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Hi there Fountain Pen Network, We are hosting Michael Sull in Tampa for four script workshops in February and wanted to extend the invitation to you all. He will be teaching American Cursive Handwriting (currently sold out), Beginning Spencerian, Off-Hand Flourishing, and Ornamental Penmanship. Class descriptions are here. Typically, he holds private or overseas workshops, so this is a unique opportunity for the Southeast U.S. Please see the attached flyer for more information. The Thursday-Sunday schedule in a few weeks is a great opportunity to visit Tampa and enjoy a nib-and-ink workshop with one of the foremost living penman. Spencerian is a significant facet of American history, circa 1850, as it was the de facto correspondence and legal document writing style before the typewriter came into widespread use. Mr. Sull will also be giving a lecture across the street at the Henry B. Plant Museum on Saturday February 10, which is free for workshop attendees. About Us: The Paper Seahorse is a creative studio and shop in Tampa specializing in fine stationery and paper, writing instruments (Lamy, Kaweco, Midori), greeting cards and seasonal items, vintage typewriters, tools for mindfulness, and creative classes. We’re led by Tona Bell, lifelong lover of all things analog. Please feel free to forward to anyone you think might be interested and don’t hesitate to reply with questions.

Hey there, I'm offering flex nib units for sale which are designed to hold the Zebra G dip nib. Over the last year or so, I've been experimenting with nib units and now nearly all of my pens will be JoWo #6 nib unit compatible. (JoWo nibs are a pen industry standard, and JoWo the company is one of the biggest names worldwide in fountain pen nibs.) Essentially, if you have a pen that holds #6 JoWo nibs (ask the manufacturer if you're not sure) that you want to try out my flex pens with buy a nib unit (the nib unit is the nib, the feed, and the black collar you see in the attached photo), unscrew yours from your pen and screw in mine. Also, all of my upcoming pens will be compatible with JoWo #6 nib units so if you have a nib you like (a specially modified nib, for example), you will be able to screw out the nib unit I provide, and screw in your own. They are for sale on the Nib Units button at this page of DesiderataPens.comThey can also be purchased on Etsy.comDisclaimer: Obviously, because I can't see where the nib unit is going, I can't guarantee that it will work as well in your pen as it will work in my pens, but purchasing a separate nib unit is an option I want you to have. Pierre

Hi All, Even as I post this, I just sold out of the Online kits. However, I should receive my next re-stocking order tomorrow or Saturday! Here's the link to the newsletter, and the direct link to the video. BTW, the Monteverde Giant Sequoia and the Conklin Stylograph Matte are back in stock. Regards, Norman

Hello Inky world I am looking for a recommendation on calligraphy books... I would like to buy my partner one as a gift, she is rather new to it but very eager to be a pro! So I suppose something for beginners perhaps or a little more in depth? I'm not so sure... Any recommendations? Please let me know... Inkysplashes over and out!

Hello Everyone, I don't announce this kind of thing very much, but I wanted to share it with you kind people because this is one of my favorite places to go on the internet, and the FPN community is what makes it so for me. I am coming out with my latest production pens since the Icarus. I am very pleased with how they both are coming out. Those of you who know me personally know that I am not very easily pleased. It's been a long time since I used a pen that felt as comfortable as these. 1: As some of you know, I love wood. I think it's beautiful, has an unsurpassed feel, and makes an excellent construction material for many things, but it poses unique challenges when used for a fountain pen. I've been struggling with that problem for years, but now, I've finally gotten good enough that I can work with tolerances tight enough to make the dream a reality. For years I've wanted an all-wooden pen, and now I have one. Wooden cap, wooden barrel, wooden grip. Hands down, this is the most comfortable pen I've ever made. Wood can stain, and that's been accounted for in the design. When you get your hands on this, I think the pen will disappear into the experience of writing with it. I want to use it all the time, but for the work I do, I often need a clip for my pens. This pen will come with the option to install a functional, designed steel clip. My first release of this pen is just about 8 units, but I'll be making more in the future. They all fill with a simple, reliable aerometric sac. The beauty of an aerometric sac is how easy it is to fill and clean, but the ink capacity (around 2.5ml) isn't as voluminous as you might get with an eyedropper filled pen, so to prevent you from getting caught with an empty pen, some of these will have an ink window. Three, to be exact. 2. The first run you'll have available are made from highly patterned fancypantz german ebonite. The material has a black base color and has green, red or blue ripples in it. The big problem with this material (besides it being very expensive) is that it's so dark that it really doesn't photograph well, and even in person, it's hard to get a clear fix on what's going on with the color pattern. Well, I've solved that problem through faceting. The way the light glints off the sides attracts the eye in a way that's hard to describe. The pen has 12 gently tapered, faceted, painstakingly-finished-by-hand sides on the cap and on the barrel. Ink windows are optional, as are clips with this model. So, I've been talking about how these pens feel while writing. What nibs can you use? Jowo F (more of a "Western fine"/medium; .4-.5mm)Pilot XF (a true extra fine .2mm)Zebra G flex nib units (with my usual, handmade, purpose-designed ebonite feeds)Nemosine .6mm italicAll these pens come with interchangeable nib units, so you can switch nibs within one and the same pen. Just unscrew (or, if you want, just use a simple hex/Allen wrench you probably have at home). These will come out this week. I think "Black Friday" is stupid, but if you want to be the first to know when these pens will be available for sale, please consider signing up for my mailing at the top of this FAQ page here. Price? I can't speak to that right now, but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on that subject. Please email me at DesiderataPens <<<AT>>> JEE-MALE <<<DOT>>> com., or leave a comment.

Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery generously sent me Robert Oster Red Clay. It is an ink in the inkArt.ink line ( http://www.inkartink.com/ ) They are available in 50 and 100 ml and have added UV protection. Red Clay is a a nice "muted" red. Clay can have a lot of different colors, but this looks for me like the red bricks used for building in the Netherlands. The ink shows shading and what I particularly like is the dark outline of the letters (see writing and dip pen). There is some black sheen. Behavior of the ink is good, like most Robert Oster inks, and especially the use with dip pen and for calligraphy is excellent, as expected for an Art ink The chromo shows three colors, 2 of them very distinct. Closest thing to the chromo is Shaeffer Skrip Red, but this red is far more brighter. I like the color and behavior of the ink, not only for art but also for writing.

So I posted this a few days ago on instagram but I figure I'd bring it here in case anyone might be interested. Forever ago I bought a cheap calligraphy pen. I think the actual pen itself was a cheap plastic and liked to leak ink out, and I didn't use it often, so it was unused and I lost it sometime between now and when I bought it. That was the Hero 5028 PolyPack from ebay(comes with 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 stub calligraphy nibs) Now, the Jinhao 992 fits the replacement nibs. It took some wiggling to get them out of the old nib units but they fit like a glove into the Jinhao 992's, no wiggling, no extra space, perfect swap. They write great in the 992 body, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/BXZDDGklESF/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BXdnpSIlIB_/ Still haven't found a Medium or Bold nib that fits into the Jinhao 992, but the Hero 5028 polypacks are currently $4.99 on ebay, meaning you can get 3 replacement nibs for the Jinhao for $5 Has anyone found a Medium or Bold nib option for the Jinhao 992?

Beauty through Adversity - This thought kept echoing in my mind as I was carving this holder. Just like a hardship caused this Maple to become so uniquely beautiful, we too become stronger, better and uniquely beautiful through adversity. This holder celebrates the beauty in all of us as we face life's trials and tribulations. It is available in my online store along with a couple of others :-) - Salman

I just returned from Portland, Oregon and Reed College. The college holds a "Reunion" for alumni every Spring with lots of programming. Since Stephanie Snyder developed the "Calligraphy Initiative" through the Cooley Gallery, of which she is Director and Curator, Reunions has included special calligraphy events, generally with Reed alumni as guest artists. This year, we had a very special guest. Paul Herrera is a former student, protegé of and successor to Fr. Edward Catich at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IO. Father Catich was the person who figured out that the monumental Roman inscriptions, in particular that on the Trajan Column in Rome, were executed by painting the letters on stone with a brush before carving them with a mallet and chisel. When I was an undergraduate at Reed, I had the privilege of watching Fr. Catich carve the name of the main administration building on a granite lintel. Like his mentor, Paul Herrera is a calligrapher and stone carver. He is now retired from the St. Ambrose faculty. He is a lovely man, and I enjoyed a couple of long conversations with him immensely. He gave a lecture and demonstration of brush lettering and of stone carving. He brought with him a photocopy of one of Fr. Catich's rubbings of the Trajan Column inscriptions Paul Herrera I had my first experience lettering with a brush and gouache. I'll just say it requires a somewhat different skill set than pen and ink lettering, but I became intrigued with the technique and plan to work on it on my own. Those who attend the weekly Scriptorium at Reed enjoy the gift of available consultation from a couple of Lloyd Reynolds' former students who became professional calligraphers of no little accomplishment themselves. Jaki Svaren is known by a number of members of this forum as the author of "Written Letters," a wonderful collection of alphabets in many styles along with instructional text. I am happy to say, this book is in the process of being republished and will, hopefully, be available again in a few months. Jaki Svaren Anita Bigelow was also a student of Reynolds. Her favorite styles are gothic, as demonstrated in this banner: I had a wonderful time, as I usually do when I can attend the Scriptorium. I hope you find my brief account of my latest visit enjoyable. Happy writing! David

I was born in Dec 1972 in Cairo , Egypt , I have graduated from the faculty of specific Education , communication Branch , Ain Shams University since 1995. I began my discovery of calligraphy, when I heard about ACI ( Arabic Calligraphy Institute ) in Cairo, I decided to join it, I have studied all kind of Arabic Calligraphy art for 6 years. I have awarded a Diploma in Arabic Calligraphy and gilding since 2005, and I gained a Certificate to teach Arabic Calligraphy in Elementary schools. ACI made me really understand the letters,how they are built up and relate to each other I did my best to learn it . I have been fascinated with Arabic calligraphy styles , specially Thuluth style, because it is the most attractive and captivating Style in Arabic Calligraphy , it has a complexed and intertwined lettering , but has a charming view , at the same time. I have learned Styles of Arabic Calligraphy which include Naskh , Reqaa, Kufi,Dewani, Farisi and Thuluth, Each Style has its own characteristics. My love and infatuation with Arabic calligraphy led me to take more steps towards learning the logo design to serve the business sector who may need the Arabic calligraphy art interweaved with logo design. I have designed many Logos for Companies and corporations all over the world. I have a website on Arabic Calligraphy

My first post in the forum after consulting the posts here (redirected from Google search) a number of times. I have always wanted to write using a nice fountain pen because my deceased father was a secretary for an admiral in the navy, and he has admirable script handwritings. I had no luck in fountain pens because all those I tried were all too scratchy - either kind of clogged or with ink that are too dry. Things have started to change when I am in Germany: even the small book stores or stationeries stores will have some nice notebooks and fountain pens (e.g. those approachable LAMY models) and they actually write, and quite smoothly indeed! I start to have hope in getting my first fountain pen - those that don't use cartilage, to try to write more beautifully and perhaps even to start learning calligraphy! And most importantly learn to enjoy writing in pen and paper and ink more. There is a post about some of the more chic stationery stores in Berlin, probably not the most up-to-date but will still apply: Top 6 Stationery Stores in Berlin Hope to write more in ink! M

Has anyone tried the new Manuscript ML1856 fountain pen. Manuscript are a British-based company best known for calligraphic nibs and pens, mostly at the lower price point. But they are releasing a new model in colourful Italian resins/acrylic. Nib choices are medium, 1.1 and 1.5 mm italic. Priced around 135 (= c.$90) Photos suggest they are going to be good looking. Is anyone in a position to offer a review?

Hello lovely fountain pen people I'm after a Pilot Prera iro-ai with a calligraphy nib (CM) and I'm in the UK: does anyone know where I might find one? There's one on amazon for £214 which seems a little steep. Cult pens is not helping me and they used to have them on eBay, but not at the mo. Any ideas gratefully received. David

Hi all, I have a load of 'International' cartridges that I bought with a cheap pen. That pen starves its feed (which is inaccessible, so cannot be adjusted) and has been relegated to a drawer, and I now have only one pen that still works that will accept the cartridges. I only bought that pen to be a test-bed for inks, and have others that I prefer for everyday writing, so the cartridges are currently unused, and going to waste. I hate to waste anything, so thought that I would make positive use of my stash of cartridges by buying myself a cheap (broad-edged) calligraphy set and learning a relaxing new skill. I bought myself a 'Manuscript' (broad-edged) calligraphy set because the cartridges included with it looked like they were Internationals. I was annoyed to find out that my Manuscript pen does NOT accept International cartridges - they are too wide for it. Manuscript's proprietary cartridges will fit in it, and so will Waterman proprietary cartridges, but standard International cartridges will not :-( So, can any of you let me know of an inexpensive pen with a broad-edged calligraphy nib that will accept Standard International cartridges? My thanks in advance, M.

It all started on a very warm summer's day in July of 2016. I was working out of Shanghai at that time, and was going to a mall close by to meet a friend for lunch. It so happened that there was a promotion by Montblanc of their heritage rouge et noir line right on the main atrium on the ground floor of the mall which I completely chanced into. While waiting for my friend, I was browsing around their exhibits and lo and behold, spotted the famous, or rather infamous Axel, Montblanc's resident nib guru. I recognized him by face because Tom K at that time shared his experience getting a bespoke nib. At that time, he was about to finish his one on one sessions which you had to sign up for, and was preparing to head to the airport. I started to just chat with him about various MB nibs and expressed my dream of one day owning their calligraphy nib. He proceeded to invite me to sit down and chat. I started to pull out my notebook and when I showed him some of my writings, he immediately started to show me some of the nibs he could make. Long story short, I ended up with not one, but 2 bespoke nibs that day. One calligraphy nib, and one italic nib. I have seen and tried both the signature nib and calligraphy nib before when Montblanc first rolled out this service. That was at my local boutique in NYC with no guidance from a nib expert about a couple year back. It was super fun to use these nibs, but the bar of entry was high. Not just with the price, but also the process. They had to test you!!! I have always entertained the idea of getting one of these mythical nibs, but the idea of putting a deposit of such a HUGE sum of money sight unseen was not very reassuring. However, this time, with the ability to work with Axel in person, and his guidance, I decided to bite the bullet and commit. I went for the calligraphy nib, and I have to say it was a very good choice. The wait however, was not fun. When I finally got said pens in hand, it's February 2017. The calligraphy nib is nothing short of amazing. There is nothing in my 150+ collection of pens that come even close to it's width and special abilities. The closest I have is the 2.4 Pilot Parallel. It's actually even wider than the 2.4 as Axel called it 3.0 width. Unlike a lot of other very wide fountain pen calligraphy nibs, this nib does not have starting or starvation issues. It writes immediately when you touch the nib to paper. The other very special thing about the nib is it can still work when you lift the nib and write with the corner for thinner flourishes. This unique ability is something other VERY wide fountain pen nibs can't do. That's because this nib has extra channels cut into the corners of the nib that deliver ink to the entire width of the writing surface. Because this is a bespoke nib, I had an option to engrave my name to the nib. I find the idea of a nib with my name so strange because I have always intend to use this pen as a functional tool. I never wanted to get it as a significant occasion pen, which I guess most people do. So I decided to engrave the function purpose of the nib onto the side. Montblanc found this VERY unusual and asked many times whether the words I chose was correct:) I did say I had another nib made. Which was an italic. Perhaps I was caught up in the moment, and thought it might be very special to also get a Montblanc italic nib. On hindsight, it's definitely not as special as this calligraphy nib. In fact other pen makers make italic nibs that are much better without the high price and wait. If I were to do it again, I would only get calligraphy nib. Definitely stratospheric in price, but recommended wholeheartedly!

Hi all! I've not been on here much for the last... quite a while. I've been busy with calligraphy, and thought I should share a bit of an update here: Tiny Micrography, Darwin quote by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr Medium Huginn & Muninn uncial by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr Large! Happy birthday card by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

I had a Pilot V7 needle point pen that I have no use for. Had it since forever, I never use these things. They are an ugly experience, why did they even make them? I was just messing about with some inks and decided to sacrifice 'something' to fill with a mix with unknown impact. The V7 came in the way. Onto the alter, and I plucked its head out. The poor thing was full of ink. Do I throw it away? I may hate the pen, but what's inside was for me like liquid black gold. I syringed it all out, and into the one pen that I know can probably take anything your throw at it: the pilot parallel. The result was outstanding with regards to coverage and blackness. The line you get out of this ink is like a black hole! More like a black rift, perhaps, but black as black. I loved that aspect of it. The bad news? Drying times were impossible. I could leave it for several hours, overnight, come back the next day and still find some areas refuse to dry. On anything you might call good paper, this ink, at least in a Parallel Pen, will certainly not work. However, on what you might call bad paper, fibrous and feathering paper, the type that everybody hates, might actually be just the thing this kind of ink needs. Sorry for the lack of photos, I only took this one for you. Written with a Parallel 3.8mm pen. I was just trying to make the ink rung out, which it finally did. The good news is, it washes away really easily, and you know how easy it is to clean a parallel pen. No problems there. I know there are "refills" for the V7 pens, but do you know if this ink can be had separately, like in bottles? And also, does anybody have any information about it, like what base it has, etc? Thanks for reading.

Hi there, I am an avid user of fountain pens and I also love to write with an italic or stub nib for calligraphy. However, I'd like to venture into copperplate and Spencerian script so I'm looking for dip pen nibs. I want to be able to write small letters so that I can write things like letters without running out of space. I'm new to this area so I don't know if it's possible or even desired to have writing that would fit onto the lines of standard lined paper, but that is what I'm looking for. Any suggestions for nibs? Also, is it necessary to have an oblique holder for calligraphy? Thanks, Danny

First I’d like to say hello! My name’s Ava Marie. Born and raised in the south (little German town right outside Austin, TX), but I live and breathe in Portland, OR. I’ve loved pens since I was very young. I would see your typical ‘Unused Corporate Desk Pen Set'™ while roaming the halls of IBM’s Austin campus with my mom in the 90s. I always got so excited when she let me pick up and inspect them. I wanted to understand them and just...create. Writing eluded for a lot of reasons, but being dyslexic & dysgraphic tend to be the top 2 on the board. I’ve always hated anything that required picking up a pen as it all got worse. So I just put it all out of my mind and carried my laptop everywhere for 15 years. Though I was never caught without my trusty Parker Jotter (guess it’s in my blood, eh?). ——— Last year marked the end of that extra 5 pounds I walked around with all day when I needed to take notes quietly in a few seminars I was planning to attend. I finally revisited writing and took a new approach this time. I started to rummage through old letters from friends and family…comparing my letter forms to the ones I liked in those pages. I formed my own set of “rules” for myself on how to write each letter. Now I’ve formed that bond with analogue I wanted as a kid (even managed to find it somewhat as an adult, being a tube amp & vinyl nut, too). Every day of my life is full of ink on paper now, and it feels great. ——— But for the sake of keeping this somewhat brief I’ll just show you how far the rabbit hole has taken me so far without the help (and I’m sure enabling nature) of FPN so far. Really happy to be here to learn more and maybe even pass a few tidbits of my own on. http://i.imgur.com/v8xM1Aa.jpg?2 My 'Daily Drivers' right now are the Pilot Heritage 92 (Fine Nib, Noodler's 'Borealis Black'), the Lamy Al-Star (1.9 Stub, Diamine's 'Imperial Purple'), and a little prototype of my own fitted with an EF Bock 250 (between the VP & Urushi Brush) sporting Pilot's Standard Blue.

Hey all, I just received this awesome-looking calligraphy set from a secret santa! However, I've never seen any nibs like it, and trying them out I feel like I'm either using them wrong or they came in sort of 'off'? I compared the nibs I got to a review post someone made, and they look very different, even though everything else looks the same! https://miscellaneousmatter.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/daveliou-calligraphy-set/#jp-carousel-662 My nibs: Did my SS unknowingly purchase a counterfeit item, or am I simply ignorant in using the nibs? I read through the how-to guide the package came with, but it's nothing like the broad-edged calligraphy nibs I was expecting. The how-to includes gothic script, etc; all tutorials that look like the nibs can make perfect square edges, but I'm just confused right now. I'm used to the Pilot Parallel pens, and I know these are different, but I have no idea how to use these nibs :X. Thank you!

I am offering a small selection of these premium holders just in time for your Christmas shopping. These are all ready to ship and available in my Etsy store at: Expressions Art Shop 1-1 & 1-2 - These are my 'short-form' holders. These 4.5 inch holders are carved from Cherry with Zebrano and Rosewood accents in the grip area and Bubinga in the finial. Although short, they feel like full sized holders in the hand. ($120 for the set) Sold 2 - This 'Swan' holder is carved from Cherry. It was a challenging project but I am happy how it turned out. ($140) 3 - This 'Tulip' holder is carved from Bloodwood and Tree of Heaven. ($140) Sold 4 - This classically styled holder is carved from Olive wood for the grip area and Bubinga for the shaft. Two Brass ring accents are placed where the two woods join. The finial is separately carved from Curly Maple and Ebony. ($140) 5 - This holder combined light and dark Walnut and sports a triangular grip. It will suit users with a modern grip who like to hold their pen high. ($120) Please feel free to browse my Etsy store or PM for purchase or custom orders. - Salman

I am happy to announce my workshop on Copperplate Calligraphy on January 7th 2017. I will be introducing my system for learning Copperplate Calligraphy in this 4-hour workshop. We will work through the fundamental forms that make up the minuscule (small) and majuscule (capital) letters of the alphabet. This class will benefit both beginners and those with some experience in Copperplate or other pointed pen scripts. Tickets for this even are available here: Copperplate Calligraphy with Salman Khattak - Jan 7th, 2017

Hello all, a quick question: I've just been to a calligraphy workshop where we have used Standardgraph China Inks in Pilot Parallel pens. Now the question: what is a china ink? According to google it's india ink so basically shellac with some pigments, which is definitely NOT supposed to be used in fountain pens, which, Parallel pens definitely are. According to Standardgraph's catalog: http://i64.tinypic.com/106lxl2.jpg It seems they don't recommend it to be used in FPs... so I'm puzzled... maybe a thorough rinse after each sessions might save the pens ad enable us to use those china/india inks in Pilot Parallels? Any ideas, experiences? Thanks!

I bought an Eclipse pen on eBay and it just arrived. Warranted nibs were the go-to replacement nibs - you'll find them on every kind of pen, but once in a long while you'll find something like the instrument attached to this pen. It belonged to a professional calligrapher and it really truly does handle like a brush. Interestingly, I think I paid about two hundred dollars less for it than I would have if it were a Waterman of similar qualities...it's what the near-mythical Artist's nib is supposed to be like. I'll try to post some pictures when I get to a computer that will let me.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/312819-reed-calligraphy-initiative-starts-italic-handwriting-group/?do=findComment&comment=3694852 David