In this Goulet Q&A episode, Brian talks about interesting pen materials, inks for colorblind people, and what to gift an experienced pen enthusiast. Enjoy!

This week:

• Cox Farms festival with kiddos
• ropes course with Goulet leadership
• Speaking at my alma mater this weekend, going to homecoming VT game for first time with kids
• Ink deal, not sure I ever mentioned that! Free 30ml Monteverde ink with any Monteverde, Conklin, Stipula, Pineider, Diplomat, Nettuno, Maiora pen
• Noodler’s Triple Tail
• Pineider Forged Carbon
• Diplomat Aero Orange/Black
• Aurora Oceani Atlantico soon
• TWSBI ink!

Pens/Writing

1) @_BatMN_- Twitter (05:28)

What are some new and interesting materials you would like to see pen bodies made out of? I’d like to see a canvas micarta or maybe a sandcast pen.

• I still think there’s a lot that can be done with cast resins, there’s so much to explore there with various pigments, ribbons, etc
• canvas would be interesting, maybe denim?
• I’d love to see some modern celluloid (cellulose nitrate) alternative, I guess resin is that
• stone is cool as heck, granite would me amazing (all heavy and expensive, but I’m just dreaming here)
• ceramic or porcelain, I have one Lamy Lady made of that, and I like it though it has drawbacks as a material
• lots of cool things I’ve seen done with carbon fiber, like Pineider’s Forged Carbon Fiber
• Mammoth tusk is pretty crazy
• Aerogel would be cool….I have no idea how feasible in a pen, but google it, it’s sweet
• 3D printed diamond (why not)
• G10, popular in knives
• damascus steel
• surely there’s other cool stuff out there

2) Alan D- Facebook (14:15)

Fountain pens are a bother. Cleaning, tuning, nib decisions, misbehaving inks, burps, leaks, stained desks, stained fingers, expensive, etc. Yet we love them. Why do we love them anyway? Is there something psychological going on?

• Undoubtedly there’s something psychological going on
• Fountain pens aren’t the mainstream anymore for just these reasons, most people don’t care enough about their writing experience in order to put up with all the fuss
• Those of us who really appreciate that experience are willing to spend the extra time and money to get it, and as it turns out, the more you invest into the hobby the more rewarding it is!
• I could make a similar argument for many hobbies, there are often so many easier ways to generally accomplish the things you can do
• I was into car audio when I was younger, and would go to rather extreme measures for sound quality and volume in my car, taking the whole thing apart, replacing speakers, amps, even reinforcing door panels to insulate the sound better
• For most people, they just want music, and if they can hear it, that’s fine, but a select few will go through a lot of trouble to improve their sound, it’s similar with pens
• How many people get really into cooking, getting knives or pans that are more maintenance but that brings them more cooking pleasure?
• I don’t think it’s any type of disorder underlying it here, I think it’s just that we all have our weird things we’re into, and for some of us, that’s pens!
• These things you mentioned are all a labor of love, and are just part of the fountain pen experience that is a right of passage for us all

3) sanctuary_agg_eldin- Instagram (21:17)

Is the Noodler’s Triple Tail pen only available in clear? Can the nib fit in other Noodler’s pens?

• Drew and I talked about this in Write Now
• Yes, for now it’s only in clear
• I am rather willing to bet we’ll see more colors (resins, maybe ebonite) if the pen is popular, if the other Noodler’s pens are any indicator!
• The nib can fit in a Neponset, Ahab, and Konrad, but the shape of the feed is a little different
• I’ve tested for general fit, but not thoroughly ink tested it for flow, etc

4) pieceofcraft_leather- Instagram (26:12)

Which pens would established hobbyists not likely have? (Gifting to fellow hobbyists is hard!)

• this TOTALLY depends on what someone’s already into, there isn’t a universal answer
• Niche hobbies like this are notoriously hard to buy as gifts for someone who’s really into it, because the choices are SO personal and they likely have a lot of what they’ve already found an interest in
• I’m this way with all my interests…fountain pens (of course), puzzles, woodworking/tools, photography gear/technology, Lego Technic…I’m impossible to buy for without my being very explicit
• ask for a list of 10+ pens they have their eye on, and see what connects with you as the giver…they may not be totally shocked, but they’ll still get a surprise
• sometimes you can find there’s a fairly staple pen like the Pilot VP, Lamy 2000, TWSBI 580, Conklin Duragraph, Diplomat Magnum, etc that they just don’t have, maybe they skipped it/missed it, or thought they might not like it so didn’t want to buy it for themselves
• that’s a bit risky, but they’re pretty tried and true, so your odds are good they’d like them
• buy a duplicate pen you know they love in another color, or another nib size (or both)
• custom pens like you’d get commissioned from Edison, Herbert, Carolina, etc maybe (but they could take a while, so plan way ahead!)
• something vintage perhaps? Parker 51, Esterbrook J, Waterman 52, Sheaffer Snorkel, could but fun to add to their collection
• You didn’t ask about these, but peripherals make great gifts too, like pen cases, sealing wax, ink, paper, blotter, pen books
• ask them to share their wishlist!
• fallback…giftcard!

Ink

5) Vee F- Facebook (38:21)

What are the main ink qualities? Are there objective/quantifiable ones, or are they all subjective? I find that I like thick, saturated, wet inks. Or is that even a possible combination? Can ink properties be independent of the pen one uses them in? 🤔 My recent musings fueled by my unorthodox preferences. 😅

• like all things fountain pen, ink qualities are a blend of objective and subjective!
• there are certainly objective things about ink like pH-level, viscosity, dye content, permanences, dry time
• the more subjective aspects, saturation, shading, flow, feel, etc
• the challenge is, there are too many factors for these things all to feel consistent, such as the pen being used, writer’s speed and angle, paper type, relative humidity, etc
• even if we objectively were to rate them or test them in a controlled way, they wouldn’t perform similarly with all the “real life” ways that people use them, so it’s largely unquantifiable and has been since the creation of pen ink
• Some people find a specific pen and ink to pair perfectly, and they don’t prefer to use that specific pen or ink apart from the other
• I think part of what makes this hobby so intriguing is the endless combinations and discovery you get to have with it

6) @RPoetic- Twitter (44:09)

Inks for colorblind people! What would you suggest for someone who can’t see 90% of reds and greens, or for one of the other kinds of color-deficiency?

• this is honestly difficult for me to answer! I think colorblindness is so personal, it’s hard to really get a recommendation because of the different types and severity
• apparently 8% of men and 0.5% of women have some form of colorblindness
• there’s red-green, blue-yellow, or total
• my recommendation, as it would be for anyone, is use whatever makes you happy! whatever looks good to your eyes, go for it
• I recommend you use what ink excites you whatever the color
• that said, I’d probably avoid reds and greens in the scenario you proposed, and stick with blues/yellows that might jump out more
• I’m a bit ignorant on this topic but it’s come up before, and I’d love to know more. If you have any experience as a fountain pen user with colorblindness, do please share!

Business

7) Miguel R- Facebook (49:27)

Which company do you wish you would see more from? In your opinion which company isn’t using the momentum they build to their advantage?

• I pretty much wish I could see more from everyone 🙂
• I’d love to see more from Pilot, Namiki, or even just seeing more into the US that they have in Japan (more raden please)
• I don’t know if anyone has underutilized momentum in my view, I have such a pragmatic view on what it takes to manufacture now having toured 8 factories
• Actually, I think some of the brands we actually don’t even carry anymore like Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, and Cross all have established names with some relevance left that just aren’t lighting up the pen world (at least in the US)
• Esterbrook is an iconic brand and I’ll look forward to seeing more from them
• honestly, probably the biggest one is Goulet! we have so many ideas and aspire to create our own products, but it’s not what we do everyday and so it takes away from our core so we only do it in our slower times
• Of all the companies with momentum, I hold myself most accountable!

QOTW: If you could have a pen made out of any material, what would it be? (59:21)

Write on,
Brian Goulet

In this Goulet Q&A episode, Brian talks about Arco pens, stacked nibs, and Myers-Briggs. Enjoy!

This week:

• Italy!
• Diamine Inkvent calendar, still have some! One-shot deal most likely
• TWSBI Eco Transparent Purple
• Diplomat Esteem closeouts
• Retro 51 Creepy Scrawlers
• LAMY Bronze gift sets
• Pelikan m600 custom grinds from Custom Nib Studio
• Field Notes Autumn Trilogy
• Montegrappa Ammiraglio Turtle Brown
• Platinum 3776 Carnelian coming in Nov

Pens/Writing

1) @dalstondoll- Twitter (6:54)

What’s an arco pen? I know lots of companies make them- is it a colour, style or material?

• it’s a type of celluloid, made popular by the company OMAS
• It wasn’t as revered as it is now, it became sensationalized when the company went under 5 years ago
• Amando Simoni Club acquired their remaining stock from what I understand, which is why you still see it
• the material isn’t being made anymore, it’s my understanding that the last remaining celluloid manufacturer stopped making it around 5 years ago due to safety and environmental regulations
• Pineider made an Arco pen, but it was an acrylic resin material that Dante designed, not the same celluloid
• There isn’t a strict definition of what “Acro” means, but I think it’s generally a layered dark brown pearlescent material made in a pen

2) Dian T- Facebook (13:27)

Recently I watched some videos on pens (shocking I know) and I came across someone using what looked to be stacked nibs. What is the purpose of stacking nibs? Is it something worth pursuing?

• This is something that Sailor really led the charge with decades ago, with Mr. Nagahara (and his son) designing many different layered nibs
• Ralph Reyes has been a young nib guy experimenting with layers lately, very much inspired by Sailor’s nibs
• The main purpose of stacking is two fold, it allows for a larger tipping area for dramatic tip shapes that write very wet/wide, changes thickness based on writing angle, etc
• You can get close to this with just a huge glob of tipping, but basically, those nibs aren’t available unless it’s tipped from the factory like that (and most pen companies aren’t tipping their own nibs)
• There’s a whole other level of aesthetic artistry to layering nibs, which has its own appeal that isn’t entirely functional, but more form
• Is it worth pursuing? that’s very much up for debate…you’ll pay a premium because it requires so much skill and time to make and very very few are doing it
• It’s more of a novelty, really, and something you should only consider if you’re wanting to essentially buy functional art, and support a nib craftsman

3) osmancandatr- Instagram (18:19)

Why are the EF nib fountain pens more expensive than the same m nib fountain pens?

• This often isn’t the case, but it is sometimes, especially on lower priced pens
• the lower the price of the pen, the harder it is to absorb cost variances across different products (like tip sizes)
• Some is probably supply and demand, there’s been an increase in EF demand in the last few years (mostly in China, I believe)
• EF nibs are a little more challenging to write well, it’s less forgiving so requires a little more attention and hand work, likely has a higher defect rate in manufacturing
• that’s basically it…slightly higher demand, harder to meet supply, hence, higher price (sometimes)

4) @lorentzframe- Twitter (21:20)

I tend to daub a tiny bit of silicone grease on all threads in all pens. Is that a bad idea? Are there materials that react badly to silicone grease? What about vaseline / petroleum jelly? Is that a safe alternative to silicone grease? In all cases? In some cases? In no cases?

• if it’s pure silicone grease it’s pretty inert, which is why it’s so great for fountain pens (rubber, plastic, metal)
• Petroleum jelly is generally not advised…it can be used for a time with seemingly little ill effect, but it is a petroleum byproduct, so will not play well with rubber like on o-rings and piston seals (can turn them gummy), ebonite (hard rubber), some plastics and maybe other materials (like celluloid)
• it also will liquify with heat, so carrying a pen around in your pocket could warm it up and cause it to leak out of threads…it can make for a lubricant, but not so much a sealant
• bottom line is yes, it can work in a pinch, but it’s not the best tool for the job, silicone grease is really the way to go

Business

5) bradthebear1- Instagram (28:18)

How does Goulet handle its own QC when it comes to stuff like their JoWo Goulet nibs?

• it’s on a case-by-case basis, our QC methods vary based on what the product is
• nibs are a lot different than pen flush or ink samples or brass sheets!
• nibs we’re very fortunate, as JoWo does a fantastic job with them
• we initially checked EVERY nib when it came in, which took a massive amount of time and we basically lost money with all the labor it took to check them, but we wanted to be certain they were good quality
• we would use loupes to visually inspect, thread tines with brass sheet, and put nib to paper for feel, smoothing as required
• as time went on we lightened up on this approach, mostly because we saw very adequate quality from JoWo and found the checking we were doing to be redundant
• now we’re on more of a spot-checking basis for tine slit and tip smoothness, with visual inspection on each nib as we’re packaging them
• So for something like JoWo-made nibs where we know the manufacturer has a really high quality control rate, we are spot-checking at this point
• For our own made goods, we’re much more diligent, basically testing and inspecting every single item

6) Ashley W.- Facebook (32:40)

Every time I figure out what ink I want, it’s out of stock on your site. Is there a best time of the week or month to shop on gouletpens.com for maximum availability of products for those of us who struggle with picking a color?

• Every time? Dang, I’m sorry, that’s just bad timing
• With around 700 or so ink colors across 19 different brands, we have ink coming and going constantly, daily
• there really isn’t a “best” time, unless you have signed up for an email notification on a particular color and you get that email that it’s back in stock, then it’s the faster the better!
• that said, we’re closed on the weekends, so generally speaking we have more in stock during the week when we’re receiving shipments
• we try to keep accurate stock levels, but it’s always a moving target, and some brands we can only get stocked every few months (like De Atramentis)
• lots of times we order things, it gets delayed, we’re shorted, it could break in transit, all kinds of things can cause issues!

7) kittykatkatelovesespresso- Instagram (39:03)

Hi Everyone at Goulet! I am a small business owner (a specialty coffee roastery) and I find that my Meyers Briggs personality type has a LOT to do with how I interact with my employees and solve conflicts (I am an INFP, a mediator who listens to everyone!). I just saw the 8 month old video where Brian asks everyone what pen and ink they are using and it made me wonder.. Brian and Rachel: what are your Meyers Briggs personality types and how do they affect your leadership style?

• great question, MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) was huge years ago in business, now I think it’s still relevant but maybe a little less in vogue
• one site that’s really good for it is 16personalities.com (no affiliation), the test is free and they have plain-speak summaries of each personality type
• personally I have a hard time remembering 16 different combinations with nearly 40 people in our company, so it’s not something that’s as useful on the fly for us
• We’ve also done DISC, StrengthsFinder, and Languages of Appreciation, so we’re big on trying to understand individuals here
• We have done specific MBTI training with our leaders, and that’s been helpful
• I’m an ENTP (“The Debater”), so I will often challenge and question as a means of exploring options or bringing out the best ideas in others…generally improvisational, big picture-oriented, risk-tolerant, procrastinates and disorganized but energetic, fun, and self-improvement oriented
• Rachel is an ISTJ (“The Logistician”), she’s the one who manages details and keeps the wheels on the bus (in my life, especially!)…detailed, organized, structured, honest, productive, and fact-driven
• Rachel and I end up making up a pretty dynamic team, especially because we both cover each other’s weaknesses really well
• As the business has grown we’ve specifically sought to hire and raise up others on our team that either emulate or complement our strengths, and this kind of stuff is something we often think about
• I wouldn’t tout MBTI as the sole system to use in your company, but it’s absolutely beneficial to use on small teams where you’re really spending time together, as part of a portfolio of other personality/communication-oriented assessments

QOTW: What’s your Myers-Briggs? What has it done for you to know it? (47:58)

Write On,
Brian Goulet