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Where to Purchase Calligraphy Supplies

Storage Tips for Calligraphy Supplies | The Postman's Knock

The Postman’s Knock is based in Boulder, Colorado, USA — which means that most blog post links for supplies point to American retailers. It is my hope that this list makes up for that! Many countries boast online stores that stock the items suggested in the Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit as well as some cool extras (like the Finetec palette or colored inks). Other countries require a trip to a store in a city … and, in that case, you might call ahead to make sure that the item(s) you need are in stock!

If you don’t see your country on the list below and/or you have a resource to add, please email me at [email protected]. (I’d also like to hear from you if links become broken!) Reader favorites are highlighted in green. Enjoy, and a big thanks to all the TPK readers who contributed to compiling this collection of suppliers!

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Australia

  • Calligraphy Supplies Australia – Aussie readers praise this store for its selection — but it has a tendency to run out of stock quickly, which can be frustrating! Reader tip: “[Calligraphy Supplies Australia] sends the most beautifully packaged items that are a joy to get in the mail, but postage is not the cheapest.” – Kerin S.
  • Larry Post – Larry Post doesn’t seem to stock traditional calligraphy supplies, but they have a fantastic selection of Tombow Dual Point Brush Pens!
  • Milligram – Readers say that this is an amazing source for gorgeous stationery and calligraphy-friendly papers!
  • Not Just a Card – Another favorite of readers, this store has many of the supplies that I’ve used for various projects here on the TPK website! Finetec, popular nibs, great inks, papers, nib holders … definitely worth a look! Not Just a Card also has a brick and mortar shop in Melbourne, located at 325 Koornang Road, Carnegie VIC 3163, Australia.
  • Ornasonova – Ornasonova has a good selection of nibs; if you can’t find nibs anywhere else, you could buy from here. Ink and holder selection is a bit lacking; the inks tend to be fountain pen inks.
  • Pixie Dust Calligraphy – Good source for supplies like Ziller ink (I like to use this with watercolors because it’s super waterproof) and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White. Pixie Dust also sells agate slices for lettering on!

Brazil

  • Casa do Artista – Carries Winsor & Newton calligraphy inks; has a good selection of Speedball nibs that you could substitute for some of the nibs listed here on TPK.
  • Mangamono – This store carries the normally difficult to find Nikko G and Brause EF66 nibs.
  • Oescriba – Fantastic selection of nibs and general dip pen calligraphy supplies.
  • Papelaria Universitária – Has a good selection of straight dip pens, but the selection of everything else calligraphy-related seems to be lacking.

Reader tip: “I personally prefer to go and browse the store aisles. Here are some stores that I enjoy in São Paulo: 

  1. Casa da Arte (4 stores, in Mooca, Brooklin, Santana and Campinas)
  2. Casa do Artista (Av. Paulista area)
  3. Daiso (I believe they are opening stores in other cities as well) – You might find supplies, and you might not. It’s a gamble, but it’s definitely worth the visit because if you can find things, they are *really* cheap! I got a big bottle of a Japanese calligraphy ink. It’s not the best ink in the world, but it’s great for practicing. Also found some cool generic brush pens and super cheap posca markers. You can also find fineliners and gel pens depending on your luck.” – Lis A.

Canada

  • Amazon.ca – For 32# laserjet paper. Reader tip: “Personally [on Amazon], I found all the Bombay inks from Dr. Ph. Martins, all their pretty shimmering ones, the Hydrus and some random ones. I also found Winsor and Newton inks, Noodlers ink (I’ve heard mixed things for using it as calligraphy, but this is the only place I found Noodlers) and a few random ones here and there.” – Mysha K.
  • DeSerres – Reader tip: “Montreal based, now across many provinces. Stable websites for deliveries and 10% off for students! Free shipping over $35. They have a very varied selection of inks (W&N, Amsterdam, Liquitex, Sennelier…), some Bause nibs, some Manuscript, and nearly all Speedball nibs and holders.” – Mysha K.
  • Michaels.ca – Reader tip: “Some provinces now have Micheals! Not sure what they sell however as I prefer DeSerres to Micheals, but their website seems stable from what I can tell. I’ve seen Higgins ink on the site?” – Mysha K.
  • Opus Art Supplies – Opus doesn’t seem to have a lot of the basics, but they do have specialized supplies like Pearl Ex pigments. Reader tip: “[Opus] will also do special orders when they can, so it’s always worth inquiring about special ordering a product if they don’t carry it in stock.” – Erika L. 
  • PaintSpot.ca – Reader tip: “Free shipping over $125. They have Finetec palettes! This is also the cheapest place to buy Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White ink.” – Mysha K.
  • Paper Plus Cloth – Reader tip: “(This cute little shop has) a selection of nibs including the EF66, pen holders, etc. and a unique assortment of inks.” – Leslie H.
  • Quills – Has sumi ink, the Nikko G nib, the hand-turned oblique pen, the Finetec palette, Tomoe River paper — just a lot of really great stuff!
  • Wonder Pens – Finally, a Canadian supplier who carries the Nikko G and Brause EF66 nibs! They carry Winsor & Newton calligraphy inks, which are good for practicing and projects. They also have Clairefontaine paper, which is great for calligraphy.
  • Avenue Des Arts (Westmount) – Reader tip: This is an old school brick and mortar store with no website. They have a huge collection with all the Brause, Leonardt, Gillot, etc nibs and plenty of holders, inks, papers. – Anuvret B.

Reader tip: “If anyone is in the south, I’d highly recommend Kensington Art Supply (120 6999 11 St SE in Calgary, Alberta). It’s huge and has a really nice section devoted to calligraphy, and an entire counter devoted just to nibs. They also hold calligraphy classes – I haven’t attended those but from what I hear they’re a great intro. There are a lot of art supply stores in Calgary but Kensington is definitely my favorite. Online, I’ve ordered from [US-based] Paper & Ink Arts, and while with the exchange rate and shipping costs it gets really expensive really quickly, they seem to have everything you’d need if you’re in a pinch. Pretty fast shipping, which I suppose makes up for some of the price :)” – Kayla M. 

Denmark

  • Pen Store – Reader tip: “This shop is nice. I have found everything I need there.” – Pernilla

Finland

  • Pen Store – Reader tip: “This shop is nice. I have found everything I need there.” – Pernilla
  • Reader tip: “I get most of my supplies from local stores or from Adlibris.com (It’s a big online bookstore which website is in Finnish and Swedish and there’s a lot of art supplies with reasonable prices). There are also a few more online stores but I think that it’s not worth to mention all of them because people are able to find them if they are looking for specific supplies.” – Julia S.

France

  • Comptoir des Écritures – Great selection of nibs and other calligraphy supplies!
  • Le Calligraphe – Has a nice selection of inks (including gouache and sumi) and some decent nibs, too.
  • Perreyon 1884 – A shop with a good selection of stationery, ornamental nibs, inks, and pens. (They have a brick and mortar in Lyon that’s absolutely worth stopping by!)

Germany

  • Coliro – Coliro is the maker of Finetec! In addition to Finetec, they have many other calligraphy supplies.
  • Federführend – Good selection of calligraphy supplies including Schmincke gouaches.
  • J Stuff – For sumi ink.
  • Kallipos – Great selection of pens, inks, and even fun little tools like wax seals!
  • Schrift und Kunst – Stocks quality oblique pens — which can be difficult to find!
  • Amazon.de – For laserjet paper (get 120 gsm, which is the equivalent of the 32# that I recommend here on TPK).

Reader tip: “I find it quite difficult to buy “real” calligraphy supplies here, in stationery shops. There are shops like “idee creativ” (or “Listmann” in the Rhein-Main-area close to around Frankfurt) which sell nibs, ink and paper, but other than G nibs (not by Zebra, Nikko or Tachikawa though) the products are not all very suitable for calligraphy. They do have a great range of lettering products though.” – Frauke R.

Hong Kong

  • Kalo Make Art – Reader tip: “Kalo Make Art is the brainchild of Kalo Chu. She’s worked for big names such as Burberry, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Cartier, Tiffany & Co, and many others. She does workshops and pen meets at her studio in Central, and has recently opened an online shop to provide better access to calligraphy supplies for Hong Kong residents.” – Jay T.

India

  • Oriandcalli – Reader tip: “This is a web-store of an established calligrapher, Avinash, in India. He carries a lot of essential things that are otherwise hard to find, including copperplate guideline notebooks in both black and white, oblique nib holders, dinky dips, nibs, and ***vintage nibs***. The main reason from buying from him is that India is a humid country and most other sellers end up shipping rusty junks for nibs to you. Avinash’s nibs, however, always come in pristine condition. He tells me its because he applies WD40 to the nibs.” –  Anuvret B.
  • Hobbycraft.co.in : This is a wholesaler, but if you manage to find their shop in Delhi they sell to individuals too. They have some unique otherwise hard to find things like the full range of Dr. Ph Martin products and Tachikawa Nibs.
  • Art Lounge in Mumbai – Reader tip: “They have a good stock of most of the nibs I need along with straight nib holders. One tip for all the buyers out there is to buy the nibs individually instead of in a set. It works out way cheaper and if you buy multiple nibs, you even get them in the little Leonardt box. They also have a good variety of India Inks by Dr. Ph. Martin.” – Karishma M.
  • Artzo in Bangalore – Reader tip: “For sumi ink, there is also a store in Bangalore called Artzo where you can procure it.” – Karishma M.

Indonesia

  • Artlinx Store on Shoppee – Nice selection of nibs, brush pens, and some sumi ink.
  • C for Calligraphy – Has a wonderful selection of calligraphy supplies, including popular nibs, suitable calligraphy papers, and Bleed Proof White ink!
  • Inkala Store on Shoppee – Great nibs, paper, and hard-to-find supplies like the Finetec Golds palette!

Israel

  • Rapido Art on 18 Shmuel Hanatsiv street, Netanya, Israel. This store has no website as of April 2020, but you can call them and place an order. The shop is specialized in art products and has a wide range of calligraphy tools. Bonus: even if the product is unavailable, the owners will offer to order it for you whenever possible.
  • Art Set on 1 Shmuel Hanagid Street, Jerusalem, Israel. Wide range of art products, including calligraphy nibs, paper and inks.

Italy

  • Calligraphy Store – Fantastic source for everything calligraphy-related that you could possibly want!

Japan

  • Paper Tree – Has a variety of calligraphy supplies, including specialty items like Ziller ink!

Reader tip: “I’m in Okinawa, Japan. I find my art supplies locally at a few stores. My main store for fine art supplies is Green Note, my second is Tokyu Hands, then random Dasio’s,  Aeons, Makeman and A lot of other stores here. Most retail stores sell some kind of art supplies like pens, sumi ink, papers and colorful washi paper.” – Ashlee F.

Korea

Reader tip: “In Korea there’s a store called Homi’s Art Supply Store(호미화방) in Hongdae (홍대) that sells a limited but good supply of nibs (Nikko G, and some other ones) and straight holders (sadly no oblique) as well as cretacolor, Windsor and Newton, Speedball inks and more! Like Ecoline Watercolors, Dr. Ph. Martin’s inks (no Iridescent ones sadly, just India), and Speedball inks too. They actually have a huge array of the inks I mentioned. And for people who speak English that visit they have a section in their site to help them easily purchase the supplies they need (though they don’t accept orders online)

There’s also Kyobo Bookstore and other bookstores like the one I mentioned. There’s one available in most areas with their own name though I’m pretty sure it’s the same company. And most of the them (at least Kyobo — which has a location in Mokdong and a huge one near Gwangjang market in one of the subway stations) and they have Kuretake gold watercolor sets and some brush pens from Kuretake and I think some big ones have nibs and holders. Both stores mentioned above have inks similar to sumi or actual sumi ink as well as a variety of watercolors and brush pens (Homi’s Art Supply Store has a LOT including Winsor and Newton, Kuretake, Tombow, Zebra, and lots of others including the Pentel Aquash brush).” – SooLin K.

Malaysia

  • Stickerrific – Excellent selection of nibs, ink, and other good tools like calligraphy rulers.
  • Cziplee – “Cziplee has a pretty good variety of stationeries, calligraphy tools and papers, inks, pens, journals and crafts! They have three stores across Malaysia (two in the Klang Valley and one in Johor) and they also have an online store.” – Claire B.

Reader tip: “I run a little stationery store called Salt x Paper Stationery & Gifts in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia. We offer some calligraphy supplies like nibs, nib holders, Finetec Coliro colours, Holbein watercolours, and an array of brush pens like Tombow, Pilot and Pentel. For inks, we have Sumi ink and Winsor & Newton, and masking fluid ink as well.” – Chrystin C.

Reader tip: “In Gurney Plaza there are these two stores I love called Writers and Smida Paper; they also have a main store in Georgetown. A simply google search for these will show the exact addresses. These places do sell things like nibs and inks but there isn’t a large range of those. Luckily, they’ve already started to expand their products more these few recent months. I can’t find any sumi ink here so I opted for Pelikan brand (which isn’t that bad) and Winsor and Newton inks; they also had Rhodia pads. Many arty Penangites know these two shops. But what they don’t know is an older place located in the middle of Georgetown: Nanyang Book Company. Now, don’t be deceived by the shop’s name — they barely have any books there — but what they do have is some really really fancy brushes, watercolour, paints, paper, inks, pencils, the lists goes on. It’s a more local shop and if you are ever in need of large large ( bigger than A1 ) pieces of paper, this is your stop.” – Megan C.

Mexico

  • Lumen – Has a somewhat limited stock of pointed pen calligraphy supplies, but it does have some great dip pens!
  • Octante – Great selection of well-known brands like Finetec, Brause, and Dr. Ph. Martin’s!
  • Ruma – Stocks popular nibs like the Brause EF66! Also has a great selection of calligraphy pens.

Reader Lorna C. advises that all of the above places ship anywhere within Mexico! 

The Netherlands

  • 24 Papershop – Stocks several different papers plus assorted calligraphy supplies.
  • Kalligraphie.com – Stocks lots of different types of nibs (including broad-tipped nibs), pen holders, and even pen holders for lefties.
  • Mary Koperdraat Calligraphy – Stocks many general calligraphy supplies plus gilding tools.
  • Pen Store – Reader tip: “They sell the Nikko G, Zebra G and Tachikawa G nibs for example. And they also have the Tombow Dual Brush pens and Rhodia paper. Just to mention a few!” – Simone L.
  • Splendith – Fantastic selection of calligraphy supplies including brass-flanged oblique pens and fun things like sealing wax.
  • Studio Rosanne – Like Splendith, Studio Rosanne stocks a lot of pen holders, nibs, and other fun things. She conducts workshops as well!

Reader tip: “I did some research into online stores and other stores l and came across “De Inktpot” which has a webstore and two physical ones in Zwolle and Deventer. They sell a lot of the nibs that TPK recommends as well as Finetec palettes and other basic calligraphy supplies. Also, I’ve been to the store in Zwolle myself and the personnel is really nice and helpful as well!” – Iris L.

New Zealand

Encore Envelopes – Wonderful resource for dip pen-friendly, high-quality envelopes.

Reader tip: “I purchased the Nikko G nibs and a Tachikawa T40 pen off eBay from a seller based in Japan. They were very reasonably priced and free shipping! International shipping is reasonable as long as I avoid US sellers. UK shipping is generally very reasonable to New Zealand, and often cheaper than shipping from Australia.” – Brenda S.

Norway

  • Pen Store – Reader tip: “This shop is nice. I have found everything I need there.” – Pernilla
  • Reader tip: “I live in Lofoten, Norway and get all my supplies online from Scribblers in the UK. They ship just about anywhere :). The cost of shipping from Scribblers to Norway is £12 on an order of £17 excluding UK VAT. Scribblers deducts the VAT as Norway is not in the EU, so I save about £5 on VAT which offsets the cost of shipping to what I would pay in Norway. If I were able to find the same products in Norway, they would cost considerably more than I pay in the UK.” – Lynnée L.

Pakistan

  • Daraz – TPK reader Samra advises: “Daraz is an online store in Pakistan which has a wide range and variety of calligraphy supplies. Calligraphers and penmen can find oblique/straight nib holders, inks, seal wax and stamps, fountain pens, brush pens, etc. And shipping is also very cheap.”
  • Gulberg Main Market (Lahore, Punjab) – There are a few large bookshops in Gulberg Main Market such as Anis Book (and the one right opposite), where you can stock up on Winsor & Newton dip pen inks, and sometimes you’ll find interesting nibs, supplies, and of course the bamboo pens (“qalam”).
  • Saeed Book Bank (F-, Street 7, F 7 Markaz F-7, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory 44000)
  • Durrani’s (F-6 Markaz F 6 Markaz F-6, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory)- Both Saeed Book Bank and Durrani’s stock a limited number of items that are useful for calligraphy, namely Gillott nibs in a “drawing” set, along with the holder. Brush pens are also available.
  • Wasim’s, Islamabad (Capital Trade Centre, St 57, F-10 Markaz, F-10, F 10/3 F-10, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory 44000) – A great assortment of poster paints that can be used almost the same way as gouache, at a better price than other places.

A special thanks goes to Tülin K. for contributing the brick and mortar recommendations!

The Philippines

  • Common Room – Nice supply of nibs, holders, and other calligraphy goodies.
  • Craft Carrot – This is a great source for all sorts of calligraphy tools; but the tools are often sold out.
  • The Craft Central – The Craft Central has a wonderful selection of calligraphy tools, as well, but — unfortunately — they suffer from the same stocking problem as Craft Carrot.
  • Pens Galore – Excellent stock of nibs, holders, and inks!

Reader tip: “Universal holders aren’t sold in The Craft Central, so I was a bit down after hearing that. After several months of searching stores in Manila, I found that they are sold in stores such as Scribe (located in Glorietta, a mall in Makati City) and National Bookstore (particularly the branch located in EDSA – Shangri-La Mall). Inks, on the other hand, are pretty costly in those stores (usually costing around 3-5 USD for a jar/bottle) . I eventually discovered that calligraphy inks (sumi inks) are sold for 88 pesos (around 1.66 USD) in a store called Daiso Japan. It’s somehow like a dollar store (but Japanese!) but the ink’s pretty good despite its cost.” – Jiggy A.

Poland

  • Calligrafun – Calligrafun has all kinds of calligraphy supplies, including gorgeous oblique pens!
  • Calligraphers.eu – This store has virtually any calligraphy supply you could possibly want.
  • Matejko – Impressive selection of nibs, pens, and inks!
  • Szat dla plastyków – Has some good nibs, papers, and inks.

Reader tip: “Although modern calligraphy isn’t as popular here as it is in US, you can definitely find some blogs and artists to follow, who are very often recommending what they are using and where they got it (locally). And in the case of a bigger calligraphy-supplies-haul, items purchased from ebay.co.uk get here cheaper and quicker than ebay.com.” – Katarzyna

Singapore

  • Overjoyed – Has beautiful oblique pen holders, a great selection of nibs, and various other calligraphy supplies!

Reader tip: “Straits Arts and Art Friend (both don’t have fantastic websites but have helpful staff at their physical stores) will have a few more options for calligraphy related supplies such as watercolour/gouache, but Overjoyed has more options for calligraphy nibs/ink/pen holders.” – Sophia T.

South Africa

  • House of Arts – Reader tip: “House of Arts does sell calligraphy sets. Though the website is not very comprehensive, they have all the things in store. I generally phone them to check stock or go and browse on a Saturday.” – Kimberlee L.

Sweden

  • Jordi – Reader tip: “This is a vintage shop (in Stockholm) that has all kind of supplies: watercolor, brushes, inks, dip pens, paints and many more. A creative artist could get all kinds of supplies. The best part of this shop is that I tried writing with nibs first and then I bought those.” – Aishwarya K.
  • Pen Store – Reader tip: “This shop is nice. I have found everything I need there.” – Pernilla
  • Skapamer – Reader tip: “[Skapamer] carries straight holders and a pretty good selection of nibs and some inks. They also carry Clairefontaine envelopes which are calligraphy-friendly, in my experience.” – Malin B.

United Kingdom

  • Amazon – For 32# (120 gsm) laserjet practice paper.
  • Blots Pens – Boasts a large, varied stock of calligraphy supplies!
  • Cass Art – Large general art store where you can find general calligraphy supplies such as Winsor & Newton calligraphy ink.
  • Cornelissen – You can purchase items from Cornelissen online, but most UK readers recommend checking out their brick and mortar store. They describe it as a gorgeous goldmine of supplies! Reader tip: “Visiting Cornelissen’s in London is a definite one for a calligrapher’s bucket list. Amazing place that looks like something straight out of Harry Potter both inside and outside of the shop. They are very knowledgeable and helpful with all aspects of art, including calligraphy and gilding.” – Ron M. 
  • Cult Pens – Cult Pens doesn’t seem to have a lot in the way of dip pens, but they do have a huge selection of fountain pens and brush pens!
  • Penman Direct – Good supply of penholders, nibs, inks, and many other calligraphy supplies!
  • Scribblers – Scribblers is a favorite retailer of mine! Proprietor Simon works hard to make sure all of Britain has access to quality nibs, inks (including Walker’s Copperplate, which is an iron gall that I love using), and papers. Simon and I worked together a couple of years ago on a modern calligraphy practice booklet!
  • Tom’s Studio – TPK readers, both in the UK and beyond, strongly recommend Tom’s shop for gorgeous pens and great customer service.

United States

  • Amazon.com – For 32# laserjet paper.
  • Goulet Pen Co. – Goulet is dedicated mostly to fountain pens, but they have an amazing selection of inks. You can try out ink samples before committing to a full bottle!
  • Jet Pens – Jet Pens is all about writing; they have a huge selection of all sorts of pens and markers as well as ink. In fact, their stock is so vast that you may find it to be overwhelming — but that’s not a bad thing!
  • John Neal Bookseller – I love JNB products, and I feel that they have a better selection of oblique pens than Paper & Ink Arts. However, their dated website interface makes it a little bit difficult to shop there.
  • Paper & Ink Arts – Paper & Ink Arts has everything … plus fast shipping and great customer service!
  • Papier Plume – This store tends to lean toward fountain pen supplies, but it’s worth taking a look at.
  • The Paper Seahorse – The Paper Seahorse is a magical little shop in Tampa, Florida, that has gorgeous packaging! Anything you order from them feels like a gift.
  • The Postman’s Knock – As of August 2019, you can order supplies directly from TPK! I stock all my favorites and offer quick shipping.

Trinidad and Tobago

Reader tip: “There are  two, maybe three, stores here where calligraphy and art supplies can be found. As a result, I usually purchase my supplies from [US-based companies like] Amazon, Michaels, John Neal Bookseller or Paper & Ink Arts, have them shipped to a company in Miami, and the company then ships my packages to Trinidad. Unfortunately, using this method incurs additional shipping fees as well as VAT charges and custom duties. The two main local stores I’ve found supplies at are:

  • Deltex Art Shop (Pembroke St., Port of Spain) – Sells Tombow Dual Brush Pens, Speedball India Ink, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, PearlEx Pigments, and watercolour supplies.
  • Arnim’s Framing & Art Supply Store (16A Saddle Road, Mararval, Port of Spain) – Sells Sakura Koi Brush Pens, Speedball India Ink, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink, PearlEx Pigments, Watercolour supplies” – Nakoya W.