In this episode, I talk about the Platinum Procyon, applied patinas on metal pens, and resources and assets that got Goulet Pens off the ground. Enjoy!

This week:

• July 4th off, surgery went well for Ellie
• Family time, taking care of random stuff around the house
• Coming into summer, our slower time but working to keep ourselves busy
• Lots of sales, deals, clearing out inventory to make room for fall
• Colorverse First Moon Landing ink
• All-gold plated Goulet nibs
• Rhodia 2020 planners
• Field Notes National Parks
• Mastering Hand Lettering book
• Blue Demo shark pen
• Jinhao 51A wood, Red/Purple Ombre, Amber/Black Ombre
• Monteverde Tanzanite, Malachite, Citrine
• Retro 51 Apollo Fountain Pen

Pens/Writing

1) @Aeronaute- Twitter 

Most vacuum fillers have a valve that seals, isolating the ink in the reservoir from the feed, which makes them great for airplanes. The Visconti double reservoir pens clearly do. It’s unclear if the single reservoir pens (e.g. the Bronze Age Homo Sapiens) do this? Can you say?

• not every brand distinguishes if there’s a double or single reservoir, that’s kind of a Visconti thing
• but no, my experience with the Bronze Age HS is that it doesn’t seal off the ink chamber, so you don’t see that same benefit as you would with the double-reservoir
• on the plus side, you don’t ever have to unscrew the filler knob to write with it
• I’ve flown with the HS before and a little ink might get on the nib, in the cap, but it’s nothing a quick tissue swipe in a hotel bathroom can’t fix easily

2) bitethehandd- Instagram 

Forgive me if this has been covered in another Q&A, but I’m eager to know your thoughts on the Platinum Procyon! I’ve been looking for a “next level” pen in the 40-100 $ price range that performs well, isn’t too traditional or “cigar”-looking in appearance, and of course writes reliably. Thanks so much to you and the whole Goulet team!

• I would say the Procyon would fit your criteria here!
• on the light side, not a heavy pen
• seals well, writes reliably, nibs ground on the finer side
• easy to fill with filler hole closer to the tip than most pens
• posts securely
• $66 MSRP ($52.60 at Goulet), converter not included ($8)
• all around very solid pen choice if you’re looking for a next-level pen

3) suluboyayolculugu- Instagram

Does reverse writing damage the pen in any way? Is it sustainable to write reverse for long periods?

• yes and no….with light pressure it can write just fine, but with heavy pressure it could be an issue
• pens aren’t designed specifically to be written with upside down for extended periods, so they’re not always ground smooth on the top of the tip
• you can write with it upside down for long periods, but it may not be quite as enjoyable a writing experience or flow the ink as smoothly over time
• you can smooth out the nib in reverse position with micromesh if you desire (at your own risk)
• it’s really up to you, it won’t hurt to try as long as you keep a pretty light-medium touch, see how you like it

4) Bryson B- Facebook 

With raw metal pens is there a way to safely speed up and or intensify the patina process besides just normal use? Thanks for all you do for our community!

• the short answer is yes, and it gets way more complicated from there
• it depends on the metal, as different ones will patina/oxidize/reach to different things
• there isn’t a lot of info about doing this specifically in the pen world, but if you have a pen in solid brass, copper, silver, whatever, the rules should apply the same to whatever the bare metal is in your research
• I first started learning about this from artist/craftsman David J. Marks, he has a DVD on gilding/patination that’s pretty amazing
• you can get different colors, effects, based on the chemicals used to apple a patina (also called distressing) and the interaction with a specific metal
• for example, copper: ammonium sulfide = blue-black, cupric nitrate = blue-green, ferric nitrate = yellow-brown
• you can use different materials like cheesecloth, string, leaves, etc to apply chemicals to distress in a specific pattern, too
• you can put the pen in a bag with chemicals to get a more even coverage, if you do that, take out the nib/feed/other parts as much as you’re able, try to just patina the specific metal
• if you want to experiment with this, maybe try off a pen first, you can really have a blast
• it’ll still patina over time, any applied patina you may want to seal with lacquer if you really like it and want it to keep

5) Savannah S- Facebook

Do you have a pen you keep in your car? I want to keep a Kakuno or something in mine, but then I’m afraid something unexpected will happen. If it’s not an eyedropper pen should it be fine?

• I keep a Pilot G2 in my car, because it withstands the cold of Virginia winters and heat of Virginia summers
• I always keep a fountain pen in my pocket so or in my backpack, so I haven’t felt a compelling need to keep one in my car
• others that have, Platinum Preppy, Pilot Varsity do pretty well
• something with a good sealing cap is pretty key, because it’s less temperature and humidity controlled then a building, and will endure more extremes
• eyedropper is not really ideal, a C/C is the best way to go, or a vacuum with a shutoff valve but those aren’t cheap

Ink

6) @SomiAnimations- Twitter 

In unfortunate circumstances, my water bottle leaked in my bag and got my notes wet. I was able to salvage the situation but are there water resistant fountain pen inks you can recommend?

• yikes! This is good as an example for when waterproof ink would be handy, since I get asked that sometimes, “why would anyone need permanent ink?”
• we have in our menu (top navigation on desktop, hamburger on mobile) a sub-navigation of ink classified as water resistant
• currently we have 202 different options there, though that includes bottled, cartridge, samples (103 bottles, for example)
• we have to drill into specific ink colors to get to just how water resistant they are, and that’s where we’ve tried to do ink reviews with water tests (as secondary images on the product page), we don’t have all of them
• in the product reviews, water resistance is something people rate, and if there are a decent number of reviews that can be fairly accurate
• we have no definitive scientific way to say to what degree they’re water resistant, and it can vary with paper, too
• Platinum Carbon Black/Pigmented Blue, Namiki Blue, Noodler’s Black, Noodler’s Eternal series, De Atramentis Document inks are some of the best, a great place to start

7) Justin G- Facebook

Would there be a way to indicate certain ink properties in an ink’s technical specifications section like spread and bleedthrough, or would that be too complicated to try to set up?

• that would be great, but would be really hard to do definitively, especially because there are SO many variables (paper being a huge one)
• if we standardized everything else (paper, writing implement, writing pressure and speed, etc) then we could probably come up with something consistent, but that’s a massive project to take on
• we’ve considered putting it as an element in our product reviews for ink (which we could), but it would take quite a while for enough new reviews with these factors in there to accumulate, plus it’s VERY subjective so we’ve hesitated to do that
• currently, reviews have dry time, shading, flow, water resistance, and value
• we do get asked about it a lot, so we’ll keep thinking on it, we’re open to all ideas….

Troubleshooting

8) Kimberly R- Facebook 

I’d enjoy discussion of environmental factors, how they affect fountain pens, and some possible mitigations. I’m thinking of things like high elevation, low/high humidity extremes, very hot or cold climates, etc.

• they do affect pens, to a degree
• most of my understanding comes from qualitative data (hearing from others) not quantitative (scientific testing)
• elevation, I honestly don’t know how it impacts when stationary
• it does make a difference when ascending and the pressure changes, can force ink out of a pen (this is what happens when flying), can have a similar effect in a car when driving and going up thousands of feet
• perhaps elevation affects flow of ink? I honestly don’t know, that’s about all I could envision it affecting
• humidity makes a big difference in terms of your pen drying out, and dry time of ink on the page
• more humidity = longer dry time, less ink drying in a pen
• less humidity = shorter dry time, more ink dries in a pen
• hot or cold, extreme heat isn’t great, but it’s more about changes in heat (really pressure caused by temperature swings) that are the issue, with pens burping/leaking
• cold is an issue with freezing, especially pens left in cars in the cold, ink is water, it freezes
• is barometric pressure a factor (ink flow changes with a storm coming?), maybe, but I don’t know that for sure
• in sandy/salty environments, metal pen parts could corrode quicker (not just on pens but everything)
• direct UV rays in any environment can cause discoloration and oxidation of pen materials, paper, ink, really everything! With prolonged exposure of course
• That’s about all I can think of…

Business

9) cat.jeanie- Instagram

Business question: What resources and assets did you have before starting GP and what did you have to obtain (ex. Loans from banks/friends/family, equipment, etc.) in order to get the ball rolling?

• when we started GPC in its current form we were 25, Rachel was 7 months pregnant, we had a mortgage on a house we’d bought that year, and a completely unprofitable pen making business we were transitioning over
• the “assets” we had were a bunch of pen making equipment and supplies (which we either stored or sold at a loss), a crappy old PC that was killed by a virus a couple of months into operation, and under $3,000 in cash on which to do all our operations and purchase inventory
• we had a personal camcorder that Rachel’s parents gifted us for the birth of our son, which we used for 5+ years in shooting our earliest videos
• we ran everything out of our house, paid ourselves nothing, did everything ourselves, bought only enough inventory that we knew we’d sell it in 30 days or less, and reinvested everything
• 5 months after we started selling FP stuff, while on maternity leave, Rachel quit her job, worked 10 hours remotely and we lived on that and a few thousand in savings we had
• we didn’t eat, drive, go out, do anything recreational at all unless our parents treated, and we had zero social activities outside family at that time
• we were 100% focused on getting Goulet Pens off the ground, it was truly make or break that first year
• the only money we every borrowed was a little bit from my parents to place initial purchase orders for Diamine, Private Reserve, and a couple other brands over the summer of 2010, which we paid back in 3 months
• since then, we’ve never borrowed a dime, we’ve always reinvested, established emergency funds, sinking funds, and saved saved saved
• if we needed tables, we built them. We bought furniture at yard sales and Habitat for Humanity Restore or Goodwill. We’d hit up estate auctions, craigslist warehouse deals, etc to get things like shelving, office furniture, whatever we needed to operate
• It wasn’t until we had probably 20 people in our company after 5 years that we would buy new furniture, because by then our team wasn’t as enamored with the $2 duct-taped desks as in the early days!
• But we’ve always, always, always lived below our means, whatever that took, and we still do today even as our means are greater than they were in the beginning
• when you have no choice, are driven by passion first, and don’t really care what others think, you can be very lean when starting your business!

QOTW: What characteristics (like ink bleedthrough or feathering) do you wish we had more clarity and distinction around on GouletPens.com? Pen specs, ink performance, paper qualities, anything? 

Writing prompt: Write out what you would do if someone gave you $1 million that could had to spend but couldn’t buy anything for yourself. 

Write On,

Brian Goulet

In this Goulet Q&A episode, Brian talks about nib tipping alloys, Noodler’s Charlie Pens, and Goulet Bottom Shelf. Enjoy!

This week:

• went up to Rachel’s parents’ place this weekend, niece and nephew birthday party
• long bike ride on W&OD trail, if you’re familiar with DC you may know it
• tons of IT issues this last week and a half! It’s been crazy
• Jacques Herbin 1798 Kyanite du Nepal
• BENU Supreme
• Opus 88 OMAR clear
• TWSBI GO clear
• Jacques Herbin ink, stationery and glass pens
• Colorverse First Moon Landing ink set
• Mark Bacas CSI grinds sold out really fast! We’re going to do more, just gotta get restocked, it’ll take several weeks, I’m sorry! This time we’ll likely do broad CSI’s
• lots of sales, keep checking our site and emails

Pens/Writing

1) @ashutoshthakurr- Twitter (12:08)

Why is there a price difference between Music Nib and other nibs of Platinum 3776 century? You have been to Platinum factory while touring in Japan, you can definitely shed some light on it.

• unfortunately the pricing of the nibs wasn’t something we specifically went over at the Platinum factory
• I did get to see just how many steps it takes and how much handwork it is
• largely, it’s labor, the music nibs are harder to make and require more specialized skill
• more skill and time, higher price, it’s supply and demand. it’s pretty much that simple

2) @JeanMassumiHara- Twitter (15:47)

What is the REAL function of the iridium? I have pens here(that I regrinded by myself)writing perfectly smooth, juicy and uniform without any reamining iridium tip..

• yeah, you can grind and polish untipped nibs to be just as smooth and uniform as a tipped nib, it’s a matter of longevity
• Iridium is an interesting metal, and needs some explaining
• first discovered in 1803, very dense
• second densest metal on earth next to osmium
• 9th rarest stable element in earth’s crust, platinum is 10 times more abundant
• only 3 tons are mined and used a year, globally
• present much higher in meteorites, so it’s likely not native to earth but came here from space
• it’s incredibly durable (6.5 on Moh’s hardness scale), harder than titanium
• stainless steel is around 5.5, depending on the components
• iridium is used mostly for smelting crucibles because of its high heat resistance, spark plug contacts, and in electronics
• these days, because of the rarity and difficulty working iridium, it’s not used much if at all in tipping
• you may see an alloy of iridium, osmium, rhodium, chromium, or other hard metals
• the basic idea is that you’re using metals that are harder wearing than stainless steel, so it’ll last longer
• you can still use and enjoy stainless steel nibs with no tipping, they just won’t last quite as long
• heck, most stainless steel stubs have no tipping! But they have a greater surface area and aren’t going to wear but so quickly
• modern stainless steel is much better than vintage, which is part of why gold nibs were always so revered
• with an EF or F nib, you might see signs of wear on an untipped nib in a couple of years with regular use as opposed to a decade or more with a tipped nib
• whenever you’re grinding, you want to keep that tipping on there, no question

3) goldman._- Instagram (26:01)

Is the pilot 74 durable? It seems like it is plastic so I’m hesitant to drop $150 on it. Brian seems to swear by it, but can I drop it?

• it is plastic! but most pens are, and it’s going to be a nicer grade of plastic than what you see on less expensive pens, though it’s arguably still plastic!
• I love it for the way it writes, and that’s a lot of what you’re paying for (the nib)
• it’s not the most durable pen, and dollar for dollar, you could go with a polycarbonate like the Lamy 2000 and have more durability
• it’s completely up to you…the Japanese tend to prefer lighter pens, so lighter resins like these are really appealing to them
• in the US, we tend to like things bigger and heavier, especially when we’re associating quality and cost
• I won’t try to hard convince you one way or another, but I’ll just say I was and a still surprised at how much I like writing with the Custom 74

4) @askforCharon- Twitter (30:12)

I have Noodler’s Charlie that I got as the free pen with a bottle of ink…but I can’t find any information about it anywhere. It looks similar to a Nib Creaper, but it’s eyedropper-only with a non-flex nib. Any idea where I can go for info about it?

• it’s not a widely available pen so you’re not going to find a ton out there about it
• It’s an incredibly simple pen
• eyedropper fill only, clear body and black/rainbow cap
• about the size of a Noodler’s Nib Creaper
• ebonite feed and stainless steel nib
• it comes free with Noodler’s 4.5 ounce inks
• will it write perfectly? Maybe, it’s still a really, really inexpensively made pen, but for what it is, it’s not bad
• some people hate them and throw them out immediately
• others have told me it’s their favorite pen! Go figure
• it’s worth at least trying if you already wanted one of the 4.5 ounce inks, but not worth buying it just to get the pen

5) thegreenteacat- Instagram (35:24)

Hi Brian! I have several nice fountain pens, and I absolutely love them, but I’ve been having a hard time using them because I’m afraid I’m going to break them! I feel like there’s so much to look out for when using fountain pens to make sure they last a long time, and so I’m constantly worried about making a serious mistake. Do you have any suggestions for getting over this fear? I really want to not be afraid of using my pens. Thanks for all you do for the fountain pen community!

• this is going to be a personal comfort thing, and everyone has a different threshold
• I know pen people that will buy and daily carry a Namiki Emperor in their shirt pocket without thinking twice about it
• others are hesitant to even buy a pen over a couple dozen dollars because they swear they’ll lose or break them!
• the comfort level will differ for everyone
• some pens are slightly more delicate and should be handled with special consideration, but most pens are made to be written with
• I wouldn’t carry them with no case in your jeans pocket with your keys, or maybe don’t mow the lawn or go cliff diving with them
• but if you’re just doing normal office things and running errands, your pens will be okay with normal use
• PLEASE use your pens, start with the more durable, more replaceable ones and just try them
• they’re made to be written with! please enjoy them.

Business

6) Sarah M- Facebook (42:16)

How do pens end up on your Bottom Shelf? Are they pens that you guys tested, or returns, or something else?

• this is good timing, because just in the last two weeks we’ve been having meetings about our bottom shelf
• originally, the bottom shelf was created before we even sold pens! It was a place for us to sell cosmetically flawed but still functional products like notebooks with dented corners or bent spines, usually happening in transit to us
• once we started to get into pens, we already had the bottom shelf as a place for “non-new” items, so we put them in there
• it’s not all that often we’re receiving cosmetically flawed pens because they’re in boxes and protected
• so most of the pens in there usually end up being ones we’ve used ourselves for videos, photos, etc, or fully inspected returns from a customer
• oftentimes, the pens you see on there that we have listed as gently used are truly not even noticeably used, and we’ve inspected and tested them so we feel pretty confident about them
• the term “bottom shelf” is probably not a fair term for these pens, as they often don’t have a single thing “wrong” with them, it’s just that we don’t want to sell anything as new that’s been sold before
• we always try to describe exactly what shape they’re in, and if there is any specific flaw, we’ll describe it and discount accordingly
• we’re actively debating about if we should split them out
• we could call them “open box”, “pre-owned”, or something of that nature, but then it’s two places to go to check these non-new items, instead of just bottom shelf
• or we could keep as one place, and just rename the bottom shelf altogether to something else!
• this is where I’d really love your feedback, both in terms of the name “bottom shelf” and what it means to you, and if you’d rather see these gently used pens separated out from the cosmetically flawed items

QOTW: If you were offered a pen that allowed you to write out premonitions of the future, but you couldn’t control what it wrote, would you want it? (53:31)

Writing Prompt: Write about the best accomplishment you’ve had so far in 2019. (54:44)

Write On,
Brian Goulet