Quill Pens And Inks

[Gcouch]

I've never used a quill pen before, and I need some help. Will a bottle of MB or Aurora ink work with a quill pen, or will only brands like speedball work? Any advice on quill pen ink is appreciated as I'm a novice on the subject

[bitterwonder]

When i cut real goosequils for my drawing class ( i pick them up when geese molt) I will use whatever is in the studio. I dont know if this is the best solution, but when I am out of budget at school it works. I will even mix whatever ink is around so that i have a quantity for all to share.

I would rinse my quill with water after a drawing session.

This probably doesnt answer your question.

[Pickwick]

I've never used a quill pen before, and I need some help. Will a bottle of MB or Aurora ink work with a quill pen, or will only brands like speedball work? Any advice on quill pen ink is appreciated as I'm a novice on the subject

 

Speedball and India inks work well. If you have inks formulated for fountain pens these can be mixed with a few drops of Gum Arabic available from art supply stores. There is no set formula just add a few drops at a time until you feel the right viscosity. Iron gall inks are ideal. Acrylic inks can also be good for pen work.

[josiah]

To clarify: are you talking about pens made from the shaft of a feather, or are you referring to dip pens with nibs that are typically made of steel?

 

I'm not sure it matters, as I've never used a pen made of feather. If you are asking generally about dip pens, my experience is that some inks flow just fine out from a dipped nib, some don't stick to the nib at all and just fall right off, and some inks pool up along the nib and don't flow at all. Experiment with using your fountain pen inks with a dip nib! The worst that will happen is that you lose the amount of ink drawn up onto the nib

 

My two cents on adjusting fountain pen inks to be more usable for dip pens, based almost entirely on what I've seen others post:

 

- As mentioned above, if an ink flows too freely, pour a smallish quantity of it into a separate container and mix with tiny amounts of gum Arabic until it has a viscosity that allows it to flow more easily from the pen.

 

- If an ink doesn't flow well enough, pour a smallish quantity of it into a separate container, and mix with tiny amounts of dish soap until it flows freely enough.

 

- Don't put these mixed inks into fountain pens! (Which is why you adjust smallish batches, leaving your fountain pen ink in a state that is good for fountain pens!)

 

And finally, if you are looking for a black ink, consider Higgins Eternal (not generally considered a fountain pen ink) or Noodler's Bulletproof Black. I've had very good results with both of them and dip pens, with no need for adjustment. Other FP inks I've tried have been troublesome (feathering, bleeding, spreading, etc.) with some paper. If you don't mind an extra nib-cleaning routine, explore drawing inks, acrylic inks, India and Sumi inks, and the like.

[Gcouch]

To clarify, I'm talking about pens made from the shaft of a feather. So if I have a bottle of iron gall ink, I'm in good shape to write?

[jbb]

To clarify, I'm talking about pens made from the shaft of a feather. So if I have a bottle of iron gall ink, I'm in good shape to write?

Yes, that is correct. BTW, have you noticed there are quite a few FPNers making their own iron gall ink.

[BMG]

Just make sure it's an ink that won't clog your feather.

[Shaughn]

Just make sure it's an ink that won't clog your feather.

:roflmho:

 

 

OT: Iron gall ink dispensed by goose quill on vellum is short of indestructible, compared to ink on paper.

 

The quill is designedfor iron gall ink (or is it just the other way round?)

[Paddler]

I use fountain pen inks with quill pens. If you prepare the nib properly, almost any ink will work. Thicker inks like India inks or "calligraphy inks" are a bit easier to handle.

[Bo Bo Olson]

First you need to buy a large flock of sheep to make parchment from. That may take a day or two.

 

Now, that I'm into fountain pens, when I go to certain exhibitions here in Germany that has 1000-1200 year old parchment documents, I am amazed at the fine writing and how narrow it is...from quills.

[benrobert]

While brands like Speedball offer specific calligraphy inks that work well with quill pens, you can certainly try fountain pen inks from brands like Montblanc or Aurora. Just ensure that the ink meets the criteria mentioned above, particularly regarding consistency and flow.

[Monophoto]

On 1/23/2013 at 12:37 AM, josiah said:

To clarify: are you talking about pens made from the shaft of a feather, or are you referring to dip pens with nibs that are typically made of steel?

 

I

 

And to avoid confusion, you should clarify that you are not talking about pens made by the Quill Company.  Quill is a spinoff from Cross, located in the Providence, RI area, that makes inexpensive pens for organizations that want 'giveaway' promotional pens with their brand/logo.