Desiderata Pens

[putteringpenman]

I'm thinking about buying a Desiderata Pen for Copperplate calligraphy. Most of the time, I use a proper pointed dip pen and calligraphy ink for Copperplate, but sometimes I'm lazy and use a Noodler's Ahab for practicing so I don't have to clean my nibs. Plus it's a good way to use all this fountain pen ink I have! I'd like to find a flex nib pen that gets a closer feel to a true pointed pen.

 

If you have experience with a Desiderata Pen, can you do Copperplate with it? How is the experience of using the pen? Will the feed be able to keep up with the flexible nib ink flow?

 

Thanks so much to anyone who can help!

[jcm499]

I have an early Desiderata. You absolutely can do copperplate with it and the feed does keep up, but you have to keep in mind that the Desiderata pen is just a fountain pen style holder for, as you say, a proper pointed dip pen. It has the feel of a true pointed pen because it is a true pointed pen, but you’ll still have to pull the nib and clean it if you want it to last. But it does let you use your proper pointed pen without dipping, as well as out and about. I do recommend it.

[inkstainedruth]

I have one of the prototype Daedulus pens, and what jcm499 said about them is true. Additionally, because dip pen nibs tend not to have tipping on them, it's easy to get a really bad one -- mine came with a Zebra G nib on it which was truly awful, and tore up nearly every paper I tried the pen on, except Clairefontaine. So, IME, it's much easier to get a bad nib (OTOH, a few years ago I was at Pierre's table at DCSS, and the pens he had for people to try had much better (i.e., less scratchy) nibs on them.

Additionally, mine is supposedly a blow filler, but I didn't get that to work right (apparently not enough breath control); so I just treated mine as an eyedropper pen and filled it that way.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[putteringpenman]

Thanks so much for the guidance jcm499 and inkstainedruth! I'm going to get one! Looking forward to posting my Copperplate pictures on FPN!

[sidthecat]

If you're interested in a more radical practice, you might consider an antique gold dip nib. A #3 or 4 would probably fit in a modern pen and they can be spectacular writers.

[PrestoTenebroso]

I'm thinking about buying a Desiderata Pen for Copperplate calligraphy. Most of the time, I use a proper pointed dip pen and calligraphy ink for Copperplate, but sometimes I'm lazy and use a Noodler's Ahab for practicing so I don't have to clean my nibs. Plus it's a good way to use all this fountain pen ink I have! I'd like to find a flex nib pen that gets a closer feel to a true pointed pen.

 

If you have experience with a Desiderata Pen, can you do Copperplate with it? How is the experience of using the pen? Will the feed be able to keep up with the flexible nib ink flow?

 

Thanks so much to anyone who can help!

If you've ordered anything from me, please let me know how it goes. You can reach me here, and there's a User Feedback Survey at www.DesiderataPens.com on the navigation menu at the bottom of every page. Strict copperplate wants a 55º slant which you can do with a straight pen, but you'll have to adjust a bit.

 

I have an early Desiderata. You absolutely can do copperplate with it and the feed does keep up, but you have to keep in mind that the Desiderata pen is just a fountain pen style holder for, as you say, a proper pointed dip pen. It has the feel of a true pointed pen because it is a true pointed pen, but you’ll still have to pull the nib and clean it if you want it to last. But it does let you use your proper pointed pen without dipping, as well as out and about. I do recommend it.

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

I have one of the prototype Daedulus pens, and what jcm499 said about them is true. Additionally, because dip pen nibs tend not to have tipping on them, it's easy to get a really bad one -- mine came with a Zebra G nib on it which was truly awful, and tore up nearly every paper I tried the pen on, except Clairefontaine. So, IME, it's much easier to get a bad nib (OTOH, a few years ago I was at Pierre's table at DCSS, and the pens he had for people to try had much better (i.e., less scratchy) nibs on them.

Additionally, mine is supposedly a blow filler, but I didn't get that to work right (apparently not enough breath control); so I just treated mine as an eyedropper pen and filled it that way.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Ruth, the pen you got wasn't a blow filler. It was just a squeeze filler. I also never got to see how you held the pen. The writing angle one uses makes a significant impact on perception of "smoothness". To the OP, if you have any issues, or questions, let me know.

[ReadyFireAim]

https://www.desideratapens.com/shop-pens/

Desiderata Icarus & KWZ Gummiberry

[inkstainedruth]

Nope -- it was the nib. The ones I got to try at your booth the year I met you at DCSS were way better. One of these days I will get around to getting a different nib to put on, and give it another go.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PrestoTenebroso]

Ruth! Don't buy old tech! I've got much better stuff now.