Why 10 Pens is Perfect, and How to Fix a Scratchy Nib! | Pencast 107

[@s.n.11]

A shout-out to Rachel and the team in charge of your website. I don't usually buy from the US because I'm in Europe and there are customs and so... but your website is so beautiful and easy to use that I end up buying there from time to time. And the pencasts help building trust and keeping the expectations realistic,... congratulations you are all doing a great job! 👏👏👏

[@Gouletpens]

I'll pass this along! Thank you so much for taking the time to say this! It really does mean a lot to us, and it puts a smile on our faces! - Drew

[@LawryBoyer]

I love that Fuyu Syogun is getting the attention it deserves. It’s a great and underrated ink

[@davegoodridge8352]

I have an odd question. Recently I was looking for one of my pens. When I was reminded of a horrific day I had. I was working as an assistant for an engineer. That guy was so scattered brained he was always losing his pen and borrowing mine. And of course walking away with it. It was a bit frustrating. So in order to fix that I went and bought a high dollar pen. I knew I would keep up with it. I bought a Waterman, I have no idea what model it was. And that worked! Several years later I was employed as a contractor at an Air Force base fueling aircraft. One day a C-130 Hercules landed and called for fuel. I drove out to the plan to service it. There is a bit of paperwork involved but no problem, I’ve got a Waterman. The pilot also has paperwork. To stretch his legs he walked over to my truck. I handed the paperwork to him to do his part. When he made a face I realized he had left his pen on the airplane. So I handed the Waterman to him to finish the paperwork. I went about my job, finished the fueling, and drove away. Pulling up to the fuel stand to refill the truck I discovered the Waterman was missing. I knew what had happened! The pilot has my Waterman. At that moment the C-130 flew overhead. My Waterman was gone. It flew off into the wild blue wonder. My question is what is the most unusual way you’ve lost a pen? Or have you ever lost a pen? Thank guys hope you have a great week.

[@Gouletpens]

What a tale! WOW. I can't come close to competing with that! - Drew

[@DoYouSalut]

I would have made him walk back to get his pen. Lol sitting in the new smoking ... Walking is good for your health. Lol

[@spencer.watches]

Now it's officially Friday! 🎉

[@Gouletpens]

Whoo! - Drew

[@jess53nz]

Saturday for me! I get to wake up to it on Saturday morning to start my weekend. ❤

[@spencer.watches]

@@jess53nz Even better- enjoy the weekend!

[@varadharajannadarajah]

“Pen manufacturers deal with a world of constraints” - Perfect answer from Brian

[@pontoon_cat]

I appreciate you guys carrying things like the Wearingeul swatch cards and little binder. It's nice to get QUALITY products for our fountain pen passion, and those Wearingeul products are going to be nicer than anything you'd get at Staples for sure. I doubt there is much margin on them, and to offer them at a reasonable price that I'm guessing is near cost to you guys is excellent customer care.

[@KendallW]

I love that Drew can come up with such compelling and logical lists based off of arbitrary rules. Great example is his "10 pens is the ideal number." I think this is great and deserves it's own video to support his conclusions and give examples for each of the 10 categories. I will add my opinion that 10 probably isn't enough if you want enough variety in colorways and materials for various times you just FEEL like using an orange pen, or pairing a color/material with a specific ink. Though I do really like the 10 categories, I would just expand it a bit. Thanks Drew!

[@Gouletpens]

I was thinking the same thing, Kendall! I might do that! - Drew

[@KendallW]

@@Gouletpens Yes please! Looking forward to it if it makes your video production list :)

[@KendallW]

@@Gouletpens I started a hashtag, not sure if it will take off but you could share it (when not if) you make a video #Drews10PenCategories :)

[@heathergleiser]

Fun fact about gold: white gold is also an alloy but gets its color from having more nickel. It’s also often rhodium plated like trim on a pen. Yellow gold has more copper.

[@inkwingart]

Yellow gold is more pure! The addition of copper actually results in rose gold.

[@heathergleiser]

@@inkwingartI didn’t know that’s how rose gold is made! Makes sense.

[@evayaaasantewaa448]

Brian is such a good teacher.

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for the kind words! - Drew

[@MohamedSamyAlRabbani]

People confuse MOHs hardness vs stiffness of the nib, hardness in chemistry refers to the material being scratched by other materials, nib stiffness refers to the flexibility if the nib sonhas more to do with structure and heat treatment.

[@Rameshkumar-fy7dr]

Your only company in the world to bring podcast about fountain pen. Great job guys 👍

[@paulherman5822]

There's also Appelboom Pennen and Anderson Pens. But few compared to the number of retailers out there.

[@NikSawyer]

The amount of time spent discussing pancakes/French toast/breakfast food was perfect! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! 😉

[@itsmeLori]

The convo on hammers reminded me of how my grandmother would buy so many pretty and different sizes and shapes of scissors, never tracking how many we had in the house, not to mention having inherited scissors from her mother, which was probably some kind of unintentional hobby. And my grandfather’s matching hobby was counting how many scissors were in all the drawers of their home and ranting about how we had too many scissors 😂

[@itsmeLori]

PS: is Brian aware that this year Hobonichi was selling a banana hammer?

[@LadiSway]

I am getting my first fountain pen soon for my birthday in October and have been watching the channel closely in my research. I’m so excited to begin my fountain pen journey. You guys are amazing and I’ve enjoyed looking up each subject that you guys and other influencers bring to my attention. Please doing what you’re doing, thank you again.

[@LadiSway]

@@ScoutNovemberlight Thank you so much!! It looks like it’ll be the Noodler’s Ahab Flex and the Twsbi Mini.

[@raventhelight9357]

Welcome it is such a great hobby. I got my first this last Christmas and fell deep down the rabbit hole. It's now my new favorite hobby!

[@LadiSway]

@@ScoutNovemberlight what was your first and what your current favorite?

[@LadiSway]

@@raventhelight9357 What was your first pen and ink combo and what are you using yours for?

[@seraphdarknon]

Drew, your point about Star Wars resonates with me perfectly (in terms of Star Wars as well as an analogy). Life is full of joy to be had. It is beautiful to be able to love so many things.

[@alexr.3504]

You two are gems, and I love the intense philosophical discussions you randomly have about pens and a million other things. I also love Drew’s perspective on being thankful for what we have!! Childlike wonder can help us all appreciate the little things more! ❤️😁

[@wendywander7]

I start each Pencast trying to guess the colors of Brian's and Drew's shirts during the black & white pre-show. This week Brian's shirt is brighter than I was expecting. I was braced for all those zigs and zags of Drew's shirt to have a significant visual impact, and I was not disappointed. Sailor makes a pen called the Lecoule that is like a Pro Gear with a steel nib. I have 2 of them in regular rotation; great steel nibs. Thanks for another great Pencast!

[@iangillespie1605]

First Watch is our family's favorite restaurant. Our experiences have been very similar as Drew's. Great place!

[@MatangSingh1]

Good to see businessman being mentioned in this video he is like my teacher and a friend :)

[@bartgrossman9361]

That was the best presentation on nib adjustment I have seen and I have seen a great many. This is the first time I have heard mention of the writing pad - very helpful! Also, your demonstration of how to use the mylar paper was great. I ruined a couple of nibs with mylar. It looks smooth but it is easy to quickly take off more material than you want and wind up with a flat nib.

[@NathanKenyon]

Drew's panic about the hotel room resonates with me so much.

[@Gouletpens]

OMG I almost fell apart. - Drew

[@dacksonflux]

Question about personal taste: I've noticed you guys talk mostly about the brands your company carries. I know you carry what your customers are more likely to buy. Is there a pen model or brand you wish was more popular with your clientele so you could carry it? Bryan mentioned the Slope a while back and I've been seriously tempted to get one.

[@Gouletpens]

Great question! - Drew

[@missfl0werstar]

Aaaaaw! 🤩 It's the first time you guys mentioned nail buffers and that's been my go-to answer to this question for years. I won't be so pretentious as to assume it's because of my persistent comments but still, it warms my heart to know you like "my" solution too. 😊

[@drnimish333]

Hey… thanks for picking up my question. Thanks a lot for the solution. Keep it up 👍 Enjoy watching pencast. 👍👍👍

[@raventhelight9357]

Drew I wanted to say if you ever book a hotel and they won't let you cancel it. Just ask if you can change the date to 2 or 3 weeks out and then cancel it. Most of the time it works. So glad to here that it worked out in your favor. Thanks for another great show!

[@Gouletpens]

Great idea! - Drew

[@chillausmc]

Drew, I was Pipe-fitter on hovercrafts and had 5 hammers. Brass, ballpean, mini sledge etc. Among all the equipment and specialty tools you can make anything with the right hammer. Great show you guys!

[@Gouletpens]

5 sounds much more reasonable! - Drew

[@jameskerr-mz4om]

Thank you so much for the segment on fixing a scratchy nib! Excellent and useful information, well presented. As another commenter noted, this is the first time I’ve heard the term “writing pad” as it refers to the part of the nib that comes in contact with the paper (not a pad of paper that you write on ;). I like a very smooth nib for my writing. No feedback for me! Haha! I have several of your nib tuning supplies: micro mesh, mylar sheets, and brass sheets. They all work well. As Brian said, you can really get away with just using a nail buffing stick. So true - that is what I use most often. It’s certainly what I try first. The comment about stopping when the nib is “pretty good” is priceless! I am taking that to heart, because I am guilty of trying to polish a nib “just a little bit further” and then wishing I had let well enough alone! Live and learn. Thank you for another great pencast! There’s always something to learn about fountain pens, inks and papers, and then there is the delight of following along with both the shenanigans and the serious things in the lives of two guys who run the best fountain pen business and have great family lives and hobbies as well. Keep on! Mary Kerr

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks, Mary! - Drew

[@claytonmarch484]

I always have a pad of French ruled paper going. I love it as a warm up paper to get my form just right and even started a daily journal with the Clairefontaine cloth-bound A5 notebook. I was showing a friend some writing and he said "wow, you'd think all those lines would be distracting but they really aren't"

[@woodthrushcottage]

What is French ruled paper?

[@sabero5668]

@@woodthrushcottage Think of normal lined paper, now imagine 3 extra, smaller lines between every line on that paper

[@woodthrushcottage]

@sabero5668 sounds interesting. I might see if I can find it. It will be a change from my go to dot grid. Thank you.

[@flourishxkate2786]

For a few years I've lived in the same neighborhood as the First Watch you visited and love the little mentions of places you've visited and enjoyed. I've tried so many local things thanks to your recommendations. On tonight's menu: Yen Ching!

[@AtilioEscobar]

You guys are so fun, & all always put a smile on my face. And to think you guys don't monetize your vids, is so respectable. Thank you so much for doing your podcast..pencast.=]

[@joanwerthman4116]

Re nib adjustment: I vaguely remember doing figure 8’s on a brown paper bag, which I think was to help smooth the nib although it may have had more to do with baby’s bottom. I’m usually afraid to touch them, so I decide whether it’s worth sending them to a nib grinder. Fortunately I can still count the time this has happened on one hand with fingers to spare.

[@osirisgolad]

The Pilot Custom 845 and the 743/823 have an 18k and 14k nib respectively, though the 845 also has rhodium plating, which would have some impact on the stiffness I imagine. Sailor sometimes has random exclusive releases where they use 21k on the small nib or 14k on the large nib as well; no idea why, but they're out there.

[@mickimicki]

I'm 100% with Drew on the yellow VP. I'm not a fan of yellow or orange, but I chose and bought my VP in a brick- and mortar store, and even though I went with the intention to probably get a blue or matte black one, the yellow one looked so good I had to buy it, and I did not regret it. Looks great, is easy to spot where I left it, and generally brightens my day. Maybe the yellow looks more striking in real life than pictures can do justice. And yes, it has a cool 50's/60's "futuristic" appliances vibe.

[@Gouletpens]

Absolutely agree! - Drew

[@Richiedei50]

I love that word “inkterview”❤️

[@StacySchulze-cg1he]

I think it would be a good word to use when auditioning inks for use!

[@EastWind123]

Drew and I have much in common. I won't go anywhere that seems like parking might be an issue, and I love First Watch. My problem is that parking is always sketchy at my local First Watch. The struggle is real.

[@Gouletpens]

I appreciated that I could go to the website and get on the wait list before we left the house. That was a BIG win! - Drew

[@EastWind123]

@@Gouletpens That is a definite plus!

[@osirisgolad]

I personally maintain an eight pen routine at all times, though I own duplicates for some of the categories that I rotate through. 1 Needlepoint for bad paper or scribbling corrections between lines, also great if you write in different scripts(I personally use a posting nib). 2 Very smooth medium for taking notes fast and general writing(I use a waverly nib). 3 Triple broad for titles, headings, reminders, etcetera(I use a coarse nib). 4 Fine-to-medium nib that you can keep that one ink you always need on hand in. I'm thinking a boring work colour, an archival/iron gall ink, inks for an artist, etcetera(I use a fine-medium). 5 A pen with a broader nib, whatever you enjoy, so you can put whatever ink in it that strikes your fancy and enjoy the ink's properties(I use a stubby Pelikan triple broad). 6 A pen that accepts JoWo #6 housings paired with specialty nibs. I only care to have one specialty nib with me at any time, but it's fun to be able to swap between say an architect, an italic and a flex nib if they all share the same nib housing. Probably a good idea to pick something with a high ink capacity like an Opus 88. 7 Metal pocket pen with a steel fine nib and an ink with great general performance and a "socially acceptable" colour. You can hand it to colleagues and chuck it around without worrying, and it's good to know you always have something in a pinch(I use a titanium Ensso Piuma Pocket). 8 Something pretty with one of your favourite nibs. We're here to enjoy our writing experience, after all.

[@Gouletpens]

That sounds perfect! - Drew

[@RMCzuhai]

Drew, there is a WoodWick candle outlet in Blair, Virgina if you are every near Lynchburg. Worth the trip! Love the pencast!

[@jayebird1070]

People talk all the time about pocket pens... but what I have is a "purse pen" - it's slim and fits together with my nice Rollerball in a single pen sleeve and I can throw it into any purse. Fine nib because I could be writing on any sort of paper. Blue ink that's conservative enough to sign things but just interesting enough to have a touch of personality.

[@CoachNatalia]

No wonder I like Drew so much! He is a corgi owner! My husband and I have two of them. They are the best dogs ever! and of course we love Brian as well.

[@Gouletpens]

Awwwww yay!!!! - Drew

[@beckysbantams]

Thank you for keeping The Goulet Pencast kid-friendly. I love to have it on while I'm trying to get things done and my kids are around. My four year old even refers to all podcasts as pencasts... a new request of hers is to listen to "The Curious Kid Pencast." I would describe that podcast as the kid version of Brian's deep dives... with lots of fun facts thrown in.

[@Gouletpens]

We might slip here and there, but we do our best to keep things light! - Drew

[@ProducerBoy650]

I can't wait until one or both of you guys 'rediscover' the amazingness of fountain pen paper. Especially Japanese papers. I can be patient.

[@davidcool5189]

On the subject of nib work, I use the mylar sheets for smoothing and don't even bother with the micromesh. For shaping I use a set of Lansky knife sharpening stones. I recently turned a Goulet B into an architect nib. It turned out well, but it isn't as cool as I thought it'd be. Turns out an architect nib is best used for printing, and I pretty much only write in cursive unless I'm filling out some sort of form that specifies printing.

[@Aaronides]

I have found my first time being excited about getting a new Leuchtturm1917 notebook. After using other notebooks, I can now know the Leuchtturm is the one for me. The paper is amazing and how they can cram in 251 pages into a notebook as thin as a regular composition book is pretty incredible. Highly recommend. I know that Bryan says paper is paper, but it is worth getting excited about when switching to a good notebook.

[@arlengoff6610]

My number is 12. While I have a significant number of pens for a newbie (

[@Gouletpens]

You have a solid setup there! - Drew

[@DoYouSalut]

I've had my eye on the kakimori for a while ans have been back and forth about. Now that Drew said its a must have in the perfect ten i must oblige!

[@tootsfour956]

I had a Sailor pen with a mf nib that was scratchy one way. So I watched a past video you made, and used the mesh ever so gently twice and had great results. This pen cast was a good review. THANK YOU! Blessings

[@MitaliChouksey]

decimo all those floral ones look great. also i love harvest yellow. and gold trim decimos look nice too. i wish you had more colours. also i wanted it in stub but have to buy nibs which r expensive.

[@somekid3893]

First of all: great shirt Drew! Love the vibes; it's giving 90s inline skating rink with the UV lights that illuminate the mustard stain you thought you got out. Anyways I also have a question. There's these notebooks with plastic pages called Rocketbooks that I have found myself using, but their gimmick is that you can snap a picture of the page with your phone, upload it to the internet, and then wipe the page down with water (or something that won't ruin the pages) and reuse it -- lather, rinse, repeat. Thing is, which inks are viable for this sort of endeavor? I'd love to have a few Rocketbooks but the other main set of pens used for them is called Frixion or whatever and they are markedly less satisfying to use.

[@echosouthall6582]

The plain captain crunch is where it’s at.. lol I do like the berries, but my favorite part are the yellow bits. 🙃

[@LadiSway]

Hi Drew and Brian, I have two suggestions, can you do a video about how to clean fountain ink off hands and office surfaces? And can you do a roll call of Goulet teammates and the inks that fit their personality or even your close family and friends. It could be like a tag game. This could be fun. Thanks for this video, I’m watching for third time.

[@joanwerthman4116]

Best thing about Captain Crunch: the commercials made by Jay Ward who brought us Crusader Rabbit, Rocky and Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, and Fractured Flickers.

[@Lunadele_]

Would you consider selling Nahvalur fountain pens?

[@jbots8883]

Great answer on the nibs 14k vs 18 k. I appreciate how you incorporated shape and other qualities that impact the writing experience as much if not more than the actual gold content. Great content as always. Matches the quality products and service you offer.

[@yorkdox7]

Drew- you are so right!!! Those fall and winter scents just hit different!!! There is something more special about burning candles in the cooler weather. I LOVE the crackle candles from Target! Be careful though- it seems Target candles are being recalled a lot lately. Burn with caution!

[@sluggytube]

"Your voice looks weird too"--lol there is nothing like the roasting of a friend who's known you for most of your life

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

I have two limited edition Aurora pens in 18k (an 888 and an Optima), and those two nibs look identical but one is much softer than the other. And we are talking same manifacturer, same alloy, very very slight difference in nib shape! 31:35

[@mikideez623]

I, too, was a terrible server who got by on being nice and clearly trying my best. Though, in addition to forgetting a drink order as soon as someone spoke to me, I was also terribly clumsy. I worked at a Chinese restaurant and once spilled a plate of brown sauce all over a guy's new leather coat. I think the only reason he didn't scream was that I was immediately horrified, apologized profusely, and probably looked like I was going to burst into tears at any moment. Thank goodness for all the understanding customers who are unendingly kind to young waitstaff.

[@davidparrishproductions5082]

Brian I have a 2008 Pontiac Torrent and guess what? The Aztek camping package (tent and mattress) work brilliantly with it… I go camping in it with my son every summer.

[@charliemeizlish]

I actually use the smiling cat swatch cards for my ink swatches - love the grin popping out of the swatch. The binder has individual pockets on either side of the page so there's plenty of space and you aren't doubling up in a single slot. Speaking of quantity and quality, the new Edison premiere may actually become the first pen in the three digit range that I am seriously considering getting none of the pens in my current collection even come close to that price point but every time I see a picture of the new edition pen I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Thanks Guys for another informative and entertaining pencast!! Don't despair Drew, your son may grow out of the ONLY regular CC stage! I was the same way! Back in the '70's that is about the only cereal I would eat. It actually started with Quisp, another Quaker product. It had a "cute" alien on the box, and was little flying saucer shaped pieces. BUT they were the same as CC!! No wonder I gravitated to CC! Got the raw roof of the mouth regularly, NOW, though, if I decide to have CC it is WITH the crunch berries!

[@paulherman5822]

At one point in history, the difference between karat really only came from where a pen was ultimately sold. Dig around and find a sold in the US Parker and the same year and model Parker sold outside the US. First will be 14K, and the second might be 18K, especially if sold in France initially. At one point, to be advertised as gold, France required 18K or more. Historically seems the origin of the difference between nibs. And then there's the "gold wars" in Japan, between Platinum, Pilot and Sailor, which is why the Sailor 21K nibs. Got to be a status thing in Japan. Reportedly, the higher the karat, the easier to spring a nib. Counterintuitive, but... ALL the hallowed vintage flex nibs are 14K. The additional metals seem to allow better spring back than higher karat. Great topics today (as usual, as always.😁)

[@sarahbernath]

If you finest grit micro sanding paper is to be used with so little pressure and movements than what effect long term would the regular use of cheaper paper in a notebook from the dallarstore have on the smoothness of the nib?

[@thomastao7177]

In terms of direct comparison the sailor pro gear slim spring rain series had a 21k gold nib that was in their traditional 14k nib size. So you probably can do a direct comparison there.

[@Gouletpens]

Good idea! - Drew

[@bobbydawkins3]

Here's a question for your next podcast. I have a Huashi 90 with a #8 nib feed but it's a bladder filler(hate those. The small pipe that goes into the bladder is pinched. I can fill the bladder but it takes longer. How would you recommend changing the filling mechanism? I can remove the nib and feed but the pipe and bladder would remain. Any suggestions? Not worried about a warranty since it's old stock.

[@Jennifer-tw8xs]

I like the seasonal menus at First Watch. My youngest daughter loves their chocolate chip pancakes. My husband hates their coffee.

[@FarzBol]

I love the list of ten pens by Drew but I like to add two more. I think eveyone needs to have a vintage pen that has a story. Mine is a Parker from my childhood that I still enjoy writing with. I also like to carry one pen that is just different from all others (either the look, nib or the filing mechanism). This one becomes a great conversation piece and makes things fun.

[@Gouletpens]

Both great ideas! - Drew

[@WisePaul1337]

One of my favourite inks is Diamine Smoke on the water which is a German Market exclusive

[@salamaat]

I love First Watch! Great waffles and I'm not even That into waffles but theirs is so airy and good. Their fresh juices are all Amazing!

[@TheNightowl001]

Now that you mention it, I have one of those little metal hammers with the handle that unscrews. I don't remember what is IN the handle. I also have a TINY (maybe 4 inches long) brass headed hammer SOMEWHERE.

[@ilikenibs]

Hi Brian and Drew! I have a Montegrappa Miya 450 that has sterling silver trim and clip. The silver has tarnished and I'd like to polish it but I'm afraid I'll damage the body and cap since they're made from celluloid. What would be a safe way to polish it without damaging the celluloid? Thanks!

[@jadeturtledesigns]

Brian and Drew, another question about fixing a pen. I'm left handed and like to buy used pens, mostly used by right handers. What do you I need to do to get the nib back to a neutral position so I can form it to my hand? I have my deceased mother's Esterbrook J series pen (more than 60 years old) that I would love to use but can't since it was bent to her hand.

[@janepilecki8083]

As you were asking each other about your "perfect pen", I thought about what mine is. It was easy to come up with it despite my vast collection. And then, you brought it out! My perfect pen is my Pilot Custom Urushi in black. It is the most comfortable pen I own, and it is handsome, tailored looking, and writes like a dream. Mine is a broad nib. Brian, you really need one!, but in Vermillion. And I have a question for you. Why are you not offering as many Broad nibs? The Visconti Van Gogh;s, Rhembrandt's, and numerous others are not available on your site in Broad! I do have some other online stores that I like to support, but you have always been my go to store. And I get a bit frustrated having to go from site to site looking for the pen I want, seeing if it is in stock, and then seeing if they offer the broad. Anyway, you know I love your store.:)

[@RobertStoddard]

Thanks for adding the Wereingul cards-would you consider adding the Colodex cards as well? For those of us with lots of ColoRing swatches, it’d be nice to switch to the index card approach (like Wereingul) while maintaining the same paper characteristics for consistency

[@kermitdafrog444]

Spooky season is upon us! Favorite inks/pens for Halloween?

[@Quinkerbell_3604]

Great topic! Inks to coordinate with costumes! So many Dracula-inspired inks to choose from. 😂

[@penguin1780]

Diamine Autumn Oak

[@lennyeiger4097]

I have both the Custom Urushi and the Custom Urushi 845. (And a blue Aya.) The Aya is amazing, the nib is the best of the three. I reach for that more than any other pen. While the nib of the Aya is my favorite, the Custom 845 is the perfect size for my hand. It's also a straighter barrel, which makes is much nicer to hold than the Verdigris, for example. For those, like myself, that don't like the fat cigar feel of many pens, the 845 is perfection personified. I like it much better than the Custom Urushi, even with its smaller nib.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

I badly want the Aya. Happy to hear your praises of it. I’m preparing to buy the Aya, as soon as I possibly can. I have two Custom Urushis, but I also think I prefer my 845, overall. The Namiki Yukari Royale is also differently excellent.

[@clarecocophotography454]

Would you ever consider offering nib tuning, smoothing and have an in-house nibmeister? It may save on returns when customers are not happy with their pen cause the nib do not work probably ie scratchy, misaligned or feed issues. Just a thought.

[@SlavicCelery]

Minor correction about the 14k gold and Jewelry. Most of the time, the metals holding precious stones in place are often made of a different metal than gold entirely. Platinum is a common metal for the prongs holding a diamond or other stones. Same concept as the tip o' the nib. You want a hard wearing metal to hopefully prevent damage.

[@penguin1780]

Herbin Gris Nuage is a good layering grey.

[@evayaaasantewaa448]

We, in New York City, have that weather now and terrible flooding.

[@audreycaldeira-hankey2951]

I love the yellow VP, but had to get the Majohn A1 version as the VP was unavailable when I was ready to buy it. Luckily, I love the yellow majohn a1 😅

[@ejv1227]

And for 2 hours 1 minute and 12 seconds, everything is right in the world.

[@fossilimprint2954]

Thank you for discussing how to smooth out a pen.

[@steveaustin6916]

I hope you won't mind a personal question. Brian, the watch you are wearing in this edition looks beautiful. May I ask what it is? Thank you for the information, education and entertainment in every pencast.

[@brendarenesoldenkamp347]

Hi! I have a question for you. I want to hand write a document for my nephew, and the intention is for it to be framed. Is it a bad idea to use iron gall ink ? Is modern iron gall ink going to destroy the paper over time ? Thank you for considering answering my question.

[@brendarenesoldenkamp347]

I am both a dip pen and fountain pen user. Curious about iron gall for either tool.

[@donhall-aquitania1025]

I only journal with my fountain pens so all the other use cases don’t apply and I’m happy with my 4 pens: Montblanc 146, Lamy 2000, Diplomat Excellence A2, and Pilot Silvern.

[@bobanderson2154]

Hi Brian & Drew, Reference your section on the Pilot Custom 845 Urushi and the Custom Urushi it has been my understanding that the barrel and cap sections are ebonite, not “resin”. My understanding has also been that the grip / nib section as well as the finial is resin. I don’t believe this came up in Brian’s presentation. Do you know if this is correct? Of course the pens do have have their Urushi coatings.

[@jess53nz]

Drew, extended lotr are the only lotr. My all time fav movies. (love visiting film sites too) And pick you can live without ever watching them - SHOULD you...?

[@roadreina]

For next Q&A: Brian, I miss your suggestions for matching inks… What blue inks would match the TWSBI Indigo with Bronze? Help, please. Thank you. 💙

[@s.n.11]

Great pencast as always! For the next Q&A: please recommend me some fast-drying inks that you find interesting aside from Noodlers (I like changing inks). Is there any other brand making specific fast-dry inks? I'm using Rhodia and Clarefontaine paper. Recommendations from other fountain pen users also accepted!!

[@Quinkerbell_3604]

Private Reserve have a fast drying line.

[@s.n.11]

@@Quinkerbell_3604 thanks! I've just noticed Tanzanite and Sherwood green are fast dry inks thanks to your comment! Now I have the best excuse to finally try them.

[@manoj208]

Mechanical Engineer inputs: Mohs scale of hardness, or in general any measure of hardness, is used to quantify the ability of the material to be scratched on the surface. Mohs scale is a relative measure (does not have any units) and while we can say the material with a higher Mohs hardness will scratch the material with a lower Mohs hardness. We cannot directly comment on the material's strength from the Mohs scale. So, a better measure of 'if a nib will flex' would be the stiffness of the materials, which, for metals, boils down to Young's modulus and poissons ratio. If we want to talk specifics of a nib, we can measure the 'flexural rigidity', which is a compliance measure that will consider both the materials and shape of the nib. It is defined as the force couple required to bend a structure by one unit of curvature, or as the resistance offered by a structure while undergoing bending. As for comparing 14K vs. 18K for the same nib design. We could use FEM(Finite Element Method) to simulate a general nib design and subject it to a predefined load and compare the dilation of the tines. PS, I use a Pilot Custom 823 with Mont Blanc Toffee Brown, I like the 823's nib's flexural rigidity.

[@Gouletpens]

Wow! Exceptional insight! Thank you! - Drew

[@sajjadhusain4146]

The PC 845 is a really special pen. It wasn’t Pilot’s flagship pen for nothing - before the Pilot Custom Urushi dethroned it for that title. I have the same black 845 with a superb B nib. I always love that two-tone look on a nib. And it writes even nicer than the 823. Imagine that! In fact, owning the beautiful 845 makes buying pens like the 823/743 etc.. pretty pointless, in my opinion. Of course, the 743 has more nib options, though. It needs saying that the 845 and the Custom Urushi pens in the U.S. are very unfairly, outrageously priced. I bought my 845 for $450, and my two Custom Urushi pens (vermillion and black) for $850 each, directly from Japan.

[@SnowDragonka]

I'm rather new to the podcast, so forgive me if any of these were answered before. But I have two practical and one "weird" question. Practical #1: If you choose a cartrige only pen and you choose to just refill the empty cartridge with your favourite bottled ink, is there any limit of how many times you can do that in your experience? For example does the cartridge stain, crack, brittle or has any other issues related to it being intended for single use only to be aware of? Practical #2: Have you ever tried fountain brush pens? And if yes, how would you compare them to more calligraphy nibs in fountain pens (italics, stubs, flex)? "Weird one": If you were to choose a combination of a pen and ink that would reflect who you are, your personality as close as possible, what would that be? Also loved the categories for the "ideally balanced 10 pen case", the one thing that stroke a note with me is having some pen that you don't care that much about for various purposes like testing new ink, lending to other people,... Made me think of Pilot Kakuno and TWSBI Go. Thank you for another lovely pencast :)

[@salamaat]

The part of the cartridge you're reusing that plugs into the pen can get loose over time as you remove and and put it back over and over so it might stop fitting securely which could lead to an inky mess.

[@dragonabsurda]

Two questions, unrelated to each other: 1: There are rollerballs like the Retro 51, why aren't there refillable felt-tip fine liners? 2: I'll be visiting Germany shortly. Are there any pens or inks you'd recommend checking out while there which are not available in North America?

[@IratherservetheLord]

Love listening thank you for this ❤

[@RainEmbers832]

Can we please do a pen version of the ink interview? I'd vote for Platinum Preppy for a position at Goulet Pens.

[@johnamoroso271]

There are perfect pens, from numerous manufacturers. The game is finding yours. Which maker? Which model? Options? And then it has to be the right one off the shop bench. It's why we have so many pens. Sometimes the same model. We can feel we're getting close, that perfect pen could be right around the corner.

[@Quinkerbell_3604]

I have fallen into the rabbit hole behind Brian on the wood measurements. I wonder if a certain hardness in the wood character would make a better (or worse) pen body. This is the first time I’ve even thought about what different woods are used in pen bodies and now, I need to know!

[@differentkindofGEKE]

1:20:22 I am on cloud 9 that you read my comment! GEKE comes from my initials in case you’re curious, and yes pronounced geek! I’m loling because my son’s college friend group came from a Team Waffle vs Team Pancake poll. He and his roommate are Team Pancake and the girls Team Waffle. I refer to them as the waffle girls. Best items Pet - cat, longhair is my favorite, but we have a shorthair I adore! Shoe - Doc Martens (steel toed boots if you have to be specific)

[@RobertStoddard]

Team Waffle here, for the higher proportion of crispy surface area to batter

[@BabyPinkBubbleBath]

Are erasable fountain pen ink cartridges and ink eraser pens available in the US? In France, we used to write in blue erasable ink at school and had these dual ended eraser pens allowing us to correct mistakes. Good old days 😅

[@Dosbomber]

Readily water soluble "Washable Blue" inks and their sort are available, but I guess it depends on how you define "erasable".

[@JohnDoe-el5ir]

You can still buy it everywhere but the thing is those inks usually fade off over time and completely vanish from light exposure. But yes, I also remember it from school times 😊

[@stephanievanleunen7075]

Amazon has them under Pelikan ink eradicator.

[@BabyPinkBubbleBath]

@@stephanievanleunen7075 Thank you!

[@marthamahlburg1866]

I have been wondering, should I refill my pens before they run out of ink or is it ok to keep writing until it is dry?

[@salamaat]

Either way works!