Fountain Pen Radio with Special Guest S.B.R.E. Brown: Saturday 23 June 2012

By On · 51 Comments · In Fountain Pen Radio

Join Fountain Pen Geeks for a live broadcast / recording of our upcoming FPGeeks Podcast.

Special Guests:
S.B.R.E. (Stephen) Brown (sbrebrown on youtube)
Brian Anderson (andersonpens.net)

Topics:
The International InkJournal Notebooks GiveAway
Monteverde Napa Collection
Montegrappa Espressione Line
Nakaya Cat Paradise Byakudan-Nuri with Yakou Maki-e Fountain Pen
Confessions of an Inkoholic
Rohrer & Klingner 120th Anniversary Limited Edition Ink
Sneak Peek at Greg Minuskin’s D.C. Pen Show Inventory
Caran d’Ache La Rindyà Limited Edition
Scott Franklin shows us his Daily Carry Pens
The Franklin-Christoph Penvelope 2

We’re Giving Away and Edison Pen!

This episode was recorded live on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

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  • Maja

    Waiting with bated breath for Stephen’s announcement… :o

  • snedwos

    As long as he doesn’t retire…

  • Altruism

    “The live broadcast is no longer available via Ustream. But no worries, the live broadcast and live chat are available below. To log into the chat, just try leaving a comment. As soon as you do it will ask you to log into Ustream.”

    Wait what was that first part? Can anyone clarify this a bit for me? Are you guys not using Ustream anymore?

    • http://theinkednib.com Lee Smallwood

      I am also puzzled by that bit of language, but the way I’d construe it is that perhaps some archived episodes are no longer available that way.

      • http://fpgeeks.com/ Dan Smith

        We’re no longer going to have our channel on UStream’s website. We’ll still broadcast through them, but you’ll only be able to view it here.

        We upload all the recorded video to YouTube so you don’t have to see ads during the show.

  • Ian

    Excellent. I hope it is more of Stephen rather than less. I will be tuning in!

  • Robert

    I know what he will be announcing. If you listen carefully the podcast with him, he gave you a hint.

  • Emilio Villegas

    Someone give him an honorary PhD :( so he can stay with us! :(

  • Thierry Green

    Do we really care, he’s just a geek with a pen fetish like us all. Would rather see more new pens rather than more of this narcissist.

    • Maja

      Pretty hard to *see* pens during a radio broadcast, isn’t it? :lol:
      I think Stephen’s enthusiasm for pens and our hobby is wonderful and I look forward to listening to him talk to Dan & Eric :)

      • Emilio Villegas

        +1000

      • Thierry Green

        Yes Maja I guess it would be hard to *see* pens on a radio broadcast, but as I *WATCH* the show live I get to *SEE* the photos of pens the guys show. Do keep up with technology dear.

        I love Dan & Eric, I just think this Brown guy is an overrated pen fanatic, who’s not interested in anyone else, what anyone else has to say or anyone else’s pen collection (aka a narcissist).

        I’d much rather Brian from Edison any day, he’s actually interesting.

  • Saintpaulia

    Well Thierry that’s one view point I guess. But it does seem a bit like a way to assuage your envy of someone doing something for others instead of sitting on the side and making ad hominem criticisms.

    As for Stephen being on on the 23rd, he was just on two Saturdays ago wasn’t he? A pleasure to see him again so soon. I know he said that come fall he will not have as much time to devote to his pen work since he’ll be starting his PhD work. Could the announcement be about that?

  • Ian

    Thierry, firstly enough with the condescension bud, it’s not big and it’s not classy!
    Secondly I think your in a minority with your thoughts. I have learned a great deal from Stephens enthusiasm and knowledge. Also, the guy does not have to spend hours putting these things together, but he does and why? Because he loves the subject and wants to pass on that to others.
    It is a terrible world indeed if cynicism is the only way to comment about people who have genuine interests and are willing to make the effort to share that with a wider audience!

    • http://monkeyphotomcr.blogspot.com/ John the Monkey

      He has the only review of the Faber Castell Basic I’ve seen anywhere too, fwiw.

    • Emilio Villegas

      +1

    • https://plus.google.com/113281675223657146847/posts Lireoec

      Hear hear, I concur wholeheartedly!

    • Thierry Green

      Thanks for your opinion Ian, my condescending reply was in response to Maja’s condescending and factually incorrect one above, what’s good for the goose is also good for the gander no?

      IMO (if you agree with it or not) the guy makes his videos because he likes showing off his pens and likes the sound of his own voice. The reviews are never one thing or the other, just nondescript overviews of pens, generally mentioning their size (in relation to his big hands) and the smoothness of the nib. Whether its a MB 149 or a Pilot Preppy, as far as Mr Brown is concerned, the nib is smooth and he likes everything about it.

      I prefer pen reviews to be more realistic and constructive, rather than “look at my next new pen, it’s nice and smooth”.

      And the reason I WATCH the FPGeek show is to hear about new pens not listen to a self indulgent talk about himself.

      SaintPaulia, you have no idea what I do or do not do, so you can’t judge me either.

      Oh and Ian, I’m not your bud.

      • http://theinkednib.com Lee Smallwood

        This week’s broadcast was not like the first Stephen Brown appearance. I think for whatever reason Dan and Eric treated his first appearance as a pseudo-Geek of the Week interview. I do think you have a point that it wasn’t really the same format as the usual Fountain Pen Radio broadcast. This week was very much the usual format with no Geek of the Week style questions.

        I personally and respectfully say that to me, Thierry, your comments have come off as blunt and I recoiled from them just like many of the people you have been discussing this with did. I do think you have a point about how that first Stephen Brown appearance went, however. They did go off format. They didn’t this week. Next time he’s a guest host, I predict you’ll find the show to be the usual format you like and will find what is going on to be more to your liking.

      • https://plus.google.com/113281675223657146847/posts Lireoec

        Thierry there is a hint of truth to what you had to say about the format of the show last week, but to be fair, it appears that your tone is coming off as very blunt and confrontational and you’re the one who started it all with the “narcissist” comment. Even if that’s the case, that sort of tone is not necessary here as Dan and/or Eric would gladly tell you. We’re a friendly community and you’ll find most of us to be pleasant people once you get to know us.

        I know you’re just trying to offer some constructive criticism but if you have seen all of Stephen’s videos I think it is objective to say that he does not make videos purely “because he likes showing off his pens and the sound of his own voice”. Again, to be fair, he also makes videos reviewing inks and their qualities and occasionally he does pen comparisons.

        I am sure many of us have found his videos to be informative and helpful. He’s also very prompt with replies if you have any serious questions on any of the pens that he reviewed. So even if he’s just “showing off and being narcissist” he’s quite helpful and informative from time to time and that’s always welcome in my book and safe to say, in our community’s book (FPGeeks). Cheers.

      • Saintpaulia

        Thierry, you actually have some good points. And now that you have toned down your rhetoric I can hear them better. Keep on posting. Every voice deserves a hearing IF it is civilized.

  • Chad

    Thierry is a very negative and rude person….Bud

  • http://theinkednib.com Lee Smallwood

    My favorite part about this broadcast was how we had about 20 people in chat and were all chatting about the giveaway and yet nobody actually called in. I didn’t want to do it because I had just won last month. When Eric said if they didn’t get a caller he was about to call it, I called. He said let’s just do it next week and got my call at the same time, so he stopped but at the same moment I hung up. It was just too comic.

    Somebody, call in next week so I won’t have to! ;)

    • Maja

      Hi Lee, same thing happened to me today on the show :) Thanks again for the ink article!

  • Michel_de_Montreal

    So a bunch of us in the chat tried to call you Eric, but your phone went straight to voicemail, and then THEN when it finally rang, there was nothing, NOTHING……

    OH THE HUMANITY!!!!

    Ziggy1333

  • https://plus.google.com/113281675223657146847/posts Lireoec

    Hey Eric, oh you should have seen the chat room tonight. It was hilarious, we all had heaps of fun as usual. Thanks again for today’s show, it was light-hearted and informative. Yeah and a lot of people called and were very disappointed when no one responded on the other side. I am looking at you.

  • Ian

    Oh Thierry, thank goodness your not my Bud! How sad to walk through life with an attitude like yours!

    • Ani

      @Ian: DITTO.

  • Sam

    Inoxcrom make pens with cow patterns on them.

  • Ian

    brilliant show again Gentlemen. I missed the last ten minutes so have just caught up. Stephen. We have talked about the 51 before, there is no excuse now seeing as your going the the DC pen show and Mr Minuskin has those wonderful nibblick nibs (is that what you call it??)

    I for one am voting for a live podcast from the show if that is technically possible. I can just imagine, the two Brians, a Stephen, Eric and Dan (why do I want to carry on with a partridge in a pear tree!)

  • ian

    Oh yes, Hope Dan is OK

    • Sam

      AWESOME NIBBAGE!

      • ian

        Thats it! Nibbage, thank you! I got it wrong, Nibblick is a golf club I think!

  • Tamara

    Fun episode! Nice to see Brian Anderson and Doc Brown :) And Eric, of course.

  • Saintpaulia

    @Ian, who wrote: “It is a terrible world indeed if cynicism is the only way to comment about people who have genuine interests and are willing to make the effort to share that with a wider audience!” Extremely well put. And this is not just about Thierry either. This kind of cynicism is pretty rampant in this World these days. And HEY THERE! if you don’t like Stephen don’t watch him. Simple as that. I do so I watch.

    • Thierry Green

      @SaintPaulia I don’t like Stephen Brown, so I don’t watch him and this also means when he is on Fountain Pen Radio, I can’t watch that either, which is a shame.

      • AC

        What’s the reason you do not like him? You don’t even know him…

        • Thierry Green

          How do you know I do not know him?

          Why am I not allowed to have an opinion that contradicts with others? As I said above, I don’t watch his videos anymore because I don’t find his reviews & information constructive and I have to miss the radio show when he is on too – that’s it. That was point in my first post, I would rather see another guest. You say you are all such a friendly bunch, but not if someone has a differing opinion it seems!

          • AC

            Thierry, when Stephen is on, FPGeeks show might lose one (you), but gain 10+. That’s what has been happening… So, no worry. :-)

  • Tamara

    Since when is FPGeeks a place for people to air their personal grievances? I’m here for the pens. If you’re not, then leave. It’s that simple.

    • Thierry Green

      Thanks Tamara, I agree. That’s exactly why I am here, for the pens.

  • Melissa59

    Ack! I missed this broadcast! I was away for the weekend but might have found time to log in if I had known Mr. Brown was going to be the guest again. I really need to start paying better attention to this site!

    I LOVE Stephen Brown’s humor! Sure, I could learn some of the same stuff from some monotone speaker who videotapes nothing but his/her hands and a pen (Zzzzzzzz). It is so much more enjoyable to learn while being entertained.

    Personally, I think if we could clone Stephen Brown and place him classrooms across the U.S. I think we’d have a lot more kids excelling in school. I know I could have used someone like him to teach me science and history.

    • ian

      love this comment Melissa.

      • Thierry Green

        How rude to the people who “are willing to make the effort to share their interest with others”. Just because some reviewers prefer to focus the camera on the pen in their hands, like Mr Smith does (which is what we tune in for right? – the pens) rather than staring down the camera and with no focus on the pen, this makes them zzzz to you Melissa? I think perhaps you might enjoy Mr Browns videos not for the pens…

        • AC

          Thierry, I don’t know why you are so bitter…

          I think, Stephen is very informative when he’s giving a review about a pen. He also compares pens. I have not seen anyone else that is dedicated as he has been in making the pen review videos. If you do not like his videos, maybe you can make a “better” video review and share it with us??? :-)

          Be happy. :-)

  • ian

    Oh Thierry, I am guessing now your a pre teen angst ridden child with an identity complex! I think you must be with your last comment. Juvenile would be the word

  • AC

    Actually, Stephen has brought new followers to the FPGeeks show.

  • Saintpaulia

    There are always going to be trolls on these forums. They are as inevitable as rain on a parade. While I said previously that our resident critic has some valid points they are far outweighed by vitriol. Our critic is his own worse enemy. I suspect that if we ignore him he’ll eventually go away out of sheer boredom at not being paid the attention that he so much wants and needs.

    I would guess this is a classic case of psychological projection of the Shadow. Our fault finding friend is in fact all the things he says that Dr. Brown is! Ha ha ha! With narcissism at the head of the line.