Help: Calligraphy Starter Set

[a.zy.lee]

What calligraphy set so you recommend for a starter? Or what pen do you recommend?

My budget is around £30 (~$50).

The options that I know of are Sheaffer, Lamy, Brause, Pilot, Kaweco and Rotring.

[gerigo]

Nice hand writing!

 

My personal favorite are the Pilot parallel pens. They have sizes that really allow you serious creative expressions, like 3.4 and 6. The wider ones are really my personal favorites.

 

I have sets from Lamy, Kaweco and Visconti. These are all very nice sets but are fountain pens first with italic steel nibs and calligraphy second. They are all great starter sets but the nibs are really too narrow for really serious calligraphy work.

[Sinistral1]

+1 for the Parallel pens.

[bardiir]

+1 Parallel Pens if you're on a budget these things are just great!

[Ipsum_Dolor]

If you're looking for a fountain pen-esque, broad edge pen than I too suggest the Pilot Parallels. You'll also need some paper, Rhodia Blank will work marvelously. Lastly, the Pilot Parallels can use most any fountain pen ink you have. I advise you to throw out the pilot cartridges that come with it, as in my opinion that ink is rubbish.

If you want a more authentic, fun & rewarding broad edge pen, look into picking up a dip-pen. To accomplish this, you'll need a few more things:

1. A Straight Pen Holder, the one linked is a higher-end holder, they can go for much less.

2. Metal Dip Nibs - Mitchell nibs are my favourite, but they can be unforgiving to beginners (They're Softer). I've heard good things about Brause nibs for beginners.

3. Paper, Rhodia blank is still my go-to & is linked above.

4. Calligraphy Ink - Ink intended for dip-nibs is completely different from fountain pen ink. Where fountain pen ink is dye-based, Calligraphy ink gets it's colour from tiny little particles suspended in a binder.
Calligraphy ink tends to work better with dip pens than fountain pen ink does, probably due to it's higher viscosity. It's also important to note that calligraphy inks will break fountain pens.

You can still use fountain pen ink with dip-nibs, but it will likely be too runny and may cause ink blots.

For learning a script, I highly recommend IAMPETH as a resource. They may not have much there in lessons, but they have many scans of rare books on their website as well. Broad edge is also easier to practice than pointed pen, thus meriting less needed instruction. Remember to practice your fundamental strokes!

Hope this helped, sorry if it didn't.

Ipsum.

[ac12]

Depending on what you want to do, the Sheaffer and Lamy Joy pens may not be wide enough. I think both max out at about 1.9mm tip width.

However, my learning calligraphy book says to start off with a M or 1.5mm tip. So the Sheaffer and Lamy Joy would be OK.

 

I have the Sheaffer and like it for learning calligraphy. I got it so that I can concentrate on the letter and not worry about the pen. Although at some stage I will get a set of edge nibs for my dip pen holders.

[silver ink]

i have got sheaffer

 

http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag175/ink00/7_zpsc22183d3.jpg

 

 

http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag175/ink00/mypen2_zps5ac4c412.jpg

[smk]

I concur with Ipsum_Dolor on the dip pens - you will get much better results with them but they do require more discipline. For learning, use a nib that is at least 2mm wide - any smaller and you don't get enough detail to see proper form.

 

I have not used the Pilot Parallel pens but have used a number of the FPs. Here's my take on the ones I have used:

 

- Sheaffer No Nonsense (old style): These are wet and smooth writing but not quite sharp enough for good results. The nibs can be sharpened but that takes a bit of practice.

 

- Parker Vector: The nibs on these are sharper than on the Sheaffer but the pen itself is quite flimsy. If you decide to get a set, get one of the bigger ones with the nib marked 'X' - this is bigger than the 'B' nib and quite good for practice.

 

- Manuscript Calligraphy set: These are cheap looking and cheap feeling but they produce great results. These pens come in sets with nibs ranging from 'F' to 4B. The best bang for the buck.

 

- Rotring Art Pens: These are excellent and can be had with nibs as wide as 2.3 mm. The flow is good and the nibs are sharp. They produce the best results of the lot in my opinion.

 

- Kaweco: I have used one only briefly, and while not very sharp, it was fun to play with. The ink flow on the one I used was a tad dry - which is good for practice as you are supposed to go slow :-)

 

- Lamy: These are very smooth and the flow is just right but they are not really tools for learning Calligraphy. The line variation is there but the smooth edges take something away from the thick/thin transitions.

 

I hope this helps a bit.

 

Salman

[Algester]

Parallel if you can get your hands on one

or yes dip nibs

I started my Calligraphy set with speedball nibs but I lost them but I have now what I think are my ideal nibs a 3mm flat nib, .8mm ornamental nib and flexies...

Edited July 8, 2014 by Algester

[inkeverywhere]

My wife and I have been taking tuition in Italic calligraphy for a little while now. I stated with a Lamy Joy set using the 1.9 nib, this was OK but have changed to a Osmiroid pen and crisp italic nibs. Osmiroid have gone out of business but sets and nib units of many types are still available if you put a little work in to chase them down. Good luck and enjoy as I do.

[dms525]

My wife and I have been taking tuition in Italic calligraphy for a little while now. I stated with a Lamy Joy set using the 1.9 nib, this was OK but have changed to a Osmiroid pen and crisp italic nibs. Osmiroid have gone out of business but sets and nib units of many types are still available if you put a little work in to chase them down. Good luck and enjoy as I do.

 

+1 for Osmiroid.

 

You should be able to find one on ebay within your price range. In fact, you should be able to get a pen and a set of 6 italic nibs. Generally, the broadest in the set is a "B4." This is wide enough to get the detail Salman referred to. I have no experience with the Manuscript sets or the Rotring Art Pen. Osmiroid also made a "Copperplate" nib. These appear on ebay rarely, but, if that's what you want, I think you should stick with dip pens.

 

David

[patrickfp]

- Manuscript Calligraphy set: These are cheap looking and cheap feeling but they produce great results. These pens come in sets with nibs ranging from 'F' to 4B. The best bang for the buck.

 

 

- Lamy: These are very smooth and the flow is just right but they are not really tools for learning Calligraphy. The line variation is there but the smooth edges take something away from the thick/thin transitions.

 

I know this is thread is quite old, but I think new members looking for pens would find new input/experience more helpful than not.

 

I don't have any experience with Rotring, Osmiroid, nor Sheaffer. The last time I tried Sheaffer Calligraphy pen was more than 15 years ago, so it does not count. All I can say is that it was not bad at all.

 

That said, my more recent experience has been with Richard Binder's 0.7mm and 0.9mm Pelikan steel nibs, Lamy 1.1mm and 1.5mm nibs, and with the various Manuscript Calligraphy set nibs. Salman is right on on how he describes the Manuscript pens. They look cheap and they feel cheap. But, they are a joy to use. The line variation is very good and one can easy see where one needs to work more. I just wish they were a bit bigger in circumference. As far as Lamy is concerned, I too find that the line variation leaves something to be desired.

[Maurizio]

No real dispute that italic dip nibs are the best way to practice italic. Get a 2.5mm or bigger to start. Paper and Ink Arts or John Neal Bookseller both sell several types. I have experience with the Brause and they're nice. Havn't tried the Japanese dip nibs yet and really should.

 

Lately though I've been practicing mostly with the Pilot Parallels. These are more convenient for me since I practice on the fly in whatever spare moments I can grab. As fountain pens, they flow nicely and save practice time by not having to dip back every line or so, not to mention the set up and clean up time with dip nibs.

 

Other fountain pens are OK. Rotring Art Pen, but only largish size available is 2.3mm. Manuscript also, but again nibs tend to smaller sizes and it's best to start practice with a larger size until you get the form of the letters.

 

But, to me the best fountain pen to use for practice is the discontinued old, English Osmiroid. Found mine collecting dust at back of an art supply store a few years ago, along with 2 more nib units. This pen is even better than the Pilot Parallels because the nib is much more like a dip nib, sharper, crisper.