Dip Pens

[wellhalffull]

I 'do not' know that, for Christmas, I am getting a dip pen. Well two, to be exact. An I was wondering is their was any advise you guys could give me. This will be my first dip pen to ever hold, much less own.

[davidspitzer]

Use a good ink it will mean the difference between success and frustration. I prefer Iron Gall for dip pens

[Bo Bo Olson]

Higgins or Higgans is supposedly one of the better dip pen inks...on my wish list.

 

Some dip pen nibs are stiff, some are somewhat flexible and some are very flexible.

 

One can not say....this or that company makes only flexible nibs, in each company made all the standards that were wished.

 

I am rather Noobie, I got some 20...but I don't have the hand to really use them.

There are certain basic strokes from Calligraphy that can be incorporated into your hand, for use with the more flexible nibs. Those nibs are not calligraphy nibs at all, but if one has done some calligraphy one can make the nibs dance easier.

I'm still stuck at P. :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile:

[jbb]

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/12.gif Invisible coating on nibs: If you are getting new-old-stock, never-before-used nibs they often have an invisible protective coating that keeps them from rusting and needs to be wiped, washed or burned off before use. If your ink blobs on the nib at first that's why.

 

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/22.gif Paper: Some paper will showcase the flex and line variation of dip nibs better than others. Smooth papers that you might love for fountain pens might not be your favorite for dip pens. I personally like somewhat "toothy" cotton paper like Southworth's Fine Business Papers.

 

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/25.gif Nibs: Do you know which ones you're getting? I like somewhat firm, sharp & flexible nibs because I press hard when I write. Many dip pen writers use fine, extremely flexible nibs. It's all a matter of taste but finding nibs that suit you will make a huge difference.

 

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/17.gif Pratice: It took me months to get the hang of dip pen writing.

 

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/3.gif

[Ernst Bitterman]

I find that the Southworth is essentially unusable for an FP, but the dipper lovers it-- it knockes the wetness grade of a pen down by several degrees, somehow.

[jbb]

I find that the Southworth is essentially unusable for an FP, but the dipper lovers it-- it knockes the wetness grade of a pen down by several degrees, somehow.

 

+1. It's funny how that is. Good dip pen paper is really bad fountain pen paper sometimes.

 

Dip Pen & Nibs for sale

[tonybelding]

Although fountain pen ink can be used in a dip pen, they seem work much better with ink made for them -- like calligraphy ink. It clings to the nib and meters down more evenly to the tip.

 

One fountain pen ink I found that worked surprisingly well for dipping was, oddly enough, Noodler's Baystate Blue.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thank you Tony....BSB :roflmho: .

[wellhalffull]

Thanks! I think I will have to go and buy some ink. Also, how does parchment paper fare with dip pens?

[antares1966]

My $0.02 would be to sample some nibs from different manufacturers. My experience so far with dip nibs is that the writing experience can be quite different, and you will likely develop a "favorite" style of nib. Dip nibs in general are reasonably cheap, even the "pricier" ones usually can be found for no more than $2 US each. Major manufacturers include Brause, Speedball, and Mitchell. My personal writing style tends to favor Brause and Hiro "Tape" nibs, but nib selection is a very personal choice. IMO half the fun is playing around with the different nibs until you find the one that really feels right.

 

Agree that getting ink specifically for calligraphy or dipping is advisable, it seems some fountain pen inks are too "thin" or tend to spread a lot on the paper, then again it could be my paper

 

I'd be happy to share my experiences with the OP more if interested

[epic]

I'm by no means an expert, but I find that dip pens allow me to do more "fun stuff" that I wouldn't do with a fountain pen.

 

A few examples: I watered down some poster paint (or gouache) and can write light colored stuff on dark paper, I experimented with making iron gall ink, tried out flex and calligraphy (at which I mightily suck) much cheaper than it would cost with proper fountain pens. Many other things to try.

 

In short I think it expands the fun factor a great deal. Your experience might be different of course, but if you enjoy writing with ink on paper, it's something you have to try.

[wellhalffull]

Where would you buy iron gall ink? and how does that go with parchment paper?

[rwilsonedn]

Contrary to wiser advice, I'd suggest starting out with whatever fountain-pen ink you happen to have around. In my limited experience the most important step is to remove the coating from the nib (the pen, in dip-pen lingo) before you put any ink on it. This makes the difference between the ink forming a big drop that goes directly from the pen to a blob on your paper, and the ink smoothly coating the pen and flowing beautifully through the point, giving you a couple of lines of writing per dip. The second most important thing is mindset: dip pens are intended to be used with no pressure at all on up-strokes and sideways strokes. You press on the pen to spread the tines and make the line wider on down-strokes. And dip pens were created for more patient times. I have to make myself relax and slow down, so that I'm thinking about drawing the letters rather than about the next sentence I'm about to write. When I do that, I prefer dip pens to fountain pens for writing at my desk.

ron

[Randal6393]

Where would you buy iron gall ink? and how does that go with parchment paper?

 

My favorite source of supply is John Neal, Books. They carry several kinds of inks and a variety of nibs, holders, papers, etc. Iron gall ink is somewhat fussy but looks great, if you know a bit about dip pens. Higgins Eternal is the standard recommended practice ink. Paper? Just about any good copy paper will do for practice, stiffer the better. My favorite ink for originals that won't be photocopied are McCaffery Iron Gall and Old World Iron Gall inks. But, just about any ink can give a great look if you are skilled at controlling the flow from your dip pen.

 

Best way I know of to control ink flow is to use a brush to apply your ink to the pen. (Whether you are using a broad-edged or flexible, pointed pen.) Look up the Video on Herman Zapf in the Penmanship forum to see how to use brush and pen together. A Hint: Less ink makes for better control and adds shading. Also lessens blotting.

 

Well, keep on practicing and best of luck to you,

[mik]

indian ink with shellac in it, richest shiny black and you can water colour over it after it dries.keep dipping in water and wiping with a rag every minute otherwise the ink will dry and kill the nib.This is the original artists ink intended for a dip pen.It will stand up to the fading effects of the light better than any other ink.

Edited January 15, 2011 by mik

[ac12]

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Best way I know of to control ink flow is to use a brush to apply your ink to the pen. (Whether you are using a broad-edged or flexible, pointed pen.) Look up the Video on Herman Zapf in the Penmanship forum to see how to use brush and pen together. A Hint: Less ink makes for better control and adds shading. Also lessens blotting.

 

I watched the Zapf video.

He does use a brush, and quite often to ink his pen.

I wonder what size brush would be appropriate? And I was at the art supply store today. drat.

 

Is Higgens Eternal cleanable with water, or do you need solvents?

I'm looking for an easy care practice ink.

Edited March 31, 2014 by ac12

[Tashina]

I use Higgins Eternal with my dip pens (learning Spencerian). After a practice session, I use a moistened paper towel to wipe it clean. Seems to work just fine.

 

Can someone supply a link to the aforementioned Herman Zapf video. I can't find it (the search function doesn't seem to work in my antiquated browser).

[Randal6393]

Here is the link: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/172642-video-lesson-from-hermann-zapf/

 

Various penmen use different small brushes to load their pens. My favorite is a # 6 sable watercolor round. Other brushes I have used to good effect are # 2 watercolor rounds and a small, square bristle brush. The bristle brush is the one that Mr. Zapf favors. He says it is because he can scrub any crusted ink off the pen before (or during) the filling of the pen. While Mr. Zapf is mostly lettering with broad-edged pens, the technique works just as well for pointed pens.

 

Best of luck to one and all,

[ac12]

I just tried using the Higgins Eternal ink ... NICE.

It is a MUCH better practice ink than the Speedball ink.

It does not cake up like the Speedball does, so I can write longer between cleaning of the pen. This one thing makes it so much easier to use.

And I could clean it with water and tissue.

 

THANK YOU.

Edited April 16, 2014 by ac12