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Out with the old, in with the new. You’ll find items like broad edge nibs, wax seal sets, and oblique pen holders for a steal!
In today’s article, we’ll discuss five calligraphy pen comparisons. My hope is that the information here helps you to choose the calligraphy pen (or technique) that is right for you!
When you’re new to calligraphy, it’s not exactly obvious which calligraphy pen you should use! In today’s article, I hope to give you some clarity with calligraphy pen comparisons. That way, you can start off with the pen that’s best for you and take it from there! After all, if you begin with the proper writing utensil, your chances of sticking with calligraphy are much higher.
Here are today’s contenders:
Remember that personal preferences will vary. I’m writing today’s calligraphy pen comparisons according to my experience, including pros and cons.
The Pilot G2 0.5 pen was the very first pen I used to create (and sell!) calligraphy. I used a technique called “faux calligraphy” to help me achieve calligraphy pen-type results without the knowledge of how to actually use a dip pen and ink.
Here are the pros of using a standard pen to create calligraphy:
Here are the cons of using a regular pen for calligraphy:
There are all sorts of brush pens available, and they’re a great calligraphy option for several reasons. Like a regular pen, they’re portable and have a low mess potential. Beginners love them and often stick with just using a brush pen because they experience so much success with them!
Here are the pros of using brush pens for calligraphy:
Here are the cons of using brush pen calligraphy:
Straight dip pens are what almost everybody starts off learning dip pen calligraphy with. This writing instrument might look like it would be easy to use, but it has a learning curve! It’s important to make sure you’re using the proper grip, a good nib, and high-quality ink and paper if you’re using this pen. (Read more about that in The Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy.)
Here are the pros of using a straight pen:
And here are the cons:
Many beginners confuse fountain pens with straight dip pens, but they’re not interchangeable. In my opinion, fountain pens are best for general writing because most fountain pen nibs don’t flex like dip pen nibs do. If you’re going to use fountain pens for calligraphy, it’s probably best to use the faux calligraphy technique.
Here are the pros of using typical fountain pens:
Here are the cons of using a typical fountain pen for calligraphy:
Note that there is one dip pen-like fountain pen that I know of, the Osprey Scholar. I still prefer to use a dip pen, but I think the Scholar is a great option for many people! You can read my review of it here.
For a long time, I avoided the oblique calligraphy pen because it looks complicated. I wondered how on earth I was supposed to write with that strange appendage — and I couldn’t find any tutorials online! However, out of all of these calligraphy pen comparisons, the oblique pen is my favorite pen to use. If you’re curious about how to create calligraphy with this pen, see my How to Use an Oblique Calligraphy Pen tutorial.
Here are the pros of using this pen:
And the cons:
I hope that these calligraphy pen comparisons help you to find the right calligraphy pen (or method) to start out with! If you have any questions, feel free to comment on this post. Note that this article first appeared on the TPK blog in November of 2013 and underwent a much-needed update to reflect current information!
Warmly,