Flagship Pens from Each Brand - Goulet Q&A Ep. 289

[@KendallW]

Congrats on 15 years this week! Being in business that long means something, and I credit your KZbin content. Your how-to videos helped me get started, and I try to support your business when I'm in the market for a new pen/ink/notebook because of that. Y'all are amazing, thanks!

[@brettsmith1655]

I think you had Vanishing Point on the brain because of the 15th anniversary SE. The Custom 823 is obviously the flagship Pilot.

[@nathaliedale]

When using a dip pen with shimmer ink I use a toothpick to stir the shimmers in the ink instead of recapping and shaking the bottle every time I dip the pen.

[@N1inSK]

Oooh, thanks for the reminder!

[@tootsfour956]

Congrats on the 15th anniversary, Brian and Rachel! Many happy years to come and many blessings! Write on!

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi Brian! Kudos to your company on the 15th anniversary! Another great Q and A! Love all the discussion on inks as well as the cool new stuff! I had, indeed read that story of about Robert Lincoln before but that sort of thing is infinitely fascinating. A little more about Robert Lincoln. After having declined to go with his Mother and Father to Ford's on the night of the assassination, he was an eyewitness of the shooting of James A Garfield, and was just outside the building at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901 when President McKinley was shot. He usually declined to attend Presidential functions after that. But he did appear at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922 with President Harding (who died the next year) and former President William Howard Taft, who was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by this time.

[@lindawang898]

I'm glad someone asked the question of what material ruler to use. My fountain pen nibs are not something I want to be grinded away doing mundane tasks like drawing straight lines! I was creating planners recently and had a metal ruler for crafts on my desk. I actually tried using a stainless-steel-nibbed fountain pen against that metal ruler for a straight line and the sound and feeling drove me mad. I instinctively knew not to do it again, but didn't know why. You explained it so well here! Metal on metal can grate it away over time. Plus the harder material can grind away the softer one so take caution and not use a softer-materialled nib (like gold) with a harder-materialled ruler. To finish the rest of the straight lines, I'm using the cheap plastic rulers instead or a different writing instrument!

[@georgeharmeling158]

@@lindawang898 If you do use a metal ruler, use one with a cork or foam backing. It raises the edge of the ruler so that the ink does’t smear under the ruler edge. Also works for plastic rulers which reduces the likelihood of damaging the nibs of the pen.

[@followyourbrush]

So great to “see” you weekly.

[@juicylouisey]

Straight lines are easy. I was taught to use a wood or plastic ruler with a raised centre. Turn it upside down so the edge is raised, to stop ink seeping underneath. Turn pen as if reverse writing and draw your line! Generations in England at least, learned this at school.

[@davidottman9501]

Thanks Brian! Your show is always fun, entertaining and educational. Your hard work is appreciated.

[@MsObsidianReloaded]

I made my first Goulet Pens purchase today. I choose the Goulet special edition Diplomat Aero EF nib (dark/hunter green with gold toned trim). I am so happy and I can’t wait to receive it. I consider this my FIRST GRAIL PEN 🎉❤

[@danielk.288]

Thanks for including a New Stuff section!

[@DBachiniLima]

I think the Jinhao flagship is the 9019 (similar to the x159 but more pilot-ish style) or my favorite the 100 (similar to a Parker Duofold).

[@chinosachi8908]

I want to say the centennial

[@BlushnBlue]

Stunning Vanishing Point!!!! Happy 15 years!

[@christophermitchell4827]

The lefty ink proposal is pretty interesting. As a lefty myself I wouldn’t mind knowing the ink drying time, even if it was a subjective, Fast, Medium, Slow drying time filter to indicate the risk of side palm smudge. A great high level filter to help us lefty’s, Brian! We hope you could apply something like this on your website 😊

[@lifeasme]

I ordered my GPVP on Friday! I can't wait to get it! Congrats for 15 years!!!

[@lynnephelps2370]

The key to inking a straight line with any kind of guide is to raise it slightly above the surface so the ink doesn't wick and spread underneath. That's why drafting rulers are usually cork backed. Opaque guides can be raised with several layers of masking or drafting tape. Clear guides such as French curves can be raised with vinyl or silicone bumpers.

[@EastWind123]

Hi Brian, and congratulations on 15 years! I have a question. I have a Kaweco Brass Sport and a Brass Supra. I've allowed the "patina" to build up, but I've recently thought about restoring them to their original shiny glory. What would be the best way to go about that? Thank you for the great videos! 😊

[@heathermarieplans]

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one that dislikes the grip on the ALR Twsbi. I did come up with a “hack” of sorts because I do really like some of the colors a lot. I took the clear grip from one of the extra Twsbi nibs I have. Just swap it out and it doesn’t look out of place just a clear grip and allows me to use them 😊.

[@jolienkrispijn]

Happy 15th anniversary! That really is an achievement. Congratulations :)

[@mohammedshoeb4636]

Brian for Pilot ,the 823 deserved to be the flagship

[@NicholasJens]

Yes, for me the most important factor for a “lefty ink” is the dry time. Even if it’s a bit subjective it would be so helpful to be able to sort the inks on your website by dry time. I feel kinda limited in my choices, and would love to try some more beautiful ink. I’m always so hesitant to branch out in fear of wasting money on ink I can’t use without waiting 10 seconds between words!

[@georgeharmeling158]

Pelikan iconic: Toledo

[@edcpreacher]

Happy 15 years this week! Thank you for all the videos that enabled me to develop my addiction to the fountain pen world! Question: I do some traveling and want to make sure I have enough ink in my pens when I do. I typically use the same ink in the pens I take with me. Do I need to completely flush and refill those pens with the same ink? Or can I refill them without cleaning them out and not harm the pens?

[@jorgeknightwalker8872]

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. 😊

[@TonyProctors]

Happy 15 years to You and Rachel (and to all the GPC)! And congrats on the collaboration with Pilot to create a limited exclusive pen that I can see in every detail represents Goulet. The more I look at the pen it makes me wish I was an ombré fan… since I am a long term Goulet fan.

[@10NSany1]

Question for Brian: Filling suggestion for fat pens... Occasionally I ran into situation where the opening for some of the fancy ink bottles are so narrow that my nib could not enter. What I do is take off the converter, submerge the tip into the ink and fill, then after insert the convert back, carefully twisting the piston ( it is a piston converter) and push small amount of ink through the feed to "wet" the nib. Usually that works pretty well. But any suggestions from you? Thank you and love the Q&A format!

[@jenoakborn]

😂😂😂 "meticulously slapdash & succinctly rambling"

[@michaelsshort]

Thanks for answering my question! Love seeing fellow Hokies crushing it. Congrats on 15 years.

[@edwardstaats4935]

Happy anniversary. 15 years is a significant accomplishment

[@petrisz]

I'd argue that for Sailor it is the ebonite King of Pen which is also used as a canvas for their urushi and maki-e masterpieces.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Thank you Brian for recommending vibrant red green and purple inks. I guess I should have used your word, vibrant, as what I am looking for. "Pop" is another term to describe what I am looking to get. I know black ink is not considered vibrant but Diamine Onyx Black stands out on the page. Some may suggest Private Reserve Ultra Black but he dry time is horrible, being left handed. Again, I am very appreciative of the suggestions.

[@pamelasnyder9745]

All time fav ink is Noodler’s Southwest Sunset-BEAUTIFUL shading. However, depending on the paper, it can take a long time to dry so there are potential smearing issues. It takes over 30 min to dry on Iroful.

[@PenMaiden56]

I’m a lefty and I’ve found Monteverde inks to be good. I’m the type of writer who drags their hand across their writing and rarely smudge my writing

[@annwagner5779]

I use fountain pens with plastic journaling stencils in my journaling often. But you always have to watch for smearing, and wipe the stencil often. And French curves are a lot of fun. Cool lights on your Saturn V! Lego and ✒️. Great combination!

[@jasonholmstedt5231]

Thanks, appreciate the advice. Happy 15th, congratulations🎉

[@apocalypse_frau]

The Estie King of the Night works for Christmas as well-the variation in red/metallic red, golden and golden chatoyant gold acrylic, etc. remind me of a mid Century Mad Man era Yule celebration. 🥂🎄

[@TonyProctors]

Now I’m even more excited to get my the bottle of Tariff Teal! (Goulet tracking page says Monday) The new style glass bottles and classic looking colors caught my eye. And there doesn’t seem to be a bad color in the series. Thanks for sharing about some of the new stuff. 👍

[@N1inSK]

My father once told me he used an ebony ruler when he was in school in the 1920s and '30s. Imagine a skinny rolling pin; the pen nib doesn't touch the ruler, just the pen body does. And he said parallel lines were easy to draw with it. He'd just roll the roller and draw the next line. As for farming, one of my sons uses Farming Simulator. He uses three screens, plus a tablet for one set of controls, and a steering yoke attached to his desk. He's REALLY into the game...

[@justusspace]

I use travelers company brass rulers with my fountain pens. No issues so far, 5 years in using both steel and gold. I dont press hard ever, which Im sure impacts some

[@davegoodridge8352]

Congratulations on 15 years. Is there anyway to how the Pilot Parallel Fountain Pen is used? thanks

[@Thunderclone]

The parallel is pretty much intended for calligraphy. Depending on the size, think of it as an exxxxxxxtra wide italic nib

[@kevinlandon7578]

Congrats to 15 years of Goulet Pens! 2 disagreements on FlagShip pens. For Jinhao, I would have designated the 9019 Dadao and for Sailor, my choice would be The King Of Pen. For brands that GPC does not carry, I would suggest the Montblanc 149, the Cross Peerless125, the Parker Duofold Centennial, the Waterman Edson, and the Ranga Splendour. Honorable mention goes to the OMAS 360 Magnum and the Stipula Etruria Magnifica.

[@frederikbruck5210]

I stumbled upon the problem with settling shimmer also and found two possible solutions: I have a rattling plate (chemistry lab equipment) for my other projects. (mainly laquers and resin casting). It work's well on keeping a constant "swirl" in any container, but might make the dipping also a bit "shaky"... 😁 The other method is filling up a small amount of well shaken ink into a sampling phial, if you work with just 2-3 ml the chances are higher that you take up enough shimmer while dipping. As soon as you use the ink in a fountainpen, the problem is mostly gone: the movement of the hand ist enough to get the shimmer in constant movement and sucked through the feed to the nib... I love the ALR grip sections! Do you know of any plans at TWSBI to launch a vac700 with that grip? That would be one of my grail pens. Or: are the grip sections interchangeable between the 580 and the vac? Then I would simply buy both and do it myself... Is the Monteverde a "snap poster" like the Lamy studio? The endcap on the barrel looks like it?! Montegrappa is a bit unfair towards you as retailers. If I ever will be able to afford one I would go to their webpage and use the pen configurator. You can choose every material and color they produce freely for every part of the pen and combine it too your personal liking. I would go with the extra in a selection of different contrasting woods with gold trim. With every new pen I do test if it writes on it's own weight, when held between index and thump on the very end of the barrel. If not I regulate the inkflow until it does. Also for most of my pens mine is the only hand ever handling them! I once gave away one of my "better" pens to a friend who's mostly used to ballpoints and got it back with a really heavily bend nib that was almost impossible to repair. Leason learned: Since then I always have a Safari or similar "cheap" pen with me to lend out to somone who's curious how writing with a fp feels... Nice job on the pavement for your parents. Maybe next time you find it useful: I also got on a very hard soil one time. What I did was removing the gras and then water the patch heavily (about 6 liters per squaremeter, sorry for the continental measure). After that I covered the area with foil and left it alone for a day and the digging was a breeze.

[@kellylaliberte548]

Congratulations on your anniversary! One of my first purchases from you was a Pineider Avatar and I've always felt like it was an underrated pen that should get more attention. You skipped right over Pineider when you were listing your flagship pens!

[@juliafalling4069]

I can suggest a good ink for lefties, and one that is also good on thin Bible paper. It dries quickly, and doesn't bleed through. Doesn't smear. I bought some international cartridges filled with Private Reserve Invincible Blue. I put it in a Kaweco (a blue one), and replaced the medium nib with a fine. I always scribble a little on some scrap paper before writing in my Bible. I have been very happy with the ink's performance. I also wrote a sample on scrap of paper and let it dry, then submerged it for 24 hours. The ink didn't budge.

[@fossilimprint2954]

Great Q+A, specially enjoyed your list of flagship pens.

[@kirkwilson6229]

The problem I have found using a fountain pen with a straight edge actually has to do with the water based ink. The ink can get under the edge, and can be very easily smeared when you go to remove the straight edge.

[@susanweber6861]

That King of the Night pen and case!

[@paulmchugh1430]

As for flagship pens, you are pretty much on the mark. Some brands though have not made their flagship for years but when you think of the brand, one particular model stands out. For instance Sheaffer. Immediately I think of the Balance. The shape was revolutionary and any pen that has the "cigar" or "torpedo" shape owes its existence to it. I would have stuck with Sailor's King of Pen as the flagship. Yes it is pricey but the nib is outstanding and it would certainly take its place as leader of the armada. As for Pilot I would have chosen the 823. I don't own one because of the limited nib options. If they put out nib options like they did on the 743, I would buy one immediately. I think for Pelikan I would have just said the entire Souveran line, as I thought you mentioned. Just my thoughts.

[@followyourbrush]

I’ve got a question for you. I recently allowed my granddaughter, age 12, try all my pens during a recent visit. Interestingly, she could instinctively tell a difference in the smoothness and “feel” of different pens. I didn’t mention the cost, but don’t you know she said the more expensive ones were “so satisfying”. I wanted to get her one for Christmas. What pen would you recommend that has that “satisfying” feel, that is still reasonably priced. I think a really inexpensive one she will know! 😂 Pam

[@heathermarieplans]

Depending on your definition of reasonable, I think the Sailor Tuzu offers a really smooth nib, the adjustable grip section, and fun colors. They use cartridge or converter, in case she might not be ready for bottles of ink yet. I think they are $55.

[@followyourbrush]

@ I definitely would get cartridges, no ink spills. My son would not be happy.😂

[@WestofMars]

Brian, you forgot Pineider. My matte black Avatar is one of my favorite pens.

[@johnridge9730]

Great episode. Keep them coming. I’m headed to Japan for a couple weeks so I thought I would ask for recommendations regarding pens or inks exclusive to Japan. I’ll be in Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki. I plan to visit the Matsuya Fountain Pen Hospital while in Nagasaki. Anything you recommend I should look for?

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Love the format and fun questions! Though I have to respectfully disagree with your Pilot flagship pick. The VP is certainly iconic and a legacy model, but to me it doesn’t represent the majority of the brand. I’d place the title in the Pilot Custom series; most likely the 823 or the top of the line 845 urushi

[@mixeddrinks8100]

Sailor Pro Gear for sure. If you want a cigar shape japanese pen, you can pick 1911, 3776 and the numerous Pilot. But flat tops, harder to find minus the Sailor! When you said Twsbi 580... I don't think I have ever known anyone who bought one, tons of Eco , the vacs or the mini but not once have I met anyone with a 580, but again that is personal experience. Also as heavy orange ink user, Yu-Yaki Fuyu-Gaki (pick one of those, just pick the color you like better)

[@Acute360]

Im getting my first proper fountian pen for my birthday next month (i previously only had a cheap one from a local shop). Im going to get the lamy safari, what should i do first?

[@prettymondocool6089]

Question: Do you have general guidelines you follow for what pens can handle shimmers? I started my pen journey when I saw the rerelease of lamy's dark lilac because of how striking it is. However the first fountain pen I got was a fine nib metropolitan. The metropolitan did not like the dark lilac very much and clogged very frequently, I assume from the shimmer particles. The worst was taking sermon notes on Easter. The pen clogged, I tried rubbing the nib a bit to see if it could dislodge any clogged particles, and ended up with purple hands. As a side note, I currently write with iroshizuku yamaguri in the fine nib metropolitan and use southwest sunset in a (safari) medium nib for keywords in my notes. I like to think of the yamaguri as a sepia tinted "off-black" and it pairs so nicely with a bright and dynamic orange. It's such a fun combination I don't see straying from it anytime soon.

[@PawelNiksa]

Quick question - if the nibs' sizes are not exactly the same from different manufacturers (i.e. size 6 nib might be different length for Pilot and Pelikan), maybe it would be a better idea to describe them with mm/inches? I understand that "nib size" refers to the width of the nib, but I'm personally always more interested in length, and that is never mentioned in pens' description. What is your take on this?

[@Carbon.Organic_Emperor12]

1:01:49 what are your thoughts about diamine pumpkin is that also safe as the other oranges you mentioned or it also rusts in nib please tell

[@marvinmediocre]

To draw a straight line with a fountain pen, I take an old credit card or gift card and apply a few pieces of tape on one side to raise it up so the ink doesn't run under it.

[@tipeon]

I used to use a fountain pen and any kind of straight edge when I was a schoolboy. And yes, sometimes, ink can run under it and make mess. Anything raised will help. A regular plastic ruler often has a bezel on the top side ... you can just use it up side down 😉

[@aurynia]

@@tipeon Yes, a plastic ruler with a bezel, held upside down is the way to go.

[@TonyProctors]

Ok… so even being a non ombré fan wasnt enough to keep me from getting the Goulet 15th anniversary VP… guess I’m a true blue Goulet Fan 😊

[@Adriel-ze6lw]

Thoughts on making new ink videos with shimmer only inks? Testing out on different popular fountain pen papers

[@bobcabot]

...your Masterwork!

[@michaelsshort]

Can you explain what services a nibmeister typically provides? How do you select a good one? Do nibmeisters typically restore vintage pens too or is that a separate type of skill? Are there any nibmeisters and/or vintage pen restoration experts you recommend? And finally, if I get into vintage pens can a nibmeister add tipping material to a nib?

[@kart182]

1:03:00 “fun” fact almost 80% of the US is witnessing drought conditions as of early November, so you’re probably not alone with that dry clay

[@donnakelly8911]

Happy Anniversary 🎉

[@edwardstaats4935]

Jinhao X759 is an OK choice but I would go with X159 or 9019

[@reasoning_exp]

Best Aurora pen?

[@kevinlandon7578]

the 88

[@barryporter6993]

you could set the "Goulet Standard" for all others to follow....

[@fao8147]

А какой циферблат сложнее сделать гильоше, эмаль или фарфор?

[@ninthusiva7546]

thank you for not including Rachel, it made it bearable to watch.

[@pertheship]

Why don't these guys ever have Ranga pens in their stable

[@edwardstaats4935]

Pilot is not Vanishing Point but rather Custom 823

[@thadwind3499]

Saturated is likely what he means.

[@nikossiotas]

We miss Drew's energy and brightness...

[@am.ahmedd]

لماذا تركتوناا هيك جوعانين تعبنا يالله من غزة اطفالي بحاجة لطعام رقم في الصورة الشخصية Why did you leave us like this hungry? We are tired. Oh God, from Gaza. My children need food.،- Number in profile picture.