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In this episode, I talk about custom pens, when to tell if your ink's gone bad, and my biggest complaint about fountain pens!
This week:
- Rachel and I celebrated 10 year anniversary, went to the beach
New/Upcoming Products - (2:04)
- Visconti Wild West
- Got to play with Lamy LX samples
- Shot a vid on the Filofax hole punches
- Daiso pens on the way
- Back to school is ramping up, nothing too crazy for us
Pens/Writing - (4:40)
1) Ashley B.- Facebook -(4:41)
You've shown in a few videos how to clean out a pen with a cartridge converter or a piston filler. I have yet to find any information on how to best clean out an eye dropper pen. I put some J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre in my Charlie pen and I'm wanting switch out to Diamine Blue Velvet. What's the best and easiest way to go about cleaning/flushing the ink out so I can try out the Blue Velvet?
- It's usually similar to a cartridge/converter pen
- the best tool is a bulb syringe
- flush out the body with just water (cover the opening and shake it)
- use a q-tip if needed
- be aware of what ink you use, CdC is not one of the easiest to clean out so try to stick with it for a while if you use it in an eyedropper
2) Evan M.- Facebook -(9:16)
Hey, I just bought a London fog. I watched every video I can find but can't seem to get a definitive answer. In a perfect working pen equipped with the double resevoir, it should write until the first chamber (small chamber) is empty without having to unscrew the blindcap cap correct? Or am I supposed to be leaving it open?
- You can write with it without having to unscrew the back, yes
- it holds about as much as an SI cartridge
- open the back when you need to refill that front chamber, otherwise don't sweat it
- it's easy to tell b/c it's clear
3) shubor- Instagram -(13:40)
Best places to get custom pens? Esp cool ones you saw at dc?
- I have nothing to gain by mentioning any customer pen maker, I'm not affiliated with any of their pen sales
- custom pen makers are near and dear to my heart, that's what I had originally set out to do with Goulet Pens
- Edison pens (I'm affiliated with their production line only)
- Shawn Newton, Newton Pens
- Jonathan Brooks, Carolina Pens
- Ryan Krusac, Ryan Krusac Studios
- Kanilea Pens
Ink -(19:42)
4) Connor Adlam- YouTube -(19:43)
Does the saturation of an ink affect its fade resistance over time? For normal non-permanent inks, would a less saturated ink be more susceptible to fading over time than a saturated ink in the same colour family?
- To a small degree, probably (I have no proof)
- I think the nature of the dye itself is a much bigger factor
- I don't think the saturation of the ink should really impact how you use/store your inks, you should still keep them out of direct sunlight and in a cool/dry place
5) Suzanne W.- Facebook - (24:19)
What do you consider in deciding if you have a bottle ink gone bad? Wondering about one of mine, have had major flow problems in 3 different pens from cheap to a bit more expensive, different size nibs and 2 styles of converters. It has a slight odor - rather musty or like damp dirt. None of my other bottles (6 different brands) have any smell to them.
- it sounds like yours has gone bad
- the smell is a big tip-off, especially with others inks to compare
- anything visibly off, like fuzzy stuff on top, sludge, stringy fibers
- I would dump it, unfortunately
- if you're curious, strain it with a coffee filter and see if you can see anything in it
- I would then clean your pens with a 10% bleach solution to get the gunk out of the pen
6) j1448- Instagram - (29:24)
Do you think there is room left in the fountain pen market to make completely new colors?
- oh sure, there's always room for innovation!
- a couple of years ago, no one would have guess that glittery sparkles in ink would be a thing, and here it is
- there are a lot of different colors out there, and while there are a lot of fountain pen ink colors, it's nowhere near everything we can see
- I get asked what inks are close to specific colors, and sometimes it's tough to find something exactly like it
- the differences may be subtle, but they're there
Paper -(32:48)
7) @geekosupremo- Twitter - (32:52)
Is there a “best” combo of ink & paper for using both sides of the paper?
- that will be debatable!
- thickness will matter here, as well as ink resistance
- Clairefontaine is always a good go-to
- Leuchtturm, Mnemosyne, Rhodia, Apica, all good
- for ink, just something that resists bleeding
- Pilot Iroshizuku is generally very good, Noodler's Black/HOD, J. Herbin inks
Personal -(35:26)
8) Appa YourFlyingBison- YouTube - (35:28)
Hey Brian, I always keep up with your morning motivation on snapchat and I was wondering what earphones you use and what you listen to while biking. Keep up with the great motivation
- that's very cool, thank you!
- I use Yurbuds Focus 300, they're pretty good, but nothing amazing
- I prefer over-ear earbuds so they hang on while I'm moving around a lot
- I listen mainly to audiobooks, a LOT of them
- I've listened to over 60 audiobooks in the last 3 years, most non-fiction business/leadership, personal development or religious books, a biography here and there
- I debate about listening to things while riding, if it's truly "safe"
- I ride early in the morning on extremely rural roads, so there's rarely anyone else on the road when I am, so I feel comfortable
- because it's speaking, I can still hear my surroundings as it plays, unlike when listening to music
- please be safe when listening to anything while you ride/run
9) Rebecca S.- Email - (40:15)
We all love fountain pens but what is your biggest complaint about them?
- I hear complains about ink on fingers, having to fill/clean/maintain them, leaking, spilling, you name it
- none of that bothers me, really
- my biggest complaint is actually the thing I love the most about fountain pens, too, it's a paradox
- the variability of pen, ink, and paper performance as they interact with each other is frustrating when it isn't acting like you want it to
- it's also wonderful and keeps my fountain pen experience rich and interesting even after 7+ years of being completely immersed in this world
Troubleshooting - (44:07)
10) ceew- Instagram - (44:10)
Are crescent fillers not compatible with the Visconti travelling inkwell? I've tried it several ways but I can't get my Visconti Millennium arc or Conklin crescent to fill from it. Help?
Thanks so much for joining me this week! You can catch up on any old Q&A videos you missed here.
Write On,
- they are, it just takes some finesse to make it work well
- you can actually get a very full filling this way
QOTW: What are some cool things you've done to celebrate significant anniversaries in your life? - (48:32)
Thanks so much for joining me this week! You can catch up on any old Q&A videos you missed here.
Write On,
Brian Goulet