Gouletpens.com 'swab Shop'

[GouletPens]

  On 7/12/2010 at 5:39 AM, SamCapote said:

Brian (& Family),

 

I can't say enough wonderful words for this contribution to everyone. Besides the fact that you had to open every bottle, make the swab and label on two cards for every ink, then scan each, capture and name the files...and then go to that extra degree of having them each hand calibrated is an unbelievable amount of work, radical dedication, and attention to detail. On top of all that, an effective display coding system had to be designed, written, debugged, and triple checked ink by ink. I had to take a peek at my browser's page source only to appreciate all the coding work that was done behind the scenes to make this work.

 

These kind of things don't just magically appear on the internet, and I hope you recognize all the people who will link and use this and not take the time to thank you for it....but they are thanking you for it. You might even consider adding a counter to know how much it is being used. Anyway, thanks again. Really great work!

 

I'm thankful that you appreciate all of the work that went into this (and is going to continue to go into this ongoing). I'm sure most everyone understands to some degree how much effort went into this, but even still I'm glad to hear from you. I can't understate the amount of work that it took (and will take), but it's so worth it, I think. I thought about the counter idea, but I'm not sure if that's important. I'm much more of the mentality that if a tool is really good and useful, that people will use it, period.

 

  On 7/12/2010 at 3:01 PM, Felix1 said:

Appreciate all your hard work, Brian. This is a great resource.

 

I don't suppose there's any long-term plan to expand the individual ink info into something along the lines of what used to be available on Fountain Pen Inks-A Sampler?

 

When Greg Clark was running that project, it had no peers. Unfortunately, the new owner's family and personal problems have about doomed the venture as a viable ink aid.

 

I particularly liked having things like pH, water resistance, UV fading tolerance, etc. which A Sampler provided...in addition, of course, to the color-accurate swabs. I fully understand it's no longer possible to economically produce a mailable product like Greg did but I am wondering if it might be feasible to include additional subjective ink properties along side your swabs. After all, you have committed in your blog to being our go to guy on ink matters.

 

Speaking of blogs, Brian, how about that Friday, June 18, 2010 entry. Was the store you discussed stationary (unmoving) as you said or stationery (writing materials)? Then again, it was probably both.

{obviously I'm just teasing...certainly no disrespect implied nor intended}

 

Well....perhaps, but I that's a whooole lot more work right there. I have to weigh out what's important to everyone versus how much time I have. I hardly ever have people ask about things like pH of ink, but color is ALWAYS a factor when buying ink!

 

And regarding the typo, what typo? J/k, I fixed it. It was actually a guest blog a customer of mine did, and I missed the misspelling in my proofreading. Oops! Thanks for pointing it out.

 

  On 7/12/2010 at 7:36 PM, SamCapote said:

  On 7/12/2010 at 3:01 PM, Felix1 said:

Appreciate all your hard work, Brian. This is a great resource.

 

I don't suppose there's any long-term plan to expand the individual ink info into something along the lines of what used to be available on Fountain Pen Inks-A Sampler?

 

When Greg Clark was running that project, it had no peers. Unfortunately, the new owner's family and personal problems have about doomed the venture as a viable ink aid.

 

I particularly liked having things like pH, water resistance, UV fading tolerance, etc. which A Sampler provided...in addition, of course, to the color-accurate swabs. I fully understand it's no longer possible to economically produce a mailable product like Greg did but I am wondering if it might be feasible to include additional subjective ink properties along side your swabs. After all, you have committed in your blog to being our go to guy on ink matters.

 

Speaking of blogs, Brian, how about that Friday, June 18, 2010 entry. Was the store you discussed stationary (unmoving) as you said or stationery (writing materials)? Then again, it was probably both.

{obviously I'm just teasing...certainly no disrespect implied nor intended}

 

Speaking of Greg Clark's project....don't consider stepping into the pH testing lightly. I have a bunch more results to finish and post, but just doing this limited selection with reliable technique and calibration checks before and after each sample is not an easy or simple matter.

 

I have no intention of getting into pH testing of inks right now. Not to say I won't in the future, but I don't have the time and I know it's a beast to tackle (much like photo color management!). Perhaps I could look into some kind of collaboration with a chemist who's an expert on the science of ink? I'm much more of an 'artist' than a scientist. I don't concern myself all that much with the chemistry of the ink, I just like the pretty colors :roflmho:

 

I had actually thought about doing an ink sampler of real swabs and selling them, but it would take a ton of time to do. Perhaps I'll offer that down the road, but I'm stretched a little thin right now to get into that. Maybe if enough people bug me for it I will, but honestly I don't see that happening. Instead of buying ink swabs, I think people would rather put that money towards ink samplers and have it to test themselves!

 

  On 7/13/2010 at 5:25 AM, devaldez said:

Very cool, Brian!

 

I just used it to find eight blues to try. I LOVE that you have the sampler option as well. :clap1:

 

I wanted to set up a 3-step system for inks. Swabs, then samplers, then bottles. I know as an inkophile myself that nothing drives you crazier than buying a full bottle of ink that's not the right color you wanted, grrrr! Then you hang on to it forever and ever, usually not touching it again except out of guilt. That's no way to live, I say! You'll end up saving a lot of money and hassle in the long run by doing with swab-sample method, and you'll have a much better writing experience because you get the right ink the first time. I'm all about enhancing the writing experience!

[GouletPens]

I just finished a little intro video on the Swab Shop too, thought I'd post it here (warning, I was tired when I made this video, and it's obvious!):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVpW2fDbQmM

Edited July 13, 2010 by GouletPens

[SnowLeopard]

At first I thought it was "squab" shop...I was so looking forward to lunch...boo. I've found that FPN'ers "swabs" are significantly different from real pen inkings. U must have used lots of Q-Tips...huh?

Different pens, paper, hands, ink = different results....in almost all cases.There r better ways to spend weekends.Shame you got so pooped out. Feel better.

Edited July 13, 2010 by SnowLeopard

[tanalasta]

  On 7/13/2010 at 12:56 PM, SnowLeopard said:

Different pens, paper, hands, ink = different results....in almost all cases.There r better ways to spend weekends.Shame you got so pooped out. Feel better.

 

I partially disagree. Brian's tried very hard to colour balance his samples and at least looking at the few J'Herbin inks that I have, his colours seem pretty accurate.

 

The hard work assists in everybody getting a general idea at a glance and compare inks across the board. Then one can order either bottles or sample vials from Brian. A much more convenient way to have such a reference on hand to shortlist an ink colour prefererence (or search for that elusive colour you always seem to be after) than buying bottles and vials and bottles of inks.

 

I am most appreciative of Brian's work and customer service. If not for that fact I have bottles of J'Herbin and Iroshizuku and MontBlanc and Visconti I'd have placed another order by now!

Edited July 13, 2010 by tanalasta

[devaldez]

@SnowLeopard - While I'm down with what you're saying, I also know that SOME indication is better than none for those of us with limited discretionary income. In my case, I used the swabs to give me a direction, then I ordered samples of each ink I thought would work. This way I can use them at home, determine the winner(s), and order accordingly. The ONLY downside to this, as has already been mentioned, is that Brian is making it darn tough on us in terms of frequenting our local shop (and at least in Portland, there are exactly TWO).

[penspouse]

  On 7/11/2010 at 8:44 PM, GouletPens said:

I also plan to add features like selecting 'recommended' groups of swabs, swabs by color, brand, etc. I'll get to all that soon enough.

LOVE this idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

  On 7/11/2010 at 9:17 PM, GouletPens said:

I want to put together ink sampler packages too...dark greens, turquoises, reds, yellows, blue-blacks, vintage browns, etc. I'd love feedback on 5-8 ink sampler packs if you have any ideas!

Ooooooooooo Samplers!

[GouletPens]

  On 7/13/2010 at 12:56 PM, SnowLeopard said:

At first I thought it was "squab" shop...I was so looking forward to lunch...boo. I've found that FPN'ers "swabs" are significantly different from real pen inkings. U must have used lots of Q-Tips...huh?

Different pens, paper, hands, ink = different results....in almost all cases.There r better ways to spend weekends.Shame you got so pooped out. Feel better.

 

I wasn't tired from the swabs, I'm tired because I am a small business owner AND I have a 6-month old!

 

I completely understand the lack of trust of swabs in general. There are at least a half-down factors affecting the way ink looks to me and the way it'll look to you through your computer, any one of which will make it look off. All I could do was make it as accurate as possible. Even though you may not trust the accuracy of a given swab, what you CAN trust is that all of the swabs I've done are in the most consistent and controlled manner as possible. So at least when you're seeing two swabs next to each other, you can tell one is darker than the other, one has more blue, more green, etc. than the other. Until Willy Wonka starts selling his 'Wonkavision' to the public and I can actually share ink over the internet, this is the best we can hope for!

[jomielll]

  On 7/11/2010 at 9:17 PM, GouletPens said:

I want to put together ink sampler packages too...dark greens, turquoises, reds, yellows, blue-blacks, vintage browns, etc. I'd love feedback on 5-8 ink sampler packs if you have any ideas!

this would be totally awesome

[Raiche58]

Thanks to you Brian, I just found the perfect solution to the ink conundrum for a friend of mine. I have been planning to give her a Caran d'Ache fountain pen, but didn't want to burden or bother her about what kind of ink she might like. With the Swab Shop (and a gift certificate I just sent her online from Goulet Pens) this should be an easy and personally satisfying experience for her. She won't have to wander all over tarnation trying to figure this out.

 

She's a lefty who doesn't generally use fountain pens, but I happened to have the Caran d'Ache for her to test drive and she loved it! Super fine nib, heavy weight, very thin body. It's to celebrate and congratulate her for graduating from a Master's program. In addition to the pen and ink, I also gave her a richly red colored leather journal which evokes the Jung Red Book. She bought a copy of that as a gift to herself. It's an awsome book!

 

The gifting is now complete!

[Felix1]

Looking at the swabs of inks I've used and am familiar with, the colors are quite accurate on my (calibrated) monitor. Well done, Brian! Appreciate the work you've put into this time-consuming project.

 

Your offer to include any inks you don't carry if users will send you samples is absolutely awesome. Hopefully someone with all the Iroshizuku colors will take you up on your proffer.

[ToasterPastry]

Far be it for me to suggest how to improve the Swab Shop. I know a few individuals that have tried something similar, both for reference and commerce purposes.

 

However, I totally support the idea of expanding the project to include all inks, past and present, much like the online version of Greg Clark's book, regardless of whether Brian sells the inks or not. Brian has done a significant amount of the work by creating a template from which it could be expanded. I'm certain that the new owner of the Ink Sampler book would be willing to donate all of her inks since she apparently is unable to finish the project.

 

I would be willing to contribute ink, paper, time, and money to support the project.

[devaldez]

So, others have already mentioned it, but I wanted to do an immediate shout-out to Brian. I used the Swap Shop to select a set of deep, saturated blues. I then compiled a sampler based on those color choices and less than a day later, Brian already has them shipping. In cycling the term is "chapeau" for a well-done endeavor.

 

Chapeau, Brian!

[GouletPens]

  On 7/14/2010 at 2:53 AM, devaldez said:

So, others have already mentioned it, but I wanted to do an immediate shout-out to Brian. I used the Swap Shop to select a set of deep, saturated blues. I then compiled a sampler based on those color choices and less than a day later, Brian already has them shipping. In cycling the term is "chapeau" for a well-done endeavor.

 

Chapeau, Brian!

 

That's how I do!

[broker]

I really like the Gouletpens shop, like the way Brian shows his business in so many different ways. Enjoy the videos, blog and, now, I am very impressed by the new "Swab Shop". As I am in Brazil is kind difficult to buy from him due shipping costs, but will try to support it's shop in my next ink adventure...

PS. Is there a way to assure my monitor is "well tuned" to take advantage of the Swab Shop?

[wvbeetlebug]

:clap1:

[GouletPens]

  On 7/17/2010 at 5:48 PM, broker said:

I really like the Gouletpens shop, like the way Brian shows his business in so many different ways. Enjoy the videos, blog and, now, I am very impressed by the new "Swab Shop". As I am in Brazil is kind difficult to buy from him due shipping costs, but will try to support it's shop in my next ink adventure...

PS. Is there a way to assure my monitor is "well tuned" to take advantage of the Swab Shop?

 

I have a link on the Swab Shop page to a free DIY 'profiling' tool, but it's not going to be perfect. There are physical devices that the pro's use to color profile their computer monitors that run in the $200+ range. This is what I used for my monitor when adjusting the swabs before posting them. The exact device I used is called an X-rite i1 display LT. X-rite is pretty much the leader in color management. Talk to any of your photographer or graphic designer friends and see if you can use theirs. I wouldn't expect at all that you would have one of these laying around or that you'd pay that much just to see ink swatches (that's money you could spend on actual INK), that's why I put the best 'free' profiling tool I could find. If you come across a better one, let me know!

[esterbex]

OK, so I'm overcome by ink-lust and order like 15 samples from Goulet Pens Sunday night. That Swab Shop ogling is dangerous...

Anyway....I get a lovely email from Mr. Brian Goulet thanking me for my order that same evening. He further informs me that some people

are having "INK PARTIES" to share samples and unabashedly indulge in ink orgies....I think, wow, what a fabulous idea.

Today, Wednesday, I have already received my order of samples and am wondering....Where is the next closest INK PARTY happening?

And how do I get invited?

 

I live in a fountain pen lover deprived area of the planet. Closest pen club is 1.5-2 hours away, and they only meet during the week. Anyone anywhere

have any personal experience with an event such as this? I'm curious to know when, where and how I can horn in/crash/get an invite.....

 

ETA: Oh! And my order included another thank you handwritten by Brian on some exquisite stationery with a Supple Wax Seal and a couple of ink swabs on some more beautiful paper samples.

I have a new pusher and I am a happy addict!!!

Edited July 22, 2010 by esterbex

[GouletPens]

The ink party I blogged about was actually just 3 friends getting together, it wasn't a big production. The three of them bought in on one order of ink samples (20 of them), and all tested them out together. It was neat actually, there was one friend that knew both of the others through different circles, and it was the shared love of writing that brought them all together. Sounds a little cheesy but it's true!

[USMCMom]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I live in an area with no pen/ink shops, no fountain pen clubs or gatherings. I've been here 12 years and never once saw anyone use a fountain pen! I have run into a few people who didn't know what a fountain pen was!! The closest pen show from here is about 4 hours (8 round trip)away, but I hope to go.

[GouletPens]

I (well, my wife actually) just added to the functionality of the Swab Shop to make it a little more useful. Now instead of just having lists of the ink names, there's a dropbox for different ink groupings to give you a basic idea for colors. You select 'dark greens', it'll pull 5 of them we 'suggested' for you, and you can still change and pull up new colors just like normal. What do you think?