Sailor Calligraphy Pen

[zquilts]

Just wondering is anyone here has tried the Sailor calligraphy pen and, if so, what your thoughts are. I have been thinking about getting one but don;t have any money to just toss around if it does not please.

Thanks for any opinions, thoughts or comments!

[hardyb]

I bought one (Sailor Superscript) and like it alot. It writes well.

[Artie]

By calligraphy, do you mean one with a flexible nib or an italic nib? If flexible, there are a couple different ones.

[zquilts]

I was thinking of the Sailor with the upturned nib- I did not know about a flexy nib - but that sounds wonderful - albeit more expensive?

[Artie]

I was thinking of the Sailor with the upturned nib- I did not know about a flexy nib - but that sounds wonderful - albeit more expensive?

 

 

I can't help you then. I know nothing about that kind of pen. Sounds like a different kind of calligraphy than I am accustomed to. Yes flexible nibs are not only hard to find on modern pens, when you do see one, it is often a lot more expensive. Using it for true calligraphy is the most challenging type of calligraphy I know of.

[Neill78]

There are a couple of reviews in the review section on that calligraphy pen, also known as "Fude de mannen." If you're going to use it for Asian calligraphy then you might find it useful but for Western calligraphy I think it would be nearly useless. The pen is designed to emulate brush strokes by varying the angle of attack to create line variation. It's difficult to control and doesn't allow for consistent line width/variation as is required for Western calligraphy.

 

You might find it useful for drawing/painting.

 

It's a pretty interesting pen. I bought one for about $12 in Japan last year and started trying it out this week. I have no skill at brush writing and I find this pen even more difficult, but I plan on practicing a bit and maybe writing a review in a little while. I'm also hoping to get some Japanese or Chinese calligraphers to give it a go so I can add their thoughts to the review.

 

Neill

 

 

[playpen]

I have a few that I bought here several years ago. They are demonstrators and have the upturned nib. They are wonderful but then, all Sailor pens are wonderful!

[zquilts]

Thanks to all of you - I'll keep on considering what to try next !

[Readymade]

Sailor's Fudedemannen pens also come in green and black, with 40-deg or 55-deg angled nibs.

[pyotrkot]

I wonder if the end of the nib can be bent downwards so it's almost straight. It might be easier to use for western writing then.

[Neill78]

I wonder if the end of the nib can be bent downwards so it's almost straight. It might be easier to use for western writing then.

 

The bent part is the foot of the nib; the lower you angle the pen, the more surface area of nib touches the paper, and the broader the line. You are meant to hold it like a brush, perpendicular to the paper.

 

Bending the nib almost straight and holding it like a normal pen would just give you a giant fat line (think BBBBBB) all the time, and you wouldn't get the thin-fat line variation that you get from a stub/italic nib, which is necessary for Western calligraphy. The only way it would work would be to cut off the bent part entirely and use it as a stub. But you'd still get more satisfaction from a Sheaffer or a Lamy italic.

 

Neill

[troglokev]

The bent part is the foot of the nib; the lower you angle the pen, the more surface area of nib touches the paper, and the broader the line. You are meant to hold it like a brush, perpendicular to the paper.

I thought perpendicular, too, until I actually bought one and experimented with it a little. What I found was that you should hold it at an angle such that the bend is slightly off the paper with the nib touching the paper surface. If you press on the pen like this, the bend should touch the paper: this is how you get the variation.

 

My review of the Duke 209 calligraphy pen describes my experiences.

 

It works, but I prefer a brush.

[Dr.Grace]

My experience is very similar. I prefer a brush, too, but I think of the pen as just a different experience. It's also much more portable than a brush.

[Neill78]

I thought perpendicular, too, until I actually bought one and experimented with it a little. What I found was that you should hold it at an angle such that the bend is slightly off the paper with the nib touching the paper surface. If you press on the pen like this, the bend should touch the paper: this is how you get the variation.

 

My review of the Duke 209 calligraphy pen describes my experiences.

 

It works, but I prefer a brush.

 

I will give that a try, but the instructions & images on the box clearly show a varying angle of attack in order to produce line variation.

 

Neill