bamboo dip pens

[watch_art]

So tonight I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to get some of that bamboo from my mom's backyard and cut them into dip pens. Actually, I was only going to make handles for the dip nibs I have for my kids at school, but changed my mind mid way like I seem to do all the time.

 

And I couldn't be happier.

 

First one I made writes like a bold and dumps all the ink out on the first stroke. Stinker.

 

Next one I made wrote great and held a bunch of ink and wrote forever! Really nice. And it writes a nice medium fine line.

 

Then I made two more just to make them and they also write really nice. I haven't had so much fun writing in so long!

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4510149742_30fb3166f3_o.jpg

 

 

These top three write splendidly! The bottom one is a dumper, so I'm gonna cut it some more or throw it away.

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2088/4510149918_8585dc5c91_o.jpg

 

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/4510151482_b82cd2ea98_b.jpg

 

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4509510931_f53828d3af_o.jpg

 

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4510150348_0fd9dffef2_o.jpg

 

And you can see here how i jammed a skinny bamboo into a fatter one so i have a nice fine line that holds lots of ink AND a nice fat section to grip hold of. Couldn't be any better!

[m13a8]

Those are so neat!! Great idea!

[jakelogan]

I wish I had persuaded my old man to keep the shoots in our yard.

 

Well quite a cool idea, maybe I'll buy bamboo plants just for that :roflmho:

[Shangas]

That...

 

...is so cool!!

 

Can you use any bamboo for this? Or does it have to be a special kind? I think I have some bamboo plants somewhere in the garden. I would love to give this a shot!

[Fuddlestack]

Very nifty... Bamboo has to be the most versatile plant on the planet.

[watch_art]

just any kind i would guess. i read one place that they need to be dry, but these were fresh cut this morning. and if you'd like bamboo, i'll send you some for the cost of postage. it'd be cheaper than going out and buying some, i'd reckon. and i've got access to enough of it to keep you all up to your knees in the stuff. let me know.

[Shangas]

I have never cut a pen-point of my own. How is it done?

[Djehuty]

That is brilliant!

[Juicyjones]

God that is so cool now I am going to carry my knife in my bag and be on the lookout for bamboo growing all over town. Ninja Pen Manufacturing!

[SamCapote]

That is way cool. Going old school there. Brilliant and inspiring!

[Rena]

Very, very cool. For some time now, I've intended to try this on some bamboo garden stakes I use in my garden (the live plant doesn't grow in my part of the world). Your post is a great inspiration. Thank you, and thank you for providing the photos so we can actually see your efforts. Great post!

[watch_art]

how do you do it? umm... i could make a video i guess. i just use a razor knife and carve the basic shape, then go sit at my desk under a light and carve it a bit finer with an exacto knife. all that business about a slit is nonsense though. you just want a little groove on the inside of the stick and a nice fine point. i also use sandpaper to smooth things down a bit for a comfy grip. sand a bit all over so there's no rough spots or splinters. you have to be careful though too b/c it's easy to splinter this stuff, so i'd definitely do it when it's green and still a bit moist. you do it when it's dry and good luck, pal!

 

and the finer the better from what i can tell or else it just dumps the ink all over the place. and i found that i like the flat part of the stick to be on the bottom of the pen. let me see if i can make a video. and i mean it about sending out bamboo. hell, two or three sticks shouldn't cost more than 50 cents or so postage. i'll even cut ya one if you'd like. hell it's easy. just wish i had a bottle of india ink so i wouldn't have to worry about getting dirt in my ink bottles.

[WyattS]

Very cool! When I was a kid, I tried to make a quill out of a feather, but I failed miserably. Perhaps I will have to try this when my potted bamboo plant grows up? :hmm1:

[stevlight]

These are sooo much fun to use--I love drawing with them.

 

If you soak them in water for a few hours first it opens the pores in the bamboo and then let it sit in ink for 15-20 min. it will soak up a good amount of ink. A friend of mine in art school used to wrap rubber bands around the base to hold extra ink. You can use a wood dowel from a hardware store also works well. I used to have a porcupine quill that was great to draw with also. Have fun.

[watch_art]

porcupine!!?? that's pretty awesome. and yeah, these things are way fun to draw with.

[Juan in Andalucia]

I love bamboo dip pens for sketching. The ones I have have 2 points (one at each extreme) and they come preshaped, but they're meant to be custom shaped by the user. I like a fine point and a chiselled one.

They're great with drawing ink (Winsor &Newton is my favorite) and then watercolor.

 

Juan

[stevlight]

Van Gogh used the Bamboo dip pen for most of his ink drawings so you are in good company!

[WendyNC]

Those are really cool!

 

As for planting bamboo, remember that it is a very hearty grass with a spreading root system. Keep it confined to a pot unless you're really committed to having quite a lot of bamboo in the near future.

[zquilts]

Brilliant idea! I love what you have done !

[rwilsonedn]

These are sooo much fun to use--I love drawing with them.

 

.... I used to have a porcupine quill that was great to draw with also. Have fun.

I hope you didn't have to harvest that quill in person!

ron