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Sneak Peek: 2019 LAMY Safari Pastels!

We’re pleased to announce not one, but three new special edition LAMY Safari colors for 2019!

Introducing the LAMY Safari Pastels: Blue Macaron, Mint Glaze, and Powder Rose.

This is the first time (to our knowledge) that there have ever been three colors launched simultaneously as a special edition. These will have silver steel nibs in extra-fine, fine, and medium.

The LAMY Safari Pastels should be arriving to Goulet Pens in May 2019, and will only be available for a limited time.

So what do you think of next year’s colors?

Write On,
Rachel Goulet

October 17th, 2018|Pen News|0 Comments

10 Everyday Uses for a Traveler’s Notebook, Chosen by You!

The Traveler’s Company leather notebooks are a well-loved staple of many fountain pen lover’s everyday carry picks. These cowhide covers are completely customizable and can be adapted to fit any situation where you could use more organization. This much freedom can be a little overwhelming though and the $40-$45 price tag of the Traveler’s Notebook can make it hard to justify without a clear vision of how you’ll utilize it. Fret not, the Goulet Pens team has collected some handy suggestions from fountain pen fans just like you. Read on to hear 10 real-life suggestions for using a Traveler’s Notebook from the Goulet community!

1) Journal/ Passport Cover

2) Every Day Carry Organizer

“My every day carry – planner/calendar insert, sketching/watercolor insert, journaling insert plus spots for stationary,stickers,etc. it’s full up and all gets used!”- @mitziemc

3) Studying a New Language

“I study German, draw, and then journal but have 3 different journal category notebooks because it helps me stay focused.” -@phynnthehuman

4) Separate Notebooks for Notes on Different Topics

5) As a Companion for Your Bullet Journal

“I use my Passport, paired with a Kaweco Brass Sport, as my daily carry notebook. I jot down quick notes and list items that may migrate to my bullet journal or use it when a smaller notebook is more convenient (taking notes in church). I also use a perforated refill for passing along notes and contact info to others. While the Passport is far too small for me to use as my bullet journal, it has become an integral part of my organizational system.” -@benjamin.nielson

6) Keeping Track of Work Expenses and Hours

“I keep track of receipts for everything I buy per month in the plastic zip pouch. I log my hours I’ve worked in monthly calendar and journal to write an inspirational or motivational note to myself every day.” -Karen F.

7) An Assortment of Handy Lists To Follow Up On

8) Wallet and Appointment Book

“I have a passport sized TN that I use instead of a wallet, with a notebook inside when I don’t have my larger notebooks to write appointments or memos down.” -Vivia K.

9) Home Planner, Health Journal, Financial Planner

“I own several and use 3 for different purposes right now. I’ve been using them for 3 years now. I have a B6 Slim that I carry in my tote bag that contains my wallet/financial insert, a notebook insert and a B6 Slim Jibun techo planner. I use an A5(Chic Sparrow deluxe) that has my home planner, a day journal and a commonplace insert and a narrow/standard TN as my wellness journal with 4 inserts-food/health journal, recipes insert, a notes insert and a sketch/art insert. I make my own inserts from scrapbook paper covers and good quality papers like Tomoe River.” -Leigh H.

10) Note-taking During Important Events

“I keep mine with a @pilotpenusa Stargazer in my @nockco Sapelo. The kit comes with me to author readings and other bookish events where I want to take notes or sketches.” -@booksforyears

No matter the purpose, the assortment of available insert notebooks for the Traveler’s Notebooks are sure to offer an arrangement that fits your needs. What do you use your Traveler’s Notebook for? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Write On,
The Goulet Pen Company Team

October 16th, 2018|Tips & Tricks|0 Comments

Noodler’s Cardinal Kestrel with a TWSBI Go in Smoke: Monday Matchup #197

**WINNER: Congrats to Beth C. (Entered on Instagram). Check back next week for another awesome Monday Matchup Giveaway**

Hi everyone! Jenn here again with another Monday Matchup drawing for you. This week, I got to use the TWSBI Go in Smoke and Noodler’s Cardinal Kestrel ink. Read on to hear about my piece and what I thought of the pen and ink.

I was pretty excited to try this pen and ink. I love my TWSBI 580ALs, Eco, and Mini, but I’d never used the GO. And shockingly enough, even though I’ve worked at Goulet for 2.5 years, I’ve never inked up a pen with Noodler’s brand ink. So both were new territory for me, which is always fun.

Unlike most of my fellow team members, fall is my least favorite season. I have a number of reasons why, but the biggest is it signals the end of beach trips for another year. I adore the beach and have a hard time going for months on end without getting to swim in the ocean. When I do get to enjoy a beach day, if I’m not in the water then I’m scouring the sand searching for shells. I love the look of a perfect, unbroken conch shell, so I decided to bring back a bit of summer with my sketch for this Monday Matchup.

I started my piece by outlining the conch and drawing the lines that circle around the shell. Using a broad nib, I wasn’t able to get the lines as thin or close together as I would have liked, so I decided to offset that by making the outline of the shell thicker and darker. I ended up really enjoying the resulting contrast. The Noodler’s ink dried very quickly and I was able to trace over the outline multiple times without having to worry about smearing the inner lines.

Once I was happy with the lines, I added details to the outer and inner areas of the shell to give it depth and texture. I followed that with adding some color to the inner area and curve of the conch. I dipped a very wet Q-tip into a tiny bit of the Cardinal Kestrel ink, brushed it on a separate piece of paper to release some of the ink, and then spread it onto my drawing with a light touch. I did not want to the solid areas to be too dark. Most of the resulting color came from smearing the ink that was already on the page. I wasn’t thrilled with my shell just floating on the page so I decided to add sand. Guess what? Sand is really, really hard to draw. I tried a few techniques on scrap paper and wasn’t satisfied. Instead, I went with a few wavy lines. I drew them as quickly as I could, which helped to give them a free-flow feel, and then I traced each line with a wet Q-tip. The quote is, as far as I could tell, not attributed to any one specific person. I used it because it resonated so true for me, and it was the perfect compliment to my drawing.

Much to my surprise, I did not fall in love with this pen and ink. They weren’t bad; they’re just not my favorite choices. The GO is a lightweight plastic pen with a smooth grip; I liked that it was comfortable to hold both posted and unposted. The broad nib put down a decent amount of ink, but it’s definitely not what I’d consider a gusher. When drawing, the nib had just a bit of resistance, a touch of feedback, that I found I didn’t enjoy. It wasn’t scratchy at all, but I didn’t get that butter smooth feeling that I love while moving my pen across the page. Cardinal Kestrel is a pleasant red ink with a lot of shading. When layered, the red darkened up nicely, but even just one pass still resulted in what I consider to be a true red (the color of the quote is a good example). The dry time made drawing easier for me, which was great. Honestly, I’m just not a big fan of red and would have preferred a darker shade in general, but that is my only issue with this ink.

This pen and ink would be a great for making notations in red, as it is easy on the eyes and dries quickly; teachers correcting papers and students/writers making edits by hand come to mind. For fans of this shade of red, it would be great for journaling, note-taking, and quick sketches. Lefties would likely enjoy these as well; this pen and ink combo could be a good opportunity for them to try a broad nib without too much worry about smearing.

You can find the TWSBI Go in Smoke at GouletPens.com for $18.99. Noodler’s Cardinal Kestrel is available in a 3oz. bottle for $12.50 or a 2ml sample for $1.25.

You could win this pen and ink! In an effort to make entering Monday Matchup a little easier, we’ve done away with the Rafflecopter widget and will be randomly selecting a winner from a randomly chosen platform each week. The entries methods will still be the same: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a blog comment, but you’ll no longer have to complete your entry through Rafflecopter.

How to enter Monday Matchup Giveaway:

Match a pen and ink together. They don’t have to match in color, any fountain pen, and ink works.
You can choose to enter only one way or submit up to 4 different entries if you’d like. Feel free to use the same picture for all 4 entries.
Here’s how to enter:

The contest is open Monday, October 15, 2018, at 12 pm EDT until Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at 12 pm EDT. One winner will be randomly selected and announced tomorrow once the contest closes. The winner must live in a country that Goulet Pens currently ships to. Click here to see the Official Contest Rules.

Write On,
Jenn

October 15th, 2018|Monday Matchup|0 Comments

Goulet Q&A Episode 228: TWSBI GO in Ink Samples, Overcoming Pen Intimidation, and Boutique Pen Brands!

In this Goulet Q&A episode, Brian talks about filling a TWSBI GO from a sample vial, overcoming pen intimidation, and boutique pen brands!

This week:

John Lane visiting, epic Pilot set
New products:
- Pelikan m205 Olivine
- 3 Oysters inks
- new Edison Beaumonts
- Visconti Rembrandt Purple– low quantity run
Coming soon:
- Pilot 100th anniversary set, Emperor
- Pilot Explorer
- Pineider Arco, snorkel, pen filler
- Pelikan m800 Stone Garden
- Conklin Duragraph Turquoise
- Visconti Mirage
- Lamy Gift set
- Diplomat Aero in Violet, Aeros in 14k nibs
- Aurora Optima 365 Oliva
- Franklin-Christoph pen cases
- and more more more! It’s gonna get crazy!

Pens/Writing

1) j_francis_imagery- Instagram (8:36)

What would you say is more popular nowadays, in the current fountain pen climate? A classic black, cigar-shaped, understated pen? Or one that makes a louder design statement?

we’re a little skewed because as a FP boutique we tend to attract the more enthusiastic individuals
for us, the classic shapes and colors are usually up there as top sellers, they’re consistent
we do really well with wilder colors though, especially in special editions as it allows manufacturers to experiment
so the answer is sort of both? But a lot depends on brand and price point too
I think in general the industry has leaned a little more towards contemporary, but people still like classic

2) logan_varney- Instagram (11:12)

More tips and tricks on how to fill from an ink sample, because it can be hard in aero metric fillers and mechanisms like on the twsbi go

tilting the vial makes a huge difference
ink syringe is your friend!
you can remove the nib and fill right into the pen, or use the “syringe filling method”, which is super easy with the GO!

3) studioapilatessa- Instagram (17:15)

I have a few beautiful fountain pens from Goulet Pen Co and a few that were given to me as gifts. I want to learn to fill them and clean them. However, I am hesitant to teach myself through YouTube videos because I don’t want to damage them. I would prefer to learn from someone in person. I’ve researched but haven’t yet found anyone in my area who can teach me. Do you have any recommendations?

I can understand that hesitation, but honestly, you’re just gonna have to get in there
I knew nothing, and learned it even without helpful videos, I had to just figure out what the heck I was doing
start with something inexpensive, and just go for it
if you REALLY can’t start on your own, reach out to the community though FB, IG, YT, or wherever else, go to a pen show and mingle at the bar with people, try to find or start a local pen meetup
go to a pen store if there’s one near you
ask around your family and friends and see if anyone knows fountain pens at all, they might!
honestly though, just don’t be afraid to try

4) __inkskein__- Instagram (21:39)

I’m one of those in love with almost anything rose gold. Will we ever see a pen with a rose gold nib?

um yeah….we have 8 of them in stock right now
go to GouletPens.com, click on the Fountain Pens_All Fountain Pens in the top navigation, then select “Nib Color” in the side bar on the left, there’s an option for Rose Gold
Visconti Ocean Breeze Rose Gold
Visconti Medici Rose Gold
Platinum 3776 Nice, Nice Lilas, Nice Lavande
Visconti Portofino
Nettuno 1911 Chrono Rose Gold
Aurora 88 Satin Black/Rose Gold
All not cheap pens, these are all gold nibs, but they’re there!
We may get more, just check back regularly on the site for pens with rose gold nibs

Troubleshooting

5) Linda S.- Facebook (23:22)

Firstly, Brian, it was great to meet you and Drew at the DC pen show- my first! My question is for pen maintenance, especially piston-fillers. As new to FPs, I am cautious about dismantling, but it takes forever to clean a piston filler. I miss the bulb syringe speed I can use on converter pens. Any suggestions?

yeah, if you’re new don’t worry too much about taking pens apart, unless you really just love to do that (me)
my best suggestion? Use C/C pens and bulb syringes for ink testing, and stick with the same or similar ink colors for your vac and piston fillers
large capacity, built-in filling mechanisms really aren’t designed for changing out inks as much, so it’s a process to clean them
This is where C/C pens really shine!
Some piston pens you can at least remove the nib housing, but that might be too much for most beginners
use your judgement, but basically you have what you have and you’ve gotta deal with the laws of physics!

Business

6) Eric P- Facebook (29:28)

Any plans on carrying any small operation boutique pens?

oh sure, we love boutique operations!
we have several in the works, but none that we can talk about at the moment
it’s tough, boutique operations often just aren’t geared up to handle retail distribution they have to really have their ducks in a row
we have no less than 30-40 outstanding smaller brands that are speculative and on our radar, but many of them just wouldn’t be successful if we launched them right now
it takes so much to get it all right, and distribution through any retailer, let alone one like us with a fairly large reach, could do more harm than good if a boutique company isn’t ready for it!
My heart is with craftsmen, upstarts, and boutiques, so it’s worth the hassle but it does take a while! Often 2-3 years of working together before they’re ready

7) @8IpNeKn8- Twitter (36:19)

How does Goulet decide what pens to have on hand or keep in stock? For example: Faber-Castell makes an Essentio in Black Aluminum. There is also version of the Essentio in Black Carbon (which I’m interested in). Goulet only has the aluminum listed as an option. Thx.

this is as much art as science!
Me, Rachel, and our product team debate and decide
manufacturers or distributors can guide us on what’s most popular, that can help
sometimes we just want to dip our toes in the water, so we carry what we think will be most popular
sometimes we try to carry more, but for whatever reason not all options are available at the time we’re trying to carry it
your feedback means a lot, so ask my team when there are colors/options for existing brands/models you want to see us carry!

Personal

8) Robin T.-Facebook (42:37)

What do you say to somebody who says “oh I could never write with a fountain pen.”?

“well, let’s find out” – and I hand them my pen and talk them through it
fountain pens feel intimidating, but honestly once people get it in their hands and you coach them through it a little bit, they get used to it really quickly
I don’t tell them the cost of the pen (bc that can weird people out at first)
I say the angle to hold it, that the shiny part of the nib points towards the sky, and that they don’t need any pressure at all to write, and then I just observe
half the time people try it, have moderate success and then just hand it back
the other half, people light up and are amazed and ask many more questions
it’s all about personal invitation, and making people understand it’s not magic, and it really is quite natural and organic to write with a fountain pen!

QOTW: What boutique fountain-pen related brands are out there right now that you’d love to see us carry? (46:39)

Writing Prompt: Write out a positive memory from your childhood. (47:27)

Write On,
Brian Goulet

October 12th, 2018|Goulet Q&A|0 Comments

Thursday Things: Nostalgia

We’re taking a trip back to yesteryear in today’s Thursday Things. Inspired by the reintroduced Esterbrook line of pens, Thursday Things: Nostalgia features an assortment of modern products with that unique vintage appeal that transcends time. Put on a vinyl record, settle down at your roll top desk, and write your way back in time with the classic designs featured in Thursday Things: Nostalgia.

Which Fountain Pens Fit the Goulet #5 Nibs?

Goulet Pens has recently started carrying #5 size replacement nibs. Are you curious which pens we currently offer with our #5 nibs? Here is our list!

DISCLAIMER: Swap nibs at your own risk! Swapping nibs on your pens will void the manufacturer’s warranty on the pen and you will be responsible if anything were to be broken or damaged during the swapping process. Repair from the manufacturer will not be available.

Here are the pens we currently offer (As of October 2018):

Diplomat Magnum
Diplomat Traveller
Edison Pearlette
Faber-Castell Ambition
Faber-Castell Loom
Faber-Castell Essentio
Jinhao 882 Shell
Karas Kustoms Fountain K
Kaweco Perkeo
ONLINE Switch Plus
ONLINE Slope
Opus 88 Koloro
Opus 88 Picnic
Opus 88 Fantasia

While this is not a complete list of all the options that’ll be able to swap with a Goulet nib, it is a very thorough list of some of the most popular options available. We hope this helps provide a good starting point for anyone looking to change up their writing experience. Not sure how to go about swapping those nibs? Check out Brian’s tutorial on swapping Jinhao nibs!