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In this episode, I talk about the new TWSBI Vac700R, the easiest pens to clean if you change inks often, and my biggest WOW moments with new products.
This week:
- Attended Butterfly Ball with my daughter
New/Upcoming Products: - (2:04)
- TN Olive sold out in 4 minutes
- Lamy Safari Petrol release
- TWSBI Vac700R release
Pens/Writing - (5:37)
1) css279- Instagram - (5:38)
What does the agitator in a converter do? Why do some have them and others don't?
- its sole purpose in life is to keep ink from hanging up in the back of the converter, so flow doesn't get interrupted
- Pilot has this in their Con-50 and Con-40
- Nemosine
- I know pen enthusiasts that will put glass or stainless steel beads in their converters to accomplish this, too
- depending on the design of the converter, it may or may not be necessary
- probably most don't do it because it's extra effort/cost and takes up some ink capacity
2) papaheppy- Instagram - (10:29)
Here's a question for you, I'm an avid ink changer in my pens but always find it a hassle to clean out a pen when I want to switch a colour. What are the best pen filling types for people who like to clean their pens easily? Thanks
- if you're an avid ink changer, then you need to get excited about being an avid pen cleaner!
- bulb syringes are life
- cartridge/converter pens are the way to go, imho
- Pilot/Namiki, Sheaffer, and some others require cutting the bulb syringe
- Piston fills are kind of a pain, unless it's like a TWSBI Where you can disassemble and flush it with a bulb syringe
- Vacuum is a pain, same with lever, button, sac, anything fixed in the pen is a pain to clean often
3) Terry R.- Facebook - (18:15)
Looking to buy the TWSBI Vac 700R and on you email list. Just wondering if it will fit the Vac 20 ink well. I see they changed the nib units so did they change the section as well, the part that screws into the ink well. Keep up the great work Brian and whole Goulet Team.
- yes, it will
- the only changes are to the o-ring and internal part of the grip section
- TWSBI redesigned it to be easier and more consistent in allowing ink to flow when the filler knob is unscrewed
- grips had to be redesigned so they don't swap
4) michael_pearce2k2- Instagram - (31:23)
What colour would you like to see next years safari and/or al-star be?
- Al-Star: deep magenta, hunter green or deep navy
- Safari: brown (matte maybe), deep magenta, olive (revive Savanna!), bring orange back?
5) inkdip- Instagram - (35:35)
I've noticed that on new Visconti Homo Sapiens (specifically on the Bronze Age) that some of them have a new grey-ish ENAMELING on the clip! Could you elaborate on this a little further? Is this the solution to the past few problems with the printed enameling coming off? Thanks and hope you're having a good day!
- yes, they're moving towards this for their clips
- enameling has been too difficult to do perfectly, less about it coming off and more about it just not looking great from the start
Personal - (40:33)
6) Stephanie S.- Facebook - (40:36)
What have been some of your biggest "WOW" moments when trying new products? Not just "this is kind of cool" but more "oh my gosh this is awesome!"
- a lot in the early days
- using a fountain pen, at all!
- Clairefontaine Triomphe, the smoothness
- first stub nib, what it did for my handwriting
- Visconti Traveling Inkwell
- Noodler's flex nib
- bulb syringe
- micromesh/mylar
- 1670 inks, first experience with shimmer (Emerald of Chivor)
- Noodler's Liberty's Elysium samples
- Tomoé River paper
- Pilot Metropolitan for the first time
- Dark Lilac Safari
7) arachnesthreads- Instagram - (50:15)
How do you keep the work/job aspect of selling fountain pens from tainting your personal passion/enjoyment for the hobby?
- it's easy, my job is basically showing my personal enjoyment for the hobby! that passion
- I discovered fountain pens as a part of my business, so the two have always gone hand-in-hand
- I know nothing of a life of fountain pens without running GouletPens.com
- there is "work" I do around pens that feels more like work than what I'd do if I was just writing things down, but it's all related really
- I feel like I have a pretty good work/life integration in terms of my pen usage
QOTW: What has been your biggest WOW moment since getting into fountain pens? - (55:35)
Thanks so much for joining us this week! You can catch up on any old Q&A videos you missed here.
Thanks so much for joining us this week! You can catch up on any old Q&A videos you missed here.
Write On,
Brian Goulet