For years, TPK readers have written me to ask if there’s a cartridge pen that delivers the same results as the dip pen. After all, the idea of writing calligraphy without a whole set-up (art water, ink, cleaning cloth, etc.) is appealing! Plus — let’s face it — dip pens aren’t incredibly travel-friendly. It’s kind of a whole thing to take them on the road. If a cartridge (i.e. fountain) pen can deliver stroke contrast, then why not use one of those instead of a dip pen?
While I knew that fountain pens with flexible nibs exist, I never could find one easily available online. That changed when Abhi Rao, founder of the company Osprey Pens, reached out to me. Abhi sent me an Osprey Scholar pen (fitted with a Zebra G nib) to test out, and today I’m going to share my thoughts on it with you!
First Impressions
When I received my Osprey Scholar, I mostly felt overwhelmed. It came with a bunch of extras that I have already lost a couple of times: a wooden dowel, a white plastic thing, and a “grip tube”. The online instruction manual advised that these items are for changing out the nib. That’s a pretty intimidating task that I still haven’t tackled, but maybe it’s not so bad once you make up your mind to do it?
I decided to fill my Scholar with Noodler’s Victory Ink, mostly because it’s one of the only fountain pen inks that I have. To accomplish this, I emptied a syringe of ink into the “ink filler” part of my pen.
The Writing Experience
Once I filled the pen, I tried to start creating calligraphy. And … I have to admit: I wasn’t impressed. The nib railroaded horribly, and it was difficult to write coherent words.
After two minutes of writing, however, the pen started to behave differently. Suddenly, the words were nice and smooth! Railroading only happened on the random odd stroke.
Pros of Using the Osprey Scholar “Frankenstein” Dip Pen/Fountain Pen
As much as I love using a traditional dip pen, I have to admit that it requires a fair amount of effort. First, you’ve got to gather accessories: art water, ink, a cloth, a pen, and a nib. Second, you need to constantly dip your pen in ink, which takes time. It’s not exactly a non-committal or portable activity! The pro of the Osprey Scholar is the ease and portability. You just take the cap off and start writing!
Many Learn Calligraphy worksheet owners have asked if there’s a one-stop pen that allows you to practice on the go. I believe that this is that pen! That said, Abhi cautioned that, like most dip pens, a (full) Osprey Scholar doesn’t travel well on airplanes. Second, I’d venture to guess that you’ll still need to bring ink with you. Thick downstrokes require a lot of ink, so this pen probably runs out of ink quicker than most fountain pens do!
Cons of Using the Osprey Scholar “Frankenstein” Dip Pen/Fountain Pen
My main frustration with using the Osprey Scholar was the intermittent railroading. (If you’re not familiar with the term, “railroading” happens when the tines of a nib write separately, resulting in parallel strokes that look like railroad tracks.) In dip pen calligraphy, railroading occurs when there’s not enough ink on your nib. In that case, you just re-dip your nib in ink! But with the Osprey Scholar, the railroading was random, intermittent, and difficult to remedy.
While I think that this pen is a good idea and a great option, I have to admit that it seems to require a fair amount of fuss. To be fair, that’s the case with most fountain pens as far as cleaning and refilling with ink goes! This pen has a five-page instruction document, which in itself is a bit intimidating.
The Zebra G nib corrodes, so eventually, you have to disassemble the pen to switch out nibs. Disassembly involves three different little tools plus a hammer. I realize how lazy I am when I consider that and shudder at the time and energy it will take! After every handful of writing sessions, you should clean the pen, which requires soaking the feed in a cleaning solution (though I believe this is typical of most fountain pens).
Final Verdict
To sum it up, I do think that the Osprey Scholar is a good supplementary option! I would not use it to completely replace my dip pens, but I know that it will come in handy every once in a while. I can see it being useful in several scenarios! For example, if you want to practice your dip pen calligraphy on the go (e.g. at work), you could bring your Osprey Scholar and a couple of worksheet pages with you!
You also might consider using the Scholar to address envelopes for big events! I experimented with writing out an address with this pen, and it took me *very* little time to do. When you can write uninhibited, that makes a big difference! There are just two things to consider with envelopes: first, you’ll need to test if your fountain pen ink, which is traditionally more watery than dip pen ink, will bleed on your envelopes. Second, if you experience railroading, you’ll need to manually fill in a couple of downstrokes strokes.
If you’re looking to expand your calligraphy collection and you’ve got some money to spare, then I’d recommend purchasing this pen. The Osprey Scholar is undoubtedly a useful tool! However, I promise that you’re not missing much if you just stick to the supplies listed in The Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit.
I hope that this review helps you to find a new tool that you love! I appreciate the (overall) convenience of the Osprey Scholar, and I’m sure that some TPK readers will as well. Having the ability to create dip pen calligraphy with a fountain pen is pretty cool! I’d like to thank Abhi Rao for offering this solution for busy calligraphers, and if the pen can benefit you by adding convenience to your practice, I’m sure that you’ll feel the same! If you’d like to purchase one of these pens for yourself, you can do so by clicking here.
Warmly,
There is one fountain pen company that makes fountain pens with ultra flex nibs which appear to come close to dip pens and the nib will not corrode over time. The company is called Fountain pen revolution.
https://fprevolutionusa.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6PD3BRDPARIsAN8pHuGeJDoRq2TCE8UV8cPbiDon3-KWWO3eZGdNX-qLmn2776FsatIyCZ8aAnbDEALw_wcB
Love the color ink you tested with, but can’t seem to find it online. Any suggestions?
Hi Joy! I would definitely recommend Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay Ink in Violet! I sell it through TPK and absolutely love it. https://thepostmansknock.com/catalog/dr-ph-martins-bombay-ink-violet/ Cheers!
Thank you for this review! I have to admit doing a double-take at seeing a ball peen hammer pictured in the instructions. Still, this the pen is intriguing enough to seriously consider adding it to my collection. This is my first time visiting (via The Well Appointed Desk), and now I’m off to explore of your lovely site.
Hi Janis! Glad you stumbled upon the site! Let me know of any questions! This is a different kind of post, but it’s one I had fun with! Take care!
As someone who is becoming more familiar with fountain pens, most fountain pens only require cleaning/flushing once you’ve used up the ink in the reservoir/cartridge (and even then, if you’re using the exact same ink, you can be a little lazy and not do it). I suspect the reason you may have been lead to believe that this one needs to be flushed more frequently is to try and head off the corrosion.
There is also a company called Desiderata which makes pens meant to be fitted with a G nib (which don’t come with a host of doodads to switch nibs, but may expect the user to be more familiar with fountain pen nib switching… I don’t know of any other fountain pens that come with doodads for switching nibs, actually). I’m borrowing an early model right now from a friend and trying to practice a bit with it while keeping it from rusting too soon. My biggest complaint is that having it feel and look like a fountain pen makes me try to write with it like a fountain pen at the beginning of every session, and I inevitably snag the paper 😛 The Desiderata are more expensive than the Osprey, but are custom made.
Hey Stephanie! That’s super interesting to know and hear about your experience. Best of luck!
Thank you for the review. I have been thinking about getting one of these pens for awhile. I also want to say I love your site! I actually come to your site when my mood is not good and get lost in the calligraphy goodness. It really makes me feel good.
Hi Lee! I’m so glad it can brighten your mood! That fact brightens mine! Take care!
Thank you for the review Lindsey. Just wanted to let your readers know that the Orange duofold, Robusta Brown are available, the Royal Blue and Solid black are on back order, but we are taking orders on these on our website. We are expecting these colors to arrive by end of next week, Oct 25th. Thanks!
Perfect — thank you for the update!
Thanks so much for the review Lindsey! Very helpful & did not know about this dip pen alternative. Love dip pens, but you are right, set up is time consuming & find I grab brush pens more often. Not as nice as dip pen, but quick & easy! Checked out the Osprey Scholar website & it’s sold out. Good belly laugh this early in the why am I awake morning. TPK run on this pen sold out .
Definitely! I also find myself reaching for the brush pen a lot, but I think this will be an amazing alternative. I’m going to try it with some J. Herbin ink with flecks of gold in it next! 🙂