuable because it isn’t perfect, or doesn’t impact the value either way?
Note: I'm easily amused. I personally think it is delightful that, with the next Q&A, you can say, "Episode 288! That's JUST TWO GROSS!" Then you might spell "two" for the people who think you're saying something else. Then, to explain it and drain it, you can point out that 144 is one gross, or a dozen dozen. So 288 is "JUST TWO GROSS!" Please excuse the dumb math joke. Thank you.
The only thing I no longer put in my ultrasonic cleaner is my Visconti Homo Sapiens. It came out looking and feeling a bit chalky until it got hand oil all over it again.
In the day you needed a ball point or a roller ball if you were writing on paper that made copies (i.e. after carbon paper, but before electronic records). If you pushed down on the fountain pen to go through, you risk messing up the tines. Too little pressure and no one can read what you wrote. But now that most stuff is electronic fountain pens are sufficient,
Can you talk about nib shapes sometime? Not about the tip (stub, italic etc.) but the overall shape? Why is it the way it is, a bit like a feather I guess? Which varieties are there? Do they make a difference? For example, the nibs with folded “wings”: does it have an impact on how they write? What’s their history? Many people think the Safari nibs are an original design but I have a Mont Blanc Noblesse from the early 70s that has the same kind of nib. Maybe there’s more to find out about nib shape!
I've been a long time Goulet Pen Company customer. I still love you guys very much. I've got to say though, I wish Brian would go back to just being Brian. Of course we all miss Drew, of course he was entertaining, but I feel like Brian is kind of pushing it trying to adopt the pop culture clothing, goofy faces, all that kind of non-Brian-y stuff. I guess I miss the old Brian. 🤷♀️
I can appreciate where you're coming from with that. I've been doing this 15 years and have gone through a lot of iterations...the fun shirts I've sort of always done, I haven't really changed that much there. In recent years I'd say I've tried to wear more interesting shirts mostly bc I have SO many videos out there with the same clothes over and over, so I think I just get bored lol. The faces in the thumbnail, yeah that's a newer thing. For better or worse, it does make a difference in terms of how many people click through and watch the video...TH-cam is a lot more crowded than it used to be, so it's harder to stand out. I don't love it, but I need to appease TH-cam a little bit. That said, I'm not totally settled on our Q&A thumbnails so I'm going to experiment a little bit and try some different things. Whatever the case, I promise I'm still the same Brian....just older ha - Brian Goulet
you can make a centrifuge for pennies. all you need is something to hold the ink (how about some ink sample vials you already have lying around) and some way to spin something - think about those old-timey toys where two pieces of string can be used to spin a piece of wood incredibly quickly. look into the types of field assemble-able centrifuges they send to third-world countries and disaster areas to get some ideas!
want a good pen? dont do what I did(bought 10 different pens in a month) and test the lamy 2k or the 823. do you want to prioritize comfort or general usability(ie. only use your paper and no cheap shit) If you want to use it everywhere, go fine extra fine even. You want comfort? go whatever, hell go BB on that shit. I use the Lamy F with kiwaguro and it writes like a japanese fine, but with iroshizuku ink it writes like Pilot Metro M> Lamy F > 823 M edit: the gold nib analogy is nice, though for me it's more an aesthetic or "heh i have expensive pen" more than gold>>>steel you have a lambo and a 1990s corolla. Do they get you where you need to go? yes. Does the lambo look nice? hell yeah, can you go 200 in a school zone? hell no, so why break the bank with a gold nib when a steel nib can do as much. On that note, I went from steel to gold to the lamy 2k making the gold nib practically steel due to physics
Orrrr. Could you just tie a rope around the bottle of shimmer ink and spin it around like a lasso for a few minutes so the centrifugal force pushes all the shimmer to the bottom, the syringe the non shimmer in off the top?🤔😅
Gold nibs are overrated in todays days. Steel has more than caught up in all terms to gold. Even the flexible steel nibs are very good. At a fraction of the price!
@ pretty sure about the M205. Almost two weeks ago I think I saw it for about 160, then prices got up but for FPD they were on sale again for about 160.
Any pen that is robust and cheap. Years ago my secretary ruined my gold flex nib Pelikan M600 when she used it to write me a phone message. Never again!
Fun Fact: I live in the northern part of Iraq (Kurdistan region). Here, you hardly find anyone who has seen or used a fountain pen. The majority do not even know about them, except for those who were using them in the 1960s or the 1970s or earlier. However, many people call ballpoint pens "pandan" in Kurdish language, which literally means "fountain pen". It seems that this term still remains in the language to describe any pen. What is interesting is that when I show them my fountain pens, I tell them that these are real "pandan" (fountain pens), not the ones they use. They are always surprised.
Clinging ink is often a sign that the ink has a low surface tension and is likely to be a wet ink. Tsuki-yo, for example, is quite a wet ink compared to many of the traditional inks.
"You can give it to someone else!" about a ball point pen. I got a really good belly laugh from that. 🤣
Listening to you talk about adjusting your bass made me smile so hard. Your delight was infectious because anyone who's followed your videos for more than five minutes knows how much you like to tinker with things. 😉 Though not a bass player, I studied classical guitar and played folk music as a costumed character in a renaissance festival in my youth, so I knew exactly where you were coming from.
I really enjoy the "personal news" segment, but I understand the need for circumspection. I would never want you to share anything that might put you or your lovely family at risk from any of the crazies in the world today. ❤
Happy fountain pen day. Every day should be fountain pen day ❤😂🎉
Great Video Brian, as always! The highlight for me was watching you light up with joy as you described learning about adjusting the truss-rod to your bass guitar! For someone who is so technically-minded about all things in the sensate world to come into an on-line learning Eureka moment - a two-fold Eureka moment - one, learning a new skill in guitar maintenance, but two, seeing that what you do for all us fountain pen enthusiasts is a very similar thing! That is what you do for us..... That description and the look on your face! That's priceless!
I really like the analogy of wine tasting to gold nibs, and how subtle certain elements can be. And I love the story of moving an entire playset, that is pretty cool. Happy Fountain Pen Day!
Happy Fountain Pen Day!😊
Love the Pilot Kakuno pen with a medium nib & con-70 converter! Using it with the De Atramentis Document Black ink has been my EDC workhorse pen.
1. Maybe a desk pen, with a stand, would be easier to remember to close.
2. Even though I have mostly gold nibs, I don't actually specifically recommend them. Delay the leap from steel as long as possible, then chose a pen that you love regardless of the nib metal, to moderate the disappointment.
In addition to infinity inks for forgetful writers and hooded nibs, Pilot and Waterman inset nibs are also good because they similarly protect the feed from air. If this is *really* a big problem, the use of classic Royal Blue inks of low saturation, specifically Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue, Waterman Serenity Blue, Lamy standard blue, and the like, all have some of the least negative effects and can almost always be trivially reconstituted in a pen, which makes it super easy to get the pen working the next day when you forget to cap it. A simple dip in the bottle of ink is likely to do the trick, and there's almost no risk of harm to the ink in the bottle by doing so. These inks are particularly resistant to neglect, and their properties are one of the reasons they are so well loved as school inks.
This is super helpful! Thank you!
Thank you for taking my question about ballpoint pens. It could be there is a lower demand for them but I still see them as an extremely usable alternative to fountain pens. There are gel refills for ballpoint pens, now. They were less expensive alternatives to fountain pen versions but still had the (modified) style of the body and material of the fountain pen.
Actually, dont put any pen that may have plating damage in an ultrasonic cleaner. It will make the damage worse. I've stripped Platinum Preppy nibs that had a nick in the paint.
Hi Brian! Just have to say I LOVE these Q&A videos! So much info. and cool stuff! Really connected with the segment on how to extend the ink capacities of those pens, which I have done almost all of those things on mine! Keep up the great work, and Happy Fountain Pen Day Everybody!
Thank you tor taking the time to make this informative video. i hope everyone has a great weekend and a happy week. Thanks I really mean it.
I agree upon the workhorse, knockabout choice of the Kaweco Perkeo, especially in Black, very office appropriate. The long cartridge helps with ink capacity without dealing with piston cleaning, and having backup emergency cartridges. Affordable, no fuss, and travel friendly. To celebrate today, I went to Scriptus in Toronto this past Sunday, and the affordable route this year. Happy Fountain Pen Day, folks.
Wicked helpful answer to my question, thank you.
That Jinhao Shark 😂 I love it so much. Might have to give it a spin!
Thank you again
Oh the joy that you still write comp-nap updates! ❤
Fror me workhorse would be Parker vector ( the old normal one, not this plastic horror) and jotter. Inkwise Pelikan 4001 royal blue and parker quink washable. It's the smoothest combination on any paper, not drying, not bleeding through. I have plenty of other options in my collection but they all needed some matching pen to ink to paper.
Yes! pair it with Baystate blue and you have a great office pen
Just came back to finish this video, but I immediately went to you site and took advantage of your Fountain Pen Day Sale! Love my new Explorer notebook! ✨🖋️✨
The most challenging pick for a fountain pen that I'm trying to find alternatives for is to be used in a setting where I have to constantly open and close a pen in a lot of short instances, being durable since I ended up dropping my pens accidently several times since I'm taking it out of my pocket occasionally and sadly lands on hard floor, good ink capacity. I am currently using the Pineider La Grande Bella Rocca blue in this case. It has sadly taken quite a beating with parts of the pen fading in black color, I think I may have slight crack on the cap somehow from the clip, the twist part at the end feel like it's loose especially after capping then taking it off and the whole twisting part comes out, and a slight part of the nib black cover has slightly pealed off. My usage for this is a little more than a year of constant usage. It's a bit unfortunate of a waste despite the brilliant color and style of the pen. I'm seeking alternatives to eventually put this pen to rest. My previous pens were the Pilot Metropolitan which I now no longer use because of the crack on the barrel and part of the cap deforming due to dropping it several times on hard floors since it's quite slippery; Platinum Preppy I have used quite a lot but due to constant capping and closing the fit has become flimsy and not a tight seal now; Twisbi Eco is out of service because the cap is broken from the clip upwards due to me constantly over tightening the cap after every time I twist it open and close multiple times due to my work nature, although there is still the seal on the cap, I just don't use it anymore since the clip is gone and the top is broken even though the usability has not been affected. My other pens I have are the Pilot E95 which is leave at home due to being a gold nib, Pineider UR avatar because it's a medium nib which I don't use often for work, and the Lamy Vista clear which I do occasionally use for work if I feel like inking it up to take to work. The only other pen I could probably think of that would fit my situation for constant capping and uncapping would be a vanishing point. Any one else with other suggestion?
I have another question. I recently bought a new Conklin pen, medium nib. I like the medium nibs generally. I have it inked with Noodlers Colour La Royale. Beautiful color, beautiful pen. So here’s my problem. Inconsistent ink flow. It writes, but then it will suddenly be releasing extra flow, like I’m “bolding” my words. 😮 then it’s back to a regular flow. Is it the nib, the ink? I really like the pen, but not the inconsistency of the flow of ink. Thanks, Pam
NEW QUESTIONS: I just got a Platinum Shape of Heart Pen for FPD… it came with a whole presentation box including a Platinum Mixable ink in Aurora blue. The literature about it says to only mix with other Platinum mixable inks. There is a mixable ink kit from them too which includes some sort of lubricant which didn’t come with my pen. So the question is 1) do you have any comments on using this mixable ink on their own in fountain pens? Anything about the inks as they are? 2) any thoughts on the Platinum mixable inks thing using their kit including the lubricant? Wondering if there is an additive that could be a problem unless mixed with their kit? I’m kind of hesitant to use this new ink at all. Thanks much!
If using an ultrasonic cleaner or even a vibrating cleaner, avoid anything with appliques, like Parker 61 or its modern copies, pens with glued-on slices of mollusk shells, any pen with exposed paint, like some "modern maki-e" preppies. Do not put pens made of bamboo, wood, products derived from cotton or milk or tree bark. Pens that have beads or jewels could be damaged in these cleaners. But most modern injection molded plastic resin pens are fairly impervious to water and detergent and to pen flushes with ammonia.
Cool video! I love the combo of Q&A and adventures. The fun fact is a good addition. 👍
Miss Drew, but very glad that flickery neon Pen Cast light isn't constantly adjusting the focus of the video.
Referring to the question about who sells ballpoints and rollerballs, Goldspot pens, appelboom pens, Anderson pens and Altas stationers. So the person who asked that question can check those retailers selections.
Sir, I have not used a ball point pen since I found fountain pens last December. Well, except when I’ve had to sign a credit card receipt and they didn’t offer me a fountain pen to sign with. How rude of them😂.
same here! though the one time someone borrowed my pen was what made me remember to bring a bp around lol
What is a good Demonstrator Pen? I am looking for a Medium Nib, good capacity and a body that does not stain easily.
I may use it with Diamine Sapphire Blue or Noodler’s Baystate Blue ink.
Also, a nice converter for that pen.
Thank you
Happy Fountain Pen Day 🥳🥳🥳
Great video, lots of fun. I am going to try that Pilot varsity modification, specifically to have some fun with the shimmer inks. If the nib clogs, it won't be so heart-breaking.
Moving that playset....did that last year helping my cousin....his wife decided the kids needed one of those playsets....didn't cost them anything, they just had to move it, which actually translated to me moving it while they basically got in the way of everything. Top it off with, they never have put it back together, we had to take it out in pieces because there wasn't room to get anywhere close to it with the trailer, and wasn't room to get it through the back yard between the house and fence in one piece. Told them next time they get something "Free" don't call me....I have since sold my flatbed trailer so that really put a quick stop to them wanting stuff moved now that they don't have access to a free trailer either.
Still miss the Pencast, but SO Enjoying the new videos! Thanks for what I'm sure is a lot of work to bring us such joy!
Question: I've wondered if there are any other pens that fit well in the Travelers company pen loop? I have the Travelers pen but was wondering if you carried any others that worked?
Great video, I had been wondering the same about different ink viscosity and adhesion properties super helpful 🙏 lots of fascinating facts and some classic one and only Brianisms 😂
For swatching I use the reverse side of Maruman Mnemosyne 184 notebook pages (approx. 3"x4", so a bit larger than business card). They have a graph on the front but they're plain on the back. The pages are perforated, so once you tear them off (super easy) they don't have holes.
I felt the excitement of learning something new when you described your bass adventure. I also like learning more about the instruments and music even tho I don't play. Your story reminded me of my first TH-cam dive - how to make kindling, start fires in wet woods (survival). That led to making outfitting my car and my daughter's car with emergency equipment and First Aid kits. Also, backup batteries for phones, etc. in case of outages. The office heat problem was interesting.
Re Ballpoint, gel and rollerball pens: Ballpoint pens use thick oil based ink which makes them work on low quality paper and slick (thermal) paper. You have to use more pressure which can be tiring. Gel pens are water based with a suspension of gel pigment. The ink is vibrant (lots of colors) and flows smoothly, so easy to write with. They come in tip sizes as small as 2.4 (ink drawings with tiny lines). They will skip a bit (more than ballpoints or rollerballs). Longer dry time can make them smudge. Rollerball pens use dye and water based inks, similar to fountain pens. They require less pressure than either gel or ballpoint. They bleed through low quality paper. Rollerballs often have more feedback than either gel or ballpoint. A little feedback makes a pen easier to control. The free-flowing liquid ink prevents heavy handed (tiring) writing. [this information comes from JetPens which specializes in such pens as well as pencils]. I did a deep dive for relatives who used ballpoints to encourage a switch to gel and fountain pens depending on purpose. I gave them different types of gel pens along with Varsity fountain pens. My daughter, a designer, uses some gels and the Varsity. She loves her Lamy 2000 but doesn't reach for it as much as a preppy with carbon black. I avoid ballpoints. As a long time rollerball user, I moved to fountain pens. But I do like gel for grocery lists and editing
Brian, thank you for this longer video. There were many interesting questions. My Kaweco Brass Sport started to leak from the nib and consequently from the finial. Never happened before. What could be the problem? You have a very interesting personal life. Thanks for sharing. Blessings
In my experience the feed and nib design of humble Platinum Preppy and it's more aesthetic cousins Prefounte and Plasir are very resistant to drying out. I use a Plasir body with a EF nib/feed/section from a black Preppy and Diamine Red Dragon as my grading pen at school. I often get distracted and forget to cap it. It just writes when many of my open feed pens would hard start.
Question, I saw Kaweco Sketch Up can work as a nib holder for the Kakimori nibs. Would you recommend that, not sure how that would affect the material on the chrome Sketch up getting water on them in the side.
for the swatches, i have an old 100 pack business style cards (160gram) from fecedy and just tested them with a pilot parallel 3mm, an FPR flex nib using hongdian ink, and a hongdian m2 with pilot iroshizuku and while it does take a while to dry, i got absolutely zero bleeding or feathering but I cant find them for sale on amazon anymore, not sure if it's worth looking around for them
Great information this week. Thanks so much!
It’s funny that Brian couldn’t find a rollerball. There’s a bin behind him that literally is labeled “rollerballs and ballpoints”… 😂 have a great Fountain pen day, everyone.
Hi Thank you so much for answering my question! I had no idea there were so many options. I mentioned no cartridges. Because I have so many issues in general with them. However, they do hold more ink! Also I’d forgotten that one can eye dropper Kawecos! I never eye stoppered but May try it. Again thank you for taking the time to respond and surprising to me to respond with hands LOL (reference to your comment about using hands to show and tell)! 😊
I meant eye droppered not eye stoppered sorry
I'm so glad it was helpful! You're very welcome :) Haha, I guess now my hand shots will be more of the "premium" answers lol -Brian Goulet
What are some of your favorite ink-ink pairings? For example when journaling you may want to use 2 or 3 different pens with inks that complement each other well. I love a Diamine Marine and Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake pairing, since the colors are nearly compliments, but there’s other satisfying combo types I like where it’s different shades of the same color, such as Yu-Yake and Diamine Ancient Copper. Do you have any favorite ink-ink pairings?
Just got a lilliput pen and would like to use my own ink . What is the best convertor for this tiny pen? Thanks
Gel pens ended my ballpoint pen use (especially when I found the Pilot G2), and that changed when I discovery fountain pens.
Could you demonstrate the Lamy left-handed nib? What's different about it from the other Lamy nibs? Are they going to come out with left-handed stub nibs?
The Diplomat Viper is gorgeous. I need to start saving for one.
Great Q&A, thank you! Could you have like the top 3 pens and top 3 inks that Goulet Pens employees like?
I have a question! Can you recommend some good wetter inks? the ones that flow really freely and just love to spill out a little haha. I tried a bunch of inks but its one of those features where you can’t tell from pictures all that much. I looove wet inks cuz I like to draw into absorbent papers.
Ink centrifuge: tie a string around the neck of the tightly closed ink bottle and spin it around. Easy and cheap, to get solids to the bottom of the ink bottle
Thank you for answering my question. You helped me a lot 😁
I'm glad to hear that! -Brian Goulet
my pelikan 4001 royal blue ink is so wet and it takes forever to dry. with an extra fine oder fine nib it is ok but with a m nib it's really wet. i use it in my old school pelikan fountain pen from the 80s/90s and in my faber castell e-motion wood - both with a m nib.
You can get a cheap hand driven centrifuge for $50-$100. Probably still not cost effective but they are at least an order of magnitude cheaper than the scientific models.
What is the best black paper for de Atramentis Document Ink white?
Can you give an ink recommendation for the new Lamy-2000 Pine?
Come on, boys and girls! If you don't like having metal shreds in your ink, and then in your fountain pen, don't buy "shimmer" ink. Simple, right?
What is the best pen and nib to get the flow to show off your shimmer or sparkle inks. I have a M twsbi, B lamy, B diplomat, BB pelican. For some reason, I don't feel the joy or see some awesome experience that everyone talks about . Is there a special pen or nib,that shows these inks off.
This!! most of my pens get clogged, im starting to hate shimmers! which is a shame cuz I love the look but gosh, the maintenance issues it gives me is annoying
very informative 👍
Thank you for your great answer about my ink sample, clinging onto the side for dear life. 😂 Pam aka Follow Your Brush!
Thank you for this video.
FWIW, my twisbi 700R is quite moody and not a reliable starter -- any suggestions?
Brian has lives? Is he a cat in disguise? I KNEW IT!
Is Pilot Metro known for poor air-tightness? I have acquired 3 pre-owned throughout my pen life, and all of them dry out overnight.
What a great, fun video! You are seriously knowledgeable, man. Have a question for you. I want to get your Colorverse Fountain Pen Day ink - it looks gorgeous. What do you think would be great pens to use it in? Matching color? Complementary color? I’m thinking about maybe one of the TWSBI ECOs with gold trim, to show off that rich blue-purple ink.
Question: how do you set up your iphone on the tripod without filming the tripod legs.
Opinion question: An early version of a higher-end fountain pen has a cap ring with engraving that is not quite symmetrical, especially compared to its current version. Do you think this makes the pen more valuable (like a coin that was double struck), less valuable because it isn’t perfect, or doesn’t impact the value either way?
I thoroughly enjoy your videos! Thanks!
Where can you purchase inner caps from
Note:
I'm easily amused.
I personally think it is delightful that, with the next Q&A, you can say,
"Episode 288! That's JUST TWO GROSS!"
Then you might spell "two" for the people who think you're saying something else.
Then, to explain it and drain it, you can point out that 144 is one gross, or a dozen dozen.
So 288 is "JUST TWO GROSS!"
Please excuse the dumb math joke.
Thank you.
What about ust pouring ink through a coffee filter, into another bottle if you don't want the shimmer. Or I dunno, just not buy shimmer ink.
the OG question specifically said coffee filters were not an option (no details why). -Brian Goulet
Will a con 70 fit in a pilot metropolitan ?
Please let me know.
You put it on your website.
Thank you.
It will not, unfortunately. It will fit the Pilot Explorer and Kakuno though! -Rachel
Thank you@@Gouletpens
I think the best Pen for the office is the Lamy 2000. It's a work horse and great.
As for the card stock question., get some card stock and go to Kinkos and get them to cut to size…I have done that
The only thing I no longer put in my ultrasonic cleaner is my Visconti Homo Sapiens. It came out looking and feeling a bit chalky until it got hand oil all over it again.
Oh, no. That's scary for such an expensive & beautiful pen. 😮
In the day you needed a ball point or a roller ball if you were writing on paper that made copies (i.e. after carbon paper, but before electronic records). If you pushed down on the fountain pen to go through, you risk messing up the tines. Too little pressure and no one can read what you wrote. But now that most stuff is electronic fountain pens are sufficient,
Almost one hour, here we go :) 2 hours video is just about the corner.
Can you talk about nib shapes sometime? Not about the tip (stub, italic etc.) but the overall shape? Why is it the way it is, a bit like a feather I guess? Which varieties are there? Do they make a difference? For example, the nibs with folded “wings”: does it have an impact on how they write? What’s their history? Many people think the Safari nibs are an original design but I have a Mont Blanc Noblesse from the early 70s that has the same kind of nib. Maybe there’s more to find out about nib shape!
I play bass!... Worlds are colliding , Jerry! 😂
A Boston Safety pen is a hard one to accidentally leave uncapped.
I've been a long time Goulet Pen Company customer. I still love you guys very much. I've got to say though, I wish Brian would go back to just being Brian. Of course we all miss Drew, of course he was entertaining, but I feel like Brian is kind of pushing it trying to adopt the pop culture clothing, goofy faces, all that kind of non-Brian-y stuff. I guess I miss the old Brian. 🤷♀️
I can appreciate where you're coming from with that. I've been doing this 15 years and have gone through a lot of iterations...the fun shirts I've sort of always done, I haven't really changed that much there. In recent years I'd say I've tried to wear more interesting shirts mostly bc I have SO many videos out there with the same clothes over and over, so I think I just get bored lol.
The faces in the thumbnail, yeah that's a newer thing. For better or worse, it does make a difference in terms of how many people click through and watch the video...TH-cam is a lot more crowded than it used to be, so it's harder to stand out. I don't love it, but I need to appease TH-cam a little bit. That said, I'm not totally settled on our Q&A thumbnails so I'm going to experiment a little bit and try some different things.
Whatever the case, I promise I'm still the same Brian....just older ha - Brian Goulet
you can make a centrifuge for pennies. all you need is something to hold the ink (how about some ink sample vials you already have lying around) and some way to spin something - think about those old-timey toys where two pieces of string can be used to spin a piece of wood incredibly quickly. look into the types of field assemble-able centrifuges they send to third-world countries and disaster areas to get some ideas!
I know that Pelikan and Aurora have ballpoints.
Goldspot sells plain colorverse swatch cards with no holes.
Like your new intro…
It’s a surface tension issue. The dryer inks do not stick to the walls of the vials. Go look at your stock and tell us.
Great sound effect for squirting in the ink.😂
want a good pen? dont do what I did(bought 10 different pens in a month) and test the lamy 2k or the 823.
do you want to prioritize comfort or general usability(ie. only use your paper and no cheap shit)
If you want to use it everywhere, go fine extra fine even. You want comfort? go whatever, hell go BB on that shit.
I use the Lamy F with kiwaguro and it writes like a japanese fine, but with iroshizuku ink it writes like Pilot Metro M> Lamy F > 823 M
edit: the gold nib analogy is nice, though for me it's more an aesthetic or "heh i have expensive pen" more than gold>>>steel
you have a lambo and a 1990s corolla. Do they get you where you need to go? yes. Does the lambo look nice? hell yeah, can you go 200 in a school zone? hell no, so why break the bank with a gold nib when a steel nib can do as much. On that note, I went from steel to gold to the lamy 2k making the gold nib practically steel due to physics
All of your Benu's aren't 20% off? 😢 Bomber, all the ones I would like to purchase aren't on sale.
Gee,my brains tells me not to comment on this video but I can't help it. Good luck to GPC.
13 feet 6 inches. On MOST interstate highways. Unless posted otherwise.
Orrrr. Could you just tie a rope around the bottle of shimmer ink and spin it around like a lasso for a few minutes so the centrifugal force pushes all the shimmer to the bottom, the syringe the non shimmer in off the top?🤔😅
👌🏻👍🏻
Gold nibs are overrated in todays days. Steel has more than caught up in all terms to gold. Even the flexible steel nibs are very good.
At a fraction of the price!
A small DC motor, a battery, and a piece of cardboard and you have a centrifuge that would work well enough.
Did you raise prices before fountain pen day?
No. Do you have an example of something you were looking at? -Rachel
@ pretty sure about the M205. Almost two weeks ago I think I saw it for about 160, then prices got up but for FPD they were on sale again for about 160.
You are really surprised
Any pen that is robust and cheap. Years ago my secretary ruined my gold flex nib Pelikan M600 when she used it to write me a phone message. Never again!
Adapt an eight buck salad spinner as a centrifuge for shimmer ink. Not rocket science. Or, do as Brian suggests, and let it sit for a month or two.