Brian’s Top 3 Everyday Carry Pens
Back in 2013, almost 10 years ago, I recorded a video called Brian Goulet’s Top 3 Every Day Carry Fountain Pens, and I thought it’d be fun to see how much my choices hold up now that I have a lot more fountain pen experience and more pens at my disposal. While my original choices are still solid pens (the LAMY 2000, Pilot Custom 74, and the Pilot Metropolitan) and I stand behind them, I have been carrying around some different pens these days, so I'll focus on those in this video.
Brian's (New) Top 3 Daily Carry Pens:
LAMY 2000
This pen is still an Everyday Carry Pen for me, because of its durability, and sufficient ink capacity. The nibs are reliable on all nib sizes, but my nib preference tends to be a fine nib on the LAMY 2000. The brushed feel of the pen is a nice texture, as it's not too distracting nor is it too smooth. The clip is great and it has a satisfying click on the cap when you close it.
TWSBI 580ALR Prussian Blue
Again, I find the fine nib is what I go for with this pen. TWSBI has great ink capacity as well, and this is such an affordable pen! It's also a great color. I like that it's a demonstrator pen, so I can show people how a fountain pen works, and it seals really well.
And of course, there is a 3-way tie for third place. (Hey, it's my list, and I can bend the rules if I want!)
Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age
What else is there to say about the Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age? It's an amazing material, has a great ink capacity, and is smooth and almost cool to the touch at first. The nib is wet writing, but also very smooth with pretty much every nib size above an EF. All and all, this is a pen I carried daily for over 4 years, and it's still a go-to for me on a daily basis.
Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen
This little pocket pen is a workhorse if there ever was one. While the only nib size available is Fine, it's smooth and stays well-sealed for days at a time. It's easy to take with you anywhere. I don't hesitate to toss it in a bag with my pocketknife, because the brass will not get damaged by banging around with other things.
Sailor King Of Pens Asian Way
This particular pen is very sentimental to me. I bought this before we picked up Sailor as a brand, while I was traveling to Japan to celebrate Platinum’s 100th anniversary. It was meaningful because 1) I just loved the look (especially that bi-color nib!) and I don’t know that it was ever available in the US, 2) it was my most out-of-my-comfort zone traveling experience in Tokyo, and I literally had to transact this purchase through Google Translate on my phone. Even with such a language barrier, I had a great experience with the retailer and we were able to communicate our shared love and passion for fountain pens. Using this pen is a meaningful token to me regarding the positive memories of that trip, made even richer by bringing Sailor to thegouletpens.com in 2020.
So there you have it! The 3 (or 5) pens I take with me daily. Check these pens and more out at our store, and let our Customer Care team know if you have any questions!
