Some of the appeal of a grey ink, especially as a new person to the hobby, is that you never hear of a roller ball or point with grey ink. You can get purple, green, pink, etc, if you look- but grey? Nope. I've never seen that in a ball point. Part of why I got into fountain pens was the choice of inks. I like the choices.
I'm an artist and writer and use grey inks mostly for writing. Its easier on my eyes than a stark black. I use black for drawing on toned paper. Come to think of it I use grey a LOT for writing, especially Graphite and Lexington grey!
Some of the grey inks really do have beautiful shading. My favorites are Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same and Fuyu-Syogun. It's easier on the eyes than black ink typically. QOTW: I got into fountain pens March 2017 and missed out on the Pilot VP Twilight. Not really too upset about it. Although recently I found about the Kyoto TAG Hisoku ink a bit late and now I can't seem to find any :( Just when I fell in love with it.
I am intrigued by the idea of advanced fountain pen videos. I have questions from time to time that would seem to fall into that category, particularly nib issues. I am grateful to watch anything you produce. Nicely done with this video!
I agree its a win, win. I feel as if I'm getting so much valuable info on what goes into using fountain pens and happy to purchase from you. It's like gaining access to a conversation with persons in the know! Thank you for all the time you take to put these on and love your fun easy going personality. My husband and I enjoy watching hearing you chat. Totally relate to the dad jokes thing! : )
yqox, I too need to stop watching these videos but I love and need the education and I am delighted to be able to support Brian's efforts by going way overboard when I order a couple times a year. I haven't even bought any pen worth more than my Lamy Al Star but I've spent a small fortune on pens, inks and accessories in the couple years I've been watching their videos. I am working up another order because my birthday is May 1st and I intend to celebrate in grand fashion.
I like grey inks because for one, it’s my favorite color. Two, I like off white/cream papers and journals and I think grey inks keeps the vibe overall softer compared to black. Although a very warm black is nice on those papers too.
Videos on adjusting and troubleshooting pens are of great interest. Standing at the point where I have more pens than I can use in a lifetime, I have begun going over what I have previously bought but set aside due to poor performance. At this point, I am interested in tuning these pens and exploring various possible writing experiences.
This is an incredibly easy one for me. The fall edition Edison premiere from last year was my favorite design you guys have ever had, and I missed it. I think of that pen almost weekly...
Enjoy Heidelberg, Brian! So the pen I most regret missing out on is the Majestic Pine Nouveau Premiere, actually! I just adore that flake material, and that shade of green. At the time I hadn't heard much about Edison pens and was new to the Goulet world as well, so I hesitated. And then it was gone.
Ayy this is the first time I'm here early. How's it going. ^_^ planning on purchasing my first "next level" pen from your store near Christmas. I'm looking at the Conklin Duragraph (Amber), I absolutely love the design and look of the pen and plan on keeping it around for a long while. Thanks to you, Brian, and your entire staff for hosting the single best source of fountain pen information on the net (at least for me). Keep up the fantastic work!
I have a question... I bought a Lamy Studio on my birthday last October. I was hooked. I now have at least 20 pens (mostly Jinhao 😂) and about as many inks and notebooks. What are you suggestion for storing all of the on your desk and reducing clutter?
I have a use for grey inks - when I write up my history notes in black I use grey ink for insert paragraphs and quotes for contrast. I love Mont Blanc Permanent Grey and sorry it was a limited edition, I have one bottle left.
Another enjoyable Q&A Brian thank you. Your great. Although I've used fountain pens as much as possible in my life's journey, for 17yrs because of of my career, everyone, with the exception of the higher supervision and the boss, were required to use ball point pens, the stylus of satan, a lot of the time we were required to fill out forms in at least triplicate and sometimes sextiplicate??? - six sheets of disgusting self carbonising paper, terrible stuff, which got slightly better as the years progressed. SO, what I would recommend to anyone who can, is bin the bic and replace it with a gel pen, if you can. Why,,, well the legacy of bic usage is that when I returned to the fountain pen obsession and discovered the wonderful pen people at least 5 years ago now, I found I pressed WAY too hard on the nib. Thankfully I was using my old Sheaffer and it stood up to the pressure until... thanks to the pen people again, I re-educate and now apply the lightest touch to get the finest line. So please, get rid of the ball points if possible because it can cock up your proper writing with fountain pens or dip pens. That is my humble opinion and advice. Also, I really enjoyed being shown how to hold a pen correctly, because I've never been instructed how do so,,, this will be good to show the grand kids, one holds her pen with all her fingers to write.! ? it's quite odd. You mentioned the Omas 360 Magnum, that is a seriously lovely pen I would really like to have, not everyone liked them but when SBRE showed one on a review it really appealed to me, unfortunately they are gone and I'm skint, wouldn't be able to come up with the money. Sorry to clang on so much but it was a really enjoyable Q&A. Thanks again. Best wishes to all pen people. LeZc @@
I'd definitely be interested in having Aion nibs separately from the Aion itself. I'm interested in getting an Aion of my own at some point and I'd love to be able to try out the Fine, Medium, 1.1mm Stub, and maybe Broad sizes, but obviously I'd rather not have to get four different Aions. And, well, to be honest, I'm worried that a regular Safari/Al-Star/Vista nib wouldn't match well with the Aion aesthetically. It's a small thing to prefer, but it is what I would prefer.
I'm getting a little strange about checking out "pocket pens." The one I discovered that I missed, that I was just too late for, is unfortunately one you don't carry. It's the Muji Pocket Pen version of their round aluminum pen. It's styled something like the Volex, or MYU, or M90, or E95s, with a short barrel and long cap so that when it is capped it's very short, but when posted it's a "regular-sized" pen. They weren't produced for very long and I don't know where I can find one currently!
I'm still on the fence whether I'd actually buy an Aion - I've had problems with the Studios paint coming off after a few days that I got it (and I am quite protective over my pens); but I'd love to get my hands on that Aion nib separately though! And the two pens I regret not buying was Pelikan Aquamarine and the Edison Bonfire.
QOTW: For me it is the Visconti Wall Street. I had a one in hand at a pen show. I was offered an amazing deal for it. It was hundreds below the sale price. I walked away from the purchase. I would have had to use credit. I’m glad I didn’t go in debt over it, but I think about this pen probably at least once a week.
Hey Brian, time stamps are slightly off. Also, since you're now looking, thanks for putting the VP on the "Buy X pen, get ink free" rotation! That's now my first gold nib pen! :)
I had my eye on Myu Black Stripe but didn't want to pull the trigger until I'd held it in hand. It stayed on the Kingdom Note site for four days and then sold the morning I planned to go to the store.
I wish I got into fountain pens a few years sooner (I only started this June) so I would have been able to pick up a Sailor Starburst Galaxy pen. It's such a cool look but it was released as a 500 unit limited run years before I even considered using fountain pens haha
Thank you very much for putting the shortcuts/timestamps into the introduction. However, as mentioned elsewhere, they seem to be inaccurate (which I'm sure is frustrating): when I tapped for the link to the "how to hold" segment, for example, I was taken to its end, rather than to its beginning. Thanks again.
I would love to see videos on vintage pens and how to obtain them; also on what is a pen show like? Is it worth going? Also I’m pretty new to the pen world still and I’m a college student with limited funds but I would have loved to get the Edison nouveau bonfire. Also I can hopefully save up enough money for the lamy safari petrol before they are all gone!
I am using a fountain pen at university. My tests are written in green, red, blue, black or red or in any combination of those. Never had anyone even ask what's up with that.
I had the chance to buy Montblanc Boheme Arabesque Azur but i stepped back in the last second because i didint feel like i was mature enough to have such an expensive pen (was 18 y/o and saved money for like 3 years for it)
Qotw: Definitley for me was the blacked out trim version of the Visconti Opera Crystal. I know it was exclusive to a competitor, but that combo for me was awesome, plus it had the hook safe lock mechanism that I love by Visconti. The last new one I saw was bought by Figboot (vlogger) and it was #18 which is my birth date. I thought about it too long and missed my opportunity. Oh well, but argh at the same time! He seems to like it though...
I would like to see a video on nib tuning and making the nib the exact way you like it to feel, buttery smooth or toothy. Looking back I probably should've got the 2016 fall edition of the Edison Premier. It was out of my price range at the time and I have yet to spend that much on a pen but I will for my graduation present a year from now
A full-fledged video on nib tuning is definitely something on our radar, but the Micromesh tutorial video (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-r35cV_pe0-Q.html ) is a decent place to start if you're curious. - Colin
I love grey inks. I have a sample of Lexington Gray, a bottle of DeAtramentis Fog Grey, and they get quite a bit of regular use from me. Despite my love of intense colours, I use blue and grey more often than anything else. Ummm... I don’t really have many regrets regarding purchases, but I did miss out on the delphinium, which I was disappointed about.
Candidly...I need to stop watching these videos. I SERIOUSLY need to stop watching these videos. The make me want SO MANY FOUNTAIN PENS. So many. I want the Lamy Studio Racing green in EF so badly, but that would be the THIRD Lamy I bought this year. That's just ridiculous...I haven't mentioned my current ink addiction caused by, you guessed it, Goulet videos. My fountain pen foolishness is out of control. And I blame you. Yes, I know this is off topic and probably not where I should vent my poor spleen. Well, tough nibs! I'm dead broke and I blame these informative and beautiful videos that make me spend my rent money. No, it is not my fault that I buy fountain pens. Yes, these videos are convincing and manipulate my fountain pen foolishness into buying way more pens than I have hands...or people to write to. I hate how much I loooovvve these videos. I actually got away from fountain pens over a decade ago and aaaaaaalong comes Brian, with all his enthusiasm, and excellent customer service and interesting sales. NOW he wants to do educational videos! I'm going to end up on the street, with only my pens and Clairefontaine pads to keep me warm. I blame you Brian. I blame you.( ಠ ಠ )
So why are you here? A hater in the community? I don't care if you're broke- live on your pens if you want to. It's your fault that you're not wise enough to control your spendings
Hi, Something I would really enjoy would a video on the properties of inks (sheen permanence, bulletproof, all that). You have done that in different videos, not all in a single one.
Possible future question: what is new in the world of fountain pen friendly paper? Recently came across Hippo Noto Tomoe River notebook? What other new developers and developments are you seeing and excited about? Thank You for considering this. Terry
QOTW: Edison Nouveau Premiere Delphinium!!! I'm relatively new to FPs, so at that time I didn't understand the depth of the cast acryllic(Seeing just the pictures, I thought it was the same as injection molded plastic). Now seeing a delta dolce vita in person, I regret my prejudice. But overall, I'm really sad that all the great pens were gone before I joined the FP community. There were just wonderful pens(Classic Pens LB5, OMAS pens, various Viscontis with gold nibs)that I just didn't have a chance to buy. As a middle school student, even though I think more great special editions will come out in the future, but I just i've been in the community a little earlier.
My biggest pen regret (really a grail pen more than regret) is a Classic Pens LB5 or LB6. By the time I discovered them, I couldn't find any available even on the secondary market. Everybody who is lucky enough to have one raves about them.
QOTW: The fountain pen I regret I did not buy when I had the chance is the Pilot Vanishing Point 2015 Twilight Limited Edition. I have 2 other Pilot VPs that I absolutely love (Raden Water Surface and LE Crimson Sunrise) and I wish I didn't hesitate so long and splurged back then! :-( I also sense that I will regret this gorgeous Pelikan special edition pen and the Visconti Twilight one, since I don't have the money to afford them right now... 😕
QOTW: My pen regerts are the Anderson Pens exclusive Sailor 1911s Peacock demonstrator, and, like Brian, the Omas 360 in the teal color. Teal demonstrators are my new white whales.
I don’t even have to think about this QOTD: Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight. I looked at it when it came out, meh, not interested. All of sudden, as soon as it was gone, I saw it again and HAD to have it. As I recall it was going for $799 on eBay. Just couldn’t do it, so now I pine.
more advanced video: something to cover the different types of fountain pen filling mechanic and how to use them. Not justcontemporary pens but for vintage ones too. It's not always so easy to identify how a particular pen "works", inheriting for example grandpas pens its easy to destroy a pen if you don't see how to fill it or open it and current pens often have such good build quality the piston fill segment can blend invisibly with the body so you wouldn't see its there if you didn't already know to look for it, eg Lamy 2000s segments join very well this way.
My big regret is in not getting the limited-edition Pilot VP "Crimson Sunrise"--when I first saw pictures of it, my "instantaneous knee-jerk reaction was "I can't stand red pens" (because the other red pens I've seen, like the Pelikan red tortoiseshell--but there are others as well--just look "cheap" to me), but that ombre shading-to-orange effect was really nice (though not on the level of the VP "Twilight". Unfortunately, I couldn't afford the "Crimson Sunrise" even after I changed my mind--and I'm not about to trade my "Twilight" for one, as I like it too much, despite its being partially blue (and I normally dislike blue pens and blue inks, but I love the purple that the "Twilight" shades to). Sorry about that!
Hopefully in the next video so I can get an answer. Hi I'm an aspiring artist and would like to know what pen I should get, and what ink. ( black ink) I have a roughly 40$ budget in total. I've bought a cheap fountain pen already, but I would like something better. Please tell me what pen(s) and ink(s) I should get. Thank you! P.S. I would like a noodlers Ahab or a kaweco sport classic, if that helps. PSS I'm getting a glass dip pen from my dad too from your website. Thank you and have a good day
The Ahab is a good option if you're wanting that flex nib. Lamy Joy is great with a stub nib allowing for line variation. Platinum Preppy EF if you need a really fine line for detail. Noodler's Black or Heart of Darkness/Diamine Document Ink Black are the options for inks. - Colin
I regret that I didn't discover fountain pens in time to aquire the TWSBI Eco Turquoise! Its my favorite color! But by the time I found fountain pens it was already discontinued!!! I also wish I'd been able to get the Lamy purple that was last year's (?) Special Edition. I only found fountain pens late this year. I'm hoping to get the new blue TWSBI Eco T before it's no longer available. I also have the TWSBI Vac Mini and a gold nib pen on my wishlist - but I haven't decided on which gold nib. I won't spend more than $200 on a single pen. Any recommendations? I know my choices for gold nib pens are limited at that price point.
We do have a video on top-5 gold nibs in that sub-$200 price range (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2lShhpHfApg.html ). Any of those would be great choices, I would lean towards the Pilot Custom 74 or Falcon though. - Colin
Well of course, the 15 converters vs 1 ratio was only to make it into prospettive. I was intentioned to buy a package of 5 for $1.6. If they doesn't fit I've spent literally no money, if they do I'll be good for a long time. You made me think about Lamy converter that are particoular, but what about standard interetional ones?
I'd be much more inclined to go your route with standard international converters. Still might be hit or miss in terms of quality & fit, but you could use in a variety of pens as well. - Colin
*QOTD* I really regret that I didn't pick up the Visconti Brunelleschi. Even with all their QC issues it's a pen I wish I had just because of the material it's made from.
QOTW: my one regret pen is the Visconti Brunelleschi. It was the first premium pen I wanted and was afraid to buy such an expensive pen, now they're gone.
Brian I've a question for you: why should I buy an original converter and not a cinese one? I've a Lamy safari char coal, great pen but the converter picked up some scratches that can be seen torought the ink window and I need a new one. The original is $4.60 (not mentioning shopping) but I can get a package of 5 for only $1.60 from ebay (free shipping) With $4.60 i can get almost 15 of the chinese ones. So why do you recommends an original one and not 15 fake? I personally think 15 fake will last longer. Try to convince me, maybe in a video. Thanks
That's definitely a hard sell, but with something proprietary like a LAMY converter, I would worry that a knock-off might not have that secure of a fit. This could lead to an inky disaster, so I guess you're paying for that peace of mind? I can't imagine going through 15 converters of one kind, so that seems like a bit of overkill. Certainly scratches are annoying but the functionality is still there. - Colin
I regret not getting the Edison Mystical Myrrh. I love the earthy colors and the name is so pretty. However, at the time it came out I couldn't fathom spending that much on a pen.
Your timestamp for the Invincia pens and the Lamy Aion nibs is mixed up it seems. Edit: Looks like all of them are actually one off starting with the Invincia.
Had a Parker Big Red and lost track of it, now I don't want to have to buy it back. Also had a chance to buy one at a great price and didn't want to spend the money!!
Sadly I live in Dortmund so I can't just drive halfway across the country tomorrow.^^|| But I hope you have some subscribers around Heidelberg so they can do a little meetup and maybe show you around the city. ^^
QOTW: The Edison Nouveau Delphinium that you guys designed in that BEAUTIFUL blue and purple swirl. I didn't know about it as I am new to fountain pens and didn't know that I have to check your site regularly to be aware of new things and I missed it and when I saw it I wanted to cry because it is the MOST BEAUTIFUL PEN I'VE EVER SEEN. If anyone wants to sell theirs second hand please reply here I'd LOVE to buy it.
Hey Madrenna I have an Edison Nouveau Delphinium for sale if you are still interested. It is new, just been dipped in ink and cleaned afterwards. Drop me a message through here, (just signed up for this to write a reply to your message) or find me on FB.
I am very serious :-)... I would prefer to take this to a less public way... can I find you on Facebook? Or a different way how it is easy to exchange messages. I couldn't find a way to do it through RU-vid, but I just signed up here. I have no clue what I'm doing.... hahahahah
I'm one of those who really likes gray/grey inks, but have been wondering: why can't I find an iron gall gray ink? Does anyone out there know of an iron gall gray with good shading?
plz plz plz ask the folks at lamy how they smoothen their nibs. I am yet to see a smoother pens than Lamy fountain pens. Make sure , heck insist if you have to. Just make sure you see how they do that. Hope you enjoy your visit.
I really wish the Nock Co. Lookouts came with a less obscenely bright liner, I love the look and utility of the case but can't help but think it is just too much, that being said, if one comes up in khaki I don't care what the liner looks like because all I ever wear is khakis. Does anybody know of a similar product with more subdued colors?
pro tip: instead of modifying the bulb syringe, you can cut the back of the ink cartrige you get when you buy a new pen and use it as an adaptor for the syringe itself
QOTW: I regret not purchasing the Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight - I had just started purchasing fountain pens a month before it was available so the price of a vanishing point was a hurdle I wasn’t ready to jump that early on. Needless to say I have jumped that hurdle since then.
In my experience, not really. The smaller nib doesn't allow for the softness as much as the other full-nibbed Pilot pens do (Custom 74 for example). - Colin
If you're still reading the comments: don't forget to get some gluhwein and Rösti/fried potatoe goodness. (if you smell shredded potatoe,batter and oil you're in the right area)
There's quite a few hot pink inks (www.gouletpens.com/bottled-ink/c/14/?sortBy=productName+asc&facetValueFilter=Tenant~Ink_Color%3Apink ). Noodler's Rachmaninoff jumps to mind immediately, Diamine Hope Pink or Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji could work as well. - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company I 2nd the Noodler's Rachmaninoff....My bottle is actually almost empty, I absolutely love it. Side note the teal (the name escapes me atmosphere) in the same series is also amazing, and sets off the pink well when used together.
I can't stand dark gray inks, they look like they're supposed to be black and failed. Pure black 4 life (noodler makes some especially exceptional blacks, I have like 5 varieties of his alone, which should tell you something because I only have 25 inks total)
Definitely check out the Micromesh tutorial (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-r35cV_pe0-Q.html ) for a way to smooth out scratchy nibs. Be careful though that this will void the warranty with the pen. - Colin
QOTW: hmmm that’s easy!!! The Conklin carbon Nighthawk and the brand new Goulet Visconti (Opera Master Luna) that I unfortunatelly can’t afford... Its sad but I think I can live with this 😉😉
