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This is an informal poll; many of you have more pens/nibs at your disposal than do I, and I am curious as to your personal experiences. Goulet recently had a podcast on Sailor nibs where he was discussing the size differences. The smaller nibs were 14K, but two other pen groupings, those I consider "normal size" and the KOP group, had two different size 21K nibs. He thought there was an actual difference in the performance of the nibs, and that this was due to the large size of the nibs on the KOP group; he was not talking about nib width. I was a bit surprised, as I had recently seen a bit by sbrebrown, where he was comparing nib sizes based on the current popularity of No. 10 nibs. He came to the conclusion that the performance of the pens were independent of the nib size(again, I am talking about size as measured by calipers, not by the size of the line the nib produces). I have found both these gentleman to be reliable sources of information in the past, and this is the first time I recall them coming to incompatible conclusions. Do FPNers think there is a relationship here? I don't have any huge pens(yet, @amberleadavishas been nudging me in that direction)so my collection is insufficient for experimenting.

I love everything about the Triple Tail. The largeness. The clearness. The non-smellyness. The plunger filling system. The 308 cartridges I can use. Everything, that is, but the nib itself. It's just too darn much for me. It's finicky, which is bad enough. But even when it does work after heat setting, etc -- and even with an ink as simple as 4001 Royal Blue or Waterman Serenity Blue -- it's like writing with a paint brush. And that's before flexing! Before I return it for a partial refund, I thought I would see if anyone has managed to trade it out for a #6 nib? And it not a basic #6, then something else? I saw someone asked Goulet, and the answer was: "Maybe". Have you done it? How'd it go?

I know this has been discussed before so I apologize if I'm beating the proverbial deceased equine. I'm still unclear of the differences between JoWo nibs used by different companies. I see where Edison says they tune the nibs in house & Goulet says they inspect theirs, but I have not used either of these nibs before. I have several Conklin & Monteverde branded JoWo nibs which seem to span from smooth as glass to scratchy like a bad Christmas sweater. Most of them fall somewhere in the middle though. So is there any real difference between the different branded JoWo nibs? Or is a matter of quality control where a company like Edison pays more attention to ensure consistency or that a nib installed on a pen may have better QC than a loose nib? If it makes a difference I'm asking more toward EF & F nibs.

I was recently looking at my profile and debating whether I should add a favorite ink. One of my favorites when using cartridges has always been Graf von Faber-Castell's Hazelnut Brown. Graf's inks no longer seem to be available at the U.S. stores I normally order from (Goulet, Pen Chalet). The manufacturer's site doesn't seem to have a direct-to-consumer sales option. The ink does still appear to be in production, and is available at JetPens, but it seems slightly ridiculous to order a European ink from Japan to go the Americas. Does anyone know the status of these inks in North America? Thanks.

Interesting pen I saw in the Goulet Pens Company "Coming Soon" section: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/jinhao-51a-demonstrator-fountain-pen-black?variant=16265736290347 They seem to be releasing the pen in 4 / 5 colors currently if the coming soon section is to be believed. Now as my personal opinion, I thought they would be hesitant in releasing a pen that is heavily inspired by Parker 51 design. But then I remember that they are not partners of Parker pens (AFAIK).

Anyone else take Goulet Pens new quiz to find the fountain pen that matches your personality? Even though some of the answer choices in the quiz would have been "none of the above" if I had been honest, the response was eerily accurate. It said I would like Pilots. I have a bunch of Pilots, as well as a Sailor I really like but that Goulet doesn't carry. Good quiz!

Hello, I own a Parker Frontier with a cheap third party nib that I would like to replace. I happened to stumble upon a set of Noodler's #6 nibs for $6. I was wondering if those nibs would fit the Frontier. By the way, the Frontier has a plastic feed (not the ebonite feed that Noodler's has). The following link will take you to the site: https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/replacement-nibs/products/noodlers-art-nib-pack?variant=11884735823915 Even if they don't fit, feel free to make suggestions.

At Goulet Pens, from now until the end of the year, if you purchase one of a selection of a number of pens, you may pick out a 90 ml bottle of Monteverde ink for free. I just bought a $20 Online fountain one (which I had gone there to buy, anyway) and received a $15 bottle of a nice red Monteverde ink at no cost. In the end, I paid $20 for the pen and ink, plus the standard $6.95 for shipping -not a bad deal. On another order, I'll grab a few other items -again, things I'd buy at Goulet anyway- to make the shipping fee even more worthwhile. A couple of pen and ink orders could settle Christmas or other holiday shopping for a few friends; the pen -and ink-selection is really fairly good. Some may wish to drop by and take a look. Brian

I don't know whether you've seen this, but Brian Goulet interviewed Lamy CEO Bernhard Roesner (Rösner in German; or Rosner if you will) last month in Heidelberg, it's nearly 1h long and very interesting. One of the things revealed is that apparently Lamy is set to release 10 new inks this year! (1st quartal if things go by plan!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGf475MD5UE

Just got these in the mail. So excited! Though I may have gone a little overboard on the ink samples...

Hello Everyone I was browsing through Goulet Pens Website and was interested by Conklin Classic which is sort of a limited release by Goulet Pens... The pen seems to be on the lighter side of weight -- 13 grams (body only) while having 13mm diameter (body only) and a length (body only) of 127.22 mm (5 inch)... since i usually use the pen without posting the cap, the measurements are for the body only.... What attracts me is the Ebonite body and the colors though the Goulet #6 Steel Nib is nothing extraordinary.. filling mechanism is eyedropper, C/C... Question is, at a price point of USD 139, is it a worthwhile pen considering that the website mentions it as a "special edition, produced in single batch that will only be available for a period of time? Ref: https://www.gouletpens.com/conklin-classic-fountain-pen-firelines-fine/p/CK81114-F I am planning to have a contemporary Conklin and need to decide between Classic, Duragraph and All American... Thank You Some pictures (from Goulet website) Ref: https://www.gouletpens.com/conklin-classic-fountain-pen-firelines-fine/p/CK81114-F....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XU_ZChZnd_E Regards, Rosendust

Just saw this on Goulet Pens' website: They have a new version of the Duragraph, the "Merlot," which is a red/purple flecked design. https://www.gouletpens.com/conklin-duragraph-fountain-pen-merlot-1.1mm-stub/p/CK71383 According to their blog post, it is exclusive to Goulet Pens. Right now they have the 1.1 stub and medium in stock, fine is currently not in stock, though they take #6 nibs so a swap would be easy. They're offering the Merlot initially at $35 instead of the $52 the other Duragraphs go for on their site. Finally, they still have an outstanding promo for a free 90ml of Monteverde Ink with any Conklin, so that's a Duragraph w/converter and 90ml bottle of ink for $35. I might have gotten lucky with mine since I hear QC isn't pristine at Conklin, but my green Duragraph with a 1.1 stub is one of my favorite pens and writes wonderfully. I considered it a deal at $50 -- $35 puts it squarely in "starter pen" territory, and I'd consider it superior to any of the other pens I've tried at that price. For any interested - enjoy! ~AK

I am looking to buy a new 1.1mm nib for my Aldo Domani two tone pen. I had a Knox nib in there, but have since switched that nib out to a Jinhao X750, leaving my poor Aldo Domani with its plain old factory nib. I'm having a difficult time choosing a new nib for this pen...most of the available nibs are made by JoWo (Franklin-Christoph, Gouet Pens, Anderson Pens, Edison Pens, Monteverde) and are likely more or less the same (although I do wonder if the nibs made for F-C or Edison might be made to more exacting standards or with slightly different specs than the standard JoWo nibs), so I am not sure that spending more for a nicer looking version of the same basic nib is really worth it. Bock and Knox are another option, but the only Bock retailers that I have found are overseas and Knox nibs are a little less crisp than I would ideally like. Ideally what I want is a fairly crisp, smooth, true 1.1mm nib that also looks nice. The JoWo made nibs that I have come across are fairly crisp and smooth, but overly broad. Bock nibs are VERY smooth and crisp, but all of the ones that I have come across are overly broad (even more so than Goulet/Anderson Pens JoWo made nibs). Monteverde JoWo made nibs and Knox nibs are nice and smooth, thin writers, but not as crisp as I would like. I'm not bad at grinding and could grind a nib myself, but I am still getting this skill down, so I usually prefer a factory made stub/italic. I could also get a nib professionally ground, but I really don't want to pay $40-$50 for a nib. So, here are the nibs that I am looking at: --Goulet/Anderson Pens 1.1mm Pros: Inexpensive, nice looking, smooth Cons: overly broad (more like a 1.3mm) --Knox 1.1mm Pros: Least expensive, consistent, smooth Cons: not as crisp, only available in brushed steel --Franklin-Christoph/Edison Pens 1.1mm Pros: Nice looking, reportedly smooth and reliable, comes with nib unit Cons: more expensive, possibly overly broad --Bock 1.1mm Pros: Crisp, smoothest that I have used Cons: longer wait for delivery, only available in brushed steel, overly broad --Monteverde 1.1mm Pros: cool looking, consistent Cons: not as crisp, more expensive Any opinions on my current options or suggestions for other options that I am overlooking would be greatly appreciated. Here are some pics of my Aldo Domani (with a Nemosine 0.8mm nib)

I bought a Monteverde Aldo Domani for my first fountain pen, with a medium nib and Monteverde Magnum ink cartridges. It was scratchy and difficult to start from the beginning. I tried different angles to the paper, different rotations of the nib, different pressures. An amateur with more enthusiasm than knowledge, I fiddled ten different ways to "fix" the nib and soon ruined it. I bought a Goulet medium #6 nib for a replacement. After a week of modest daily use, it has been delightful. Starts right away, never scratches or skips. (I gave the little lollipop included in the package to my wife.)

It appears Lamy in the USA has a new distributer and prices went up. Basic things like converters and ink are in the 15-20% range. Pens and other items less, but the dollar amounts are high. This is unfortunate after the LE ink debacles for the past couple of years coupled with the EF nib issues. Link from Goulet Blog: http://blog.gouletpens.com/2017/08/lamy-news-and-price-changes.html

Robert Oster inks are now available on eBay in the U.K. For £11 per bottle with free shipping from a seller called kir.d41. I ordered a bottle of Tranquility and it arrived the next day. Pretty impressed ! I also see in the U.S that Goulet is now carrying Robert Oster although they won't have it till the New Year. Happy New Year

Just in case you need a nice summertime fix of very pretty brown n gold ink! http://www.gouletpens.com/j-herbin-caroube-de-chypre-1670-anniversary-ink/p/H150-45 Images http://cdn-tp1.mozu.com/6639-8588/cms/8588/files/d083f655-a3e4-430f-91b9-c91f4ec3cb0d/ http://cdn-tp1.mozu.com/6639-8588/cms/8588/files/2317d2a9-56bd-4256-baab-803782e93fef/

I just received one of the New Goulet Pens black nibs in the mail (this one is a 1.1)! I threw it onto my Jinhao X750, loaded up some Private Reserve Ebony Blue, and did a quick test on some Kokuyo Sarasara paper. What can I say? This is one excellent nib. I usually have to do a bit of tuning with JoWo nibs, but this one is perfect right out of the box (or rather the tiny zip lock bag). Crsip, true to size lines with a nice even flow. A good looking nib that writes really well and costs $10 less than the Monteverde black stub nib. I'm a happy customer! I was so excited to try out this nib that I didn't even dilute the Ebony Blue. Usually it shows up as a blue/green/black, but without dilution it just looks black. Oh well, I'll just write a ton with this pen and fill it back up with some properly diluted Ebony Blue.

Recently, my parents have said that If I get straight a's, I will get $100 to spend on pens. Right now, my pre-prepared cart on goulet has a rhodia dotpad, a jinhao 159+ goulet nib, a faber-castell basic, and a twsbi eco. I was thinking of replacing one of the pens to buy some more ink, as all I have now is noodler's black and a set of black-cap winsor and newton inks that I don't trust. If I had to get rid of a pen, which should I get rid of?

I'm not sure if this is the right category to put it in so please move it if its not. After Christmas, I decided to treat myself and order something from the Goulets. I got myself a Banditapple Carnet peewee notebook among other things to go into my new Nock Fodderstack XL. Now, since Banditapple seems to be going under some changes according to Goulet, they are not restocking their products at the time. So, I had received an email about my order from Cindy, and she said they were out of stock and sold it to me due to an inventory issue on them, and so offered to replace it with something else along with a free gift. Now, I assumed the free gift was whatever I had asked to replace it with, as when I emailed them back and asked for a stick of J. Herbin sealing wax and pay the $2 difference, Jeremy emailed back (in place of Cindy) and said it was on them. So I waited patiently for my package to arrive. Usually, it takes two days to get here where I live, and they shipped it on the 29th, so I was a bit worried when it didn't come on the 31st, and tracking info didn't update. I thought someone had tampered with my package, but it just turned out they just didn't scan it in their original destination, since I found the tracking info late at night finally in my state. It came today, and I opened it, gladly since I saw that their signature bubble wrap, cling film, Tootsie Pop and all other goodies were here. I opened it and received the J. Herbin sealing wax as promised, but I also saw that they included a full bottle of Private Reserve "Chocolat" (yes not Chocolate) ink! And it was in a fancier looking bottle, not the cylindrical bottle advertised everywhere else. So once again, I'm extremely happy about my order with Goulet Pens, and thrilled how they handled everything. While not necessary, they included a full bottle of ink ASIDE from giving me a replacement item for no extra cost in compensation for something that was out of stock! Thank you Goulet Pens, for another ridiculously wrapped package of amazing pen goodies!

Hi, I normally don't make threads about my purchases but this warrants a thread. I live in the Philippines, but my mom is in the U.S. so she buys stuff for me there and forwards the packages via a "balikbayan box" service that takes 1-3 months to arrive. So, just a few days ago, my orders placed in Oct 2015 from Goulet Pens and Anderson Pens finally arrived. PART 1: My Goulet Order The other day, my forwarded box from my mom arrived, and I finally unboxed a huge Goulet order (containing a ton of o rings, silicon rings, inks, a Jinhao, and some nibs). It was packed with apocalypse-proof layers upon layers of bubble wrap and blue wrapping plastic sheets. Nothing was damaged. Being my 3rd or 4th order from the Goulets, this was usual from them: awesome care in packaging. However, when I double checked the listed items in my receipt, I couldn't find some items in my order, specifically an ahab nib and some Goulet nibs. Some Noodlers art nibs were there but the other nibs were missing. I was freaking out by this point (my order was technically 3 months ago, really. I must have the most delayed unboxing ever since the forwarding from the U.S. took 3 months). I sent the Goulets an email explaining the situation and sent them of pics of my unboxed order. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they said I should just order a new set of nibs, or that my mom should have checked the box first before shipping it to me in the far-off tropics. However, within the same working day, Jeremy from Goulet Pens replied and immediately sent replacement nibs to my mom. This level of customer service is top notch and highly appreciated, and I assure you I am a customer for life. PART 2: My Anderson Pens order Similar to my Goulet order, I unboxed my Anderson Pens order and double checked the items. Alas, there was a problem with this order as well! I ordered seven ink samples (since they have generous 3 ml ink samples), and three 3 oz Noodlers bottles, as well as ten empty ink bottles. However, I received TEN samples and the ten empty bottles. My three full Noodlers bottles were nowhere to be found. I then took photos of everything and sent them an email as well. In the Anderson Pens site it states that there is a 30 day limit to refunds and returns. But remember, it took 3 months for the items to reach me because my mom forwarded the box from the U.S. to the Philippines by the cheaper "balikbayan box" option. Again, I expected my warranty to be void and sadly thought that I would have to reorder the ink. After all, my mom didn't check the order when it reached her and just immediately forwarded the box to me, so part of the fault was with us, the customers. However, within a day, Chris from Anderson Pens responded promptly and said they would send the correct items free of charge. I was so relieved and happy. I am also their customer for life. SUMMARY I am a happy customer. This was my 4th (or 5th?) order from the Goulets and first order from the Andersons. I will most definitely be a repeat customer for both. Both Goulet Pens and Anderson Pens were more than stellar in responding to me and rectifying the issues, even if technically they didn't have to. This level of dedication to customer service is phenomenal, and the speed by which both sellers responded to my emails was topnotch. In the future, before I even think of buying from unknown sellers on Amazon or Ebay, I will buy from the family run businesses of the Goulets and Andersons. Thank you. -Isabella (Isay)

Addicted to ink samples and love the Goulets. I blame them for my buying pens and great customer service. I dabble in art and design but I'm a research student in marine biology. Still getting the hang of FPN, but glad to be here

For anyone interested in a fairly comprehensive description of the pen, and what comes in the box with it, Brian Goulet has put up a Q&A-style post on his blog - well worth reading (even if, like me, you've ordered yours from somewhere else!). My one caveat: swapping nibs between the Eco and the Classic or Diamond Mini is NOT a trivial exercise: the nib and feed are fitted so tightly into the 'nib assembly' casing that there's a non-zero risk of bending or breaking fins on the feed. I'm very comfortable disassembling my Diamond 580 nib assemblies - but after a near miss with my Mini (a few slightly bent tines that I was able to re-straighten), I'm no longer game... Anyway, here's the link - happy reading! http://blog.gouletpens.com/2015/07/answering-your-twsbi-eco-questions.html

Hello! I'm Marcelo from Brazil. I've been coming here for a couple of months because Brian Goulet can't shut up about the FPN Now I've felt sure that I want to be part of this (extra) fine community. I'm a total n00b when it comes to fountain pens — I've been using fountain pens since college, but only this year I decided to really dive into the hobby and acquire some know-how and connect with other enthusiasts. (The discovery of the Goulet Pens YouTube channel might have had something to do with it.) It's quite hard to find good pens, inks, paper, etc. in Brazil without forking out a lot of cash. Not only everything is imported, importation duties are between 86 and 94% over price + shipping. This creates a scenario where few pen companies dare to bring or produce very much of anything. Pilot, for example, sells, two bottled inks, "black" and "blue". That's it. Pilot concentrates on ballpoint and roller pens here. Sheaffer sells maybe three pens and Faber-Castell doesn't even sell anything apart from pencils in Brazil. My first pen ever was made by a regional brand called Crown. They're the only people who lean pretty heavily into fountain pens while also making rollerballs an mechanical pencils (Brazilians love 'em some mechanical pencils). Crown's alright, but they are villains and victims of this state of everything being so expensive: their pens really don't mach up to quality by price if compared to German or Japanese pens of the same level of quality, even with the added importation taxes. I'm rambling (I'll be doing that a lot around here, sorry). Anyhow, it's good to finally stop lurking!