Dip Pens for

[dcwaites]

Dip Pens for

Fountain Pen Users

 

I have been experimenting with vintage dip pens and trying to learn enough about them to be able to readily use them in normal use. At the same time a number of questions about their use have been cropping up on the FPN. I decided to put my findings down into a set of guidelines.

 

First, one has to distinguish between dip pens for normal handwriting and those for calligraphy, lettering and drawing. This essay is on handwriting dip pens. The others are specialist pens which require special inks and techniques.

 

 

Calligraphy and Lettering Pens ..................... Drawing Pens

Handwriting pens are all the rest. Very few makers make dip pen nibs for handwriting any more. One of the few I could find was D. Leonardt of Birmingham. The vast bulk of dip pen nibs that are available are vintage nibs, from specialty shops and eBay vendors.

 

Dip pen nibs come in several common types –

• Basic quill, shaped like the original feathered quill, and made in a range of sizes and degrees of stiffness

• Bowl, or turnip, shape with a fine point and fat cheeks

• Stub, or italic, pen with a short, parallel-sided nib with the end cut off flat

• Roundhand pens, with a short, stubby point that is rounded rather than flat

• J. Pens, similar to the basic quill, but with a stiffer body and rounded tip.

 

Writing Nibs

From the Left - Basic Clerical Quill, Basic Bowl/Turnip, Modified Bowl, Scribbler w/Built-in Reservoir, Roundhand w/Attached Reservoir, Gold-Coated J-Pen, Stub/italic, Falcon

 

The quill shape is probably the one with most variations. Fine, flexible ones were made to suit Copperplate and Spencerian writing. More robust versions were made for everyday, clerical and school writing, while other versions were made for bookkeeping and accounting.

 

Some pens came with little ink reservoirs to permit long periods of writing before having to re-dip. Mitchell’s made little clip-on ones for their roundhand pens, while Perry and Brandauer both made pens with built-in reservoirs.

 

From my initial experiences with some Myer’s Post Office Pens, I formed the opinion that dip pens, as a class, were very wet writers. As I got more different types of pens, I had to revise my opinion. Just as fountain pen nibs very from very wet to very dry, so do dip pen nibs. My Myer’s Post Office Pens are so wet I have to use a very thin, dry ink. Other pens, like my Brandauer Scribbler pens are in the middle, and do best with a medium dry ink.

 

So, what are my guidelines for the dip penning beginner?

 

1. If the first dip pen nib you try is difficult, then try a different type. There are many different versions from many different manufacturers still available, for not very much money. For example, the MacNiven & Cameron Gold Wing No 456 pen is almost identical to the Esterbrook 314 Relief pen, but the latter is much easier to use.

 

2. Round (or Circular) pointed nibs, like J. pens or Brandauer’s Scribbler pens are easier for the beginner to start with than the sharp-pointed quill-shaped pens. Some of the stub nibs, like the above-mentioned Esterbrook 314 are also very easy to use, especially with fountain pen inks.

 

3. You will need to experiment with inks to find one that suits your nibs. If you can’t find vintage inks to suit, you can dilute inks like Parker Quink Blue with water to get an ink of suitable consistency.

(a) Many black inks (I have tried Parker Quink Black, Sheaffer Skrip Black, Parker Penman Ebony and its replacement, Parker Penman Black, Private Reserve Velvet Black) work well, but you see no shading. The PR Velvet Black is better for very dry pens like the Esterbrook 314. Of the blue inks, I have had good results with Parker Quink Blue (diluted and straight), Thistle Powdered ink (concentrated and straight), Parker Penman Sapphire. The PR blues like Lake Placid Blue can be a bit wet.

 

4. Pen nibs were usually coated with oil and/or plastic to preserve them. You need to remove the oil by washing the nib with detergent before first use. Dry it, and you will find it is much easier to use.

 

5. Papers that are best for fountain pens are not necessarily the best for dip pens. I have found that good quality papers with a hint of roughness do best. For that reason, HP Everyday Paper works better than Stora Enso 4CC. The 4CC is just too smooth to allow the dip pen to wet it properly.

(a) I have had good results with Maruman pre-punched folder paper, Tudor Eco Notebook paper and HP Everyday Paper, as well as specialist paper like Cameron’s Ripple Bond Grey, an Australian paper.

 

6. Some nibs may need to be seasoned before use. After cleaning, if the nib still doesn’t hold enough ink then you may want to put some type of wettable coating on the nib. Some people like saliva, and I have had good results with very dilute egg white, as well as Noodler’s Baystate Blue ink. I don’t like the idea of using heat, as you will destroy the temper of the nib.

 

7. Once you have got your nib working properly, you should be able to write at least 1 1/2 or two lines before having to re-dip. If that is not enough, you may want to look for a nib with a reservoir. In the first draft of this document, I was able to write 10 lines with a Brandauer 147 Scribbler pen without stopping, and there was still ink in the resevoir.

 

In Summary

A dip pen for normal writing should allow you to do just that. You should be able to dip and write immediately without any preparation or ceremony. You should not have to re-dip every couple of words. As well the ink should match your pen so that it is neither too wet nor too dry. The nib type should match your handwriting style, so if you are writing in Copperplate or Spencerian style, you should be using a long, flexible, fine pointed pen. If you have a roundhand or cursive style, you should be using a roundhand, circular pointed or stub nib.

 

Finally, what I like most about dip pens is the extra character they give to your handwriting. Shading can be more pronounced, and the variation in line width, even with simple J pens, can be quite noticeable and attractive. As well, the extra fine line width of some of the pen types can be quite a boon for those of us blessed (or cursed) with basic 7-point size handwriting. There isn’t a fountain pen out there that can write legibly in letters less than 2 mm high, the way a Joseph Gillots 292 fine point pen can.

 

 

 

[feiye]

This is a really good summary/intro to dip pens - I learnt a lot from this. Normally I just go into my local small art shop and buy a box of nibs at random for say $5 and give them a whirl at home...I've had some troubles with finding suitable inks. I'll try some of your suggestions. Thanks for sharing!

[Shangas]

Extremely interesting, dcWaites.

 

Now I finally understand what my grandmother meant when she said she used J-nibs when writing.

[wvbeetlebug]

Excellent post. Thank you. Yesterday I was playing around with my dip pen. Just trying to find which nibs work best for me. I penned an entire letter. Yay!

[Shangas]

I wonder who uses dip-pens as much as they use fountain pens? When I'm at my desk, the ink vanishes from my inkwell 'cause I use a dip-pen nearly all the time. It's fun, it's interesting, it's different, and it's not really an inconvenience 'cause you're not really going anywhere.

 

What's the general consensus on D. Leonardt nibs? I bought a box of them once and they seemed fairly good nibs and I've wondered if it's worth my money buying more. Do they make nice general-purpose writing-nibs? There's an art-shop down the road from my house that sells them and it would be easy enough for me to hop down there and get more...

[jbb]

I wonder who uses dip-pens as much as they use fountain pens? When I'm at my desk, the ink vanishes from my inkwell 'cause I use a dip-pen nearly all the time. It's fun, it's interesting, it's different, and it's not really an inconvenience 'cause you're not really going anywhere.

I use my dip pens as much as my fountain pens. There seem to be a group of us Dip-Pen-People popping up on all the same FPN posts lately.

[Shangas]

I just finished a two-page diary-entry with a dip-pen. My right hand feels like it's got writer's cramp! I've been as fascinated with dip-pens as I have been with all kinds of "old stuff" throughout the years. I just think they're neat and fun. I like the idea of flipping open an inkwell and wetting a nib to pen down one's thoughts. When I flip through my diaries, most of the entries are done with dip-pens just 'cause they're fun to use.

 

I may be wrong here, but what differentiates a 'writing' nib from one used for art or calligraphy or whatever...? Surely all nibs can be used for writing? Or am I missing something?

[ANM]

Shangas,

In the picture at the top, the calligraphy pen on the left, even the small ones require a large very open cursive. You can fill half a page with a sentence. The calligraphy nib on the right only works on the down stroke, as in print lettering. If you try to push the pen up the page or go from right to left, the pen will dig into the paper and splatter ink.

[kiavonne]

Thanks for this great essay!

 

I hope it gets permalinked somewhere.

[DanF]

Where might one find some of those reservoir scribbler nibs? I've never seen or heard of them until now?

 

Dan

[Imzadi]

Thanks David for the informative post. I've wanted to try dip pens for some time now and I was unsure as to where to start. As always, the more you discover, the less you know. Thank you for some clarity.

 

D

[wednesday_mac]

There are also glass pens you can dip. There's a video on them

 

As far as ink goes, if you're experimenting with nibs you might want to try Higgins India, Eternal, or calligraphy (available at Michael's or any art supply store). It's what student calligraphers start with, and it's easy to work with.

 

As far as specific nibs go, you can search on YouTube.com for the specific nib style and see how to use them... hope that helps.

 

Edited September 15, 2008 by wednesday_mac

[dcwaites]

Where might one find some of those reservoir scribbler nibs? I've never seen or heard of them until now?

 

Dan

eBay vendor redwulfdog currently has a box of the Brandauer Scribbler pens up for sale.

 

 

 

[MrRogers]

I have a glass dip pen that I use from time to time. I like it for when I want to use an ink that is currently not in one of my FP's for just a few lines.

 

MrR

[DanF]

Where might one find some of those reservoir scribbler nibs? I've never seen or heard of them until now?

 

Dan

eBay vendor redwulfdog currently has a box of the Brandauer Scribbler pens up for sale.

 

Thanks David, they will shortly be on the way.

 

 

Dan

[artcat]

David, thanks for the very informative review. I have been using dip pens, and am glad to see them addressed. Hope fp people aren't offended. I use them mainly for drawing, and use two inks, Higgins India, and Chinese inksticks or liquid ink in different concentrations for shading and emphasis (fading into the distance and so on). I use bamboo pens exensively, and Chinese brushes (brush pens), and love them. I'm going to make some quill pens from our Turkeys and Geese soon. So I just an old fashioned girl.

One thing it would be interesting to see discussed is the difference between different types of nibs, in terms of what type of line and variation one can expect. I am new at dip pens, and find the variety available confusing in terms of what one can expect from them (artistically or otherwise). You covered physical differences very well. I am wondering about stubs, calligraphy (though that's maybe obvious), flexible, stiff, signature, Drawlets, etc. I've been experimenting, but the process is overwhelming. Any thoughts? Christine

[Imzadi]

Very interesting. Thank you for the post. I've tried and tried to use dip pens but could never achieve acceptable results or have fun. This info will definitely help change that!

[Pictrix]

I recently purchased a set of Leonardt Italic calligraphy nibs, they were sized 1-6 in the package -- different widths. They have a little reservoir "shim" attached to the back on each one. Here's what I learned:

 

--They all wrote great, right out of the blister pack

 

--Some of the shims were a bit loose, and needed to be tightened

 

--One shim just broke where it was bent around the edge (I didn't have to give it much help)

 

--The shims can be "adjusted" a bit-- moved up or down, and bent a little in or out... which can help adjust the flow to suit

 

--these nibs are great to test inks, since they are easy to rinse, you can easily move from color to color. It's very easy to notice different a "feel" or "behavior" between inks if you aren't having to spend a lot of time flushing a regular FP or rinsing the feed if you dipped it. I don't have a glass nib (yet) for comparison for this use.

 

--the smallest nib (#6) writes a nice sharp character, and I'm not sure how much it will write on a single dip. The most I've written in one pass is 12 or so lines, with plenty of ink to spare. The wide nib will not go anywhere near as far though.

 

--the nibs do have some flex... maybe classified as "semi-flex".

 

I don't really do much with calligraphy proper, so I can't say what quality they are for that use. The smallest nib is entirely suited for "regular" writing though.

 

 

For what I paid (maybe $8? from Hobby Lobby) I find it a good deal for sampling inks (you can really see how much shading an ink has with the wider nibs) and just having a little fun playing with them, especially if you like italic-type nibs/style.

[lapis]

Thank you very much indeed.

This whole story is a complicated matter for me becuase I really treasure a good dip nib but have yet to find one (or a brand thereof) which really satisfies me.

I love to use them for a test of similar inks. Always much better than swabs. But most nibs I've ever used skip to start off with, or they yield a huge difference in wetness over the first few inches.

Thanks again, will look into more brands.

 

Mike

[Garageboy]

Any new nibs and makers?