Tips For Buying A Calligraphy Pen
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A dip pen is a kind of calligraphy pen made up with a handle and one of a range of differently sized nibs. The handle may be made of wood, glass, bone, metal or plastic. Some of these nibs have an ink reservoir permanently attached while others have a slip-on version.
The calligraphy dip pen is only made up of a couple of pieces but that doesn’t mean that buying a suitable pen is a straightforward process. But the calligraphy dip pen can take some getting used to before you even have a chance of mastering it. When you think about buying and using a calligraphy dip pen there are some tips that you should take into consideration.
The majority of calligraphers choose to use a metal dip pen over, say, a fountain pen because of the range of inks that can be used with a dip pen, inks mixed to different colors and consistencies. Although the name of the dip pen implies that it is to be dipped in ink to charge it, this is not always the case. In fact the dip pen can be recharged with ink by feeding it with a paintbrush, a syringe or an eye-dropper so that you can better control the flow of ink.
When connecting the nib to the pen holder you must push the nib firmly into place so that the dip pen does not shake when you write. The nib should be sitting securely between the metal prongs inside the pen holder and its outer shell.
A word about pen nib sizes. Although they may all range in size from a 0 to a 6, some manufacturers have made their smallest size nib a size 6 and worked up as the number have fallen. Most other manufacturers increase the number size as the pen nib size increases, so a 0 is the smallest and so on. It’s a good idea to get to know the standards of the various nib manufacturers so that you are aware of the style of each and whether it will suit you.
Once you’ve got your new calligraphy pen, the first thing you need to do is give it a good clean with detergent and water and then dry it completely afterward. Many nibs have a thin layer of oil applied to them to protect them in transit and failing to remove this oil will affect the quality of your work.
When choosing a dip pen over a fountain pen, consider the following advantages the dip pen affords you. A wide range of inks can be used with a dip pen. Inks such as India ink, acrylic inks or traditional iron gall ink will work fine in a dip pen while these kinds of inks will clog up and ruin a fountain pen. Naturally, the fact that you can interchange pen nibs gives the dip pen a much greater flexibility over the fountain pen. Price is a third advantage that a dip pen gives you with replacing nibs a lot cheaper than replacing entire pens.
The life of your nibs will be prolonged by being careful to give them a good clean after every use. Just as important after thoroughly cleaning the nibs is ensuring that they have been properly dried. Pen nibs are made from metal and they need to be stored properly to prevent rust.
Buying a good quality calligraphy pen and pen nibs will ensure that you will start off with the best possible equipment for producing fine quality work. All that is left is practising often and making sure you clean your pen nibs without fail.
Find out more about the calligraphy pen as well as learning about the range of calligraphy pen nibs available. There are plenty of opportunities to buy an affordable calligraphy pen with such a wide range available to choose from.
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