Those damaged nibs were just too graphic! Can you put a mosaic screen on them? plac "The following images may be too intense for many fountain pen enthusiasts. Viewer discretion is advised. "
As someone who is here trying to learn how to refill a pen for the first time, I do nonetheless get the sense that this video is the shock equivalent of watching someone destroy their guitar on stage after a show.
I had a Cross pen I got to use only once... I filled it, filled out an inspection sheet, and it slipped from my hand... landed, of course, nib first on a concrete floor. Bent the tines apart so it just made ink globs. :-(
Absolutely! I’ve brought a pen to work and a few people were so excited and they asked if they could see it - when I handed it to them I specifically said “do not try and write with it. It had been tuned for me”. They didn’t understand and I didn’t care. I took the pen back immediately. I am a beginner and just learning but if my nib gets ruined its going to be because of my mistake and not someone else.
There was a time when I knew what fountain pens were but never used them before. And so when the Head mistress of my then high school offered her fountain pen for me to sign my name with, you can imagine the amount of tension I was going through.
Another golden rule, never lend your pen with the cap on; they have to return it because they don't have the cap. Otherwise, they possible will forget to return the pen. I learned it in college. : (
I never let anyone use my fountain pens... Most people don't know how to use them properly, and the nib gradually adjusts to the strokes of your hand and no one else's. Once another person writes with it, it'll never be the same. Respect the pen.
I've just discovered the fountain pen community on RUclips and it's so wholesome! I grew up in Germany and here we learned to write with fountain pens in second grade, we even had to pass our Füller-Führerschein (fountain pen licence)... I still write with a fountain pen today, so it seems to have paid off :)
You sound like a really nice person, I am from Ecuador and here the fountain pen is consider almost as a piece of jewelry (even the lamy safari jaja), because almost nobody use them.
I found this, literally, 20 minutes after opening my new fountain pen. I am SO GLAD I found you!! I was practicing (first line always "My name is Harry Potter", we're safe no one wrote back LOL) and I was just writing that once I got used to this that I would add one of my old calligraphy nibs and (oh my how convenient) I have 4 bottles of calligraphy ink. You seriously caught me in mid sentence. I can't thank you enough. You have a thumbs up and a new loyal subscriber!
We had an oblique nib Osmiroid 65, sadly minus cap, in our bureau for years. I was under headmaster's compulsion to write in italic at junior school (when I was 7-8 - the headmaster retired by Christmas in my first year, but the italic writing continued with at least one teacher). I could get some nice looking results with the Osmiroid. Unfortunately, as it was minus cap, it was not worth asking about taking it to school.
IsiahR here in germany (I believe in most parts of europe) it's unbelievable that sb nevet used a fountain pen :D in the second grade, you get lessobs how to use it and at some schools you're not allpwed to write with other pens :D
Brian190 I have this picture in my head of the tables where the ink pots were included into the table but i only know them from museums. Given your name, I guess you're not german :D Where do you know this from? :) Also were there already other kinds of pens allowed in the USA? I know that the students were supposed to write neatly so i think fountain pens are the best way to start.
My Dad was an artist, so as a kid I grew up using top quality art materials, including pens. I learned to use a fountain pen along side other writing implements. It was so funny when I went to school one of the teachers got really annoyed at me for using a fountain pen, when everyone else was using pencils (Because they weren't considered appropriate as they couldn't be erased). Since finishing full time education a good few years ago, other than a couple of jobs where I've had to sign paperwork, I've had very little in the way of need for writing, however 3 years ago I encountered a guy who makes pens, and I commissioned one made from 2000 year old bog oak, with gunmetal grey fittings and gold nib. It spent until this week just sitting in it's box not being used, but I've finally got round to getting some ink for it and it really is such a huge pleasure to use such a beautifully crafted fountain pen. Well worth the something over a hundred quid that I paid for it.
Well, isn’t that something. The way you’ve described your custom pen, it sounds like a looker…and quite a steal for a commissioned piece! I hope you find plenty of time & occasions to enjoy writing with her.
Any of the pens from our Newbie video (ruclips.net/video/Hf4CcluJH00/видео.html) would be great choices, especially the Pilot Metropolitan (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
I learnt the calligraphy ink vs water-based ink thing the hard way - upon inheriting my grandfather's calligraphy collection I had no idea the dip pens and fountain pens had different needs and I lost two lovely pens that way. I feel like if he were alive, though, my grandfather's response would just be "don't use that as an excuse not to practice" and nothing else lol
Always check your pockets before putting your pants in the washing machine and dryer. You only make that mistake once. Ruined my 400$ custom pen and everything that was in the wash with it.
You rock for the shout-out, Brian! I've gotta say, I cringed so hard at all the pen-dropping and nib bending... oh, the horror! Glad you're feeling better this week :)
Boho Berry you just cringed at that; I've had it happen to me. Twice. The second time it was an 18K Parker Sonnet Firedance, and my God the nib on it was looking grim after that.
The instant I picked up my Lamys, I was permanently attached to fountain pens ever since. I use them absolutely everywhere. It feels so good to use because one, you're doing the environment a service by not having disposable, unrefillable plastic pens, two, it's unique, three, it's a pretty thing, and four, you feel hip and classy for using one.
I find it interesting how many people don't know how to use fountain pens. A number of my teachers tried using my fountain pen and most of them failed making an awful scratching noise too which made me cringe inside. Good thing I carry ballpoint pens, even though I should eradicate them since I never use them.
I started using fountain pens for a rather odd reason - I had a supervisor, years ago, that would forge paperwork, even signing my name. I tried to find a solution that would catch her out, and came across a set of Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. It worked great, the only problem is... I don't like to use ballpoints anymore. It's years later and I don't even work at that place, and I have a nice but battered Pilot Metropolitan, along with a few others, and I use them every chance I get.
I'm dying to know too! (I hope there was some convoluted and ingenious fountain-pen-related plot to trick the supervisor into revealing her duplicity... You know, I've always suspected that fountain pens have many undiscovered talents! Mainly because it would justify me continuing to buy them :-p)
Fountain pens show far more detail than a ballpoint in terms of writing speed and pressure so will be more difficult to convincingly forge. Plus more obviously, fewer people have fountain pens.
@@lucasriddle5538 Probably won't help your one year old comment, but I'll throw my thoughts out there to anyone else wondering that. firstly, ballpoints require pressure on the page, and fountain pens do not - this makes your signature more fluid and smooth. Second - if you have a medium, broad or bigger nib the very way you hold a pen will be reflected in calligraphy -like line thicknesses. Just recently started signing documents with a 1.0mm stub, it's truly one of a kind.
I had a little incident with my purple retro pop metropolitan from Pilot where I accidentally scratched some of the purple off of the body of the pen by the cap accidentally scratching it. It turned gold a few days later, and it really adds a bit of personality to it lmao, reminds me of the japanese method of repairing things with gold to tell its story. It’s stunning and I love the little shiny flair my pen has now !
I just ordered my first (two...because I couldn't help myself) fountain pen and this video could not have come at a better time. This is making me even more excited!! I like feeling prepared. Love all these videos.
After months of basically neglecting my pens and the hobby altogether, I run into your RUclips channel and you're stoking the fire within me. Great videos. I love the video quality and the length and pace of the subject matter. I'll check out your website again as it's been a long time!
Thank you guys for making these videos! I’m just starting out with fountain pens (after finding out pencils & regular pens weren’t going to work for my writing style, plus I prefer to write in cursive) and have found they’re much more comfortable to use. It’s like a whole new world has opened up to me, haha. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of being able to order whatever color ink you want and not having to buy a new pen. Your guys videos are super informative, and have definitely helped me along in the (slight) learning curve that comes with writing with fountain pens :)
I bought my very fist fountain pen i guess two months ago and I'M ADDICTED. I'M IN LOVE!! I already want like a collection with every type of fountain pen. My dream fountain pen is a vintage waterman, i hope one day I'll have the money to buy one 😂 but till then i reaaally want the noodler's ahab to practice with flex pens. I'm actually going to ask my parents for the goulet's flexy pack for Christmas and i want to buy some cheap ones on aliexpress. I'm so glad i found this channel 😍
I resurrected my old pen, didn't have any ink with me( came with a huge bottle of it so I had never bought any ink before). I just went to a bookstore and asked for some ink for a fp and the guy gave me drawing ink... Well good thing is my pen is very resistant to alcohol( I had it dipped inside many times before to clean it ).
I'm glad I came across this video now. Got my first fountain pen two days ago. I knew most of these beforehand, like the regular cleaning that should be done. (I'm surprised people don't just assume this) But I didn't know about the fact that rubbing alcohol can destroy your pens. As well as not keeping your pen in your pocket with things like keys. Thanks a tons!
I have a brand new fountain pen that was given to me for Christmas. So this video was my FIRST stop in learning about the fountain pens and what NOT to do. Thank you.
Hey there, Thank you for sharing this. For me it's mostly a reminder to clean my pen ;-) In my experience lukewarm water is perfect. Let your pen rest in the water for something 30 min, clean it as discriped in the video - and it will be good as new. May I add another learning? NEVER EVER lent your pen to anyone! I did it once and payed the price: Afterwards I could only scratch over the paper. I had to buy a new one, wich was really sad. I loved that particular pen. Stay curious, Franziska
I think it's okay to lend it if the person knows how to handle fountain pens and won't use it for an extended period of time (when you use your pens the nib bends a tiny bit to fit your writing style after a while).
What an enthusiast - ! Came across this link by chance; I enjoy using fountain pens, but Brian's enthusiasm brings it to a whole new level. Will have to do some more writing and buying - !
Brother, it says INDIA INK, Not INDIAN INKS. There's a difference. Its just like West Indian DOES NOT mean People from West India, it actually means people from West Indies. Also same for Red Indians means Native Americans. India Ink is traditionally a carbon black ink mixed with gum and resin, molded into sticks. The name 'India Ink' is thought to be a misnomer(i.e inappropriate name) which originated in Europe when this ink, actually from China, was imported via the Indies. Since it used for painting and has gum, it in not recommended to use it in fountain, thats the point the video wants to state :-)
watched this video back in 2016 when I had only a Safari and a Jinhao... Today... about three years later, watching this again while draining the majority of my ~35 pens collection! Keeping 2 Lamy 2000s, a Sailor Pro Gear slim and a vintage OB Pelikan M200 Having 30 inked pens is exhausting... I had to keep track of who's working and who's been parked for a while... etc. Thanks a lot for these videos... I'm looking at your channel's old videos and remembering how much I've learned from you!
thank you so much for this video! I found out about you guys through bullet journal and boho berry and I found my old dip pens and ink from middle school and was super close to using it in my metropolitan! And I'm sure I would have probably tried to use alcohol or nail polish remover to clean. Also I am guilty of #7 because it is such a beautiful precious pen I'm too afraid to use it!
Brian, first a huge thank you for producing these videos. They are super helpful and have helped me immensely. My 8yr old son is also a big fountain pen aficionado and thoroughly enjoys sitting with me and watching your videos. My biggest blooper during my first ink replenishment was pulling the converter out and trying to sink into the bottle. What a mess! Your video led to the aha moment that I don’t need to separate the converter from the pen. Oh well. Live and learn.
I have an old Montblanc fountain pen I got in an auction and I haven't used it since the day I received it. Your video makes me want to look for ink. I need to buy a bottle tomorrow.
I love the fact that fountain pens don't require writing with pressure. Purple am me a lot why I like fountain pens because of the ink and cleaning involved. I tell them that fountain pens were what saved me from carpal tunnel. I was only having the beginning symptoms of carpal tunnel, but using fountain pens had been very helpful.
The one biggest reason why today's youth hating writing anything down by hand is because ballpoints, and to a lesser degree pencils, just plain suck to write with. It's such a shame I only discovered fountain pens before college. I could have saved my hand from so much pain in grade school.
+CalculyticCuber Yeah writing with pencils or ballpoints can wear out your fingers after a while, some ballpoints can write without pushing down hard though.
The account That isnt used Yeah, a cheap brand of ballpoint I like is the pilot (dunno what specific brand, but you can find it in Target/Walmart). You barely have to press down and the ink cartridges are interchangeable.
There is something very satisfying about refilling and cleaning a fountain pen. Growing up in New Zealand 30 years ago, we had to write with fountain pens at school and I remember we all kept a bottle of ink in our desks and my mum made me a nifty fabric ink blotter to wipe my pen with and I had a wee bottle of bleach to bleach out errors on the paper. I also remember ink fights in class where we would flick our pens at each other and try and get splotches of ink on the other person.
@@CalculyticCuber good thing I knew about them in year 5!!! I'm going to use them till I finish school! It'll be the one thing that will stay with me throughout the years! 💜
Somehow this came to my recommendation and I'm glad it did. I haven't used one in years. Back in high school (1996) there was boom of fountain pens in our school. Everyone had to have one. Lucky me that my mom already had a collection of Cross and Waterman. This channel made me want to start using one again. My mom's collection probably hasn't been used in more than 10 years. Do they degrade and become unusable or can they still be used/restored?
Glad you found your way to us! Older fountain pens if in good condition should still write pretty well. If ink was left in them all this time, you might have some flow issues and a tough time. Luckily, there's affordable fountain pens out there if you want to jump into the modern fountain pen scene. The Pilot Metropolitan is my go-to recommendation (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
Hi Brian. Thanks again for all your videos. I finally purchased my first fountain pen. It’s a Jinhao 159. I watched soooo many of your videos that it is up and running like a boss. I cleaned it first in mild soapy water. Filled it with Parker black in with my convertor and it is flowing with classic style. I would encourage folks to watch all your videos. Thanks again mike
Very glad I found this channel! I inherited one of my grandfather's old fountain pens and have been too scared to use it because I don't know proper maintenance, etc.
I dropped my Sheaffer Tuckaway and yes of course it landed nib first, oddly enough it embedded itself in the linoleum and stuck there like a javelin in the ground. I was horrified, pulled it out at the same angle it went in, the nib did bend a little bit, but you can hardly tell!
@@Gouletpens I have had a similar experience however a classmate stole it and threw it across the classroom...😭 I almost cried! It could just about write after I tried to slightly bend it back using the table... (Not getting everything messy of course.) It's still pretty banged up though. It has already been 2 years since the faithful incident. We now all know. 1) use pen then put cap on straight after. 2) then put in pencil case/EMPTY pocket. 3) DON'T LEND TO OTHERS! 4)Is now safe for a long time!!
Thanks for the great warnings... I've switched over to using a fountain pen as much as possible! I still keep ordinary pens in my bag, since they get left in the classroom on occasion, but I'm now grading all the time with fountain pens and have a bottle of ink on my desk at work. Cheers!
Here's one. Keep cap on your ink well when not being used. My uncovered inkwell went flying and right down on a really nice rug. Rug has to be replaced now.
LOVE your videos. I just bought my first fountain pen with a converter a few weeks ago and it's a learning experience. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you.
One mistake I made was writing a quick note while I was in the store. I dropped the cap of my Metropolitan and dented the side. Then, I tried using the body of the pen of push the dent back out, and the semi-sharp edge of the cap took a nice chunk out of the paint on the body of the pen. I also dropped that same pen, nib down, and totally bent it. I bent it back into shape the best that I could, but it didn't write as well. Fortunately, over time I've been able to tweak and tune it, and now it works just about as well as it used to. Luckily, I've been much kinder to my other fountain pens.
Thank you so much for the instructions on cleaning a pen. I've found some old ink cartridges from my sister, *they are around 40 years old!* (my age!) I've tried to use them on my pen but it keeps on clogging. Also, the (small size) cartridges seem to end quickly with a dried out residue. I believe the pigment has precipitated after these many years. I've also found some longer ink cartridges, but they seem to have it's color a bit faded, more brownish than black (and I honestly don't know their original color). I'm going to warm them up on water, shake them a bit and see if the pigment mixes up again evenly, so they don't clock the pen again. Well, about to wash and unclog my pen. And for what to do for it not to clog again out of not being used, there's actually a good thing for that: it's called *writing!* ;)
hi brian, I'm 15 and I love to write in cursive its the main way I write when I take notes or write down an essay. I just wants to say that this is a great video and I learned some new things about a fountain pen that I didn't know about and I thank you for it. keep up the good work. cya
The problem with being a teacher using fountain pens, perhaps my biggest mistake could be not sharing my pens with my students (or it could be sharing the wrong pens with them ;) Thank goodness for the less expensive and easily replaceable pens we can get now.
+The Goulet Pen Company Yeah, bought and gave away 20+ inexpensive Jinhaou's and I am supplying the ink. Every kid would get one if I could afford it ;)
I just got my first calligraphy fountain pen and was looking up how to load it, I saw this and thought "why not try and figure out what to avoid doing now before I develop any bad habits... I was surprised about some of these, and now I wanna know where to get the daily writing nib instead of the calligraphy nibs, mostly because my smallest is 1 mm and it is massive, thankfully after watching this I have very quickly learned that I can use my pen's weight and not press down! So thanks for the huge assist there!!
Back at primary school we would have table groups and we battled for points, at the end of every month the winning team got to choose from the stationery prize box, I got 2 or 3 fountain pens, (in 3 separate months) and they were good only I pressed too hard, I dropped it or flat out messed about with it. ah the good old days
I'm a first-time converter fountain pen user and I had just filled it with India ink before I watched your video. Cleaned it out right quick. Thanks!!!
I would bring mine to school but I'm scared because pencils and pens I bring to school inevitably get lost or destroyed or disappear in my backpack only to be found months later. I'm not risking that with my Pilot metropolitan. Although if I had a preppy I might.
I just dropped my first Pen Nib unprotected this week. it was my Pilot Metro. thankfully one of the Mechanics I work with had some pliers and helped me bend it back into shape. all was not lost. I used it all day today. may be a little feedbacky but it works!!!
When I first got my metropolitan, I tried to put the cartridge into the converter! Needless to say, it exploded, and after watching a tutorial, I felt incredibly stupid.
Thank you Brian! Just googled this because I have a Jinhao white (porcelain-like I think)pen with a blue dragon on it. VERY PRETTY! But I had put Diamine Wild Strawberry in the converter and (just as you warned) - I didn’t use it like I had intended to. Now the ink leak out INTO and I mean INSIDE the cap!!! Inside the wall of the cap/casings. Now when I stand it up red ink leaks out through the metal casings all over the outside! I have washed, soaked, and I have even tried SMALL amounts of diluted alcohol and even let sit for a couple of hours and still days later red still leaks out around the metal bands! What on earth can I do? It’s such a beautiful pen. It was only $7 on Amazon but it’s still one of my favorites! Thank you for any help/guidance you can give.
When I was a kid in the late 80's, I was really fascinated with the cel art that were used in hand drawn animations. I've seen photos and videos of animators using dip style pens for inking the cels and I mistaken them for fountain pens due to the similar looking nibs. I asked my parents for a fountain pen and they bought me a white Parker Vector. I promptly put dip pen ink in it because I knew water based inks will not work on cels. I went about inking a few cels that I drew and put the pen away. As you can imagine, the pen required a major cleaning the next time I wanted to use it. That was always the case every time I wanted to use the pen and I thought that fountain pens were just that finicky. That experience has really put me off from fountain pens and I have since stuck to refillable ballpoints and rollerballs. Recently, I wanted to get pens that are better (smoother?) and ones that didn't use disposable refill cartridges. I wanted better pens for day to day writing purposes. I started looking at fountain pens again and bought a few last week. With more knowledge on how to use them properly now, I think I should have a much better experience with them this time around.
Thank you for this video, I purchased 3 Jinhao pens, all under $10, and indigo ink, that I thought was fountain pen ink, now I know why they don't hardly write! Thank you, as I was going to give up on fountain pens.
I fully expected Number 1 to be: Do not lend your pen to anyone. They will randomly push it across the paper and grunge the tines; a puzzled look will briefly flash across their face as they mutter "Hmm, this pen doesn't work...." and you'll MAYBE be able to restrain yourself to just muttering back through gritted teeth "well, it doesn't any more..." Could this maybe be rule #0?
Thankyou for making this video! I stumbled on this vid when i was scrolling through other videos. A perfect timing because i'm thinking of buying some fountain pens soon to exchange it with my disposable pens! This is very helpful 👍
I bought a fountain pen calligraphy set and it came with the small ink cartridges :/ my pens tend to cold sometimes but they always get better when I run some warm water through the nib. ??
Just take the cartridge and press it into place, fountain pens have an internal hole-maker of sorts that will, well, make a hole for the ink to flow through if you put it in.
I got a antique Montblanc from my grandpa. My little brother took it, and dropped it on the nib. I was close to dropping him on his head, from the third story.
The Goulet Pen Company Lamy Safari and platinum preppy. I received a thank you note from you, I believe. It could be another Colin. Also the packaging was superb. Thanks Eric. And the lollipop was just the sweetest surprise.
I had a cap that fell off while in a pencil case. The ink soaked into the canvas bag. Mind you it was a correcting pen and the ink was red. My first mistake of fountain pen life.
Hey Brian great video loved the way you made each number using cartridges and pen parts. Also the most useful things in this list is to not push down as much and dropping your pen with the cap off now I know I should buy a pen with a replaceable nib( I have dropped plenty of roller-balls on the tip and broke them) ;).
Hi Brian! Great video. My biggest fountain pen mistake is not using them enough. I need to investigate some of your suggestions. Thanks for posting. I'm trying more and more to keep a daily journal. My life is pretty boring, but I love my Hobonichis and they're awesome for using fountain pens. I haven't had one page be ruined by the most vigourous fountain pen entries I've made. I love all my pens. How can I divide what little time I have between them all? And yet, the biggest paradox is... I want more Goulet pens!!! Oh, what to do???
There's a couple good options out there, but the Pilot Metropolitan is a tried & true fountain pen for only $15 (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
Great video! Hope you've recovered well from your strep throat, Brian! You do sound like you have! Here's a comment for every mistake shown in the video ;) Mistake #7: I've never had to put pens in the same pocket as my keys because I carry a big lanyard with a lot of stuff to it, so it takes all the space in one coat pocket and the pens have to go elsewhere :) Mistake #6: Phew, I've never done that! Scaryyyy. Mistake #5: Never did that because the way the ink flows didn't make me want to press at all :) Mistake #4: *glances at the three pens waiting to be cleaned and at the several pens in her case that have been inked up for two months or more* Hehe... :D Definitely guilty of that one. Mistake #3: I gasped so hard at that one when I saw the pen melt. Luckily I don't even have those at my apartment! Mistake #2: My first Ahab's nib died that exact same way as the Ahab in the video... which is why I then ordered a few replacement nibs and I now have a bunch of those waiting patiently for me to drop the current ones xD (and it didn't happen afterwards, of course, just because I'm now prepared for it...) Mistake #1: Phew, not doing that one! I carry my pens around everywhere with me and I use at least one everyday because I write about my day every night. The others often get used for scribbling or noting down stuff. :) I would add another fountain pen mistake to the list though: getting so much into fountain pens and everything around them that you end up spending every penny you have to feed your newly found pen addiction. I know that's my biggest mistake that I still have to work on. My parents used to pay my apartment, food, etc. for me while I was studying, but now that I'm done studying, I have to pay for all of those as soon as I'm out of the student residence I live in right now (which will happen before the end of May). That means I have to reaaaally keep every single cent I make at my two jobs but, despite knowing this, I always end up spending at least part of it every month to offer a sacrifice to the beast that is my pen addiction. This said, sorry for the long comment!
I was born in 1960 in the UK and at school we were not allowed to use ball pens or pencils. Our school desks still had the old ink-wells. To this day I almost exclusively use fountain pens but there are limitations. For example, the paper written on. Most modern papers (designed with ball-pens in mind) soak up the ink from fountain pens so the reverse side is not use-able. Your warm soapy water and multiple rinse cleaning regime is spot on too. Thanks for posting......
Funny thing about the nib at 6:37 ... that's the way my Monteverde Invincia in Rose Gold looked a few years ago after my grandchildren played with it! Why were they allowed to play with it? They weren't ... I guess I left it laying on the table when I was called away to do something else and by the time I realized I'd left it behind ... well, the damage was done. Monteverde was awesome (I know this is a Pilot video, sorry) because in a panic, I called them, they told me to send it to them & for a small fee, they would repair it. Back then I did not know I could just swap out the nib for a new one. That was great because the pen also had some corrosion damage ... I obviously didn't know how to properly take care of a nice pen back then. Well, long story short, they ended up sending me a new pen at no cost! I guess they got the pen and thought "what the heck?" and felt so sorry for me or something! Anyway, great video ... I just had to respond because of the memory it triggered. Thanks!
+Marilyn Hoffman Sorry about that. I just watched your Pilot Pen video right before this one and missed the fact that they were two separate videos. Duh ... it's early ... where's my coffee?
Excelente video, muchas gracias BRIAN, I learn a lot and also I have a great time when I see your videos, your voice is so so clear, I can understand everything, Thanks so much!
We don't know either! I guess something changed with a RUclips algorithm? We're still trying to figure it out, but we're glad you found your way to us. Our Fountain Pen 101 series (blog.gouletpens.com/p/fountain-pen-101.html) might help explain what a fountain pen is, what are the benefits of using them might be, things like that. Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen) also has a great overview of what it is as well as the history behind fountain pens. - Colin
Pixie this video was in my recommended list, too! But I'm delighted to find this channel! Being a software programmer, I don't get much time to actually write with pen and paper. But, this video has re inspired me to start again. I'M GLAD it was in my recommended list!
Great video, can so relate to it. I dropped my Waterman Edson 20 years ago. Heart breaking. Took it to a pen shop and a goldsmith, no one could fix it and was not willing to pay $500 for a new nib. A year ago I learned that a friend of mine was also a lover of fountain pens. She performed a miracle and now I my Edson flows perfectly. You live and learn.
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Those damaged nibs were just too graphic! Can you put a mosaic screen on them? plac "The following images may be too intense for many fountain pen enthusiasts. Viewer discretion is advised. "
"Trigger Warning: Springing nibs"
As someone who is here trying to learn how to refill a pen for the first time, I do nonetheless get the sense that this video is the shock equivalent of watching someone destroy their guitar on stage after a show.
I had a Cross pen I got to use only once... I filled it, filled out an inspection sheet, and it slipped from my hand... landed, of course, nib first on a concrete floor. Bent the tines apart so it just made ink globs. :-(
Oddman1980 j
Hexagon Sun yes
please set a warning sign, there are VERY graphic and gore scenes not suitable for my fragile heart.
Yes I was very disturbed by the pen being dropped and the tines spreading
Golden rule: Don't lend your fouintain pen to people who never heard of fouintain pens, trust me you'll regret it
y e s .
Especially your 1940s gold nib Wahl Eversharp that you paid too much for on Ebay cuz you just couldn't resist those stripes.....
Absolutely! I’ve brought a pen to work and a few people were so excited and they asked if they could see it - when I handed it to them I specifically said “do not try and write with it. It had been tuned for me”. They didn’t understand and I didn’t care. I took the pen back immediately. I am a beginner and just learning but if my nib gets ruined its going to be because of my mistake and not someone else.
Get a couple Platinum Preppy pens to hand out. ~$4 a piece and you might create a new friend
There was a time when I knew what fountain pens were but never used them before. And so when the Head mistress of my then high school offered her fountain pen for me to sign my name with, you can imagine the amount of tension I was going through.
Another golden rule, never lend your pen with the cap on; they have to return it because they don't have the cap. Otherwise, they possible will forget to return the pen. I learned it in college. : (
That's why I always carry a few cheap ball point pens with me, no one but me is going to use these expensive pens
That and others may break your screw off lid. They are so used to pop caps from ballpoint pens.
I never let anyone use my fountain pens... Most people don't know how to use them properly, and the nib gradually adjusts to the strokes of your hand and no one else's. Once another person writes with it, it'll never be the same. Respect the pen.
Or just dont drop it...?
Don't lend it at all, people will press too hard and ruin the tines.
Dropped a Parker Vector nib-down, the nib bent 90 degrees... and started writing smoother than before :D
A blessing, hidden in a curse.
I have one too. Good pen but scratchy, makes me feel annoyed writing with it. You're lucky to have a happy accident like that.
+Rime23525 well, my Parker IM is scratchier than my Vector. Vector is cheaper, but finer. I don't write with both often, though
In the wise words of Bob Ross... "No mistakes, just happy accidents."
XD
Liar
I've just discovered the fountain pen community on RUclips and it's so wholesome! I grew up in Germany and here we learned to write with fountain pens in second grade, we even had to pass our Füller-Führerschein (fountain pen licence)... I still write with a fountain pen today, so it seems to have paid off :)
You sound like a really nice person, I am from Ecuador and here the fountain pen is consider almost as a piece of jewelry (even the lamy safari jaja), because almost nobody use them.
And unsurprisingly, some of the best fountain pens are made in Germany!
Many pens were harmed in the production of this video.
:-)
Thankfully they were all already broken or damaged ;) -Brian
+The Goulet Pen Company Ok, I feel slightly better know that.
+The Goulet Pen Company Where did you get the broken and damaged pens?
+A. Tan umm... he broke them. Really stupid question to ask. It's not like he would buy a broken pen.
I literally cringed and gasped when I saw that Jinhao do a gymnastic split. $10 pen or not, that was a horrific sight.
I found this, literally, 20 minutes after opening my new fountain pen. I am SO GLAD I found you!! I was practicing (first line always "My name is Harry Potter", we're safe no one wrote back LOL) and I was just writing that once I got used to this that I would add one of my old calligraphy nibs and (oh my how convenient) I have 4 bottles of calligraphy ink. You seriously caught me in mid sentence. I can't thank you enough. You have a thumbs up and a new loyal subscriber!
Awesome, so happy we saved that pen! Definitely stick to fountain pen ink, or RIP on your new pen. :) - Colin
My biggest mistake was not getting a fountain pen sooner!
We had an oblique nib Osmiroid 65, sadly minus cap, in our bureau for years. I was under headmaster's compulsion to write in italic at junior school (when I was 7-8 - the headmaster retired by Christmas in my first year, but the italic writing continued with at least one teacher). I could get some nice looking results with the Osmiroid. Unfortunately, as it was minus cap, it was not worth asking about taking it to school.
Truth
My biggest mistake was switching to a ballpoint at eight
mandarin125 oof
Never even owned one but the scene of them falling bending knowing that they costed around a hundred dollars made me cringe
jinhao x450
pilot varsity
platinum preppy
buy a bottle of ink and a syringe, then refill the empty cartridges.
PewdiepieFan4Life BROFIST thanks for the advice, I have the jinhao and have a pilot varsity on the way. will look into the preppy
Well, I doubt they wanted to sacrifice an expensive nib for demonstration purposes.
IsiahR
here in germany (I believe in most parts of europe) it's unbelievable that sb nevet used a fountain pen :D in the second grade, you get lessobs how to use it and at some schools you're not allpwed to write with other pens :D
Brian190
I have this picture in my head of the tables where the ink pots were included into the table but i only know them from museums.
Given your name, I guess you're not german :D Where do you know this from? :)
Also were there already other kinds of pens allowed in the USA? I know that the students were supposed to write neatly so i think fountain pens are the best way to start.
My Dad was an artist, so as a kid I grew up using top quality art materials, including pens. I learned to use a fountain pen along side other writing implements. It was so funny when I went to school one of the teachers got really annoyed at me for using a fountain pen, when everyone else was using pencils (Because they weren't considered appropriate as they couldn't be erased). Since finishing full time education a good few years ago, other than a couple of jobs where I've had to sign paperwork, I've had very little in the way of need for writing, however 3 years ago I encountered a guy who makes pens, and I commissioned one made from 2000 year old bog oak, with gunmetal grey fittings and gold nib. It spent until this week just sitting in it's box not being used, but I've finally got round to getting some ink for it and it really is such a huge pleasure to use such a beautifully crafted fountain pen. Well worth the something over a hundred quid that I paid for it.
Well, isn’t that something. The way you’ve described your custom pen, it sounds like a looker…and quite a steal for a commissioned piece! I hope you find plenty of time & occasions to enjoy writing with her.
If you buy a washable blue ink, fountain pens actually can be erasable
I'm gonna buy a fountain pen and I'm really excited
Awesome, do you have a particular pen you're eyeing? - Colin
Not really. Do you have any recommendations?
Any of the pens from our Newbie video (ruclips.net/video/Hf4CcluJH00/видео.html) would be great choices, especially the Pilot Metropolitan (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
I'll check those out, thanks!
@@parthuin9927 nice.. you wont regret it :)
I went for an esterbrook SJ :)
(My first pen in like 10 years, i used to have one)
Just inherited a Montblanc MEISTERSTÜCK 149 pen from my grandpa, and now this noob is trying to learn! :)
Thanks for the good tips!
I have one and it truly is a great pen. Enjoy it Kevin.
I inherited one from my mom- set me on the same path
I waited years for the right Meisterstück to become available. Good luck with yours.
Oh man enjoy it! Such a great Pen, take care of it and it will last a life time :)
I learnt the calligraphy ink vs water-based ink thing the hard way - upon inheriting my grandfather's calligraphy collection I had no idea the dip pens and fountain pens had different needs and I lost two lovely pens that way. I feel like if he were alive, though, my grandfather's response would just be "don't use that as an excuse not to practice" and nothing else lol
i could watch this man talk all day. doesnt waste my time, talks like he could do it all day. love this guy.
He gets right to the bent point?
Always check your pockets before putting your pants in the washing machine and dryer. You only make that mistake once. Ruined my 400$ custom pen and everything that was in the wash with it.
Yeah, that's a good tip as well. Potential disaster is just one pocket check away. - Colin
Tommy Ohlrich ouch!!
Why was it ruined? Sorry, I'm a newbie.
Aww..
And yeah lol you only make that India ink mistake once too. You gotta have a solvent dye ink, not a setting pigment ink.
You rock for the shout-out, Brian! I've gotta say, I cringed so hard at all the pen-dropping and nib bending... oh, the horror!
Glad you're feeling better this week :)
+Boho Berry oh my gosh, I cringed too! As it was dropping I was like nooooooooooooooooo lol
You're welcome Kara! Haha, I know, that poor nib!!! -Brian
Boho Berry you just cringed at that; I've had it happen to me. Twice. The second time it was an 18K Parker Sonnet Firedance, and my God the nib on it was looking grim after that.
They must have been using 'Heart of Darkness" ink.
I died a little inside when the nib bent. Also when the pens dissolves in acetone.
It's a veritable trolley problem. :P
RIP
Great great video … so well presented and very useful info.
Geekanoids what do you do when you're done writing but the cartridge still has ink
0.0
The instant I picked up my Lamys, I was permanently attached to fountain pens ever since. I use them absolutely everywhere. It feels so good to use because one, you're doing the environment a service by not having disposable, unrefillable plastic pens, two, it's unique, three, it's a pretty thing, and four, you feel hip and classy for using one.
+Jeremy Wong Plus people are pretty impressed to see fountain pens these days. Oooo Look, I used to use those a long time ago! How pretty!
I find it interesting how many people don't know how to use fountain pens. A number of my teachers tried using my fountain pen and most of them failed making an awful scratching noise too which made me cringe inside. Good thing I carry ballpoint pens, even though I should eradicate them since I never use them.
FishGun Ikr. I totally didn't understand why people did not hold their pens like normal people
FishGun I carry a separate ball pen just to lend it to people when they come asking me for a pen to write.
I started using fountain pens for a rather odd reason - I had a supervisor, years ago, that would forge paperwork, even signing my name. I tried to find a solution that would catch her out, and came across a set of Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. It worked great, the only problem is... I don't like to use ballpoints anymore. It's years later and I don't even work at that place, and I have a nice but battered Pilot Metropolitan, along with a few others, and I use them every chance I get.
Oddman1980 this is an old comment but I'll die if I don't know. How did this thwart her?
She didn't have a fountain pen?
I'm dying to know too! (I hope there was some convoluted and ingenious fountain-pen-related plot to trick the supervisor into revealing her duplicity... You know, I've always suspected that fountain pens have many undiscovered talents! Mainly because it would justify me continuing to buy them :-p)
Fountain pens show far more detail than a ballpoint in terms of writing speed and pressure so will be more difficult to convincingly
forge. Plus more obviously, fewer people have fountain pens.
@@lucasriddle5538 Probably won't help your one year old comment, but I'll throw my thoughts out there to anyone else wondering that.
firstly, ballpoints require pressure on the page, and fountain pens do not - this makes your signature more fluid and smooth. Second - if you have a medium, broad or bigger nib the very way you hold a pen will be reflected in calligraphy -like line thicknesses.
Just recently started signing documents with a 1.0mm stub, it's truly one of a kind.
I had a little incident with my purple retro pop metropolitan from Pilot where I accidentally scratched some of the purple off of the body of the pen by the cap accidentally scratching it. It turned gold a few days later, and it really adds a bit of personality to it lmao, reminds me of the japanese method of repairing things with gold to tell its story. It’s stunning and I love the little shiny flair my pen has now !
I just ordered my first (two...because I couldn't help myself) fountain pen and this video could not have come at a better time. This is making me even more excited!! I like feeling prepared. Love all these videos.
Awesome! Be sure to check out my Fountain Pen 101 video playlist -Brian
After months of basically neglecting my pens and the hobby altogether, I run into your RUclips channel and you're stoking the fire within me. Great videos. I love the video quality and the length and pace of the subject matter. I'll check out your website again as it's been a long time!
Writing with a fountain pen is a JOY :-) :-)
I have a FLOCK of Pelikans and I enjoy everyone of them.
Thank you guys for making these videos!
I’m just starting out with fountain pens (after finding out pencils & regular pens weren’t going to work for my writing style, plus I prefer to write in cursive) and have found they’re much more comfortable to use. It’s like a whole new world has opened up to me, haha. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of being able to order whatever color ink you want and not having to buy a new pen.
Your guys videos are super informative, and have definitely helped me along in the (slight) learning curve that comes with writing with fountain pens :)
I bought my very fist fountain pen i guess two months ago and I'M ADDICTED. I'M IN LOVE!! I already want like a collection with every type of fountain pen. My dream fountain pen is a vintage waterman, i hope one day I'll have the money to buy one 😂
but till then i reaaally want the noodler's ahab to practice with flex pens. I'm actually going to ask my parents for the goulet's flexy pack for Christmas and i want to buy some cheap ones on aliexpress. I'm so glad i found this channel 😍
Thanks for this great video. I just purchased a Faber Castell fountain pen and was about to fill it with Windsor and Newton calligraphy ink.
Glad you caught this video in time! Saved your FC pen. :) - Colin
I resurrected my old pen, didn't have any ink with me( came with a huge bottle of it so I had never bought any ink before). I just went to a bookstore and asked for some ink for a fp and the guy gave me drawing ink... Well good thing is my pen is very resistant to alcohol( I had it dipped inside many times before to clean it ).
I'm glad I came across this video now. Got my first fountain pen two days ago. I knew most of these beforehand, like the regular cleaning that should be done. (I'm surprised people don't just assume this) But I didn't know about the fact that rubbing alcohol can destroy your pens. As well as not keeping your pen in your pocket with things like keys. Thanks a tons!
Glad you got to this just in time! Some people wouldn't even think of these, so we're happy to help save fountain pens one by one. :) - Colin
Thanks for this!! I tend to write heavy and all this is good to know!!
Thank you for telling us about the ink types! I didn't know there was a difference.
Dude, you totally hooked me on fountain pens. It"s such a joy. Thank you!
Goodness, that drop footage was triggering
Haha, I know! -Brian
What I do with my fountain pens to make my daily life even better: write my math homework with it
Same but not math all homework🤣
I have a brand new fountain pen that was given to me for Christmas. So this video was my FIRST stop in learning about the fountain pens and what NOT to do. Thank you.
Hey there,
Thank you for sharing this. For me it's mostly a reminder to clean my pen ;-) In my experience lukewarm water is perfect. Let your pen rest in the water for something 30 min, clean it as discriped in the video - and it will be good as new.
May I add another learning? NEVER EVER lent your pen to anyone! I did it once and payed the price: Afterwards I could only scratch over the paper. I had to buy a new one, wich was really sad. I loved that particular pen.
Stay curious, Franziska
I think it's okay to lend it if the person knows how to handle fountain pens and won't use it for an extended period of time (when you use your pens the nib bends a tiny bit to fit your writing style after a while).
What an enthusiast - !
Came across this link by chance; I enjoy using fountain pens, but Brian's enthusiasm brings it to a whole new level. Will have to do some more writing and buying - !
I live in India, how can I stay away from India ink :-P
lol.
You can try leaving India
+Agustrings Music of course that's what I'm trying to do...
Brother, it says INDIA INK, Not INDIAN INKS. There's a difference.
Its just like West Indian DOES NOT mean People from West India, it actually means people from West Indies. Also same for Red Indians means Native Americans.
India Ink is traditionally a carbon black ink mixed with gum and resin, molded into sticks. The name 'India Ink' is thought to be a misnomer(i.e inappropriate name) which originated in Europe when this ink, actually from China, was imported via the Indies.
Since it used for painting and has gum, it in not recommended to use it in fountain, thats the point the video wants to state :-)
sorry bro, i didn't know this...
watched this video back in 2016 when I had only a Safari and a Jinhao...
Today... about three years later, watching this again while draining the majority of my ~35 pens collection!
Keeping 2 Lamy 2000s, a Sailor Pro Gear slim and a vintage OB Pelikan M200
Having 30 inked pens is exhausting... I had to keep track of who's working and who's been parked for a while... etc.
Thanks a lot for these videos... I'm looking at your channel's old videos and remembering how much I've learned from you!
thank you so much for this video! I found out about you guys through bullet journal and boho berry and I found my old dip pens and ink from middle school and was super close to using it in my metropolitan! And I'm sure I would have probably tried to use alcohol or nail polish remover to clean. Also I am guilty of #7 because it is such a beautiful precious pen I'm too afraid to use it!
+Cynthia Rebeca Hey there! Thanks for coming over from following Boho Berry! And glad you avoided some of these mistakes ;) -Margaret
Brian, first a huge thank you for producing these videos. They are super helpful and have helped me immensely. My 8yr old son is also a big fountain pen aficionado and thoroughly enjoys sitting with me and watching your videos.
My biggest blooper during my first ink replenishment was pulling the converter out and trying to sink into the bottle. What a mess! Your video led to the aha moment that I don’t need to separate the converter from the pen. Oh well. Live and learn.
Very well composed and presented video. Nicely
done, and very useful info!
I have an old Montblanc fountain pen I got in an auction and I haven't used it since the day I received it. Your video makes me want to look for ink. I need to buy a bottle tomorrow.
I love the fact that fountain pens don't require writing with pressure. Purple am me a lot why I like fountain pens because of the ink and cleaning involved. I tell them that fountain pens were what saved me from carpal tunnel. I was only having the beginning symptoms of carpal tunnel, but using fountain pens had been very helpful.
The one biggest reason why today's youth hating writing anything down by hand is because ballpoints, and to a lesser degree pencils, just plain suck to write with. It's such a shame I only discovered fountain pens before college. I could have saved my hand from so much pain in grade school.
+CalculyticCuber Yeah writing with pencils or ballpoints can wear out your fingers after a while, some ballpoints can write without pushing down hard though.
The account That isnt used Yeah, a cheap brand of ballpoint I like is the pilot (dunno what specific brand, but you can find it in Target/Walmart). You barely have to press down and the ink cartridges are interchangeable.
There is something very satisfying about refilling and cleaning a fountain pen. Growing up in New Zealand 30 years ago, we had to write with fountain pens at school and I remember we all kept a bottle of ink in our desks and my mum made me a nifty fabric ink blotter to wipe my pen with and I had a wee bottle of bleach to bleach out errors on the paper. I also remember ink fights in class where we would flick our pens at each other and try and get splotches of ink on the other person.
@@CalculyticCuber good thing I knew about them in year 5!!! I'm going to use them till I finish school! It'll be the one thing that will stay with me throughout the years! 💜
Great video! Ordered my first fountain pen today, so this is just the type of video I was looking for!
Somehow this came to my recommendation and I'm glad it did.
I haven't used one in years. Back in high school (1996) there was boom of fountain pens in our school. Everyone had to have one. Lucky me that my mom already had a collection of Cross and Waterman.
This channel made me want to start using one again. My mom's collection probably hasn't been used in more than 10 years. Do they degrade and become unusable or can they still be used/restored?
Glad you found your way to us! Older fountain pens if in good condition should still write pretty well. If ink was left in them all this time, you might have some flow issues and a tough time. Luckily, there's affordable fountain pens out there if you want to jump into the modern fountain pen scene. The Pilot Metropolitan is my go-to recommendation (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
Thanks! I have just discovered a couple of No-No's that I have been doing like using too much pressure on the Nib! ;-)
Hi Brian. Thanks again for all your videos. I finally purchased my first fountain pen. It’s a Jinhao 159. I watched soooo many of your videos that it is up and running like a boss. I cleaned it first in mild soapy water. Filled it with Parker black in with my convertor and it is flowing with classic style. I would encourage folks to watch all your videos. Thanks again mike
Very glad I found this channel! I inherited one of my grandfather's old fountain pens and have been too scared to use it because I don't know proper maintenance, etc.
I dropped my Sheaffer Tuckaway and yes of course it landed nib first, oddly enough it embedded itself in the linoleum and stuck there like a javelin in the ground. I was horrified, pulled it out at the same angle it went in, the nib did bend a little bit, but you can hardly tell!
Lucky!!! -Brian
@@Gouletpens I have had a similar experience however a classmate stole it and threw it across the classroom...😭
I almost cried! It could just about write after I tried to slightly bend it back using the table... (Not getting everything messy of course.) It's still pretty banged up though. It has already been 2 years since the faithful incident.
We now all know.
1) use pen then put cap on straight after.
2) then put in pencil case/EMPTY pocket.
3) DON'T LEND TO OTHERS!
4)Is now safe for a long time!!
THANK YOU! Learned a lot. Just recently got into fountain pens!
Yes, I'm a heavy writer. I'm retraining myself, lol. Thanks for the awesome tips !
Thanks for the great warnings... I've switched over to using a fountain pen as much as possible! I still keep ordinary pens in my bag, since they get left in the classroom on occasion, but I'm now grading all the time with fountain pens and have a bottle of ink on my desk at work. Cheers!
Here's one. Keep cap on your ink well when not being used. My uncovered inkwell went flying and right down on a really nice rug. Rug has to be replaced now.
LOVE your videos. I just bought my first fountain pen with a converter a few weeks ago and it's a learning experience. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you.
Glad the videos have been useful! What fountain pen did you go with? - Colin
One mistake I made was writing a quick note while I was in the store. I dropped the cap of my Metropolitan and dented the side. Then, I tried using the body of the pen of push the dent back out, and the semi-sharp edge of the cap took a nice chunk out of the paint on the body of the pen. I also dropped that same pen, nib down, and totally bent it. I bent it back into shape the best that I could, but it didn't write as well. Fortunately, over time I've been able to tweak and tune it, and now it works just about as well as it used to. Luckily, I've been much kinder to my other fountain pens.
Rough start for your Metropolitan, but glad you were able to salvage & work with it! Thanks for watching. :) - Colin
Thank you so much for the instructions on cleaning a pen.
I've found some old ink cartridges from my sister, *they are around 40 years old!* (my age!)
I've tried to use them on my pen but it keeps on clogging. Also, the (small size) cartridges seem to end quickly with a dried out residue. I believe the pigment has precipitated after these many years.
I've also found some longer ink cartridges, but they seem to have it's color a bit faded, more brownish than black (and I honestly don't know their original color). I'm going to warm them up on water, shake them a bit and see if the pigment mixes up again evenly, so they don't clock the pen again.
Well, about to wash and unclog my pen.
And for what to do for it not to clog again out of not being used, there's actually a good thing for that: it's called *writing!* ;)
This video saved my life thank you
Very helpful. Started collecting and it's fascinating.
Thank you! Usually i don't understand English speech very well, but I understand every word you say! 8D
hi brian, I'm 15 and I love to write in cursive its the main way I write when I take notes or write down an essay. I just wants to say that this is a great video and I learned some new things about a fountain pen that I didn't know about and I thank you for it. keep up the good work. cya
The problem with being a teacher using fountain pens, perhaps my biggest mistake could be not sharing my pens with my students (or it could be sharing the wrong pens with them ;) Thank goodness for the less expensive and easily replaceable pens we can get now.
That's such a great gift you can do for your students. Please share! -Brian
+The Goulet Pen Company Yeah, bought and gave away 20+ inexpensive Jinhaou's and I am supplying the ink. Every kid would get one if I could afford it ;)
I just got my first calligraphy fountain pen and was looking up how to load it, I saw this and thought "why not try and figure out what to avoid doing now before I develop any bad habits... I was surprised about some of these, and now I wanna know where to get the daily writing nib instead of the calligraphy nibs, mostly because my smallest is 1 mm and it is massive, thankfully after watching this I have very quickly learned that I can use my pen's weight and not press down! So thanks for the huge assist there!!
Back at primary school we would have table groups and we battled for points, at the end of every month the winning team got to choose from the stationery prize box, I got 2 or 3 fountain pens, (in 3 separate months) and they were good only I pressed too hard, I dropped it or flat out messed about with it. ah the good old days
And don’t leave your Lamy in reach of a teething puppy! :( I still love it because it was my first even though it has teeth marks on it.
I'm a first-time converter fountain pen user and I had just filled it with India ink before I watched your video. Cleaned it out right quick. Thanks!!!
Good timing watching this video! Saved another fountain pen. :) - Colin
PLEASE REPLY
Can you use fountain pens for every day use such as school and note taking?
Oh definitely! I'm in school and I love using my pens to take notes!
Absolutely. Either the Platinum Preppy or Pilot Varsity pens are great affordable options for students. - Colin
+The Goulet Pen Company I went ahead and just purchased th jinhao x750 from you guys lol comes in tomorrow
Awesome! That's a great pen too, good workhorse writer. - Colin
I would bring mine to school but I'm scared because pencils and pens I bring to school inevitably get lost or destroyed or disappear in my backpack only to be found months later. I'm not risking that with my Pilot metropolitan. Although if I had a preppy I might.
I've been wanting to get into fountain pens so this was a big help. Thank you very much.
Welcome to fun with pens!
I just dropped my first Pen Nib unprotected this week. it was my Pilot Metro. thankfully one of the Mechanics I work with had some pliers and helped me bend it back into shape. all was not lost. I used it all day today. may be a little feedbacky but it works!!!
Your videos are always so helpful! Thank you so much :)
You're welcome! This one was a real team effort -Brian
Excellent presentation! And good heads-up on what solvents to avoid!
When I first got my metropolitan, I tried to put the cartridge into the converter! Needless to say, it exploded, and after watching a tutorial, I felt incredibly stupid.
Thank you Brian! Just googled this because I have a Jinhao white (porcelain-like I think)pen with a blue dragon on it. VERY PRETTY! But I had put Diamine Wild Strawberry in the converter and (just as you warned) - I didn’t use it like I had intended to. Now the ink leak out INTO and I mean INSIDE the cap!!! Inside the wall of the cap/casings. Now when I stand it up red ink leaks out through the metal casings all over the outside! I have washed, soaked, and I have even tried SMALL amounts of diluted alcohol and even let sit for a couple of hours and still days later red still leaks out around the metal bands! What on earth can I do? It’s such a beautiful pen. It was only $7 on Amazon but it’s still one of my favorites! Thank you for any help/guidance you can give.
When I was a kid in the late 80's, I was really fascinated with the cel art that were used in hand drawn animations. I've seen photos and videos of animators using dip style pens for inking the cels and I mistaken them for fountain pens due to the similar looking nibs. I asked my parents for a fountain pen and they bought me a white Parker Vector. I promptly put dip pen ink in it because I knew water based inks will not work on cels. I went about inking a few cels that I drew and put the pen away. As you can imagine, the pen required a major cleaning the next time I wanted to use it. That was always the case every time I wanted to use the pen and I thought that fountain pens were just that finicky. That experience has really put me off from fountain pens and I have since stuck to refillable ballpoints and rollerballs. Recently, I wanted to get pens that are better (smoother?) and ones that didn't use disposable refill cartridges. I wanted better pens for day to day writing purposes. I started looking at fountain pens again and bought a few last week. With more knowledge on how to use them properly now, I think I should have a much better experience with them this time around.
Thank you for this video, I purchased 3 Jinhao pens, all under $10, and indigo ink, that I thought was fountain pen ink, now I know why they don't hardly write! Thank you, as I was going to give up on fountain pens.
I fully expected Number 1 to be: Do not lend your pen to anyone. They will randomly push it across the paper and grunge the tines; a puzzled look will briefly flash across their face as they mutter "Hmm, this pen doesn't work...." and you'll MAYBE be able to restrain yourself to just muttering back through gritted teeth "well, it doesn't any more..."
Could this maybe be rule #0?
Finally someone speak clearly about fountain pen care! Thank you to do that. Maurizio Grifos Pens Italy
That continual replay of the pen dropping hurt my heart.
Thankyou for making this video! I stumbled on this vid when i was scrolling through other videos. A perfect timing because i'm thinking of buying some fountain pens soon to exchange it with my disposable pens! This is very helpful 👍
Glad this video found you at just the right time! Feel free to reach out if you need recommendations. :) - Colin
I bought a fountain pen calligraphy set and it came with the small ink cartridges :/ my pens tend to cold sometimes but they always get better when I run some warm water through the nib. ??
I have to put the ink cartridge inside the pen and pop a hole in the cartridge so it will flow.
Just take the cartridge and press it into place, fountain pens have an internal hole-maker of sorts that will, well, make a hole for the ink to flow through if you put it in.
Thank you! I just bought my first fountain pen 🖊 and you prevented so much trouble lol!!
I got a antique Montblanc from my grandpa. My little brother took it, and dropped it on the nib. I was close to dropping him on his head, from the third story.
Thank you for your videos. I just received my first two fountain pens -EVER. I feel ready to use them and care for them thanks to your videos.
Awesome, which pens did you go with? - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company Lamy Safari and platinum preppy. I received a thank you note from you, I believe. It could be another Colin. Also the packaging was superb. Thanks Eric. And the lollipop was just the sweetest surprise.
I hope no fountain pens were injured in the making of this video!!! Should def have that warning somewhere
lol all of the pens that were harmed in this video were pens that were already broken/not functioning
I ordered my first fountain pen today and grateful for this video. I didn't know what I didn't know.
the cleaning tip was great!
I am very glad to hear your last advise! That is the meaning of writing.
I had a cap that fell off while in a pencil case. The ink soaked into the canvas bag. Mind you it was a correcting pen and the ink was red. My first mistake of fountain pen life.
Hey Brian great video loved the way you made each number using cartridges and pen parts. Also the most useful things in this list is to not push down as much and dropping your pen with the cap off now I know I should buy a pen with a replaceable nib( I have dropped plenty of roller-balls on the tip and broke them) ;).
That's all Jenni there! -Brian
The Goulet Pen Company Haha yep.
Also. Wear disposable gloves when filling your pen with ink. Ink always gets on my fingers and takes days to wear off.
Hi Brian! Great video. My biggest fountain pen mistake is not using them enough. I need to investigate some of your suggestions. Thanks for posting. I'm trying more and more to keep a daily journal. My life is pretty boring, but I love my Hobonichis and they're awesome for using fountain pens. I haven't had one page be ruined by the most vigourous fountain pen entries I've made. I love all my pens. How can I divide what little time I have between them all? And yet, the biggest paradox is... I want more Goulet pens!!! Oh, what to do???
what's the best fountain pen under 20$
There's a couple good options out there, but the Pilot Metropolitan is a tried & true fountain pen for only $15 (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan/c/191). - Colin
The Goulet Pen Company r they better than Shafer pens at this price range?
Yeah, I think most people would agree that Pilot pens are the best in that price range. Either the Metropolitan or Kakuno or even the Varsity. - Colin
If you like transparent pens/ demonstrator pens. Nemosine Singularity is one of the greatest for less than $20. I love this pen
mbchc if it is available in india?
Very good. I didn't know about the need to clean the pens regularly. I will start!
Yeah, it's definitely good to get into a regular schedule with it, it'll make each time a little bit easier. - Colin
Great video! Hope you've recovered well from your strep throat, Brian! You do sound like you have! Here's a comment for every mistake shown in the video ;)
Mistake #7: I've never had to put pens in the same pocket as my keys because I carry a big lanyard with a lot of stuff to it, so it takes all the space in one coat pocket and the pens have to go elsewhere :)
Mistake #6: Phew, I've never done that! Scaryyyy.
Mistake #5: Never did that because the way the ink flows didn't make me want to press at all :)
Mistake #4: *glances at the three pens waiting to be cleaned and at the several pens in her case that have been inked up for two months or more* Hehe... :D Definitely guilty of that one.
Mistake #3: I gasped so hard at that one when I saw the pen melt. Luckily I don't even have those at my apartment!
Mistake #2: My first Ahab's nib died that exact same way as the Ahab in the video... which is why I then ordered a few replacement nibs and I now have a bunch of those waiting patiently for me to drop the current ones xD (and it didn't happen afterwards, of course, just because I'm now prepared for it...)
Mistake #1: Phew, not doing that one! I carry my pens around everywhere with me and I use at least one everyday because I write about my day every night. The others often get used for scribbling or noting down stuff. :)
I would add another fountain pen mistake to the list though: getting so much into fountain pens and everything around them that you end up spending every penny you have to feed your newly found pen addiction. I know that's my biggest mistake that I still have to work on. My parents used to pay my apartment, food, etc. for me while I was studying, but now that I'm done studying, I have to pay for all of those as soon as I'm out of the student residence I live in right now (which will happen before the end of May). That means I have to reaaaally keep every single cent I make at my two jobs but, despite knowing this, I always end up spending at least part of it every month to offer a sacrifice to the beast that is my pen addiction.
This said, sorry for the long comment!
I have, it was rough! Thanks for your comments, haha :) -Brian
I was born in 1960 in the UK and at school we were not allowed to use ball pens or pencils. Our school desks still had the old ink-wells. To this day I almost exclusively use fountain pens but there are limitations. For example, the paper written on. Most modern papers (designed with ball-pens in mind) soak up the ink from fountain pens so the reverse side is not use-able. Your warm soapy water and multiple rinse cleaning regime is spot on too. Thanks for posting......
Funny thing about the nib at 6:37 ... that's the way my Monteverde Invincia in Rose Gold looked a few years ago after my grandchildren played with it! Why were they allowed to play with it? They weren't ... I guess I left it laying on the table when I was called away to do something else and by the time I realized I'd left it behind ... well, the damage was done. Monteverde was awesome (I know this is a Pilot video, sorry) because in a panic, I called them, they told me to send it to them & for a small fee, they would repair it. Back then I did not know I could just swap out the nib for a new one. That was great because the pen also had some corrosion damage ... I obviously didn't know how to properly take care of a nice pen back then. Well, long story short, they ended up sending me a new pen at no cost! I guess they got the pen and thought "what the heck?" and felt so sorry for me or something! Anyway, great video ... I just had to respond because of the memory it triggered. Thanks!
+Marilyn Hoffman Sorry about that. I just watched your Pilot Pen video right before this one and missed the fact that they were two separate videos. Duh ... it's early ... where's my coffee?
Excelente video, muchas gracias BRIAN, I learn a lot and also I have a great time when I see your videos, your voice is so so clear, I can understand everything, Thanks so much!
Okey question
#1: why is this in My recommended?
#2: why do i find this interesting i dont even draw or write?
#3: what is a fountain pen?
We don't know either! I guess something changed with a RUclips algorithm? We're still trying to figure it out, but we're glad you found your way to us. Our Fountain Pen 101 series (blog.gouletpens.com/p/fountain-pen-101.html) might help explain what a fountain pen is, what are the benefits of using them might be, things like that. Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen) also has a great overview of what it is as well as the history behind fountain pens. - Colin
Sounds like RUclips is telling you to start #2
Pixie this video was in my recommended list, too! But I'm delighted to find this channel! Being a software programmer, I don't get much time to actually write with pen and paper. But, this video has re inspired me to start again. I'M GLAD it was in my recommended list!
One of us.... one of us.... one of us...
I agree with michelle..join us soon you'll be spending money like crazy once you get to experience the joy of writing with one
Great video, can so relate to it. I dropped my Waterman Edson 20 years ago. Heart breaking. Took it to a pen shop and a goldsmith, no one could fix it and was not willing to pay $500 for a new nib. A year ago I learned that a friend of mine was also a lover of fountain pens. She performed a miracle and now I my Edson flows perfectly. You live and learn.
How did your friend fix it?