I have to share a funny story that happened to my fiancé and I today. We got home and he checks the mail, returns with a goulet box and neither of us had ordered anything from the shop recently. He flips it over and it’s addressed to him. An eBay purchase for an RC car part (his hobby). He messaged the seller just to tell him he received the part and how he and I were puzzled receiving a goulet box. They messaged back and forth how his wife and I love stationary, fancy fountain pens, and ink while the two of them share a hobby of RC cars. From their conversations she also watches the pencast so if you see this, hello to the lady in Texas whose husband has an RC hobby. It’s funny how a simple box with blue writing not even meant for me put a smile on my face and gave me a memory to journal about.
YES!!!! I got mentioned haha, awesome guys. I messaged Drew a pic of the shop. It’s a smoke shop, and it’s 3 of us that run it so we play whatever we want in there . My coworker is into RC cars and aquarium set ups and plays those videos in there too lol, so don’t worry about the customers. They are thoroughly tormented by our hobbies :D
@Brian: Don't feel bad about the toilet paper. My toilet paper resides in a plastic Sterilite shoebox that sits on a low shelf opposite the toilet. If I put in on the holder, my 15+ lb. chonk of a housecat, Sir Jasper Goodkitty, the Gentleman Gato (he's a tuxedo), will unroll it. If I just leave it sitting out, he carries it off! A mighty hunter, he regularly brings me potholders, paper towels, sink stoppers, hair scrunchies, socks, and assorted junk mail - always in the wee hours of the morning while singing the song of his people. My funny little klepto-kitty makes me smile. He always shows up when I pull out my journal and fountain pen, and I've learned to keep the pens in a drawer. I left one out once, and of course, he brought it to me!
@@jilld.268 You are more than welcome. Sir Jasper and little brother Master Onyx Serendipity (another tuxie) are the reasons this old lady gets out of bed every morning. I love my Gentlemen Gatos to the moon and back. ❤
@@jowright9577 I've sworn for years that catnip is a secret ingredient in fountain pen ink. The minute I start to write. I have both boys on the desk trying to lay on my journal. They really like to help when it comes time to clean the pens. 🤣
Great question about the website. I loved hearing praise for Rachel and more details about her many contributions, as well as more about the rest of the team behind the website magic. You really do a wonderful job. (2 fingers up!)
Two fingers down. One for the abandoned one, and the other for….fiber arts. Tell me if this doesn’t sound familiar: As a beginner you might decide to spend no more than $20 on your new hobby. So you buy cheap tools and supplies. Somebody else in the hobby might do you a solid, and pass on a slightly better item they don’t want anymore. After a while you find you really like the more expensive stuff, and decide to upgrade. Later you think anyone who would spend over $100 or more on the hobby must be nuts. You buy slightly better supplies, and a few accessories - they’re cheap. Then you come to understand why somebody might pay $100 for a single item, but decide you’re not that person. You buy less expensive tools, maybe more supplies because somehow you’ve run out, and that one thing because you love the color. When you next have money, you realize it might be nice to own one of those $100 hobby items, but gosh that’s way too expensive. So you buy a slightly more expensive item than last time, and spend all the cash you “saved” on better supplies. This is the point when you realize you own a goodly collection of hobby items and spent hundreds in the process! Might as well buy that $100 item…and put that other $240 item on the wishlist, and wait for Christmas.
Yes, also folk don't realise that description-less videos can and do suffer in the algorithm. Very bad idea to have a video without them. Only a minority read them, but CZcams itself very much cares
Thank you Brian for your clarification on leaving ink in a pen for over a year. I recently found a Platinum preppy that had been lost for years. It took a good hour and several runs in an ultrasonic cleaner before it was clean. I was left with 4 fingers. I'm so sad. I discovered this show a few months ago and started watching the Pencast from the beginning. (Why does CZcams not make this easier?) I'm finally done. It was the perfect way to de stress after a bad day or when I just needed a reason to smile. Fortunately there is plenty more content. You guys make the world a better place.
On pens not drying out: I lost my twsbi eco exactly a year ago and found it last week. It was stored vertically, nib up. I also live in a country where temperatures go up to the 40’s (Celsius, not Fahrenheit) Uncapped it, and it wrote immediately. No hard starts, no crusties, no staining anywhere. I contacted twsbi to let them know, and thank them for such a quality product.
Sadly my Twisbi Eco is a drama queen and hard starts at the slightest inconvenience. Meanwhile my vac700r is much better behaved. Not sure if a dud nib or what (I actually think it's a feed issue)
Janéa got me good! My very first fountain pen was a blue Safari my parents gave me in high school, and I know I left ink in it for over a year when I was younger and more careless. And I've been sitting here knitting while listening to the Pencast ...
What kind of ink would Civil War soldiers have used on the battlefields when they wrote home? I had the letters my great-great grandfather wrote home to Vermont from the battles around northern Virginia. 160 years later, they are still 100% legible. He had terrible spelling but gorgeous penmanship! What were they using back then for pens and inks in the camps? Was there a difference between what pens they would have used in the North as opposed to the South?
As a programmer myself, the website looks good. I have a lot of icks regarding modern website design and development but that website honestly looks pretty good.
Hello Brian and Drew. I had to jump in on behalf of Esterbrook. They made nibs for dip pens and then started making fountain pens in the say mid-1800's. To my mind their claim to fame was that they made many screw-in nib and feed units so you could optimize your writing. Besides being early to the game, and the diversity of interchangeable nib offerings, the pens are easy to work on yourself. I know they closed and reopened, but their new modern pens still allow me to use a section converter to use all my old vintage nib units. Kudos Esterbrook!
Just started the pen cast when my latest order was delivered! So now I’m watching and unboxing! Big shoutout to Michael for the amazing packaging and random ink sampler! Keep up the great work Brian, Drew, and the whole Goulet team! Love to y’all from Texas!
I agree with not being able to just sit on a beach for hours (I would go out of my mind with boredom, not to mention frying to a crisp). That said, I absolutely will happily spend an entire day in and on the water. Swimming, paddling.... yes please!
NINE-NINE!! I know they hit some harder issues but I think they handled some really tough topics really well. Such a good show. Thanks as always for a lovely Pencast! Looking forward to seeing you at the show this weekend! -Jenn
Hı from Türkiye.. I am happy to inform you about the Istanbul "Pen Fest" event, held at Çırağan Palace on 9-10 November 2024, where all pen lovers and companies in the world will meet. Thank you for the video.💙💙
Feedback on the website. It’s by far my most favorite site to visit. I only have one feature I wish would be added. When I add pens or nibs to my favorite list for later purchase I can’t see what size nib I’ve added at first glance. I have to add it to my cart to see what size I actually added. It was never an issue before because I always bought a medium nib. I have branched out and have been experimenting with other sizes, but when I go to the favorite list to see what I have and don’t have for later purchase I get lost on what size I have already added and not added. I hope that makes sense. Another great show in the books! Love me some Pencast! Thank you for all you do!
Couple things for the pen history. Leroy Fairchild developed the iridium alloy tipping for dip pens in around 1858. Esterbrook, though they were just thrown out in the 1980s (no gold nibs, generally), was THE world manufacturer of dip pens. They were kinda late to the game with fountain pens (1930s.) John Holland was as well known and popular as Waterman, until 1917. Eversharp I'd credit with the first converter, which was ultimately why Parker bought them in 1957. Went into both the Eversharp "10,000 Word Pen" and the Parker 45, when both went into production in 1960 (before LAMY, Drew. I'm pretty sure LAMY got their converter design from this. Even has the red knob that the early Parker-Eversharp converters have...) Also, I've questions about the first lever filler. Much as I like my vintage American brands, I've seen claims that the design was originally from Conway Stewart, I think from the year before Sheaffer's one (in my experience, the Conway Stewart design is close to the Waterman's version. Attached pressure bar to the lever instead of a J bar.) Good topics and interesting as always, guys! And I put down one finger. I do have several blue fountain pens. But I also have many other colors. Especially black Esterbrook pens (cheap way to get certain nibs.😉) I'm a rabid reader, so more hobby choices. Don't travel and don't live near Washington DC. Found my first fountain pen. Avid and rabid vintage pen guy, so there's no way I'd have ink in one for over a year. Forget the last one (my memory is like Swiss cheese wrapped in Teflon. Full of holes, nothing sticks to it. 😂) but I "passed" that one as well.
Ok, luv you Drew, but such a bold affirmation as “I don’t even know if I have one blue fountain pen” proceeded by a, ok maybe one or two… It was just too tempting not to check Pencast 93 into a glimpse of your collection. This was some time ago, so sure, maybe all of these are no longer with you, but here’s a list: Visconti Wall Street? - blue rings Retro 51 - blue fountain pen? looks different to the rest of the Retro 51 rollerballs (maybe the one Brian is referring to?) Lamy AL Star - ocean blue Edison Menlo - blue with gold trim Edison Ascent - Miami nights (sorry Drew, yours has a lot of blue showing) Namisu - Blue steel (pardon any misspellings) TWSBI Go - Sapphire blue TWSBI 580 - Prussian blue Atelier Lusso - Diamond cast (sorry, it also looks mainly blue) So this would be 9, sorry again Drew, but put that finger down 💙🩵💙 I would say (without counting), you seem to have more green pens, followed by black, then brown. Gorgeous pops of oranges, reds, and very colorful combinations.
I appreciate Drew's outlook on aging rockers. As an old, I got to finally see Duran Duran, Gin Blossoms, and Bush after all these years. They were pretty amazing! Gavin Rossdale is almost a decade older than me and had so much energy I questioned what I was doing with my life. It makes me happy to see them because 1. They made it past 27, not everyone does; and 2. I feel like we've been through a lot together, it's like jamming out with an old friend you've never met. They were with me on so many road trips throughout the years!
Good to hear your talk of cleaning pens. I know when I let the number build up too high, I avoid cleaning them because the task seems insurmountable. Though I can clean quite a lot in a day. Now, when a pen is empty, it is promptly cleaned. It's quick and there is nothing to dread. Most importantly: they don't build up! Your discussion on shimmer ink was good. I've been criticized for using it in gold nibs especially. I don't worry about the feed because I only use it in pens that are easily cleaned. The main fear people have is that it will wear down the nib tip...which isn't gold or steel, with rare exceptions. The softest thing in the writing equation is the paper. And, even if the nib will eventually wear down, how long will it take?
People forget too that gold nibs aren't gold. They're a gold alloy, so much harder then pure gold. For durability lower karats is actually better. 9ct is common in Europe. 14ct in the US. If you're really worried just go for a lower karat nib :)
@@AlongfortheThrill sorry, this notification got buried in my phone. 1) FMA Brotherhood 2) Attack on Titan 3) Accel World 4) Akame Ga Kill 5) Black Bullet
I have a book on the history of fountain pens written by Bibek Debroy, the Chief Economic Advisor of India, though it mostly focuses on Indian pen companies, still an extremely fascinating read.
I like to decorate my planners for the new year. I put in all the holiday stickers, my work from home days, birthdays, anniversaries and I like to decorate the pages with washi tape so when the new year comes every weekly spread is a fun surprise!
Janea's blue pen question got me! While I do have other colors, if a design comes in blue at all, that's gonna be the one I can't resist. Now I have to consciously try to resist the blue ones.
OMG….love the pencast and have learned everything I know from your You Tube channel and your fabulous website. Kudos to you all others working behind the scenes…and thank you for helping me select my first couple of pens. My wish list is growing daily. And Janae is a breath of fresh air! Love her game! First time I had all 5 fingers up….today, 4. Hilarious!!!
When my son was in first grade, he was invited to a friend’s house to have some kids over to play in the pool one day, and it wasn’t until we arrived that we realized it was a birthday party. 😱 I had to go check my texts to make sure I didn’t miss something, and my guess is that the mom either figured the kids had already been talking about it, or forgot to specify, because there was no indication that this was anything other than a casual hangout in there. She was super cool about it, and everyone had a blast, but I needed a significant amount of time to emotionally recover from my mortification at having shown up empty-handed. 💀
Fun fact: Pencast 93 (which displays Drew’s FP collection) and this episode, both mention Manicotti 😅 Pencast 93, around the 4:25 mark Pencast 144, around the 1:33:35 mark
I'll be at DC too, but this is my second time for this show. Don't get too overwhelmed. It's a huge show and can easily fluster you. Hope you have a good time!
Janea- dang girl you got us good! I need a weight in. My first foundation pens were picked out by me, but purchased as a Christmas gift. I did count it as one so I only had 1 fingers left, and it was not for leaving a pen inked....😂 hope to see you in DC
Only one finger down! 😂 And I use a shimmer/chameleon ink (Astral from last year’s Inkvent) in my most expensive gold nibbed fountain pen, the Pelikan M600 Glauco Cambon. Gimme all the shimmer! ✨
I recently got a bottle of razzmatazz and moondust. Not sure what inkvent they were from ,(if any?) but very happy you don't need to buy the inkvent to buy a bottle of ink. Tried them both out today and they're very nice. Not painful to clean either really
It really could be squirels. I had a squirel decimate my hibiscus tree. The would stand on their hind legs and pull the branches and eat all the flowers. So probably they are your culprit. 3 fingers up. Worst was leaving a Mont Blanc pen with ink for probably 20 years. I had to soak the pen for 2 days just to unscrew the barrel from the nib. Then had to soak some more.
Hey Brian and Drew, I've heard you guys make multiple references to pen shows in your pencasts. As someone who does not have pen shows in my country/region, might you be able to explain just what makes them special, please? Also, WOW! I didn't realise Rachel does so much for Goulet Pens -- Brain, I think it's high time Rachel creates an ink (that's not Goulet Blue) that's 100% dedicated to her.
I only had 1 finger up this time. I actually had just taken a break from listening to clean out some pens and one of them had been sitting around for a year (yikes!). Hope to see you all on Saturday at the DC show.
In the name of all the Elder Gods, Brian, PLEASE tell us that the hornet nest is gone! You can't leave us in suspense like that!!! For the five-finger game, I have to put down 1.5 fingers: Amateur radio (currently working hard on Morse Code), music, astronomy - there goes one finger; I have pens that have had been inked for over a year but only because I keep using them weekly, if not daily, and keep refilling them. Hah! Sadly, I can't afford the trip south to the USA and halfway across the continent to DC; Only 2 blue fountain pens, and I almost never use blue ink; I honestly cannot remember how I came by my first Sheaffer cartridge pen. C'mon, give me a break, lady: that was 60 years ago!!! But my parents MIGHT have bought the pen for me, so I'll cut off half of one finger in your honour - figuratively, of course. And Janéa, you have delightful, infectious laugh.
I believe we're of the same vintage. My first fountain pen was also a Sheaffer cartridge pen, purchased on a card from the grocery store when I was eight years old. (And Janéa is a delightful, engaging young woman, isn't she!)
I currently have an Esterbrook Estie in Fine inked up with Wearingeul I Am A Cat for over a month now that I've been using on and off and there's ZERO flow issues! This is about the most shimmery of shimmer inks I've used lately and I always store my pens either nib up or on the side, never nib down. I'm going to dread cleaning this eventually, but actually using it has given me no issues.
I absolutely make my partner watch the Pencast. He never knew he wanted to learn about fountain pens and I was very happy disabuse him of that notion. You guys are the best. PS - I adore my job, but y'all make me want to quit and come work for you!!
the mall thing is because there's a dearth of places for young teens to exist without having to spend money. you technically don't have to spend money at the mall and you can also walk around. playgrounds feel kind of babyish at her age too.
Anyone else match their inks to something other than pens..? If so, to what..? I often match ink to my nail polish and sometimes it's ink, pen and polish - that's a wonderful thing! Oh and one finger down for me (nail polish and gardening were my other hobbies downfall). Love what you do, keep on Pencasting, (and shimmering, obviously 😊)
I normally match inks to the season, sorta like fashion colors. I can normally tell what month I wrote a journal entry by the color. I can also be greatly influenced by the colors in my garden.
Not on purpose, but when my clothes or some accessories match with my pen and ink... it's just awesome!😊 (It could be anything... my glasses, earphones, notebook, purse, shoes...)
Four fingers still standing! 😅 Totally bittersweet because I really want to start traveling for my new hobbies, and get back into traveling for my older hobbies, but I also LOVE winning.
I was out of the Fountain pen hobby for a while and was surprised to hear that Omas was no more. I googled to find out when this happened, and in the process discovered that Omas was resurrected in late 2023.
Only 2 fingers up! I'd love to go to the DC penshow... but living en Europe makes it difficult, and I'd never leave ink on a pen for _a year_ !!😖 I hate surprises. I don't have a good reaction and I don't like people I love and appreciate hiding something from me... and it being a surprise takes all the excitement of knowing something good is happening to you in advance. I love the idea of a "keep calm and shimmer on" sticker somebody in the comments mentioned❤ That nest looked terrifying to me. I have to say I'm always enjoying not only the pencast but also the comments from everyone!! I learn so much, and I'm always surprised at how someone from the other side of the planet can have so much in common... love this community.😊
3 fingers down if it counts that I've re-inked the same Evo with same ink in one year! And my mom gave me my first fountain pen when I was around 16. I wanted her felt-tipped "calligraphy" pen, so she told me if I completed the calligraphy book she had, she'd buy me one. I don't think she thought I was serious because she was shocked when I handed her the completed book. She ended up buying me a Scheaffer calligraphy set, and I wrote with those using my newly learned calligraphy penmanship (with their italic nibs, of course!) for nearly everything, including English and science homework. I have no idea what my teachers thought of me.
The Herbin Clear Demonstrator fountain pens I absolutely LOVE for Baystate inks. Cheap and replaceable but a fairly decent pen for the price! I also have two Cross pens that I love, an ATX and Bailey, and I can't believe they were under $100, they write the same if not better than my Esterbrook Estie!
Hey guys I hope you're doing well. I'm an artist who draws in pencil and fountain pens exclusively. And recently I have been enjoying my twsbi eco for the sheer amount of ink capacity. And I bought few pen examples from your website and I thoroughly enjoyed the diamine earl Grey ink. It's a darker Grey that leans to have a blueish tint. My main question is if goulet pen decided to make their own brand of ink. What are the pallets and type of ink and any special characteristics you'd add? Also where can I buy those inks? 😅
3 fingers down and 2 up, but with the caveats that I included pens where I was generous in what I considered a blue pen and I did not consider old Varsities for inked more than a year. Edit to add: fingers down for hobbies (and I even teach within them), blue pens (generous definition), and gifted my first (almost 40 years ago)
I was doing so well with the fingers down game. There I was, smugly thinking I'm going to have all 5 fingers, right up until the last question. hahaha My first was a gift.
Much love to Drew - My Dad had a hard wired car phone in the late 80s - early 90s, the hand unit of which was a brick.. always felt sooooo embarrassed when he would take calls on it when we were out, my how things have changed :)
I admit I didn't even know Faber-Castell made fountain pens until I started watching your podcast. I know them mainly as coloured pencil and pencil brand. They're my absolute favourites. Very slow wearing, perfectly consistent, great wood that doesn't split easily. Sadly know nothing about their fountain pens, maybe you could showcase them in some later podcast?
4 fingers up!!! (The blue fountain pens got me!) The Pencast just gets better and more fun. Love you all and thank you for the joy, laughs and information you bring to us!
Loved the put your fingers down segment. Three fingers remained up for this girl. Although I'm still not sure that ill clean my pens regularly, especially twsbi. It's primary purpose is to hold ink for 1+ years 😅
My Sailors and Platinum pens are my favorites for using shimmer inks. Friction fit nib/feed AND a converter that is easy to take apart and just blast water through it. Done, can clean a shimmer ink of those in no time.
I have three fingers still up, the blue fountain pens (I have almost every color but orange, but blue is still my favorite). Then the hobby thing? Really? That was mean lol! Books will always take eons more of my time than any other hobby., and I think most other people into fountain pens are into other hobbies as well.
Oh Janea! I draw and sketch with fountain pens, which takes up more time, but...since I use the pens, does the artwork count as more time on a hobby? Four fingers up!
"A man named Mr Waterman invented a tube / He was sad because it sprung a little leak / He said 'Darn it when I hold my tube on a piece of paper / the ink leaks out and makes a little streak!' / He said I gotta find a way to stop that leak / I'll start working on my leak-proof tube again / I said 'Waterman, you idiot, don't stop that leak! / You just invented a fountain pen!' " (Allen Sherman lyrics, "Good Advice")
I have to share a funny story that happened to my fiancé and I today. We got home and he checks the mail, returns with a goulet box and neither of us had ordered anything from the shop recently. He flips it over and it’s addressed to him. An eBay purchase for an RC car part (his hobby). He messaged the seller just to tell him he received the part and how he and I were puzzled receiving a goulet box. They messaged back and forth how his wife and I love stationary, fancy fountain pens, and ink while the two of them share a hobby of RC cars. From their conversations she also watches the pencast so if you see this, hello to the lady in Texas whose husband has an RC hobby. It’s funny how a simple box with blue writing not even meant for me put a smile on my face and gave me a memory to journal about.
I hope that the person from Texas with the husband into RC is watching! Fun story.
I love this! - Drew
YES!!!! I got mentioned haha, awesome guys. I messaged Drew a pic of the shop. It’s a smoke shop, and it’s 3 of us that run it so we play whatever we want in there . My coworker is into RC cars and aquarium set ups and plays those videos in there too lol, so don’t worry about the customers. They are thoroughly tormented by our hobbies :D
Hi Soyoka, what’s a smoke shop?! 🙏
Sells vapes and cigarettes maybe?
Thanks for the shout-out, Janéa (and for your fabulous letter)!
I’d love a sticker that says that!
That's a good idea! - Drew
@Brian: Don't feel bad about the toilet paper. My toilet paper resides in a plastic Sterilite shoebox that sits on a low shelf opposite the toilet. If I put in on the holder, my 15+ lb. chonk of a housecat, Sir Jasper Goodkitty, the Gentleman Gato (he's a tuxedo), will unroll it. If I just leave it sitting out, he carries it off! A mighty hunter, he regularly brings me potholders, paper towels, sink stoppers, hair scrunchies, socks, and assorted junk mail - always in the wee hours of the morning while singing the song of his people. My funny little klepto-kitty makes me smile. He always shows up when I pull out my journal and fountain pen, and I've learned to keep the pens in a drawer. I left one out once, and of course, he brought it to me!
Thank you for this - it made me smile. Sir Jasper Goodkitty, the Gentleman Gato, sounds like a wonderful kitty who is very loved! ❤
@@jilld.268 You are more than welcome. Sir Jasper and little brother Master Onyx Serendipity (another tuxie) are the reasons this old lady gets out of bed every morning. I love my Gentlemen Gatos to the moon and back. ❤
My glorious shaggy, beloved tuxedo, Wilson, is a terrible fountain pen (and reading glasses) kleptomaniac!
@@jowright9577 I've sworn for years that catnip is a secret ingredient in fountain pen ink. The minute I start to write. I have both boys on the desk trying to lay on my journal. They really like to help when it comes time to clean the pens. 🤣
Great question about the website. I loved hearing praise for Rachel and more details about her many contributions, as well as more about the rest of the team behind the website magic. You really do a wonderful job. (2 fingers up!)
Two fingers down. One for the abandoned one, and the other for….fiber arts. Tell me if this doesn’t sound familiar:
As a beginner you might decide to spend no more than $20 on your new hobby. So you buy cheap tools and supplies. Somebody else in the hobby might do you a solid, and pass on a slightly better item they don’t want anymore. After a while you find you really like the more expensive stuff, and decide to upgrade.
Later you think anyone who would spend over $100 or more on the hobby must be nuts. You buy slightly better supplies, and a few accessories - they’re cheap.
Then you come to understand why somebody might pay $100 for a single item, but decide you’re not that person. You buy less expensive tools, maybe more supplies because somehow you’ve run out, and that one thing because you love the color.
When you next have money, you realize it might be nice to own one of those $100 hobby items, but gosh that’s way too expensive. So you buy a slightly more expensive item than last time, and spend all the cash you “saved” on better supplies.
This is the point when you realize you own a goodly collection of hobby items and spent hundreds in the process! Might as well buy that $100 item…and put that other $240 item on the wishlist, and wait for Christmas.
Please keep writing the descriptions! We definitely use them!
Yes, also folk don't realise that description-less videos can and do suffer in the algorithm. Very bad idea to have a video without them. Only a minority read them, but CZcams itself very much cares
Pencast stats:
Average length of video: 2 hours, 39 seconds
Total length of playlist: 12 days, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 44 seconds
Thank you Brian for your clarification on leaving ink in a pen for over a year. I recently found a Platinum preppy that had been lost for years. It took a good hour and several runs in an ultrasonic cleaner before it was clean. I was left with 4 fingers.
I'm so sad. I discovered this show a few months ago and started watching the Pencast from the beginning. (Why does CZcams not make this easier?) I'm finally done. It was the perfect way to de stress after a bad day or when I just needed a reason to smile. Fortunately there is plenty more content. You guys make the world a better place.
On pens not drying out:
I lost my twsbi eco exactly a year ago and found it last week. It was stored vertically, nib up. I also live in a country where temperatures go up to the 40’s (Celsius, not Fahrenheit)
Uncapped it, and it wrote immediately. No hard starts, no crusties, no staining anywhere.
I contacted twsbi to let them know, and thank them for such a quality product.
Sadly my Twisbi Eco is a drama queen and hard starts at the slightest inconvenience.
Meanwhile my vac700r is much better behaved. Not sure if a dud nib or what (I actually think it's a feed issue)
@@StettafireCould also be the ink.
Janéa got me good! My very first fountain pen was a blue Safari my parents gave me in high school, and I know I left ink in it for over a year when I was younger and more careless. And I've been sitting here knitting while listening to the Pencast ...
What kind of ink would Civil War soldiers have used on the battlefields when they wrote home? I had the letters my great-great grandfather wrote home to Vermont from the battles around northern Virginia. 160 years later, they are still 100% legible. He had terrible spelling but gorgeous penmanship! What were they using back then for pens and inks in the camps? Was there a difference between what pens they would have used in the North as opposed to the South?
Spelling wasn’t really popularly formalized until the late 1800s. It’s amazing you have this piece of history!
Probably some sort of iron gall. - Drew
Woah the website maintenance truly takes a village. I had no idea Rachel coded a lot of it! She's sooo cool!
As a programmer myself, the website looks good. I have a lot of icks regarding modern website design and development but that website honestly looks pretty good.
Hello Brian and Drew. I had to jump in on behalf of Esterbrook. They made nibs for dip pens and then started making fountain pens in the say mid-1800's. To my mind their claim to fame was that they made many screw-in nib and feed units so you could optimize your writing. Besides being early to the game, and the diversity of interchangeable nib offerings, the pens are easy to work on yourself. I know they closed and reopened, but their new modern pens still allow me to use a section converter to use all my old vintage nib units. Kudos Esterbrook!
I have a couple of vintage lever filled Esties. They really are still wonderful writers.
Just started the pen cast when my latest order was delivered! So now I’m watching and unboxing! Big shoutout to Michael for the amazing packaging and random ink sampler! Keep up the great work Brian, Drew, and the whole Goulet team! Love to y’all from Texas!
I agree with not being able to just sit on a beach for hours (I would go out of my mind with boredom, not to mention frying to a crisp). That said, I absolutely will happily spend an entire day in and on the water. Swimming, paddling.... yes please!
NINE-NINE!! I know they hit some harder issues but I think they handled some really tough topics really well. Such a good show.
Thanks as always for a lovely Pencast! Looking forward to seeing you at the show this weekend! -Jenn
My package from Goulet Pens with my first gold nib pen is waiting for me when I get home tonight. 😊
Congratulations! Hope you love it.
Yay! Thanks for the support! - Drew
You must tell. What pen did you choose with your 1st gold nib?
A Pilot E95s
Hı from Türkiye.. I am happy to inform you about the Istanbul "Pen Fest" event, held at Çırağan Palace on 9-10 November 2024, where all pen lovers and companies in the world will meet. Thank you for the video.💙💙
I definitely read Goulet’s written descriptions when making my purchases…my order, when it arrives, is quite treasured ❤.
PS- everything is packaged so well! Thank you 🎉Two fingers up- I live too far away from DC and I bought my first fountain pen.
Feedback on the website. It’s by far my most favorite site to visit. I only have one feature I wish would be added. When I add pens or nibs to my favorite list for later purchase I can’t see what size nib I’ve added at first glance. I have to add it to my cart to see what size I actually added. It was never an issue before because I always bought a medium nib. I have branched out and have been experimenting with other sizes, but when I go to the favorite list to see what I have and don’t have for later purchase I get lost on what size I have already added and not added. I hope that makes sense.
Another great show in the books! Love me some Pencast! Thank you for all you do!
What fun! As an amateur musician I still have 4 fingers standing 🙂
3 fingers down!
Sewing
Yes (long-inked pen)
Nainie (grandmother) gave me my first pen when I was 10.
I miss seeing Rachel. She needs to at least do a cameo every now and then.
It's up to her! - Drew
Couple things for the pen history.
Leroy Fairchild developed the iridium alloy tipping for dip pens in around 1858. Esterbrook, though they were just thrown out in the 1980s (no gold nibs, generally), was THE world manufacturer of dip pens. They were kinda late to the game with fountain pens (1930s.)
John Holland was as well known and popular as Waterman, until 1917.
Eversharp I'd credit with the first converter, which was ultimately why Parker bought them in 1957. Went into both the Eversharp "10,000 Word Pen" and the Parker 45, when both went into production in 1960 (before LAMY, Drew. I'm pretty sure LAMY got their converter design from this. Even has the red knob that the early Parker-Eversharp converters have...)
Also, I've questions about the first lever filler. Much as I like my vintage American brands, I've seen claims that the design was originally from Conway Stewart, I think from the year before Sheaffer's one (in my experience, the Conway Stewart design is close to the Waterman's version. Attached pressure bar to the lever instead of a J bar.)
Good topics and interesting as always, guys!
And I put down one finger. I do have several blue fountain pens. But I also have many other colors. Especially black Esterbrook pens (cheap way to get certain nibs.😉)
I'm a rabid reader, so more hobby choices. Don't travel and don't live near Washington DC. Found my first fountain pen. Avid and rabid vintage pen guy, so there's no way I'd have ink in one for over a year. Forget the last one (my memory is like Swiss cheese wrapped in Teflon. Full of holes, nothing sticks to it. 😂) but I "passed" that one as well.
Ok, luv you Drew, but such a bold affirmation as “I don’t even know if I have one blue fountain pen” proceeded by a, ok maybe one or two… It was just too tempting not to check Pencast 93 into a glimpse of your collection.
This was some time ago, so sure, maybe all of these are no longer with you, but here’s a list:
Visconti Wall Street? - blue rings
Retro 51 - blue fountain pen? looks different to the rest of the Retro 51 rollerballs (maybe the one Brian is referring to?)
Lamy AL Star - ocean blue
Edison Menlo - blue with gold trim
Edison Ascent - Miami nights (sorry Drew, yours has a lot of blue showing)
Namisu - Blue steel (pardon any misspellings)
TWSBI Go - Sapphire blue
TWSBI 580 - Prussian blue
Atelier Lusso - Diamond cast (sorry, it also looks mainly blue)
So this would be 9, sorry again Drew, but put that finger down 💙🩵💙
I would say (without counting), you seem to have more green pens, followed by black, then brown. Gorgeous pops of oranges, reds, and very colorful combinations.
OMG YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT - Drew
I appreciate Drew's outlook on aging rockers. As an old, I got to finally see Duran Duran, Gin Blossoms, and Bush after all these years. They were pretty amazing! Gavin Rossdale is almost a decade older than me and had so much energy I questioned what I was doing with my life. It makes me happy to see them because 1. They made it past 27, not everyone does; and 2. I feel like we've been through a lot together, it's like jamming out with an old friend you've never met. They were with me on so many road trips throughout the years!
My wife and I say Duran in Duran back in 2005! we love them! - Drew
Only two fingers down!! Also nice to hear praise for Rachel, she is such a sweetheart!
Good to hear your talk of cleaning pens. I know when I let the number build up too high, I avoid cleaning them because the task seems insurmountable. Though I can clean quite a lot in a day. Now, when a pen is empty, it is promptly cleaned. It's quick and there is nothing to dread. Most importantly: they don't build up!
Your discussion on shimmer ink was good. I've been criticized for using it in gold nibs especially. I don't worry about the feed because I only use it in pens that are easily cleaned. The main fear people have is that it will wear down the nib tip...which isn't gold or steel, with rare exceptions. The softest thing in the writing equation is the paper. And, even if the nib will eventually wear down, how long will it take?
People forget too that gold nibs aren't gold. They're a gold alloy, so much harder then pure gold. For durability lower karats is actually better. 9ct is common in Europe. 14ct in the US. If you're really worried just go for a lower karat nib :)
Only one finger down this time! Anime, manga, light novels is one of my other time-consuming hobbies.
Ayyy anime! What's your top 5?
@@AlongfortheThrill Give me a genre.
@raahulpathak oh gosh action?
@@AlongfortheThrill sorry, this notification got buried in my phone.
1) FMA Brotherhood
2) Attack on Titan
3) Accel World
4) Akame Ga Kill
5) Black Bullet
I have a book on the history of fountain pens written by Bibek Debroy, the Chief Economic Advisor of India, though it mostly focuses on Indian pen companies, still an extremely fascinating read.
Benu has re-released the Ambrosia Brown Orchid! I received the notification via email, and I ordered one immediately! Can't wait!
Lisa
I also love having shimmer in multiple fills of ink later! It's like all my inks are a bit shimmery❤
I like to decorate my planners for the new year. I put in all the holiday stickers, my work from home days, birthdays, anniversaries and I like to decorate the pages with washi tape so when the new year comes every weekly spread is a fun surprise!
Janea's blue pen question got me! While I do have other colors, if a design comes in blue at all, that's gonna be the one I can't resist. Now I have to consciously try to resist the blue ones.
Oh! Three fingers! I have a lot of hobbies lol and my first pen, a Lamy Safari, was from a friend.
OMG….love the pencast and have learned everything I know from your You Tube channel and your fabulous website. Kudos to you all others working behind the scenes…and thank you for helping me select my first couple of pens. My wish list is growing daily. And Janae is a breath of fresh air! Love her game! First time I had all 5 fingers up….today, 4. Hilarious!!!
Drew's expression while Brian is describing the hornets and nest
When my son was in first grade, he was invited to a friend’s house to have some kids over to play in the pool one day, and it wasn’t until we arrived that we realized it was a birthday party. 😱 I had to go check my texts to make sure I didn’t miss something, and my guess is that the mom either figured the kids had already been talking about it, or forgot to specify, because there was no indication that this was anything other than a casual hangout in there. She was super cool about it, and everyone had a blast, but I needed a significant amount of time to emotionally recover from my mortification at having shown up empty-handed. 💀
Fun fact: Pencast 93 (which displays Drew’s FP collection) and this episode, both mention Manicotti 😅
Pencast 93, around the 4:25 mark
Pencast 144, around the 1:33:35 mark
I'll be at DC too, but this is my second time for this show. Don't get too overwhelmed. It's a huge show and can easily fluster you. Hope you have a good time!
Janea- dang girl you got us good! I need a weight in. My first foundation pens were picked out by me, but purchased as a Christmas gift. I did count it as one so I only had 1 fingers left, and it was not for leaving a pen inked....😂 hope to see you in DC
Awesome show this week. I had 4 fingers up at the end of the game this week.
Only one finger down! 😂 And I use a shimmer/chameleon ink (Astral from last year’s Inkvent) in my most expensive gold nibbed fountain pen, the Pelikan M600 Glauco Cambon. Gimme all the shimmer! ✨
I looooove Astral (bought a whole bottle of it!). It does go in my ECO though, so I can see the glitter.
@@catherinerw1 Yay! I’ve yet to buy the whole bottle! It’s a great alternative to plain black inks, isn’t it? 🖤
I recently got a bottle of razzmatazz and moondust. Not sure what inkvent they were from ,(if any?) but very happy you don't need to buy the inkvent to buy a bottle of ink. Tried them both out today and they're very nice. Not painful to clean either really
It really could be squirels. I had a squirel decimate my hibiscus tree. The would stand on their hind legs and pull the branches and eat all the flowers. So probably they are your culprit.
3 fingers up. Worst was leaving a Mont Blanc pen with ink for probably 20 years. I had to soak the pen for 2 days just to unscrew the barrel from the nib. Then had to soak some more.
What a great deep dive into historic brands
Love put a finger down!!
Only 2 pens down: never left ink in pen for more than and year, and not attending DC Pen Show
"Well-oiled Rube Goldberg machine" 😂
Hey Brian and Drew, I've heard you guys make multiple references to pen shows in your pencasts. As someone who does not have pen shows in my country/region, might you be able to explain just what makes them special, please?
Also, WOW! I didn't realise Rachel does so much for Goulet Pens -- Brain, I think it's high time Rachel creates an ink (that's not Goulet Blue) that's 100% dedicated to her.
I only had 1 finger up this time. I actually had just taken a break from listening to clean out some pens and one of them had been sitting around for a year (yikes!). Hope to see you all on Saturday at the DC show.
Janéa, I feel like you really had it on for Brian this week -- well done! Such a fun segment! (3 fingers)
In the name of all the Elder Gods, Brian, PLEASE tell us that the hornet nest is gone! You can't leave us in suspense like that!!!
For the five-finger game, I have to put down 1.5 fingers:
Amateur radio (currently working hard on Morse Code), music, astronomy - there goes one finger;
I have pens that have had been inked for over a year but only because I keep using them weekly, if not daily, and keep refilling them. Hah!
Sadly, I can't afford the trip south to the USA and halfway across the continent to DC;
Only 2 blue fountain pens, and I almost never use blue ink;
I honestly cannot remember how I came by my first Sheaffer cartridge pen. C'mon, give me a break, lady: that was 60 years ago!!! But my parents MIGHT have bought the pen for me, so I'll cut off half of one finger in your honour - figuratively, of course.
And Janéa, you have delightful, infectious laugh.
I believe we're of the same vintage. My first fountain pen was also a Sheaffer cartridge pen, purchased on a card from the grocery store when I was eight years old. (And Janéa is a delightful, engaging young woman, isn't she!)
@@j.s.matlock1456 Same here (but it was the corner drug store) and does it count as "gifted" if it was required school supplies your parents bought?
I currently have an Esterbrook Estie in Fine inked up with Wearingeul I Am A Cat for over a month now that I've been using on and off and there's ZERO flow issues! This is about the most shimmery of shimmer inks I've used lately and I always store my pens either nib up or on the side, never nib down. I'm going to dread cleaning this eventually, but actually using it has given me no issues.
🖐 still five fingers up after 2 weeks. I love the nearly maniacal laugh after you get a lot of fingers down.
I absolutely make my partner watch the Pencast. He never knew he wanted to learn about fountain pens and I was very happy disabuse him of that notion. You guys are the best.
PS - I adore my job, but y'all make me want to quit and come work for you!!
the mall thing is because there's a dearth of places for young teens to exist without having to spend money. you technically don't have to spend money at the mall and you can also walk around. playgrounds feel kind of babyish at her age too.
Anyone else match their inks to something other than pens..? If so, to what..? I often match ink to my nail polish and sometimes it's ink, pen and polish - that's a wonderful thing!
Oh and one finger down for me (nail polish and gardening were my other hobbies downfall).
Love what you do, keep on Pencasting, (and shimmering, obviously 😊)
I normally match inks to the season, sorta like fashion colors. I can normally tell what month I wrote a journal entry by the color. I can also be greatly influenced by the colors in my garden.
Not on purpose, but when my clothes or some accessories match with my pen and ink... it's just awesome!😊
(It could be anything... my glasses, earphones, notebook, purse, shoes...)
Four fingers still standing! 😅 Totally bittersweet because I really want to start traveling for my new hobbies, and get back into traveling for my older hobbies, but I also LOVE winning.
I was out of the Fountain pen hobby for a while and was surprised to hear that Omas was no more. I googled to find out when this happened, and in the process discovered that Omas was resurrected in late 2023.
1:42:04 Wow Drew your hand stitching looks incredible. I really thought that looked machined stitched. Nice one!
Lol “put a finger down” got me, come on multiple hobbies!
And also the gifted pen 💙💛🖋️
Website is awesome!
Only 2 fingers up! I'd love to go to the DC penshow... but living en Europe makes it difficult, and I'd never leave ink on a pen for _a year_ !!😖
I hate surprises. I don't have a good reaction and I don't like people I love and appreciate hiding something from me... and it being a surprise takes all the excitement of knowing something good is happening to you in advance.
I love the idea of a "keep calm and shimmer on" sticker somebody in the comments mentioned❤
That nest looked terrifying to me.
I have to say I'm always enjoying not only the pencast but also the comments from everyone!! I learn so much, and I'm always surprised at how someone from the other side of the planet can have so much in common... love this community.😊
3 fingers down if it counts that I've re-inked the same Evo with same ink in one year!
And my mom gave me my first fountain pen when I was around 16. I wanted her felt-tipped "calligraphy" pen, so she told me if I completed the calligraphy book she had, she'd buy me one. I don't think she thought I was serious because she was shocked when I handed her the completed book. She ended up buying me a Scheaffer calligraphy set, and I wrote with those using my newly learned calligraphy penmanship (with their italic nibs, of course!) for nearly everything, including English and science homework. I have no idea what my teachers thought of me.
Love me some shimmer! … which may explain partially why I am not a fan of vacuum or internal piston fillers without screwable nibs units.
Old school: my Conklin Crescent Filler. So classic! 😊
Drew’s what’s new video convinced me to get the rainbow whirlwind pen! It looks so gorgeous on his video! Now I have to get Sweet Dreams as well!
The Herbin Clear Demonstrator fountain pens I absolutely LOVE for Baystate inks. Cheap and replaceable but a fairly decent pen for the price!
I also have two Cross pens that I love, an ATX and Bailey, and I can't believe they were under $100, they write the same if not better than my Esterbrook Estie!
Neptun pens, Onoto de la rue or Conway Stewart were missing; but never mind; the pen-history round-up was very nice! thx
Hey guys I hope you're doing well. I'm an artist who draws in pencil and fountain pens exclusively. And recently I have been enjoying my twsbi eco for the sheer amount of ink capacity. And I bought few pen examples from your website and I thoroughly enjoyed the diamine earl Grey ink. It's a darker Grey that leans to have a blueish tint.
My main question is if goulet pen decided to make their own brand of ink. What are the pallets and type of ink and any special characteristics you'd add? Also where can I buy those inks? 😅
It would be ineteresting to follow the photographer on a typical day at job. The photoes are very proffesional done.
3 fingers down and 2 up, but with the caveats that I included pens where I was generous in what I considered a blue pen and I did not consider old Varsities for inked more than a year.
Edit to add: fingers down for hobbies (and I even teach within them), blue pens (generous definition), and gifted my first (almost 40 years ago)
The shirt is still beautiful. :D
Three fingers down (not attending DC pen show and bought my first pen - a Pilot Metropolitan from Goulet!)
Good morning y'all!
I was doing so well with the fingers down game. There I was, smugly thinking I'm going to have all 5 fingers, right up until the last question. hahaha My first was a gift.
Much love to Drew - My Dad had a hard wired car phone in the late 80s - early 90s, the hand unit of which was a brick.. always felt sooooo embarrassed when he would take calls on it when we were out, my how things have changed :)
Only one finger down but super new to the hobby. 😂
I admit I didn't even know Faber-Castell made fountain pens until I started watching your podcast. I know them mainly as coloured pencil and pencil brand. They're my absolute favourites. Very slow wearing, perfectly consistent, great wood that doesn't split easily. Sadly know nothing about their fountain pens, maybe you could showcase them in some later podcast?
The beach and sun are healing! 🌞
4 fingers up!!! (The blue fountain pens got me!)
The Pencast just gets better and more fun. Love you all and thank you for the joy, laughs and information you bring to us!
maybe shimmer anxiety should be added to the fountain pen neuroses' lol
Best Chris Pratt and great series: Everwood. Watch with your teens.
Loved the put your fingers down segment. Three fingers remained up for this girl. Although I'm still not sure that ill clean my pens regularly, especially twsbi. It's primary purpose is to hold ink for 1+ years 😅
Brian knows about the DSM V.
And… four fingers! I have a lot of hobbies though a couple use fp
5 fingers up! Fun game!
4 fingers! I want to know who managed to keep 5 fingers up.
My Sailors and Platinum pens are my favorites for using shimmer inks. Friction fit nib/feed AND a converter that is easy to take apart and just blast water through it. Done, can clean a shimmer ink of those in no time.
Only 1 finger down~
Wavelength is so fun!!
I also had only one finger left and it was the last one, I got my own first fountain pen. 🙂
I have three fingers still up, the blue fountain pens (I have almost every color but orange, but blue is still my favorite). Then the hobby thing? Really? That was mean lol! Books will always take eons more of my time than any other hobby., and I think most other people into fountain pens are into other hobbies as well.
No fingers down!
Great show, gentlemen!
I lost three fingers in the game. 😆 Sadly, not one for going to DC.
Oh Janea! I draw and sketch with fountain pens, which takes up more time, but...since I use the pens, does the artwork count as more time on a hobby? Four fingers up!
Happy Weekend!
Yay, I kept 4 fingers up!! I do have one other passion besides pens but that was the only question that got me.
Thank you. Hope you guys have a great week
I had two fingers left again. No DC Pen Show for me and no one gifted me my first fountain pen.
"A man named Mr Waterman invented a tube / He was sad because it sprung a little leak / He said 'Darn it when I hold my tube on a piece of paper / the ink leaks out and makes a little streak!' / He said I gotta find a way to stop that leak / I'll start working on my leak-proof tube again / I said 'Waterman, you idiot, don't stop that leak! / You just invented a fountain pen!' " (Allen Sherman lyrics, "Good Advice")
Drew does a fantastic job with the Whatsnew videos. Need to find her video