Which Dip Pen And Nib For Copperplate?

[stalker78]

hello friends, i d like to buy the BEST set of dip pen to write Copperplate,spencerian,italic...

 

could you suggest me the BEST nibs (gillot?leonardo? brause?)

 

thanks

[Cynomys]

There probably isn't a single BEST nib. Rather, the choice of nib depends on your own personal style and the style of penmanship you select. In general, the different styles (Spencerian, Copperplate, italic) work best with different nibs. So maybe the first thing is to settle on which style you would like to pursue. The one thing I can recommend for sure is to work on one style only at a time. It can be confusing enough dealing with letterform, pen grip, shading, etc without having to deal with multiple styles.

 

After you select a style and find a good instructional book, find out which nibs the author of the book / course recommends (there will likely be several options) and get a couple of each and try them for yourself. After you find out from your own personal experience which nib(s) you prefer, then make a bulk purchase. Above all, don't buy your nibs by the box until after you know which type you prefer based on your own experience.

[PacificCoastPen]

I am noob with this and I really like the Brause EF 66 and the Gillott 303. Go to JohnNeal.com and get a bunch of different ones...dip nibs are so cheap. If you want a really nice pen holder that accommodates many types...see Turn of the Century.com..gorgeous and great to use. (No interest in either company.)

[WOBentley]

You can find that website here: Turn of the Century

I also have no interest, just had to do a google search so I thought I would post the result!

Edited April 26, 2011 by WOBentley

[Mickey]

I newly back into this, so keep that in mind as you read the advice below.

 

In addition to John Neal, Pen and Ink Arts is another good source for materials. If you decide to go the oblique holder route, you might want to consider the Blackwell Holder from John Neal, or the Hourglass Adjustable from Pen and Ink Arts. I bought one of each (she who must be obeyed uses the Blackwell). Both are quite excellent and will accept a wide variety of nibs, even crow quills, which don't fit in many pen holders.

 

Regarding nibs: the G nib, either the Nikko or Zebra* is often recommended as a good starting nib: not too flexible, but capable of producing good hairlines. I like the Brause EF66, which was also recommended in this thread, but it's fairly flexible and probably not the best place for a newbie to start. It is, however a great second step, IMO. (I have a bunch of even more flexible nibs, like the Brause Rose, which I load up once in a while just to remind me how much more I need to learn and practice.)

 

Have fun.

 

* I prefer the Zebra, which I use daily as my standard writing instrument.

[Ink Sandwich]

Gillot 303 (the bronze, not the blue ones) are my favorite nibs for Copperplate / Spencerian. Leonardt EF Principal is also fine, as is the Hunt 66 and the Brause 76 (Rose nib). All of those nibs are rather soft and flexy and allow for really nice shading.

 

The Brause Steno (blue pumpkin shape) is also decent. It's a bit broader and as flexible as the nibs above, but I find it really easy and comfortable to handle.

You might also try the Brause 66 (or is it 66B?) drawing nib, which lays down a beautiful fine line, like others have said it's not that easy to write with for a start.

 

So bottom line: Gillot 303 bronze if you're looking for one single nib would be my suggestion.

But since nibs are really not that expensive, I'd say experiment a bit. You can have a lot of fun with different kinds of nibs

[SlipyNaricis2112]

Leonardt Principal EF, bar none. It's incredibly resilient, and though almost as flexible as the Hunt 99, is stiff enough for copperplate. The Gillot 303 is very nice, but in my observation, they aren't half so durable.

[GeeBee]

Another fairly new to this but, the Leonardt #40 (.60 cents each at John Neals Bookshop) whilst not as fine as a 303 it will go out to 4mm wide lines without damage, I found the 303 nice and soft to flex but extremely limited in line width without damage, the Hunt 101 is quite nice as is the Principal already mentioned, the Brause 66ef and the Nikko G, it is very stiff but if you don't mind using a lot of pressure is easy to use (not prone to catching on up strokes).

The #40 is prone to catching a tine but most of the fine nibs are, a lower angle or an oblique holder will help.

 

The best advice is to buy an assortment and try them, make sure you give the ones you try early a try again as your skill increases as it makes a difference.

 

Just my 2 cents worth

Edited May 8, 2011 by GeeBee

[galem]

I started out with the "Blue Pumpkin" nib and still use it. Recently I used the recommended Nikko G nib in a terriffic two day workshop by Kathy Milici to learn her modern script "Gratitude" and really like it too. It is made of stainless steel, washes easily and has good flexibility. In this workshop I was also introduced to Moon Palace Sumi ink in the green bottle, and it is fantastic for pointed pen work. I don't even have to add gum arabic to it. Also, if you Google the IAMPETH website, you'll find good tutorials and practice worksheets. Have fun!

Edited October 20, 2017 by galem