Italic pen help needed

[treeverte]

I recently tried a left handed calligraphy set from Manuscript and it was awful. I couldn't write

with the pens at all...I believe it was a combo of left cut nibs and poor quality.

 

I then tried a Rotring Art Pen 1.1 and have finally been able to do some calligraphy left handededly!

 

Any suggestions on fountain pens with italic nibs?

 

The Rotring Art pen has a very long handle and not easily transportable in my bag!

 

How does The Lamy Safari calligraphic nibs work?

 

Treeverte

Edited September 10, 2006 by treeverte

[Stumpy]

I think it depends on the type of calligraphy one wants to do...

 

If you are interested in adding italic elements to your everyday handwriting I recommend a Pelikan M250, with one of Richard Binder's nibs. If you already have a good pen that just needs to have a broad or medium nib reground to emphasize the thicks and thins, consider the nib guy at Pendemonium, he does good work and is very reasonably priced. I have tried all sorts of cheaper calligraphy sets over the years, and none of them have really been of the sort of standard that would promote regular use (and like all learned skills, regular practice is important). This is a good book to start with:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Write-Now-Complete-P...ie=UTF8&s=books

 

Set aside some time every day, do the exercises, and you will soon start to achieve results.

 

Also try to find some books by Edward Johnston and Alfred Fairbank, they were both instrumental in the resurgence of italic handwriting at the begining of the 20th century.

 

Good luck!

Edited September 11, 2006 by Stumpy

[Oxonian]

Hi Stumpy,

 

There is a very simple solution to the long barrel of the Artpen, a sharp craft knife and a fine emery board, the tail of the barrel is solid for the last couple of inches,

 

If you should go too far and break through into a void then a bit of the offcut barrel end and a hot knife will seal the end and after a bit of emery board treatment you will never know its been modified.

 

I know it works as I did it to a couple of mine for the same reason, they wouldn't fit in my sketching kit. There is the added advantage that you can post the cap if you want to.

 

Cheers, John

[Michael Wright]

Well, you've had one bit of advice on how to deal with the Rotring -- a good idea, but makes me feel a bit

 

Lamy make a pen very similar to the Artpen, called the Joy, and its sections are interchangeable with the Safari. I find the nibs satisfactory, but I'm a righthander.

 

Other cheapies that are very good are the Sheaffer Calligraphy/No Nonsense pens, and, people say, the Osmiroid.

 

What did you not like about the Manuscript? Was it the quality of the pen, or the cut of its nib?

 

If you like a straight cut calligraphy nib, steel's the material, AFAIK they're all pretty similar, and the real deal calligraphers are inclined to tweak their own nibs, anyway.

 

Good luck, and hth,

 

Michael

[Dr.Grace]

I've used the Lamy calligraphy nibs for a few years now. They work fine but require you to be a bit careful about the axial angle at which you hold the pen, as the nib corners can dig into the paper. Same, I guess, with any of these crisp italic steel nibs.

 

The Pelikan Script pens seem a little bit smoother to me, but they have that long pointed barrel end that you're complaining about.

 

Another option is to get an Esterbrook and one or more of the older Osmiroid italic nibs that fit in them. Or just an Osmiroid pen itself (very boring barrel, IMO).

 

Better still, buy a Pelikan M200 or 250 plus italic nib from Richard Binder (richardspens.com). As you're a leftie, you could ask Richard to figure out exactly what kind of nib would be best for your specific way of holding the pen. Come to think of it, that's definitely a great option for you.

[Betty]

My first calligraphy nib that started all my purchases of italics was the Lamy 1.1mm calligraphy nib. It was $15 for the nib and writes so smooth and wet! It was really very easy to write with as well.

 

I then brought a Richard .7 cursive italic; this one required a slower method to writing and more getting used to. I also had Pendemonium do a cursive italic for me and that was excellent as well

 

For starters, I recommend the Lamy 1.1. I still love it!