bamboo dip pens

[mjh]

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

 

Not much fun if it is still attached to the porcupine!

 

The bamboo pens are neat though, I'll have to try that out sometime... Thanks for the pics.

 

-MJ

[Alphabetguy]

I am interested in getting some Bamboo from you in a larger quantity when you have the time to determine the costs and shipping. I am always experimenting with different writing instruments and I want to carve and shape my own nibs. I have not had much luck with some bamboo pens purchased at the local craft store and want to learn more about your method of shaping bamboo for various lettering widths.

 

The writing samples you posted with the bamboo pens are quite amazing. Looking forward to seeing more info.

 

Alan

[Spector]

hmm do you use a craft knife to cut the bamboo?

[oberon]

I have done the same , great fun... Vincent VanGough liked to use reed pens for some outstanding art work sketches.

[watch_art]

so you can use any kind of sharp knife. i use a razor blade knife, kind of a fancy box cutter. an exacto knife works well too, especially for getting real fine and nit-picky at the end...

 

so if anybody is interested in this, i can just stick a bunch of it in a flat rate box and send it your way. just pick which size flat rate box you want and i'll fill it up, sans skinny branches and leaves. this stuff doesn't cost me anything and it's not out of my way to get it, so if you want some, just pm me with your address and which box you'd like.

 

Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope $4.90 12-1/2" x 9-1/2" Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box $4.95 8-5/8" x 5-3/8" x 1-5/8" Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB1) $10.70 11" x 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box (FRB2) $10.70 13-5/8" x 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (Domestic Addresses) $14.50 12" x 12" x 5-1/2" Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box (APO/FPO Destinations) $12.50 12" x 12" x 5-1/2"

 

be sure to round it up a bit to cover paypal fees...

 

Pay Get paid

Send money Receive money Free 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 USD

Free when the money comes from PayPal balance or bank account.

 

2.9% + $0.30 USDwhen the money comes from a debit or credit card or PayPal Credit

 

(the sender decides who pays this fee).

 

 

but if you only want a few pieces, i'll send em in an envelope.

Edited April 11, 2010 by watch_art

[soleilo]

Your pens remind me of Tom Norton's Walnut Drawing Stick, which also use bamboo. The "walnut" refers to the Walnut Drawing Ink he makes. He is an artist with some awesome pieces of work.

 

I may make a trip and visit my neighbors fence to "examine" the bamboo growing there and couple it with Walnut Drawing Ink, which reminds me of the drawings of old masters.

 

Thank you for the idea.

[Alphabetguy]

Shawn,

I got the bamboo shipment yesterday. I was only able to play with the 2 pens you carved for a few minutes but I have to tell you that I am very impressed with the line quality. In a couple of weeks I will post some lettering samples with bamboo pens. The line quality with a simple hand carved bamboo pen is equal to any of the vintage or modern pens I have used for lettering projects. In fact the line quality is beautiful! This was a very pleasant surprise and I am so glad that you posted this thread.

 

Alan

Edited April 22, 2010 by Alphabetguy

[PianoMan14]

Great idea! Your handwriting is very nice, by the way...

 

Actually, you don't have to use bamboo for the pens (in case you don't live near a bamboo plant). You can use any reed which is the right size.

Edited April 22, 2010 by PianoMan14

[Parkermaniac]

I am incredibly impressed! These are awesome! I am going to my back yard just to get some bamboo for pens.

 

-Nate

[watch_art]

i even made a feather quill pen this morning with my 6th graders... well, those who were at school. field trip, so i only had 3 kids. YAAYY!!

 

anyways, it wrote REALLY nice. i was quite surprised. and it held quite a bit of ink inside the shaft of the feather too.

 

pretty cool.

 

will be looking for crow or other big bird feathers later...

[jbb]

i even made a feather quill pen this morning with my 6th graders... well, those who were at school. field trip, so i only had 3 kids. YAAYY!!

 

anyways, it wrote REALLY nice. i was quite surprised. and it held quite a bit of ink inside the shaft of the feather too.

 

pretty cool.

 

will be looking for crow or other big bird feathers later...

Wow! That's great. Cutting quills has alwasy looked complicated to me. If you have trouble finding the feathers I know somewhere I've got a big bunch of large turkey feathers.

[bluemagister]

There is a huge wild forest of bamboo growing nearby. I'll go cut some and make pens from it!

[penguina]

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:

 

Feathers are a great way to make a quill. I have made many of these pens.

 

Just one question did you proof (harden) your nib section at all, before cutting it? Good and easy ways to proof your nib inolve sticking it in really hot sand for a while. Or sticking it in a cool oven for a while, until the bottom part of the feather hardens.

 

Also made many bamboo pens too...and these are great as well.

[Pfhorrest]

You are my hero.

[watch_art]

no ididn't do anything to it. i just cut it and wrote. i stuck it in the barrel of a busted bic pen so i had something to hold on to. the feathers acted like a wedge to keep it from moving about. i figure if you write lightly enough, it should last a little while.

 

if you apply a little pressure though you could get some nice variation, but it probably wouldn't last so long that way.

 

and cutting bamboo is easy. i'll upload some pics later.

[indigirl]

Wow, this is so much fun to read about! Thank you for posting it. I look forward to your tutorial. Hmm my next door neighbor has a lot of bamboo... :hmm1:

[Bo Bo Olson]

Tintenmanfacktur Jansen De Atramentis

 

also in English.

Fantastic site, inks modern or, of all times including antique Roman or midevil. Goose or swan, turkey, penfoul(pen bird) from India, or porcupine quill pens.

Dip pen nibs... dip pens. The whole smear.

Roman metal stylus, to go with your roman ink.

 

Hand made papers, Egyptian Papyrus,

 

In the old days, no one wrote with a full feathered quill, they left only the top on to brush off the sand one dried the ink with. They have one already trimmed. Movies are often wrong.

 

Every time I go there, my wallet whines about priorities (fountain pens and ink), and lack of being greased with money.

 

It is on my top ten list of things to do.

[watch_art]

Tintenmanfacktur Jansen De Atramentis

 

 

 

do you have a link? i googled that phrase above and google gave me ZERO. i couldn't believe it.