Are Inkwells USELESS for Fountain Pens? + Pelikan M200 vs M400 Explained | Goulet Q&A Ep. 349

In this week’s episode, Brian shares top recommendations for olive green pens and inks, along with fast-drying inks for lefties that won’t bleed all over the page, breaks down the durability of the Diplomat Aero Black Forest finish, explains what sets the Pelikan Souverän series apart, weighs in on whether inkwells are actually practical for fountain pen users, shows off more paintings, and more! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 00:58 Feedback 03:53 New Stuff 10:35 Comp-nay Updates 12:58 1) Your TWSBI Bahama comparison inspired a question—after loving my Monteverde MP1 Olive Green with Faber-Castell Olive Ink, I’m on the hunt for more fountain pens and inks with ‘olive’ in the name (not necessarily perfect matches). Any recommendations? 19:15 2) As a lefty about six months into fountain pens, I’m struggling to find fast-drying inks that don’t feather on normal printer paper—‘fast-dry’ options like Private Reserve smear less but feather badly. Are there any lists or recommendations for inks that dry quickly and behave well on regular paper? 28:35 3) The Diplomat Aero Black Forest Aero looks amazing! Can the cap post without damaging the cool finish? 33:45 4) I’ve been looking at Pelikan pens but can’t tell the differences between models like the M200 and M400 beyond price—can you explain? 50:41 5) Can you elaborate on inkwells—how practical are they, what’s your experience, and do you actually use them? 57:45 6) How difficult is it for a new or small company to partner with brands like Pilot to sell their pens, compared to an established business? 01:11: 38 Brian’s Adventures LINKS TO PRODUCTS FEATURED: New Stuff: Conklin All American USA 250th Anniversary: https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/conklin-all-american?sort_by=created-descending&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte= Pelikan Edelstein Pyrite: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pelikan-edelstein-pyrite-50ml-bottled-ink-special-edition BENU Euphoria Opera: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/benu-euphoria-fountain-pen-opera BENU Euphoria Ballet: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/benu-euphoria-fountain-pen-ballet Platinum #3776 Century Travia Gift Set (LE): https://www.gouletpens.com/products/platinum-3776-century-fountain-pen-travia-limited-edition-gift-set Monteverde MP1 Olive Green: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/monteverde-mp1-fountain-pen-olive-green Monteverde Axis Matte Olive: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/monteverde-axis-fountain-pen-matte-olive Kaweco AL Sport Olivine: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/kaweco-al-sport-fountain-pen-olivine-limited-production Jacques Herbin Vert Olive: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/jacques-herbin-vert-olive-30ml-bottled-ink Monteverde Golden Olivine (GPC): https://www.gouletpens.com/products/monteverde-olivine-30ml-bottled-ink Olive Traveler’s Notebook: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/travelers-notebook-olive-regular Jinhao Shark Matte Green: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/jinhao-993-shark-fountain-pen-matte-green-5-nib BENU Matcha Latte (GPC): https://www.gouletpens.com/products/benu-euphoria-fountain-pen-matcha-latte Tom Hessin Rebel Garrison Green: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/tom-hessin-rebel-fountain-pen-garrison-green Kaweco Lunar Sport Shadow Green: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/kaweco-lunar-sport-fountain-pen-shadow-green RnK Alt-Goldrun: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/rohrer-klingner-alt-goldgrun-50ml-bottled-ink Noodler’s Army Green: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/noodlers-army-green-3oz-bottled-ink De Atramentis Document Ink: https://www.gouletpens.com/search?sort_by=relevance&q=de+atratmentis&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=&filter.p.m.custom.product_model=De+Atramentis+Document+Ink Diamine Forever Ink: https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/diamine-forever-inks Noodler’s Brevity inks: https://www.gouletpens.com/search?sort_by=relevance&q=Noodler%27s+Brevity&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&filter.p.product_type=Bottled+Ink&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte= Noodler’s Legal Blue: https://www.gouletpens.com/products/noodlers-legal-blue-3oz-bottled-ink Mountain of Ink: https://mountainofink.com/blog/fast-dry-inks Pilot Iroshizuku: https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-iroshizuku-bottled-ink Link to Pelikan Soüvran blog post: https://www.gouletpens.com/blogs/fountain-pen-blog/pelikan-souveran-fountain-pen-comparison SHOP at our store! https://www.gouletpens.com/ ABOUT GOULET PENS: Brian & Rachel Goulet started The Goulet Pen Company in 2009 and you can see the evolution of our mom and pop into a full-blown company through this channel. We run a dedicated online store with fountain pens, ink, paper, and other fine writing accessories. Our goal with this channel is to provide fountain pen fans at all levels of experience with comprehensive product reviews, round ups, and how-to videos to answer all the fountain pen questions you may have. Shop at https://www.gouletpens.com.