Thread: Dip Pens

Originally Posted by MickR

Well I picked up a dip pen and a small bottle of ink today. I chose a Cretacolor hand piece, a B-6 nib and the ink is just one that the bloke told me was a top seller Daler and Rowney black Indian ink.
That's my starters kit for what it's worth. I figured I can get other nibs and inks down the track, but this would be a place to get a feel for this style of pen.


Mick

Sorry Mick. I seem to have misplaced the link to your photos of the new gear...

Originally Posted by ndw76

I think it would be great if we could organise some sort of a post card or letter exchange. If others were interested I would definitely be interested. It could almost be an obligation to indulge in the obsession of letter writing.

I think it's certainly on a roll; I'll PM you my address. I must confess to not starting yet, the wife had a birthday and all that I needed to concentrate on a bit. Post card writing starts soon. Actually, I'm thinking of modifying my post cards a little, for one; post cards aren't ink pen friendly...

I made a serendipitous discovery today. It seems that small Mum and Pop stationary stores here have dip pens. I had bought a note pad to practice some writing. But the paper was poor quallity and all I ended up with was a inky blobby mess. So on my lunch hour I stopped in at a local stationary store, just outside the school where I work, and on a whim I asked if they had any dip pens. Kinda like walking into a 7/11 and asking if they sell straight razors. But to my surprise the shop owner said to me, in Thai, oh, you mean a speedball pen.

So I picked up this speedball nib and pen holder. I also bought a bottle of Kenton drawing ink. I also bought another note pad which was also as poor quallity as the notepad I hade previously bought. But I have tried this nib in a highter quallity notebook that I had for writing notes about tea tasting. I love the broad nib, but I am looking forward to trying my luck at some other Mum and Pop stationary stores.

Originally Posted by ndw76

....

That's an interesting pen, it seems to be hollow, with a reservoir???

What's the drawing ink like? I haven't used a black ink yet, but I'd like to try one that shades really well...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Sorry Mick. I seem to have misplaced the link to your photos of the new gear...

Hold yer bloody horses. I'll get around to taking photographs after I finish playing with the damn thing . Seriously. I'll try for tomorrow, but I got the oldest daughter going into hospital as well tomorrow (Tonsillectomy), so it will be done if time allows. My stuff is nothing fancy though.


Mick

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

That's an interesting pen, it seems to be hollow, with a reservoir???

What's the drawing ink like? I haven't used a black ink yet, but I'd like to try one that shades really well...

The nib is rather broad, at about four mm. It has two slits and two breather holes. But you can't see that because it also has a reservoir attachment. Some nibs I have seen have a reservoir underneath the nib, but this one is on top. This resevoir helps a lot as it lays down a considerable amount of ink, being that it can make a wide line.

The drawing ink is very black and thick. Even when the nib is almost out of ink it still seems to be the same shade of black. I quite like it.

My pen, ink and some messy chicken scratches on an envelope...














Mick

Interesting thread. I'm actually looking for a pen. Maybe you gents can help with a recommendation.

I'm going to have my brother (who is a tattoo artist) do some fancy script place cards for my wedding in March. He mentioned getting a good pen to use, so I was thinking fountain pen but have no idea where to start.

Any advice?

Thanks!

Well, with the pen in my above post you have a whole selection of different nibs (the pointy bit on the end) to choose from. The one in my picture is one of the finest nibs. Perhaps trying a large stationary shop or an artists supplies shop will be your best bet. There are a heap of different inks out there to choose from as well, so I've recently found out.
I'm only new at this pen and ink game so that's the limit of my advice to you. Some of the wiser people might be able to help more.


Mick

I visited another Mum and Pop stationary store today, across the road from the place where I bought my last pen. In this shop I found a Tachikawa Number 44 nib and a pen holder. I also bought some blue and some green ink.

This nib is the softest I have been able to find so far. This nib can write both thick and thin lines.

Tomorrow is a quiet day at work, so I will have a chance to play around with my new toy.