Oblique Holder Uses?

[Alex_L]

Moving this post over from another forum.

Hey guys! So I'm new to calligraphy and I've been playing with some different pens and all, and I'm curious about oblique holders. What's their benefit? I think that I've been primarily seeing them used with copperplate writing, is that their main use? Are they used for anything else?

Also, can you use regular calligraphy pens for copperplate as well?

Thanks!

[Algester]

oblique nib holders are good for calligraphy especially dip pointed calligraphy because of the pressure distribution from the hands to paper or so thats what most people say I somehow managed to make a makeshift oblique holder by using a compass with a swivel joint for the pen side

[prasadvenkat]

 

Moving this post over from another forum.

Hey guys! So I'm new to calligraphy and I've been playing with some different pens and all, and I'm curious about oblique holders. What's their benefit? I think that I've been primarily seeing them used with copperplate writing, is that their main use? Are they used for anything else?

Also, can you use regular calligraphy pens for copperplate as well?

Thanks!

 

HI Alex,

 

Oblique holders are helpful to maintain the correct angle of script specially in Copperplate and Spencerian where the angle of slant for the letters is 55^o and 52^o.

They are normally used with pointed nibs and give good control of pressure to get swells and hairlines, just like Algester said.

 

If I remember correctly Algester is a leftie and made a great modification to a compass to make an oblique.

 

By regular calligraphy pens, if you mean the broad edge pens used for scripts like Italics, Technically you can. But these pens normally give you a standard width on your downstroke unless you twist the pen to get a variation.

 

In copperplate, the down stroke has a swell rather than a uniform thickness to it. The upstrokes are hairlines. This is difficult to get on a broad edge pen when you are just starting off in calligraphy.

 

This explains the Oblique in detail

http://www.iampeth.com/demystifying-oblique-penholder

 

This has lots of links on different styles of calligraphy

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons

 

Happy reading and writing

 

-Prasad

[ac12]

I think I replied to your original post.

 

I don't do calligraphy, I just write.

 

I use the oblique holder because it allows me to have the nib in line with the downstroke, and keep what is close to my standard fountain pen grip.

- By keeping the nib in line with the downstroke, I am able to flex the nibs better and not splatter ink.

- The alternative is straight holder with a finger over grip, with the pen resting close to the thumb. The finger over grip is more difficult for me, as it is a completely different grip to learn.

 

I have 2 of these oblique holders; Peerless and PenInkArts adjustable hourglass. I got the $13 Peerless just to try using an oblique, and I LOVED it. I have and use 2 holders because it is much easier to just grab the other holder when I want to use a different nib than it is to adjust the holder to fit the other nib, in the middle of a writing session.

 

I now use the oblique holder 98% of the time that I am using my dip pens. The only time that I do not use them are for the larger nibs that do not fit my oblique holders.