Goulet Pens +1

[Pens&Lit]

I've placed several orders with Goulet Pens, and have found their service speed and packaging to be wonderful. All orders have included ink, and they have arrived heavily wrapped in plastic and securely padded to ensure minimal chance of breakage. I will order from them in the future for certain. They also include a little handwritten note on the receipt, which I think is a nice personal touch.

[Felix]

I've had good luck with them as well. Prices are competitive, shipping is fast (and securely packed), they don't gouge you with excessive s&h charges and I appreciate the videos, ink samples, etc.

[alc3261]

Service is fast and good but P&P to the UK is very high.

[fountainpenkid]

For ink, TWSBI, Noodler's, and stationary they are the the best, but their prices on pens aren't always so great.

[Felix]

<snip>, but their prices on pens aren't always so great.

Your point's well made and I agree. For example, I've never figured out why anyone would buy a Pilot VP, Pilot Fermo, Pilot 74, Pilot 823, etc. from Goulet Pens when they can pick up the very same item from John Mottishaw (nibs.com) at the same price yet receive a pen which has been inspected, inked, tested on paper, and optimized for the individual writing characteristics of the end user before being cleaned and shipped to the buyer. All this at no additional cost by one of the USA's top nibmeisters.

And then I heard on one of their Write Time broadcasts that the Goulets were considering expanding into the high-end Pelikan line where they'd compete with Mottishaw and Binder at the same 20% discount price point. I advised them that was a misguided idea...those two well-regarded nibmeisters would provide much more value for high-end Pelikans than the Goulets were prepared to...at the same price point.

[fountainpenkid]

<snip>, but their prices on pens aren't always so great.

Your point's well made and I agree. For example, I've never figured out why anyone would buy a Pilot VP, Pilot Fermo, Pilot 74, Pilot 823, etc. from Goulet Pens when they can pick up the very same item from John Mottishaw (nibs.com) at the same price yet receive a pen which has been inspected, inked, tested on paper, and optimized for the individual writing characteristics of the end user before being cleaned and shipped to the buyer. All this at no additional cost by one of the USA's top nibmeisters.

And then I heard on one of their Write Time broadcasts that the Goulets were considering expanding into the high-end Pelikan line where they'd compete with Mottishaw and Binder at the same 20% discount price point. I advised them that was a misguided idea...those two well-regarded nibmeisters would provide much more value for high-end Pelikans than the Goulets were prepared to...at the same price point.

Exactly. I also would throw in that there are some other sellers that sell less than Binder or Nibs.com, and don't tune the pens...but often if it is a nice pen, you shouldn't (ahem..cough cough) have a problem with the nib in the first place. I try to buy my modern pens at the lowest price possible. (Pam Braun used to be da bomb for this kinda thing...but alas she stopped the business:()

[Felix]

Yep, Pam took a lot of dollars out of my pocket before she closed up shop. That was a sad day for pen lovers.

[jor412]

For ink, TWSBI, Noodler's, and stationary they are the the best, but their prices on pens aren't always so great.

True. I enjoy buying from goulet pens. The personalized service and the packaging are amazing, so when I can buy from them, I do. But some of their competitors do offer better deals.

[Tracy Lee]

Today I ordered two bottles of ink and some sealing wax. I had the tracking number and shipped notice in less than half an hour. They rock, totally. :thumbup::)

[ethernautrix]

Placed an order yesterday. I like supporting small businesses.

[Bogon07]

So far I've had three orders with them and been completely satisfied with the transactions. Once there was a mere two day delay to obtain a nib for the pen and they offered a couple ink samples as compensation (then I had to make another order later to buy one of those inks-clever).

They may not have the cheapest prices but they may offer options and service not available at other retailers and they have protective packaging second to none.

[Inginkpen]

I am a very happy customer of Goulet Pens. I particularly like their ink samples, they do a great job of photography of the ink swatches and the ability to view side by side comparisons of the swatches is great. I enjoy getting their monthly Ink Drop samples. It's a great way to try inks that many times I wouldn't have picked on my own.

[Jon Szanto]

Sometimes there are aspects of a purchase besides getting the absolute, to-the-penny lowest price. In the instance of the Goulets, I value very highly their business ethic, their interest in the pen community at large, and the fact that I am helping a small, family-run business to survive. The points made about purchasing a pen from a seller who also tunes it are well-placed, and it is also a value that adds to the transaction. Nonetheless, the mindset of trolling the web to get this or that for the precise least amount of money neglects these smaller operations, and I'm happy to do at least a portion of my purchasing from people who are honest, give great service, and give back to us benefits above and beyond the retail transaction.

[jor412]

Goulet offers service, packaging, and extras that are second to none. Their website is an extremely useful resource. I do agree with supporting certain retailers, Goulet being one of them. Still, sometimes, the difference isn't about pennies; sometimes, the difference is in dollars.

[GardenWeasel]

Join their Ink Drop and REALLY get addicted... I've been a happy customer for a while...

[ethernautrix]

I ordered a Goulet Pens #6 steel F for my Danitrio Komori last week, and it arrived Saturday. This $15 nib writes beautifully in my $800 pen. :-)

[Laura N]

Sometimes there are aspects of a purchase besides getting the absolute, to-the-penny lowest price. In the instance of the Goulets, I value very highly their business ethic, their interest in the pen community at large, and the fact that I am helping a small, family-run business to survive. The points made about purchasing a pen from a seller who also tunes it are well-placed, and it is also a value that adds to the transaction. Nonetheless, the mindset of trolling the web to get this or that for the precise least amount of money neglects these smaller operations, and I'm happy to do at least a portion of my purchasing from people who are honest, give great service, and give back to us benefits above and beyond the retail transaction.

I struggle with whether to post this, because it's not meant to be a knock on the excellent Goulets or any of their fans. I buy from all these businesses and appreciate them all. But I do have to say that I think those very same virtues apply to a lot of pen and ink retailers. Honesty, ethics, great service, willingness to help customers, interest in the pen community and being a small business -- that fits isellpens, ipenstore/Streetfair, Jetpens, The Writing Desk, and in my experience bigger bricks and mortar stores like Fountain Pen Hospital or Bertram's Inkwell or Pen Boutique. And others I'm forgetting. Most of them are small and owned by one family; Jetpens is owned by a group of friends. Maybe they just aren't very skilled at social media or projecting that image. Just at random, here's something I came across about Pen Boutique: http://www.penboutique.com/t-charity.aspx

I spend too much on pens and inks for any sane person, so I appreciate the retailer who will give me a better price or free shipping, because it means my dollar goes farther. We have a lot of great options without compromising service or principles. Sometimes Goulet gets my business, and sometimes their price with shipping is too high. I don't think it's bad for people to say that. It's honest. Maybe the feedback will help them. Anyway, they seem to be doing well, luckily, and I'm sure it will continue.

[Jon Szanto]

Laura, I think that is a fair viewpoint, and don't think anyone, even the Goulet's would be offended. The pen world is a little odd, because - in the big scheme of things - it's pretty small. Especially with forum and mailing list traffic, you get to know "the usual suspects", and one tries to be fair in their business. Or, I should say, I do. When it seems appropriate, I try to send a little business to various places, but I also have a bit of a loyalty gene.

Another area is repair. There are only so many repair people, and one weighs the various data points: reputation, length of time in the business, turnaround time, pricing, etc. Through the forums, I've gotten to speak and feel comfortable with a number of them, and as a result, I don't send all my pens to one place, but end up working with a few different people. I try to help people out by sending them my business, while also looking at my needs and bottom line.

So, all in all, the more we can keep all these people in the fold, and foster a *healthy* sense of competition, the better for all involved.

[Laura N]

Laura, I think that is a fair viewpoint, and don't think anyone, even the Goulet's would be offended. The pen world is a little odd, because - in the big scheme of things - it's pretty small. Especially with forum and mailing list traffic, you get to know "the usual suspects", and one tries to be fair in their business. Or, I should say, I do. When it seems appropriate, I try to send a little business to various places, but I also have a bit of a loyalty gene.

Another area is repair. There are only so many repair people, and one weighs the various data points: reputation, length of time in the business, turnaround time, pricing, etc. Through the forums, I've gotten to speak and feel comfortable with a number of them, and as a result, I don't send all my pens to one place, but end up working with a few different people. I try to help people out by sending them my business, while also looking at my needs and bottom line.

So, all in all, the more we can keep all these people in the fold, and foster a *healthy* sense of competition, the better for all involved.

Exactly, and you put it so much better than I did.

[fountainpenkid]

Sometimes there are aspects of a purchase besides getting the absolute, to-the-penny lowest price. In the instance of the Goulets, I value very highly their business ethic, their interest in the pen community at large, and the fact that I am helping a small, family-run business to survive. The points made about purchasing a pen from a seller who also tunes it are well-placed, and it is also a value that adds to the transaction. Nonetheless, the mindset of trolling the web to get this or that for the precise least amount of money neglects these smaller operations, and I'm happy to do at least a portion of my purchasing from people who are honest, give great service, and give back to us benefits above and beyond the retail transaction.
Hey, many of the companies with great deals on pens are small as well, and just as honest. I do appreciate a family business, but I don't buy because I sympathize with the seller.
Just ordered 3 Diamine Inks from the Goulets: Asa Blue, Soft Mint (YAY!!), Beau Blue (we'll see :)).

[Jon Szanto]

Hey, many of the companies with great deals on pens are small as well, and just as honest.
I don't believe I implied anything to the contrary.


I do appreciate a family business, but I don't buy because I sympathize with the seller.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Everyone's mileage varies.

[ethernautrix]

Yep. I like to support the small businesses.

[Jeph]

Don't forget that they also ship for free to APO (Army/Air Post Office) addresses. This may be a very small market segment but it makes a huge differece. It is frequently difficult to find vendors that are willing to ship there at all, and then often at a premium albeit the premium is still much less than overseas shipping. You are forced to use USPS and have to attach a customs form and that is too much trouble for some vendors.
Stealth edit: Fed-ex SmartPost now ships to APO addresses, but expect to add 3 weeks to the delivery time for no known reason.

And how could none of you mention the free lollipop?

[picautomaton]

Brilliant, a free sucker

[Sailor Kenshin]

For ink, TWSBI, Noodler's, and stationary they are the the best, but their prices on pens aren't always so great.

True. I enjoy buying from goulet pens. The personalized service and the packaging are amazing, so when I can buy from them, I do. But some of their competitors do offer better deals.

While this may be true, I've found time and again that if I want to place an order for many different items, Goulet is most likely to have them all under one roof.

Plus, I love their videos, and have you SEEN their bargain basement? :)

[Jeph]

Some people may scoff at the "slightly ridiculous amount of care" that they package their stuff in. Today I received my second mangled box containing ink. For reference, even the incuded business cards were wrinkled. One ink box was also distressed, but there were no leaks, or cracks, and most importantly no leaks and the nib was unphased. Even my lollipop was bent! I am glad that they pack the way they do.

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[kenmc]

Through the years I have seen a repetitive occurrence with new and small businesses. At first they go out of their way to give good service and good products. If they survive, they grow – when they grow they increase their staff. Many times staff isn't so worried about repeat business. Their loyal customer base has increased and they start to have enough customers that losing a few doesn't concern them as it did when they started.

Felix made an excellent point about some sellers testing nibs before shipping them to us. What many internet sellers/retailers tend to overlook is that some of us buyers are not set up for shipping like they are. It's a big hassle for me to ship stuff back - never mind the cost. It's ten miles to my post office. If I don't have a box to ship in, I got to go get one, come home pack it and go back to the post office to send it. Besides all this hassle involved in a good faith purchase, do the math for the shipping and gas at $3.50/gallon. And all for something I bought new and expecting to work without working me.

[fncll]

Goulet Pens isn't the only small/er seller that deserves kudos, nor by any means the only one I shop with...but I do recognize and am willing to reward not just their incredible packaging, speediness, and personal touches, but also that they continue to try to innovate with the Swab Shop, the Ink Drop, etc. For that I am willing to pay a few dollars more sometimes!

They may not do so any more, but the custom drawings on the receipts were outstanding...this one that was done for me endeared me to them forever :)
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[tarheel1]

I have had nothing but amazing service from the Goulets. I have been a customer since the beginning.

[Frank]

I have also ordered ink samples on two occasions from Goulet with no issues! My Edison Collier also came from Goulet- Great service each time!!

[snedwos]

Yet another +1 -- I had to cancel an order due to banking problems, and Rachel did it within two hours, on a Sunday evening!

I look forward to finally putting the order in for real soon.

[Penne Stilografiche]

I think I have to start an organization called the GA (Goulet's Anonymous). I usually go on their site to get 2 to 3 bottles of ink, and I usually end up buying at least 10 bottles of ink along with a bunch of items that I don't need (highlighter ink, invisible ink, black lights that strap onto pens, etc...). Literally 3 hours ago, I bought 14 Platinum Preppy fountain pens, 1 Platinum Preppy highlighter pen, 5 bottles of ink, and a 12000 grit micro-mesh pad from them. I think I bought close to a gallon of ink from them in the past 3 months!