Frozen Ink, The Best Sealing Caps, and Brian's Succession | Pencast 78

[@lukewilsonhere]

My wife is 7 months pregnant with our fourth child and has horrible back pain, so cleaning the whole house in preparation for our Super Bowl party is falling 100% on me this year… so YES, the Pencast is normally my cleaning podcast, but especially this week. It’s a good thing it’s 2 hours long this week-TURKEY HAMMOCK here I come.

[@j.s.matlock1456]

Thank you, Brian and Drew, for this weekly pencast. I am an old lady who lives alone with her cats. I don't get out much, and I don't get many visitors. I look forward to Friday mornings and being able to spend time with a couple of interesting friends with whom I share a common interest in all things fountain pen related. It's heartwarming to watch the two of you banter back and forth. I've grown to care about your families, your pets, and your hobbies. You make me smile, and I appreciate you both.

[@Sides3Sides]

Me too, except I have a dog😊

[@Gouletpens]

Happy to be here for you! Thanks for joining us! - Drew

[@rhondacarlock6735]

Myself also, with three dogs. Friday podcast and pen cleaning day!

[@Sides3Sides]

@@rhondacarlock6735 I call that a good afternoon 🌞

[@rice-n-eggs]

I homeschool and my kids do a lot of copy work. I had read about how a fountain pen could help children with their “pencil grasp”, could help with fatigue etc. So, I got them all Kakunos for Christmas and our experience has been so wonderful. No one is complaining about copy work. I got them their favorite colors and they love using these pens now (ages 11, 7, 5). The issue I’m having now is everyone wanting different colors of ink, wanting more than just one pen. It opened up a whole can of worms 😂.

[@Chosenoneful]

What a wonderful can to share with your children … enjoy !!

[@Gouletpens]

Kakunos are great to kick things off! Well done! - Drew

[@sharonwallraff2226]

Congrats, Mom! The way I see it, you just simplified selecting birthday gift-giving! One new Kakuno and one new ink each year or gifting event, and you get off easy!

[@deita2191]

introducing fountain pens to the younger generations are essential for the hobby to preserve it in the long term, im 16 years old and i just started using fountain pens 5 months ago, and now i spent all of my bday and christmas money for pens and inks, and i just got my first sailor fountain pen!... oh god its gonna get worse overtime right..

[@Chosenoneful]

I received my first fountain at 16 as well…. I annoyed my parents till they gave in … I turn 50 this year and still love my pens and my collection … yes you will fall down the rabbit hole… but it is a wonderful hole …. Enjoy!!

[@Gouletpens]

That's awesome! So glad you found us! - Drew

[@deita2191]

@@Gouletpens yes, I am listening to your past podcasts everyday, they're a great for accompanying me write stuff haha

[@My_Pens_Hobbies]

Yes 😂😂😂 and you know what? I got my first fountain pen at 12. I always thought they were really really fancy but I didn't know how to buy one for myself, but when a magazine (one of those that make monthly collections you know? You buy the magazine and get a pocket watch or a mini toy car or, in this case, a fountain pen) decided to make a colection of over a 100 fountain pens in honnor of famous historical people (beethoven, mark twain, voltaire, napoleon and more) I begged my parents to get me one. It was really really cheap, the pens weren't even branded 😂😂😂 but it was my first fountain pen and I have never written with anything else ever since! I am now 19 years old, I have 39 fountain pens, some are ordinary pens, some are fancier, some are vintage and I still fancy more 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it is like falling in a black hole past it's event horizon: once you get in you'll never get out 🤣🤣🤣😅😅😅😅

[@davidottman9501]

A few items discussed early in this show: - Drew's made-up ink names were excellent, - Drew tends to be very expressive when excited about something - Brian is more reserved in that way. So if we put those together, here's what I see: how about a challenge? If Ferris Wheel Press releases a new ink using one of Drew's fictitious names, could we get a video of Brian skipping enthusiastically down the hallway at work? Seriously though, great show. And thanks for all the helpful info you work so hard to post to the Toob. You've taken "online retail" to a new and better level.

[@Gouletpens]

LOL thank you! I'd love to see Brian skip down the hall. - Drew

[@KatiesCraftStudio]

RE freezing ink: An element Brian didn't discuss is that adding other components to water often lowers the temperature at which it freezes (provided that it's truly mixed in and doesn't separate). It's not just the freezing point of the component that's added (Brian mentioned surfactants) it's also that getting a frozen block of ice involves the individual water molecules to arrange themselves in a crystalline pattern (due to the hydrogen bonds formed between an oxygen on one molecule with a hydrogen from a different one). Adding other components interferes with with the formation of these crystalline bonds and depresses the temperature at which the water freezes. This is why we, for example, salt the roads. 😀

[@jolienkrispijn]

Thanks for this, cool to learn this

[@KatiesCraftStudio]

@@jolienkrispijn happy to put my chemistry education to good use!

[@evanbasnaw]

Thank you. I couldn't help but yell at Brian on the screen about Freezing point depression, but I guess he and Drew can't hear me after it's already been recorded.

[@danielk.288]

Drew should test Yule Log from last year's Diamine Inkvent calendar: It is a brown ink with brown shimmer.

[@afrog2666]

Diamine "burrito casserole"

[@heathergleiser]

Wearingeul’s glitter potion recommends a 1:10 ratio. Theirs are shimmer in a light color fluid and meant for adding to standard inks. They offer blue and red shimmer among other colors; I’d love to see Writer’s Blood with red shimmer!

[@fiddletwist]

I was coming here to mention this - have not tried it, has anybody put it in an ink that isn't Wearingeul?

[@heathergleiser]

@@fiddletwist Sounds like I might have to order it and give it a whirl with a few Diamine inks then post the results since people are curious.

[@BB-mo1ms]

I listened to the pencast while opening my first order from Goulet Pens, and explored my first refillable foundation pen and wonderful inks (trying to find a signiture purple color). Everything was wonderful, thanks guys.

[@archivist17]

Sounds like the first chapter of a great adventure! 👍🏼

[@rat3072]

I am a purple ink aficionado, I get the search the "The One". There are a lot of choices out there, so definitely enjoy exploring that world. :)

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you so much! - Drew

[@crimson35124]

0:37:41 The best sealing pen BY FAR is the TWSBI 580s, because of the rubber o-ring at the end of the section that gives the cap an air-tight seal. I don’t recommend doing this, but I’ve personally left ink in one of my 580s for TWO WHOLE YEARS (Diamine Oxford Blue), picked it up after two years, and it wrote perfectly. No hard starts, no dried ink clogged in the feed. If you want a pen you can leave ink in for 2 years and it still being able to write wetly after being uncapped, 580 is the way to go.

[@Gouletpens]

TWO YEARS!? Wooowwwww! - Drew

[@tinathebear]

I can definitely relate to Drew’s hobby woes. My family says that my hobby is collecting new hobbies.

[@andreahandte6662]

Oh I love the fact that Pilot is putting the name of the ink on the cartridge instead of just a color coded plastic end cap. It would be so nice if all cartridge manufacturers did this then there is no question which ink it is.

[@archivist17]

I have a whole heap of mystery short international cartridges that I put in to test pens, but mostly have saved for penabling. It would, however, be good to know what's inside the plastic...

[@sunnymoondog]

Yes! I mark them with a permanent marker when I remember.

[@creamsiclecat]

Brian is such a great parent! My parents were the opposite of him and it was very difficult to work thru all the issues as an adult. They didnt even allow us as teens to have part-time jobs and forced kept us in the family business. It was a bad time, so I'm really happy there are people like Brian out there! Be good to your kids, they are their own selves.

[@Gouletpens]

He's a good one! - Drew

[@janmathijsrijck7970]

1:15:49 You know which hammock your turkey is in? Drew, that phrase is really brilliant! It will go into my fountain pen vocabulary from now on!😂😂😂

[@kellylaliberte548]

I was the aunt who bought noisy toys for my nephews. The "band in a bag" and a Koosh hockey set that made a bonging noise were my highlights, but I never matched the genius of my own aunt, who gave her grandson an accordion one Christmas. Legend. Drew, I hope you never lose your enthusiasm and sense of fun. I would love to have coworkers like you.

[@fossilimprint2954]

Great Pencast, and it was so fun for me I did not feel it was 2 hours. You always have so many interesting things you discuss, from adding shimmer to inks, wood turning, to trees exploding due to extreme cold (never knew that was even possible). Thank you and looking forward to your next Pencast!

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for the kind words! - Drew

[@HighWideandHandsome]

So happy Drew was on his toes and picked up on the potential pen-casting pun. Moments like these make me happy.

[@archivist17]

And Brian's accidental callback to the egg drinking! 😄

[@MauriceHotblack]

Talking about giving children fountain pens took me back to my childhood. When I was 8 back in the early 70's I went to a school over here in the UK where we were all taught to write longhand, or joined up writing, with a fountain pen. We all pretty much had basic Parker pens, most of us used cartridges. A few used Parker's bottled Quink. I seem to remember an awful lot of spillage and leaks in those days. I changed to a ballpoint as soon as I could at age 11 (about 6th grade?). I used pretty much nothing else ever since. Latterly I've had a Parker Steel Jotter that I enjoyed but only in the last 8 months or so have I been bitten by the fountain pen bug, along with paper, journals, ink and nibs. Thanks for your Pencast, Brian and Drew. It's a very welcoming, warm, witty and informative space. Cheers. Dave.

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks so much for sharing that with us! - Drew

[@fiddletwist]

At some point in high school I got hold of a Parker Jotter ballpoint. Not only did I love it and use nothing else for taking notes through college and grad school, I noticed that I liked the medium points better than the fines! Before that, I loved those multi pens with four colors, made of white and blue plastic. I think another way to judge if a kid is a good candidate for a fancy pen is, do they get all excited every year when it's time for new school supplies??

[@jennifercormack9218]

I do a drawing once a month where a student (seventh and eighth grade) can win a fountain pen (shark). They can pick which ink they would like in it and bring it back for fillings for life. If they win again the next choice is a preppy or a varsity. After that they can try one from the fountain pen library (pens that are a step up but not that expensive, they are pens that I have that I don’t really use). No one has made it to the library yet. If they bring a pen back from the library in good condition they can trade it for a different pen to try. I also have Blackwing pencils for the fifth and sixth graders. I also give out a fountain pen friendly sheet of paper to those kids every few months as most of the “regular” paper here in the states is not very fountain pen friendly. They get a short write up of where the paper is from and why fountain pen enthusiasts like that paper.

[@crystalca9082]

Pencast is my Friday morning coffee time. I definitely have my pens handy though, and am setting up my daily coffee/pen pics while listening.

[@Gouletpens]

So that means I can take partial credit for your beautiful photos, right? Since we did it together? - Drew

[@DanielForgosh]

I love Drew's passion for so many things!

[@josephcocker4184]

About frozen ink-- Small cartridges with less than 1ml of ink are the most vulnerable to cold. When the ink becomes frozen it expands to the point where the plastic seal breaks and the merchandise has to be thrown away. In parts of Canada distributors often have a cut-off date for shipping ink to pen stores before the winter cold hits . The store owner needs to have enough inventory through until next spring arrives, before restocking.

[@jspring86]

Definitely clean my pens while listening to you guys every week!

[@theprairiemailbox]

I live somewhere where it routinely gets down to -40 in the winter - I once had a Kaweco Perkeo fall out of my pocket and roll under the seat of my car. It stayed there through January and February - must've frozen and thawed at least 20 times if not more. Finally found it, left it on my kitchen counter overnight, and the next morning it wrote like a dream without even a hard start! That's German engineering for you! It had a standard Kaweco blue cartridge in it, if I remember correctly.

[@HapticTraveler]

Saturday mornings I watch the Pencast while I cook/food prep my meals for the upcoming week. I enjoy the mixture of FP questions, information, excitement and shenanigans. Plus just enough about you both personally to feel like we are all friends catching up on things! Thank you Brian and Drew for taking the time and effort to do this! I have been buying my fountain pens and accoutrements from Goulet for many years now and appreciate all you do and provide for your customers!

[@NoL.E.D.]

The description of Drew’s various walking/jaunting/skipping patterns instantly reminded me of the episode of Bluey where Chilli and Bandit watched Bluey and Bingo do crazy walks while cleaning up the dining room. Please tell me, Drew, that you can do the “be-yoop” walk! (Season 3 episode 13 for those curious)

[@fiddletwist]

Reminded me of the Ministry of Silly Walks from Monty Python - sounds like Drew should be a member in good... not standing... um... skipping?

[@Gouletpens]

I'll have to look that up! - Drew

[@deshan314]

My Pelikan M200, M400 and M800 seal very well. Even after weeks without using them, they write immediately. And the Esterbrook Estie has also a spring loaded cap.

[@GummyBear1972]

I frequently watch these Pencasts while knitting on Sundays, but sometimes I can't wait and watch earlier after work.

[@elledechenestudio]

Theoretically, I do new ink swatches or catch up in my journal, but honestly I end up watching most of the pencast for Drew’s reactions to Brian’s wormhole ventures.

[@Gouletpens]

LOL Happy to be of service! - Drew

[@jess53nz]

The pencast is usually waiting for me when i wake up on Saturday morning. I listen to it while I'm doing the weekend chores. It's like my reward. But not pen stuff 99% of the time. Happy birthday to me, chores.... but also, pencast! Drew, the idea of your skipping around is just so joyful! I read somewhere that skipping is really good for you! I'm totally excitable too, we got a delivery truck at work and when a colleague discovered we have a flashy light on top i did a little happy dance. Keep being you drew!

[@typografy]

Hey, another NZ fountain pen enthusiast! Sat mornings is perfect for the pencast. Happy birthday!

[@jess53nz]

@@typografy hello! 🇳🇿🇳🇿 I'm in Christchurch Thanks!

[@typografy]

@@jess53nz Same! There must be a few of us around here that use fountain pens 😂

[@Stitchxavi]

Y’all drive my excitement about fountain pens. Without you, I don’t think I’d be nearly as devoted to this form of writing.

[@Gouletpens]

Well, we're not going anywhere! - Drew

[@shaigluskin1225]

Love the pencast! Regarding succession; consider transforming Goulet Pens to a worker-owned business. Thousands of companies have done it for all kinds of motivations. Given your values and given existing worker buy-in, Goulet Pens is a great candidate for becoming a worker-owned company. Certainly no rush on this. But your're so thoughtful about this kind of thing I thought I'd mention it.

[@savannahrachele]

I swatched 30 inks while watching this! My boyfriend asked if I was watching a pen infomercial 😂 (He’s one of those people that don’t care what they write with.)

[@amandalauzon3774]

This pencast just paralled my life and it's amazing. I have always loved writing and actually have a "worn" spot on my middle finger on my right hand from writing notes in class then re-writing them in color coded sections for brain retention and general writing of all the things. I was just now writing what was in my pens, the nib size, and what pens they were when my son (11 y/o) asked me if we knew where the Jinhao Shark pens I bought for us were because I recently got Diamine Onyx Black and he wanted to fill the red one (his favorite color) to bring to school Monday.

[@Gouletpens]

Haha! Yes! - Drew

[@AlkanetEXE]

I know this is an old cast, but on the note of kids gravitating to certain writing instruments, I cannot resist shouting some love for the Pilot Precise! Grew up watching my dad use them, stole some of his for my journals in Middle school, bought my own when I got my first job in high school, and got into fountain pens when I finally ran one color all the way down and searched for information on pens that could be refilled. That super smooth rollerball that required very little pressure to write with made transitioning into fountain pens very very easy, and even now I will still swap and do a journal entry with the Precise from time to time.

[@loves2readNplan]

Yes, a 100-live show would be fantastic!

[@EphraimGlass]

Solutions don't always freeze consistently. If there's ice in the ink, the remaining liquid might be more concentrated, with less dye dissolved in the ice phase. When that ice later melts, it will slightly dilute the ink. It's probably a minor effect but the smaller the total volume and the larger the frozen fraction of it, the more inconsistency I'd expect to see between inking while it's frozen and inking after it's thawed.

[@KatiesCraftStudio]

Very true! In lab this is why protein solutions need to be thawed all the way before use, because the concentration of the protein will be different across the phases.

[@kathyfannon7563]

My go-to pen in high school and when I first started working was the Pilot ballpoint in fine, usually blue. I loved those pens. A few months ago I got a Kakuno for my 7 year old granddaughter in a fine point, and bought one for me so we can have matching pens. For Mother's Day she wrote a note and thanked me for showing her how to use a fountain pen! I see future bonding over them as she gets older! 😍

[@raventhelight9357]

Hey Brian. Yeah I totally listen to y'all while I write or clean my pens. I just found you guys, so old content let's me write everyday with y'all! You're great and you've been a breath of fresh air! Thank y'all for taking the time to teach and entertain us.

[@mnmeema]

LOVE the burger analogy - way to go, Jack!! 💯

[@Gouletpens]

I know, RIGHT?! Perfection. - Drew

[@hannahmalcolm6683]

I save the pencasts for long cleaning sessions or just hard days. Really grateful for the podcast version

[@bellananicmorgan]

It wasn't in school, but the one pen that I had that I always kept track of was a Pilot G2 gel pen. I loved that pen from the first time I wrote with it. I liked it so much that when it died, I went out and bought more. Then I bought a multipack of them and stashed them around the house. For YEARS, until I discovered fountain pens, the only pen I would write with was the Pilot G2 gel pen.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

I have my pens and sketch kit out when I watch you guys. I like to watch vs listen because the facial expressions! You guys kill me 🤣 I will listen to music or other podcasts when I'm vacuuming my house weekly, but mostly because my vacuum is obscenely loud!

[@Calcprof]

In college I loved taking notes with technical drafting pens. There was a whole buch of us Math/Physics/Computer Science types that wrote with drafting pens.

[@janatherton9194]

Yes, I love the Rotring Rapidograph ones for drawing and they came with a pencil as well, if I had to use only one brand it would be that one, but I do love the Pentel pencils as well, as they write beautifully, but at $5 each, I'm less worried about losing them! I also like Pilot Kakunos for drawing and I also use dip pens.

[@xxflipchick22xx]

Speaking of cleaning, I’m folding laundry and tidying my house while listening to my favorite fountain pen pals. It makes the boring chores a little more fun because I’m thinking and hearing about fountain pens.

I LOVE the colour palette of that Visconti. It's so plant-flowery and it's different. I couldn't care less about the other Viscontis but this one... I wish I could buy it! About the pens... well, many in Europe learn or use on a regular basis fountain pens in school. At least primary. I hated almost all the pens I had in school bc they were all "for kids" namely they're crap & die quickly as people think "it's just a kid, they'll break it anyways". I got all sorts of horrible pencils, biros & disposable stylus & fountain pens. The pens I loved as a kid were: 1) A Japanese pen with flowing ink that had a stamp on one end. I loved it so much that I asked for a new one when that one ran out of ink. Mostly bc of the stamp. 2) The pens my grandmother would bring from her European trips. I didn't know at the time but they were luxury brands like Parker & Montblanc. I loved those, they were elegant & refined & wrote nicely & didn't die almost immediately after use. But yeah, I hated my school pens, so much that it took me several years to pick a fountain pen again. About ink & paint everywhere... everyone knew that would happen. I paint & draw from an early age, so that was kind of expected.

[@edwardstaats4935]

Your pencast is uniquely set to listen to and work with my pens. I usually write up my notes but also can see cleaning them. Thank you for making my Saturdays so fun

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for joining us, Edward! - Drew

[@BanzanShakuhachi]

Great show as always! One entry for the Q&A section: Could you recommend a stub nib pen for everyday writing? I am now using a Pilot nib, and while I like how the writing looks on the page, the writing experience is not so great. Basically, if I'm not careful about the nib orientation on the page, it can feel a little scratchy, and this can be stressful, especially when writing fast. I'd love to hear about stub nib pens that are more forgiving, while not being too broad for general use. Thanks!

[@johndetwiler8414]

Wikipedia says the Pilot name came on in 1938. A few famous Japanese brands rebranded for the West around then due to geopolitical reasons.

[@drezdogge]

I am a dog groomer so I'm cutting hair whole I listen to the 'cast, whenever I get a corgi on my table I think of Drew. Brian strikes me as a yellow lab or boxer guy. Easy-going low maintenance and outdoorsy

[@Gouletpens]

I'd that that's a good representation of him! - Drew

[@cherylgiles9658]

It’s winter and in Western Washington…wet, cold and windy. So rowing and thank goodness for Goulet Pencast! 20 minutes of discussion and nonsense in, I am thinking half way done. Didn’t even notice. Sweet.❤

[@meganregel3441]

Fellow western WA pen friend! Yay! Hi!

[@lindagraddon8730]

@@meganregel3441another one here!😁

[@cherylgiles9658]

@@meganregel3441 hey back atcha!

[@cherylgiles9658]

@@meganregel3441 hey do you know if we have a good pen store or just good stores that sell pens?

[@meganregel3441]

@@cherylgiles9658 our options are so limited! I’m not sure where you are exactly but I know of a few boutique shops in Ballard with a super limited supply. Our actual best options tho are Kinokuniya, the University of Washington Bookstore in the U District, and a shop called Silberman Brown that I’ve never visited. Even tho these are the best we’ve got, they’re still pretty limited in stock.

[@judithbishop29]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am thrilled that Goulet Pens has new colors in Pilot Iroshizuku Ink Cartridges. I have purchased some from Amazon, but I would rather buy from your company. Great job on the pencasts, Brian and Drew. They are always entertaining and informative each week. I look forward to a new production each week.

[@sharelleshobbies]

I didn’t have a preferred writing instrument. I loved paper and pens in general though. My favorite time of year was back to school time with all the wonderful papers and pens on display.

[@Deboraha5903]

I inked my new Homo Sapiens yesterday from a new bottle of ink that was cold not frozen. After writing a couple of lines it burped. Big surprise until I thought about it. Only other time I’ve had a pen burp was when I went from a/c temp to a warm hair salon with my inked Charlie pen. Haha! One caution about bringing cold packages with ink inside…don’t warm them up too fast to avoid breaking the glass. Seems obvious but I thought I would mention it.

[@creamsiclecat]

YAY!! I been looking forward to this all week ;_;

[@LucyLu_meztli]

I absolutely second that! 🥳

[@jolienkrispijn]

Me too!

[@GummyBear1972]

I found an old Eagle Black Warrior pencil in my family's junk drawer one day when I was young. I stole it and cherished it! I like Drew's advice about observing if the recipient has a special writing utensil. I would go one further and, if I was considering gifting a fountain pen to someone, whip out one of my fountain pens in front of them and observe their reaction. If they ask a lot of questions and take an interest, that's a good sign they might love one themselves. Perhaps the very one you're sharing would be a good gift.

[@762x51n8o]

Thank you for answering my frozen ink question. One thing I would add to the conversation, if the ink is partially frozen, since only the water would freeze, that means the rest of it would be more concentrated.

[@mnmeema]

No b&w intro?

[@jolienkrispijn]

Yeah, missed it too!

[@kittykat3280]

I watch your pencast's while I'm working, As I work from home that makes it easy to watch and not get in trouble from my boss.

[@Gonorrfr]

New week, new pencast. Keep it up guys!

[@noop5_plans]

For my son, he has been interested in my pens. For his 9th birthday I got him a varsity for ease of use as an intro into the world. He loves drawing, so it’s been a fun addition to his sketching tools.

[@joefaracevideos]

Yes, Drew and Brian. I find that the Pencast makes me grab one or more of my pens and do stuff, sometimes writing notes based on what you're saying or just filling the pens with ink.

[@Gouletpens]

That's great to hear! - Drew

[@mykie1515]

When I first got into goulet I'd do pen cleaning while watching goulet videos

[@penguin1780]

Pennonia from Romania sells shimmer especially for fountain pen ink. They have a couple of partner stores here in the US, but I bet they could use another!

[@marksimpson3064]

I watch pencast while cooking and doing dishes!

[@poeticpolecat]

I totally get into pen mode during the pencast. I even go back and rewatch an old pencast if I need to clean or fill pens or swab new inks outside of scheduled pencast releases.

[@RedShadow3333]

My high school writing instrument was a Bic Atlantis mechanical pencil. Before that it was a Ticonderoga pencil (black if possible). I might have used pens more but the school preferred pencils. I really hope that fountain pens continue to gain popularity among the best of humans.

[@TymberJ]

On the Hypo-thetical, if you go Sailor, you essentially never need to worry about cleaning your pens again. Pick an ink, and there's going to be a pen in the catalog you haven't used yet that's *perfect* for it, and you'll go decades before you need to repeat one.

[@evanbasnaw]

As far as gifting pens, especially to kids. I've given Preppys to several people that i know like to write or draw. I went and bought a Lamy ABC, to see if it would be good to give any of the kids in my life since they're almost ready to start writing. It turns out that for the price, the writing experience, and the likelyhood that it will be lost, broken, or even stolen, it's just not worth that. What I've settled on for both kids and adults is the Pilot Varsity (haven't tried the Zebra disposable yet). The Pilot Varsity writes better than some of my expensive pens. It's super reliable in how it seals, it never hard starts, and it's durable enough I never have to worry about it. It has a huge ink capacity such that it's cheaper to buy a Varsity than some cartridges. I don't think you can go wrong by picking up a pack for yourself even if you're not giving them away as presents to penable someone. I wish these were available when I got my first pen in middle school.

[@karinebetti]

What people do while listening to the pencast? For my part, you guys keep me company on the treadmill. I gotta have something other than the general suffering to focus on, and fountain pens are an excellent diversion!

[@Gouletpens]

Well howabout that? I'm basically a gym instructor! LOL - Drew

[@Bearspensandwhales]

Re shimmer in ink-In the words of Robin Williams..if you are going in the jungle-clash!! How about rainbow shimmer in a saffron coloured ink?? Great show guys. Keep on keeping on.

[@KarynaLovesToPlan]

Thank you again for another wonderful pencast that I did listen to while cleaning! As for inks being frozen, I live in Edmonton, Alberta where some days during the winter, our temps can get as low as -30 to -40C. I have received a bottle of ink completely frozen once, and I let it “defrost” overnight (with the cap off to allow for any expansion) and it was absolutely fine the next day. My local pen store, however, does not have any incoming shipments of ink over winter due to the possibility of more ink arriving frozen/damaged during the colder temps. Thanks again!

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you for joining us, Karyna! - Drew

[@nathaliedale]

I think that the best way to introduce a Kid to fountain pens is to use them yourself, if they get curious, let them try. Some kids will be "it's cool" but not really much more than that, some others will just instantly fall in love with it. My 12 years old just kind of fell into it. She taught herself cursive and uses fountain pens in school I first started by buying her a disposable Zebra pen from Staples. She later saved her own money to buy a Lamy All Star. She is now a member of our fountain pen club and wants to start a club at her school. You are right, cartridges is the way to go. keep an eye on your pens though, when I first received my Lamy 2000 it disappeared, I thought that I had lost it... turns out she had taken it and kept it in her room.

[@amaryllisl8928]

47:26 When you guys say that it's been cold lately... I get you. It was -47C (with wind, a cozy -36C if we're not counting the wind) where I live last Friday.

[@MissMarilynDarling]

the private reserve pearlescent inks are some of the fastest drying too I dont know why but if any left handers love to write those are the perfect for using cause they dry nearly instantly :)

[@rainysaturdaycreative]

I only have Pearlescent Orange and it is super wet and slow to dry. Weird. I still love it, my alternative last name is “sunrain” and I think of it as my sunrain ink.

[@alesei9421]

I went to school late 70s/80s and fountain pens were mandatory from day 1, other pens were allowed in my later school years. Still have both my Pelikans, vintage Pelikanos in red, keep them forever. Surprised to learn that apparently that’s not the case anymore these days or at least not mandatory in the US (I’m from Germany). Poor kids missing out on proper writing utensils😉

[@pen_journal]

The Pilot Iroshizuku cartridges!!! Looking forward to those! Finally, about time!!!

[@coling1258]

The "if they have a favorite writing implement" hit really hard for me. For me, the gateway to fountain pens was wanting to find the pen equivalent of my favorite pencil (Uni Kuru-Toga).

[@Calcprof]

Dobsonian is kind of mount. You can get a telescope with a really big mirror (sees dimmer stuff) for relatively cheep. Not really suitable for photography, but that is a separate rabbit hole. Don't forget eyepieces. I recommend the wider angle designs. You also might consider (cheeper?) something like 11x80 binoculars. They are essentially made for stargazing.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

Agreed!

[@jeffmontgomery511]

My pen journey really began when I was a little boy helping my Dad put the badge and name tag on his fireman uniform the night before he went to work. As a younger fireman he always had a chrome Cross pen and pencil because it matched his silver badge. When he became an officer and got a gold badge he changed to a gold Cross pen and pencil set. I got a Cross set for my birthday in 4th grade. I remember talking my Mom into a Pentel .05 mechanical pencil when I was in 5th grade. In jr hi I found Pentel rollerball pens and those changed my life. My first fountain pen was a Shaffer that I saw in my college bookstore. The first one was a medium nib and I loved it. I went back and got the fine nib version a week later. I still have the medium nib Shaffer. At some point in my 20 I got a Parker at an office supply store and it was really skinny and wrote so well. I used those pens off and on until Covid came along and I was intrigued by an ad for the Amazon Basics fountain pen. I got it and was in love again. I found your channel and started learning about other pens and inks. I have several Jinhao pens with the X159 being my new favorite. All my other Jinhao pens (159, X459,X750) have Goulet nibs and write so well. I also have a Pilot Metroploitan, a Sailor Compass, Pilot Prefonte and for christmas this year I got a Twisbi ECO-T. I am hooked and loving all the variety of fun inexpensive pens Ihave to choose from. I also am loving the Goulet ink samples that you have given me for my birthday and one I got for Christmas. So thank you for giving me a new hobby and all the fun pencasts to warch and enjoy. On another note, the worst pen I ever had to use was in elementry school when they required us to use the Papermate pens with erasable ink. I thought that was a super cool idea but in practice those pens were terible.

[@pat999x]

I started using a fountain pen in school. At my school, using a fountain pen was a reward for good work in third grade. The coolest thing was that the reward lasted until graduation.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

Drew, I used to feel the same way about The Grand Canyon, but then I saw it last year.. the word "Awe" has brand new meaning for me now at 45 years of age. I have also seen some of the planets through a very nice telescope. Very cool and I love me some sci-fi (O.G. Star Wars fan here!) Been a sky watcher since childhood, BUT! the Canyon! All in it, around it, everywhere! And the sky at night! 😮💥💫💯 Highly recommended The Grand Canyon before you die!

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, I'm sure I'd backtrack my opinion if I actually saw it! - Drew

[@gv0861]

Does your company take its own photos of the products you sell? If so, being a photographer myself, I must give a shout out to your product photographer . Every single picture of a pen that I have seen is unique and well composed.

[@Gouletpens]

Yes, we shoot our own photos! I'll pass along your compliments! - Drew

[@gv0861]

@@Gouletpens Maybe highlight the photography? A little segment on it would be nice. Thanks for the reply

[@philnaunton7181]

And so, I was listening to the Goulet Pencast this afternoon, using my hardwired Shure earbuds. At some point early in the session, I started hearing this odd banging, quite low frequency. Then it stopped. I didn't think much of it at first. Then it started up again. Then it stopped once more. I began to think it was someone kicking my front door, so I stopped the playback to listen more closely. Nothing. After actually looking outside and finding no one, I went back to the paused Pencast. But it began again. I thought that maybe I was going crazy. Taking the earbuds out again, I left the Pencast running because I forgot about shutting it off. Listening for several minutes, I heard nothing. I put one earbud back in, and realized I had left it running. Then I rewound it back a ways, and then I heard the sound again, but only in the one inserted earbud. Then rewinding several seconds and playing it again I realized it was Brian doing something with his microphone. It synced perfectly. Thanks for spooking me out.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

Same, but I had headphones. Thought one of my kids was tapping on the glass in my room! Realized it was something with Brian's mic, I think he did too!

[@RJayRoberts]

It's Brian playing with his microphone. Need to hang it from the ceiling where he can't reach it, apparently. Love the podcast, but had to shut this one off. Too much of it too soon. It's too distracting. :-( And yes, it's worse with headphones on.

[@jeremygunkel]

I have been using a Pilot Prera for many years, ever since Matt over a The Pen Habit did his review. Really miss his videos. That cap does a great job of keeping it from drying out as it sometimes sits in a drawer unused for a long time and it always just works. Also noticed Brian's video on how to disassemble the cap to clean it is now 10 years old....heck'n crazy.

[@rainysaturdaycreative]

Sometimes I can watch while I am at work if I am doing routine things and not being interrupted a lot, but lately I have gotten more into watching it on Sunday, my lazy chill day, and I can watch KZbin on my TV. I might do knitting, cooking, play with inks and fountain pens, lately been trying art (I suck, but working on not sucking). And god know s whatever other hobby. I just got two surprise me ink sample packs, I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was cool to get the Monteverde Valentine Red. I felt special! 😻 Also love the Robert Oster Red Gold. May have to pick up a bottle of that. I really love you guys!

[@ILoveFountainPensCdn]

See the thing is Drew, your son needs some Pilots. I absolutely love the CH92. My first pen that I truly cared about (and bought for myself) was a now vintage Sheaffer Cartridge Calligraphy Set. After I could no longer find the cartridges locally, I moved to a Pilot Dr. Grip when they first came out in the 90s. Hypothetically, I'd easily go with Montblanc as I bought five last year. I'd love some of their bespoke nibs as well as they tailor them to how you personally write. ...if anyone wants to fund my fantasy, I'm open for discussions. Many years ago, Hot Shots, Hot Shots Part Deux and Robin Hood Men In Tights were good parody movies. Not sure how they'd hold up now.

[@meganregel3441]

"Compared to the moon I am not made of rocks" The laugh I laughed! (But also we are made of many minerals: bones of calcium, teeth of apatite, so... maybe we are rocks... i am a geologist not a biologist tho so don't take my word for it) My obsession with writing utensils was inevitable: I am a lefty, I write tiny, and I have ADHD (praise parentheticals and go go gadget hyperfocus). Wood pencils didn't hold a sharp enough tip and the ballpoint pens I could find skipped, so I would use either a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil or a Pilot Precise V5. I was a menace to my poor mother at school supply season. I would reorganize my backpack before the first day of school over and over. Now I have adult money and no supervision so I ... could pull a Brian and write a book here but I'll leave it at this: the Uni Jetstream is the best ballpoint (but I need the SXR-600 refill in other colors), Japanese multipens are essential for my EDC, and fountain pens with a retractable nib are *chef's kiss*. Also, I saw Saturn through a fancy telescope in Death Valley, CA and it made me cry. Drew should definitely get a telescope (and so should I). PS - Drew I'm pretty sure we have the same brain

[@cc_likesknives]

I was pen-abled by a combo of my husband (who gifted me a calligraphy set) and a co-worker (who gave me a disposable fountain pen)....and boy have I fallen down the rabbit hole! I'm a 2nd grade teacher and I use them frequently in front of my students and I've have had multiple kids ask for one! Unfortunately I don't have enough disposable pens on hand but that might be an end of the year gift for them 🥰 My 3 year old has also expressed interest but that's probably because she watches me write with it and she wants to do what Mommy does 🥰 Love the pencast though!!

[@jackruaro]

If I had a brand to pick the entire back catalog of it would be Parker. I've got a huge focus on vintage pens and rube goldberg-ish filling systems, and Parker has the best collection of those.

[@benkempermagic]

Love the Rube Goldberg reference.

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

Live pencast? I‘ll get up in the middle of the night if need be to take part in that!

[@danielklopp7007]

Regarding freezing ink: insulation does not change the temperature the ink will freeze (@50:50 - Brian talking about the effect of the packaging around the bottle effecting the freezing point). Insulation of any sort (e.g. the glass bottle itself, the cardboard box, the bubble-wrap, etc.) slows heat transfer, but does not stop it. In other words, ink in an insulated container will take longer to freeze than ink in an open container, but the insulation does not change the freezing point. Also, "wind chill" has no effect on the freezing point (but will speed the freezing process). Also to further answer Robb's question; the insulation works both ways (i.e. slows the freezing process, AND slows the warming process)... therefore to speed the warming process (if Robb is concerned about putting cold ink into a warm pen) remove the bubble-wrap and the ink bottle from the box. BTW - Brian is correct; as long as the ink is liquid, it will not cause issues in a pen. The only caveat: water contracts when colder (up until the freezing point - at which point it starts to expand beyond it's original volume), so theoretically if a pen were filled to the maximum capacity with cold (but not frozen) ink, it could "burp" as it warms (since the liquid expands as it warms). However from a practical standpoint; I don't think it's possible to get a full enough fill with any common filling system (e.g. vac, piston, cartridge/converter, or eye-dropper) to make this an issue. As always, keep up the great work at Goulet Pens!

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you, Dan! Our unofficial Pencast science correspondent! - Drew

[@Kimberley_Veronica]

Oh Brian that is me (“literally don’t understand how people go through their lives not caring what they write with”) I am an ISLAND in a family of those people and it makes my head hurts with it. Mine was BIC 4 colour pen when I could afford to buy it myself as a kid / teenager and mechanical pencils. Hate writing with them now but LOVED them and had so many over the years.

[@kittykat3280]

I live in Canada and I shop online a lot, I even order from China and I have never had a problem with any type of liquid freezing on it's way to me and the winters here are really harsh. I have ordered from Goulet twice now and my first order included a bottle of Diamine Polar Glow, that order came in January and it was perfectly fine.

[@heathergleiser]

Ooooh, that hypothetical is a hard one! If “entire back catalog” includes retailer exclusives and pens not distributed in the US, Pilot or Twsbi without a doubt. Pilot has a ton of pens that are only in Japan and I’ve seen some Twsbi retailer exclusives that are gorgeous. If not, Montblanc. Their Great Characters pens are like works of art.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

Yes, absolutely Pilot without hesitation for all the reasons you listed and the range in price and pen range...very tough to beat that!

[@hannahmalcolm6683]

I thought long and hard about that hypothetical. My favorite pen by a long shot is my Edison Beaumont, but even so I don't think I could choose that over the entire Pilot backlog.

[@melissamcintyre7661]

@@hannahmalcolm6683 Exactly!

[@amandalauzon3774]

I usually listen to the pencast while I'm at work solo on Friday's and was beyond sadness when I opened Spotify and it wasn't there. I then had a brief moment of clarity and desperately checked youtube to make doubly sure and discovered it! Were it not for that my weekend would have begun with the deepest of disappointments. I'm (partially) kidding, but also don't let it happen again. (That time i was kidding)

[@Gouletpens]

LOL you got it, Amanda! - Drew

[@LucyLu_meztli]

Drew, please tell us you are still writing down Brian’s weird quotes, the moon one around min 13:48 was gold!

[@amydebuitleir]

My go-to writing instrument in college was the Marvy Le Pen. A felt tip pen with an extra fine point. I'd buy like 5 or 6 at a time. I customised it with a pencil grip so it was more comfortable to hold.

[@kozygeorg]

Thank you for another great and interesting pordact. One thing was slightly annoying though when Brian kept accidentally touching the mic which was very audible at times. For example at 54:16