Overlooked Pen, Ink, and Paper Brands

[@beckyisj]

"Congratulations for your curiosity" is such a good intro. you've got such a warmth that always makes my day, Drew 💙

[@Gouletpens]

Hahaha thank you, my friend! I really liked the way that sounded as well. Curiosity should alway be encouraged! - Drew

[@nailartguy3363]

What a handsome portrait of Drew you chose for the thumbnail. Really captures his likeness and characteristics beautifully. Refined, dignified, and serious. ❤

[@stopaskingmedumbquestions]

I refuse to believe anyone but Drew picked that picture

[@loukios]

We need that blackest black video. Lamy black does it for me, personally. More so than Carbon black for sure. Would love to see that black ink comparison video.

[@Gouletpens]

It's coming! - Drew

[@loukios]

@@Gouletpens woohoo!!! Thank you so much for all the amazing videos you guys make. Can’t wait for the pencast!

[@sammiches6859]

Chou Kuro absolutely blows Carbon Black away. It's not even close. I would buy a gallon of it if it weren't $60 for 60ml. I'm trying Kiwa Guro by Sailor this week, though I know it has a sheen that Platinum blacks do not.

[@loukios]

@@sammiches6859 haven’t tried Chou Kuro, but im not a fan of pigmented ink personally. Would absolutely love to try it though. Can’t beat a nice rich, dark black.

[@ChanceCooper125]

Nobody in the fountain pen world talks about the Kokuyo Soft Ring Notebook line but they’re so cheap and SO perfect in basically every way.

[@danv9637]

I totally agree with your comments on Private Reserve inks. I have been using them for at least the past ten years. They flow well and have terrific pigmentation and color selection. I have never had an issue on any of my high end pens. (Namiki Emperor, MB 149, Pilot Urushi etc.) However, the ink lids STINK. They are tough to remove then replace without getting ink around the rim of the bottle and dripping down. I always make sure to have paper wipes with me when I use their product. I wish they would change their bottle design. I'm sure their sales would improve.

[@Sufficient_Reason]

Opus 88 makes my favorite pens. I love the large grip, I love the ink capacity, and the nib is top notch.

[@danmagoo]

I've been using TWSBI black recently, and I find it very well behaved in different pens, very black and also with a nice sheen. And it is not expensive. And as Drew said, the bottle is also great.

[@differentkindofGEKE]

2:30 I love CD11 notebooks! I use them for prayer journals because they’re slim and fit easily into my Bible cover. I have another one for my reading log. And I’m brainstorming other ways to use these economical notebooks and the standard larger notebook. Great value!

[@mjcossel6136]

I use one for sermon notes. 😊 They’re great!

[@differentkindofGEKE]

@@mjcossel6136 I may have to buy one to replace my current sermon notes journal. I was going to go for a hardcover A5 from Amazon but why not spring for good paper?

[@bethg7026]

I absolutely love my mnemosyne notebooks for my meetings. Also, Oasis notebooks for the grids and line mix are perfect for my projects where I have a mix of handwritten notes and diagrams that I'm making "on the fly".

[@cheryldueck318]

These are my 2 favourites as well. Oasis for quite a long time, Mnemosyne more recently, when my favourite little stationary shop locally began carrying them.

[@bethg7026]

@@cheryldueck318 you're so lucky! There's not a shop like that within 4 hours of me. But, I flew to Wisconsin to see some friends this weekend and got to go to Anderson Pens and stocked up on Oasis notebooks while I was there

[@LaelButler]

Maruman Mnemosyne was the first line of notebook I tried when I switched to fountain pens because I wanted a spiral bound notebook with a reasonably hard cover. (I need to be able to take notes in an A5 even when I can't put it on a surface.) Even now, after trying other papers and notebooks, the 105 is my EDC.

[@thatashgirl83]

I love my J.Herbin inks. Bleu Calanque, Bleu Myosotis, Rouille D’ancre and Rose Cyclamen are all beautiful. Rohrer & Klingner is also solid. I have Magenta, Alt-Goldgrun and Cassia. I am exclusively a Japanese EF nib girl and these inks never let me down.

[@joanwerthman4116]

S.T. Dupont started making fountain pens at the request of Jacqueline Kennedy. They're wonderful pens. Also, Azizah at Gourmet Pens has a video on how you can use Pilot Parallel nibs on Opus 88 pens for all sorts of fun.

[@richardnathandaniels2534]

I would love to see a video about the blackest black inks!

[@Gouletpens]

Then it shall be done! - Drew

[@richardnathandaniels2534]

@@Gouletpens There are so many Star Wars dark side references you can make. haha

[@annoxelia5440]

Glad you mentioned Rohrer and Klinger ink. Alt-Goldgrun is a favorite of mine.

[@thatashgirl83]

It’s the perfect what I call “pond scum” green I love it.

[@CinkSVideo]

I’ve been a user of Apica notebooks for over ten years now. They are indestructible too. I have one that has been thrown from bag to bag for years and is still holding together. The stitched pages and simple binding hold up to all sorts of abuse. The CD11 size is perfect for a standard short story length. I also use this size for my commonplace notebook. I get nervous if there isn’t a spare one ready to go. I love Jacques Herbin inks! They seem to work great regardless of pen and nib size. Throwing that ST DuPont up there has me thinking I need to drop some coin soon. I like these videos to remind us of some of the less often profiled products.

[@maggsmick]

Private Reserve Black Cherry is my absolute favorite ink. It’s a fabulous color. I like it better than Oxblood and Writer’s Blood, which I also own and love.

[@juicylouisey]

I have recently converted to Opus 88 pens. They look great, write well and are easy to clean with a syringe. What I like most is the filling system. I find it less messy. The grip doesn’t get near the ink bottle so no need to wipe it off. I also like not getting a flooded nib from filling. I am now more open to trying ink in weird bottles, Private Reserve especially.

[@BlueHorseStitchers]

I LOVE Maruman paper! So glad you guys carry the notebooks.

[@russelmcdonald2140]

Another great feature of the OPUS 88 line's ability to shut off the ink compartment from the feed is for people who use fountain pens for drawing. It slightly increases the ability to shade with that ink. Close off the feed, then draw scratch marks on scratch paper until you get the lightness you desire.

[@wendymartin6479]

Opus 88 are brilliant pens - they hold a ton of ink and the nibs are very smooth. If you like a wet ink putdown then you will love it.

[@ExiledExia]

It's funny how a video about overlooked products didn't contain the Diplomat Magnum, imo a hugely overlooked pen. Great video! Glad you made it!

[@tipeon]

That's the pen I gave to my 7 years old nephew as his first fountain pen 😊

[@cynthia7445]

I have quite a few colors of the J. Herbin standard ink cartridges. They work well in the J. Herbin refillable rollerball pens. Cheers!

[@creamsiclecat]

You guys should do a waterproof test of all the rohrer and klinger inks!

[@eunicefazzi6697]

Thank you for making this video. Especially about lesser known paper. I was recently looking at alternative notebooks to replace the Moleskine ones I have with something more fountain pen friendly.

[@RobBobIII]

Private Reserve Blue Suede is one of my favorite inks I've ever used!!

[@Gouletpens]

Yes! Blue Suede is underrated too! I recently re-discovered that one! - Drew

[@marilyngardner4269]

Thanks for highlighting the Ink Miser Ink Shot. I can't live without mine, and I gift one to everyone I penable.

[@kuromameshiba4418]

Mnemosyne is my jam. There are so many well designed products in that line and that paper makes me happy.

[@Gouletpens]

Same! - Drew

[@ameliabuns4058]

My OPUS88 koloros are my fav pens of all time, and somehow my least used?!! I should ink turn up

[@SAM-ko5bj]

The Maruman paper is my favorite too for the same reasons. It’s just enough structure for my brain and loves my pens/inks, I can see shading!

[@elizabethpecina208]

I love the twisbi inks, my husband got me into fountain pens and for Christmas one year I got him a Twisbi pen and the ink. I personally love the grape ink and we both use the black ink.

[@K_rye]

I chose a Maruman Mnemosyne 197 to bring on a two week trip because it would fit in my purse and because of the sturdy cover (really sturdy) and that it was ring bound. The paper though, made me a fan for life. Silky smooth and zero bleed through. It's technically a to do notebook, but I just ignored that aspect and was writing on both sides of the pages. Very little of the dark ink I was using even showed through (using fine nibs).

[@julierak343]

You're so right about Poussiere de Lune. It's such a good alternative for vintage pens because its ph is so low. Thanks for highlighting that ink.

[@Sonicman415]

Mnemosyne notebooks are excellent. Love all the sizes. I use the B5 for teaching.. super affordable. Rhorer and Klingner Solferino is one of my favorite inks.. affordable and gorgeous. Somewhere between purple and fuchsia.. amazing. Private Reserve! Ebony Green is my fav deep green ink.. I will need to try Ebony Purple. Good to know about Infinity inks! Love these vids y’all!

[@lerajuno]

Listen…I’m still dreaming about the ST DuPont Line D I tried at a pen show. If I can find one I like under $500 AND my bank account can handle it, I will own it. The smoothest writing experience I’ve ever had. I will be looking at the next pen show I attend. Definitely underrated. Thank you for showing the infinity inks and the bottles, I’ve thought about them. I avoid private reserve because of the jar-o-ink is really too much for me to look at. 😂 Not that I don’t own a jar. Please make a video comparing black inks. Jacques Herbin Scented Inks should not be overlooked, specially the ones in the 50ml bottle-Noir Inspiration is my favorite black ink, period. Thank you for the video! Happy Thursday everyone.

[@AndreaP_N7]

I tried a Line D at a pen store earlier this year when another customer sort of shoved the demo model at me and said I HAD to try it. She was right. That pen is unreal.

[@def1ghi]

Apica really are great notebooks. TWSBI blue black also has a phenol smell that reminds me of old Waterman ink, for those who remember it with nostalgia.

[@InkcredibleScribbles]

Private Reserve Avocado is my favourite green ink. Initially I thought the bottle was pretty boring but came to appreciate its wide opening immediately. Makes it so easy to fill any kind of pen and it's virtually impossible to knock it over!

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, visually, the bottle is kinda off putting, but functionally it's pretty convenient! - Drew

[@followyourbrush]

I have purchased two Opus 88 minis! I absolutely love them! Looking forward to getting more of Opus in the future!

[@PKSullivan]

I've got a bottle of Rohrer & Klingner Cassia headed my way for my PWHL Minnesota Season 2 journal. It's a set of journal, pen, and ink that are all purple as it's both the team and league color. Very glad to hear you endorse them for the vibrance of the color.

[@akor45]

Apica was some of the first notebooks that I got when I got into fountain pens, and I can see myself always having a couple around.

[@petrisz]

Opus 88 filling method is very good. Eyedroppers almost always start to burp on me during a longer writing session. This filling system solves that issue. Both my Opus 88 was squeaking at first but a little bit of Goulet Silicone Grease ™ solved the issue and both work amazingly. Opus 88s are great pens if you travel by plane.

[@SalBC62]

The two paper brands that I use the most are... Apica and Mnemosyne. Great notebooks. Perfect for fountain pens.

[@Gouletpens]

No way! That's awesome! - Drew

[@MrG0CE]

YEEEIH :D A BLACK INK COMPETITION IS COMING ! TY !

[@Gouletpens]

It's already been filmed! Coming soon! - Drew

[@elisaastorino2881]

J. Herbin is one of the very first brands I used and that was WAY before there were so many brands and choices. I discovered it at a local stationery shop (sadly a victim of the lockdown) when they were just starting to expand their pen and ink business, so for me it's part sentimental and part appreciation of history. I agree that everyone should know about this brand.

[@Gouletpens]

Same here - and sadly I started neglected them after a few years. They're still great, though! I'm currently using Perle Noire! - Drew

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi Drew! Absolutely agree with the ink shot! I bought two, just in case I needed a spare, or for gifting for someone starting in fountain pens. Also agree about the J. Herbin inks, which I discovered recently, also. Lie de The is a sweet brown color that I am in love with. I also carry one of the TINY sized Apica notebooks to work every day to take notes and make lists. Works GREAT! Will certainly be back for more! Y'all got me interested in the R&K Helianthus!! Thanks again Drew and have a great weekend!

[@Ava-wu4qp]

I love my R+K Scabiosa. Looks so gorgeous in a classic black Pilot 74 in fine (One of my very few fine tip pens). Also use it in a jinhao 82 sometimes with a home-ground zoom nib

[@ImCFoxx]

You definitely sparked my interest in several items that I’ve totally neglected to investigate. Mostly paper and some of the fancier pens you suggested onward and upward thank you so much.

[@Gouletpens]

Glad I could spark some curiosity! - Drew

[@caleba9648]

Twsbi Black is one of my favorite inks. It's smooth and very dark, it looks great. It smells a little funky compared to other inks but the smell dissipates pretty quickly.

[@viarnay]

I didn't notice that my Noodler's black ink smelled funny (ammonia) and I destroyed a brand-new twsbi 580 🤦🤦‍♂🤦‍♀ always check your ink before use..

[@KendallW]

Video idea: Best permanent inks in each color family :)

[@Jay-ql4gp]

Could we please have a blackest of the black inks video?

[@Gouletpens]

Already filmed! It'll be done in the next couple of weeks. - Drew

[@smp24298]

I've been getting back into fountain pens after a 20 yr hiatus, but I use Apica notebooks all the time in conjunction with Maruman Mnemosyne. I guess we both have good taste. Two of the best papers I have ever used.

[@Guairenito]

I love my Apica papers, I use their premium paper as well as their regular paper and their regular paper is actually one of my favorites.

[@susancarr3673]

R&K Cassia is one of my favorite Purple. So smooth and well behaved, perfect dry time and saturation of color. Consistency is stellar.

[@blktauna]

Apica paper is nice but if you use sheening or shimmer inks, they do not show up like they do on Tomoe River paper. There's also a lot of bleed through on swatches. However if you are just journaling or note taking with regular inks, this is a great value. I want to try the Maruman Mnemosyne paper soon.

[@Gouletpens]

The Apica Premium paper is much better at showing off ink properties - but you pay for it. - Drew

[@blktauna]

@@Gouletpens im sure. That’s honestly my only observation. Im using one for 30 inks and its lovely except for the shimmer and sheen not coming up, if you don’t use those types of inks, you wouldn’t need anything else.

[@meralife...]

One word I would say Simply awesome video about fountain pens in the world. The best part is it's the genuine video. Thanks for guide us thank u very much keep it ❤❤

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for the kind words! - Drew

[@T4FF3R]

I have TWSBI black and blue black, and love them both. The black is super dark with great flow. The blue black might not be exciting, but I really love the color. I honestly didn't even know it was waterproof.

[@Pink1792Megs]

Do it! Please rate different black inks!!!

[@Gouletpens]

Consider it done! - Drew

[@goat_wrangler_n0apx]

What is that brown and gold pen you demo-ed the ink miser with?

[@rajeevnarayanan8758]

Hi, thanks for this video. Appreciate all the posts and I enjoy watching your videos. I had a question in the Waldman section which is the pen at the bottom where you show multiple pens ? I could not find it on the Goulet pens website. If you could kindly point me to it. Thanks.

[@trevorgerland2254]

Private Reserve Spearmint is so good! Been enjoying mine in my Lamy Safari F!

[@PaulParkinson]

Funnily, I would pronounce it Nemo-Sine ! Also, Rohrer & Klingner Solferino - is a GLORIOUS purple

[@Gouletpens]

I initially said Nem-oss-ehn-ee because I know it's names after a greek Muse, and that sounded like proper pronunciation with that in mind. However the company itself pronounces it the way I said in the video, so I go with that now. - Drew

[@cheryldueck318]

⁠@@GouletpensGood to know! I’ve been pronouncing it like the Greek muse as well.

[@berolinastrassmann]

❤ Rohrer & Klinger inks, including their waterproof Sketch Ink line. TIP: They sell ink well inserts that fit their bottles perfectly - refilling the pen is easy. Magenta and Sketch Ink Thea (Sepia) are my favourite colours. Thanks for bringing up these two inks, Scabiosa looks amazing 🤩

[@Dragon2java]

My first love has been ST DuPont among my pens since the 80's, gorgeous lacquer and the best nibs!

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

Nice show👏 ! More inks to love along with some notebooks; the 200pp Apica is right up my alley. Thanks Drew!

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for watching! - Drew

[@Persepolis8564]

Maybe do a list of overlooked accessories

[@TheReKinn]

I always have a Maruman Mnemosyne handy. Whether it's an A4 on my desk or a pocket notebook that's always in my bag. It is, without a doubt, the most reliable and consistent paper I have with the best drying time (Tested at about half the drying time of Rhodia.) HOWEVER, because of its amazing versatility and drying times, it is not the paper that will show off your inks exceptionally well. Mnemosyne is a practical paper for practical purposes.

[@margaretmclaren4685]

Mnemosyne makes my notebook that I use as a habit tracker and my to-do list notebook. It's nice paper. I also appreciate the plastic covers so I don't have to worry as much where I put my notebook down.

[@eternaljoker99]

I live in Japan as of this year, the the Mnemosyne notebooks are what I picked up for my studies. I was pleasantly surprised that when I got into fountain pens for the first time two months ago, the Mnemosyne held up fantastically with no feathering or bleed. Highly, highly recommend, especially if folks want to use fountain pens for school notes.

[@Gouletpens]

They're great! - Drew

[@JasonReimink]

How do you handle the flattened wires preventing the pages from turning?

[@potandpens]

As usual late to the office trying to watch Drew. Great list sir.

[@ChadHerring]

The TWSBI inkwell/inkbottle is awesome and often overlooked

[@tootsfour956]

This was fun, Drew. Thanks! Blessings

[@Izanuela22]

It would be very nice if you could make a review of the Barock Inks (now owned by octopus fluids) They have a very interesting history and the inks are lovely and deserve some (new) attention!

[@moreshwarpanchal2861]

ST DuPont nibs are manufactured in-house by the company?

[@wczlogan5208]

I have been seeing the Pilot E95S on amazon for $102 and the Lamy 2000 for $138 I was going to purchase both but I wanna know if those are too good to be true

[@Louiseifer]

TWSBI black is my go-to black ink, it's by far the best value saturated black ink. Also, the best R&K ink is alt goldgrun.

[@alexandrapirvu7945]

Love Mnemosyne! TWSBI inks are nice (even though the 15ml bottles are exepnsive, but good)

[@karenholden4740]

Great video Drew the paper was very interesting I do have Alpaca note books really good paper. Thank you for a great video.

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for watching! - Drew

[@kattz753]

If you haven't tried Apica, you're missing out. I'm in a small city and this was the only premium fountain pen paper available locally. Someone has since opened a pen shop but I actually prefer it to many other brands.

[@jameskezman]

Herbin's Eclat de Saphir is one of my favorites of all time. Pronunciation tip for Poussière de Lune: poo-see-air de loon 😇

[@JMaxwell1000]

ST Dupont's high-end fountain pens are unquestionably THE BEST out there, bar none. No other brand of fountain pen compares in terms of smoothness and reliability, and I've used many. They provide such a stunningly good writing experience that you simply don't want to put your pen down. Marvelous!

[@JadedJackalope]

Are there any Japanese pens that have Japanese eyedropper style filling mechanisms? The only company I know that does them is Opus 88, and I already have one.

[@RichardAnderson-v7w]

I believe the Namiki Emperor does, but starting at $2,100 for the base model, that’s not a pen for everyone…

[@danv9637]

Yep….the Emperor. A fantastic pen.

[@JadedJackalope]

@@RichardAnderson-v7w oof. Yeah. That's a bit more than my usual tax return treat.

[@Linar-qf1fd]

I absolutely love my Rohrer and Klingner Inks, they are also super cheap, at least here in Germany

[@paulll47]

The opus minis are ridiculosly sturdy tanks (dropped mine on concrete more than once with no scratch) with high capacity and portability, too bad for the lack of sober colors, the fact that the checkered pattern is the most sober one should tell you everything you need to know... Twsbi ink is great, I use the blue black at work extensively since it works really well with cheap paper, just like Rohrer and Klinger which I use everytime I travel to Germany for work since it's one of the only inks approved for document use.

[@Ambient70]

Birmingham Pen Co. in Pennsylvania makes some absolutely beautiful inks. Definitely a smaller brand and overlooked. Check them out!

[@alflyover4413]

The same people used to operate the Nemosine pen company, that made the Singularity and so many other cromulent pens. They offered flame-blued nibs, called "Reentry", I think, that were supposed to evoke the thought of the nib having endured a flaming return to Earth through the atmosphere. Fun pens. I want to give some of the Birmingham inks a try one of these days, but there are so many that intrigue me that I wouldn't know where to start.

[@GC12345]

I cannot say enough great things about TWSBI Blue-Black ink. I always have a pen inked with it for signatures. And it is a tremendous value at 70ml for $16.

[@Gouletpens]

Agreed! - Drew

[@alflyover4413]

I will soon have two TWSBI Vac 700R pens inked with TWSBI Blue Black, one with a general-purpose medium nib and one with a wordcrafting fine nib. (Plus one with a stub nib inked with Whaleman's Sepia for signatures, but I digress.) I put a Vac-20A top on my bottle of Blue Black so I could fill the vacuum-filling TWSBIs while minimizing the ink's exposure to atmospheric oxygen, making it last longer. It is an admirable ink, well behaved and highly water resistant. The color change as the iron salts oxidize is also an interesting artifact of its chemistry.

[@cheryldueck318]

Poussière de Lune for the win - one of my absolute favourites!

[@AdamWmada]

I'm obsessed with my new WALDMANN GRANDIER fountain pen

[@paulmchugh1430]

I think Private Reserve Chocolat is one of the best brown inks in the market. That said the Ultra Black is not quick drying, though it is supposed to be. Opus 88 makes wonderful pens. My Omar holds a lot of ink and performs as well.. DuPont is just too expensive for me.

[@harrylew]

A French pronunciation tip for you, Drew: Say "Vert" like "where" in English, but replace the "w" with a "v." Also "Poussiere" is pronounced "poo-see-yair."

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you so much for this! I will! - Drew

[@cheryldueck318]

I was trying to figure out how to help with pronunciation as well, very well explained!

[@harrylew]

@@Gouletpens, it was my pleasure!

[@fossilimprint2954]

Great video, much of what you brought up, I did not know.

[@jolienkrispijn]

Great video, Drew!!

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for joining me! - Drew

[@MinhTruong101]

Maruman has a true A5 notepad! Rhodia notepad doesnt' give you A5 writing surface. While Maruman will give you extra paper so the writing surface is a true A5!

[@LesterBeasley]

I'm not a big purple ink fan but I love TWSBI's royal purple ink.

[@knownaigm]

The Mnemosyne little wire bound pocket notebooks are killer and the price tag is even better. R&K Alt Gold Grun is one of the GOAT inks in my opinion. Definitely going to check out that yellow now too. I think Private Reserve is less hyped/talked about because they're have some of the most dreadfully bland and sad branding and packaging of all time. They desperately need a redesign, and I say this as a graphic designer myself.

[@monkpato]

I love Apica notebooks!

[@AlainSTO]

Mnemosyne is what I buy for my work notebook and they're so good. Prefer it way over Rhodia.

[@A4000]

Japanese paper is the best. Maruman, Campus, Apica. I tried Rhodia that everyone raves about and it’s good for cleaning up spills, that’s about it.

[@ab-zg8pt]

Drew has great charisma!

[@manuelsalazar3938]

So much that Brian now has become boring 😅

[@ab-zg8pt]

@@manuelsalazar3938 Naaaaaah Brian is still awesome - they win either way bc both are handsome lol

[@paulherman5822]

There's a rainbow of colors in standard inks. Plenty from Diamine get overlooked. As well as your overlooking their iron gall ink, Registrar's Ink. A standard iron gall blue-black that has been a British government standard for well over a century. And where's the most overlooked paper products, loose sheets and writing tablets for writing letters? Focus always seems to be on journals and notebooks from every retailer...

[@elisaastorino2881]

I agree. I prefer to write on looseleaf because it's easy to organize my writing, especially drafts, because I can just pop it in a 3 ring binder however I like.