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In this week’s Q&A I talk about the necessity of tipping material on a nib, which pen was the biggest let down for me, and Valentine’s Day gift ideas for fountain pen fans. Enjoy!

In this week’s Q&A I talk about the necessity of tipping material on a nib, which pen was the biggest let down for me, and Valentine’s Day gift ideas for fountain pen fans. Enjoy!
This week: – (1:21)
- Karas Kustoms!
- Faber Castell e-motion black coming
- Torches!
- J. Herbin symbol seals here
- J. Herbin illuminated letters coming
- interview with Liz Steel coming up, urban sketching
- working on others with Dan Bishop of Karas Kustoms and Jonathan Deans of Peneconomics
Pens/Writing – (6:50)
1) David Crohn- YouTube – (6:52)
Brian- Could you explain tipping material? What is it and how does it affect your writing?
Brian- Could you explain tipping material? What is it and how does it affect your writing?
- it’s a hard metal alloy (iridium, usually) welded to the tip
- it’s to keep the nib from wearing down as you write
- if affects the feel of your writing based on how smooth it is
- it affects how broad your line is based on how fine it’s ground
- it can be ground different shapes, like italic, oblique, etc
2) Isabelle H.- Facebook – (11:35)
I got a vp pilot in ef from you that I absolutely adore, so I ordered another one just different body color. However the second pen’s nib is really scratchy in comparison to the first one. My question is: is this a normal variance, or might this be a defect? I’m also hesitant to do anything like nib grinding, etc as I don’t want to void any warranty.
I got a vp pilot in ef from you that I absolutely adore, so I ordered another one just different body color. However the second pen’s nib is really scratchy in comparison to the first one. My question is: is this a normal variance, or might this be a defect? I’m also hesitant to do anything like nib grinding, etc as I don’t want to void any warranty.
- there can certainly be variation from one EF to another, especially one THIS fine!
- check for alignment with a loupe as the first thing
- follow up with us if it’s still doing it then
- these are very feedback-y, too much so for me to use comfortably, honestly
- may smooth itself just with normal use after a bit, given that it’s so fine
- micromesh/mylar could certainly help, but yeah, it will void warranty so do at your own risk
3) Jodi M.- Facebook – (17:01)
Do you know why Pilot sells extra nib units for the Vanishing Point, but for none of their other pens? Is it because the unit could wear out in the VP?
Do you know why Pilot sells extra nib units for the Vanishing Point, but for none of their other pens? Is it because the unit could wear out in the VP?
- we asked this when we visited Pilot USA in November
- they really don’t like to carry parts, just as a rule
- they really only carry the VP nib unit because they were convinced to do it years ago, and they’ve been so incredibly popular
- it has nothing to do with the VP nib unit wearing out
4) @ianhowlett- Twitter – (20:45)
I saw you filling a cartridge converter and something you did to take air pressure out of it. What was that?
I saw you filling a cartridge converter and something you did to take air pressure out of it. What was that?
- there are a couple of techniques
- just flush and fill the pen a few times, it’ll get 90% full easily
- to get that last bit, I fill it halfway, turn it upside down, let the air out, then fill it the rest of the way
Ink – (26:13)5) Garrett O.- Facebook – (26:14)
My wife wants to get me something fountain pen-related for Valentine’s Day. I thought a bottle of ink might be a fun way to keep it themed (because of the colors and relatively low price). Any recommendations? (Or for something besides ink?)
My wife wants to get me something fountain pen-related for Valentine’s Day. I thought a bottle of ink might be a fun way to keep it themed (because of the colors and relatively low price). Any recommendations? (Or for something besides ink?)
- check out Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas blog post from Feb. 3, 2015
- I love wax seals, it really adds that extra touch, and you get to play with fire!!!
- Diamine Syrah
- Waterman Tender Purple
- Caran d’Ache Divine Pink
- De Atramentis Red Roses
- many others, look at past Ink Drops in Feb!
Business – (30:52)6) Robert Dašek- YouTube – (30:53)
Is there any chance that I might be able to purchase a different model or color of Pelikan brand from the Goulet Pen Company in a foreseeable future? I’m especially curious because your nib nook contains writing samples of a few Pelikan models that you must have carried at some point in the past.
Is there any chance that I might be able to purchase a different model or color of Pelikan brand from the Goulet Pen Company in a foreseeable future? I’m especially curious because your nib nook contains writing samples of a few Pelikan models that you must have carried at some point in the past.
- we do take special orders for most pens, if they’re available to us
- we get asked a lot about different sizes of pens as they compare to the Pelikan Soüvrans
- When we’ve special ordered the pens, we photographed them for the Pen Plaza and Nib Nook for reference/comparison
Personal – (33:40)7) Bruce Sinn-Brown- YouTube – (33:42)
What was a pen that you were super excited for, but were either let down, OR you found that you just didn’t like it as much as you’d think and now never use?
What was a pen that you were super excited for, but were either let down, OR you found that you just didn’t like it as much as you’d think and now never use?
- my first, the hardest…Pelikan m800 blue 1.5mm stub
- I inked it with Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire, also a let down for me
- it was a grail pen for me at the time, and I really reached to buy it and had perhaps unrealistic expectations
Troubleshooting – (39:03)
8) Bill T.- Email – ()
(synopsis) I noticed there was a lot of air left in my pen after cleaning and I used a can of compressed air to clean it out. Why don’t I hear about using compressed air in the fountain pen maintenance process?
- it’s good to get the water out of the feed before filling it, but you don’t need it to be completely dry
- touch a paper towel to the nib, that’ll do it
- you can do this, but it’s easy to shoot it across the room!
- you can also blow on the pen with your mouth, same concept
QOTW: What should I call the Goulet Q&A interviews, and who would you most want to see me interview? – (43:16)
Thanks so much for joining me this week! Stay warm all of you who are getting hit with the big snow storm! You can catch up on any old Q&A videos you missed here.
Write On,
Brian Goulet