Comparison: Best Fountain Pens For Arabic Script

January 17, 2011

This review was posted on my blog at www.pennedhouse.blogspot.com

Here is the full text for your convenience. Please comment!

Best Fountain Pens for writing the Arabic Language

One of the reasons that I find fountain pens to be useful is because they're the ultimate writing tool. Not only can they be used for writing, but they can be used for drawing as well. They're the ultimate calligraphy tool, seeing as calligraphy is the art of writing. Tracing the roots of the word calligraphy, we arrive at the Ancient Greek word καλλιγραφος which is a combination of the Greek words καλος and γραφος. Καλος means "good" or "nice" and γραφος means "writing" or "letter". Together we get a word that means "nice letter".

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K2KrModKgm0/TTPpsMOFxDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/q32gknJ-1vQ/s1600/0789205211.interior01.jpg

I'm not good enough at reading Arabic to know what this

says, but it sure looks REALLY cool!

Now, Arabic is a language that is different from what we are accustomed to in English, because the script for the language is much more common as an art form. Because of the religious devotion of early followers of Islam, the people in the Middle East were afraid to draw pictures out of fear of creating idols, something that The Prophet Muhammed warned against. Searching for an outlet for creative endeavors, the Arabic speakers (since Islam and the Arabic tongue are inextricably connected) put all their energy into mathematics, architecture and handwriting. The Arabic script can be as beautiful as English cursive or more beautiful. Both have a lot in common in the way that they flow and rise and fall with twists of the pen and more pressure on down strokes. While ballpoint pens may work alright with the Arabic language, a pencil is preferable over a ballpoint and a fountain pen over a pencil.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K2KrModKgm0/TTPprlqZeNI/AAAAAAAAAJc/ApBbqixaOR4/s1600/Pens+for+arabic.jpg

Practicing my Arabic alphabet. Each of the 28 letters has 4 different forms that must be known. That doesn't even count the short vowel marks.

I've been trying different fountain pens to see which ones work best with the Arabic language. The Sheaffer Italic that I used was probably the best one overall, but as far as standard pens that I would carry around with me for use in other languages, I would say the Noodler's Nib Creaper Fountain Pen (filled with Noodler's Bad Green Gator) performed the best. I was also able to apply more pressure with the throw-back nib and make line width variations, placing it at the top of the list for writing Arabic. My Platinum Preppy .03 was the runner-up. It was filled with Noodler's Polar Blue.

I tend to use legal pads most of the time because of their convenience and price. Don't worry, I'm moving to bagasse paper as soon as I run out! This pad has narrower lines than most and as such, wet writers or pens with medium nibs aren't as functional. This isn't to say that the Parker 51 (medium nib/Noodler's Polar Black) that I used or the Pilot Petit1 (wet writer/Noodler's Polar Blue with a drop or two of Polar Black) aren't great for this writing, but they most certainly need more line space than this legal pad allows. Other pens I used were my Lamy Safari with EF nib (filled with Noodler's Polar Black and my Noodler's Piston Filler (filled with my favorite ink, Noodler's Red-Black). Both the Lamy Safari and Piston Filler were too scratchy for a comfortable flow that is necessary for the lines prevalent in Arabic. The Sheaffer Italic F was used as a dip pen in Noodler's Russia Series Ахматова.

I'm a student of the language first and foremost, not a calligraphist, but that doesn't mean that I can't have fun with practicing calligraphy in other languages from time to time. Maybe someday I'll be able to write as well as in the picture above."

Edited for faulty URL...

Edited January 17, 2011 by The Classicist

January 17, 2011

Wow all of that looks amazing, you seem to be doing a good job in experimenting with different pens.

I would ask how important line thickness is for the script. If it is, then try out a flex nib.

January 17, 2011

have you heard of the inexpensive Dollar fountain pen with arabic nib?

January 17, 2011

Great test and wonderful for the eye to behold as well.

January 17, 2011

Urdu Calligraphers (Nastaliq script, a derivative of the Arabic script) in India use an italic cut Left foot oblique nib.

Best,

Hari

January 17, 2011

You know, the best suggestion I can give to you for practicing your Arabic script (I spent 10 years or so studying Arabic pretty intensively) is getting ahold of some French ruled paper. They sell it at gouletpens.com. It will help you standardize the heights of a dal/thal vs. a kaf/lam, how high you want the loop on your dods vs ayns. Graph paper is good too, but (personally) I think the French rule is even better.

I had pretty high hopes of having pretty Arabic penmanship...I realized, early on, that I'd probably never be as good as a real master who's been dealing with the script all his life but what eventually cut my hopes short is that I'm left-handed, and even though it's easier to write as a lefty, I'll never get the right slant to the letters, it's just impossible.

Other than that, you probably want an italic nib.

January 17, 2011

Hi -- richardpens offers Arabic-Hebrew Italic nibs in two sizes IIRC. I sent one on a Pelikan to a friend in Q8, and she was absolutely over the moon. -- S1

January 17, 2011

- Richard Binder makes an Arabic/Hebrew italic nib. You can find it on the "Nibarama" pages on his website (www.richardspens.com).

Nice work, I just started learning the arabic script/language myself. It's a fun challenge, but my biggest challenge these days seems to be to find the time for it.

Now I wonder, has Caliken ever done any arabic script?

January 17, 2011

You may want to have a hunt for SMK here on the board and look at his anthropomorphic calligraphy. Or have a look at my Spirit of Life pen and the Arabic he did for the verse on the barrel.