We have just taken delivery of some nibs. The nibs came in a storage box which holds 24 small partitioned containers. Each container has a varying number of nibs in them. Some have just a handful of nibs whilst a couple are nearly half full.We are in the process of sorting them out before they are made available for purchase.So far we have found some vintage Gillott 170, 290, 303 and 404 nibs. Also William Mitchell Round hand nibs, but I don’t know what sizes yet. There are a couple of nibs that I have never heard of, so I’ll ask in the Scribblers Community.

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If you have decided to use a dip pen or nib for your calligraphy the next decision to make is which nib to use.  There are a wide range of nibs available.  They fall in to 2 categories; edged nibs and pointed nibs.  The style of lettering you want to learn will determine the type of nib to use.

Edged nibs have a straight edge. Typically, the edge varies in width from about 0.5mm wide to 5mm wide.  In general, the wider the nib the bigger the writing.  Edged nibs are used for a wide range of lettering styles including Roman Capitals, Foundational Hand, Italics, Gothic and Uncials.  Edged nibs are usually cut straight across, but many nibs are also available cut left-oblique.  Left oblique nibs are cut such that the right-hand edge is higher than the left-hand edge i.e. the edge slopes down towards the left.  They are cut this way to help left-handed people hold the nib at the correct angle. So, right-handed people want square-cut nibs and left-handed people want left-oblique nibs.  The main ranges of edged nibs are William Mitchell Round Hand Nibs, Chronicle nibs, Brause Bandzug Nibs and Speedball ‘C’ Style nibs.  Some of these are cut right-oblique!  The most popular square-cut nibs are the William Mitchell nibs and Leonardt Round Hand nibs.

Pointed nibs have a pointed tip rather than a straight edge! In calligraphy a pointed nib is used for Copperplate and Spencerian styles of writing. They are also used for Ornamental Penmanship.  A wide range of pointed nibs are available.  The choice of Pointed nib is based upon how flexible it is and how thick the point is.  The more flexible the nib is the thicker the line can be produced when pressure is applied. The thickness of the point will determine the width of the line without any pressure applied.  The most popular nib for Copperplate and Spencerian is the Leonardt Principal EF nib

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“I want to learn calligraphy, but I do not know what equipment I need “We are asked this many times.  As with any new activity at first it all seems quite bewildering, with so many choices.  “Do I need this, do I need that”.  However, the basics are straight forward.  First of all, which pen? Well, there are basically 2 choices, either a fountain pen or a dip pen. And of course there are benefits and disadvantages to both.

A Fountain Pen is the easiest to use. It either uses ink cartridges or a converter to fill the pen using a bottle of ink. They are typically used for learning the basics of calligraphy and for writing in greetings cards etc.Disadvatges of the Fountain Pens are; they are not so flexible – you can only use a limited range of coloured inks, they are harder to clean and can be expensive.

A Dip Pen or nib has many advantages; wide range of nibs to choose from, wide range of uses, much cheaper and easy to clean.  A much wider range of inks can be used with a dip pen. In fact you can use some paints as an ink with dip pens.  By mixing Gouache paint to an ink consistency you can write in any colour.  The only real disadvantage of dip pens or nibs are they are harder to use at first and sometimes it can be awkward getting the ink to flow.

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I often get asked by customers why at first a new nib does not work well or why the ink does not flow very well in it.The most common reason is that the new nib has not been prepared before using it.New nibs are usually coated with a thin coat of lacquer to protect them. This should be removed before you start writing. There are 3 ways of removing the lacquer.The most popular method is to use boiling water. You need 2 cups of water; one with boiling water and the other with cold water.

• Place the nib in a penholder (to keep your fingers away from the boiling water); gently stir the boiling water with the nib for 3-4 seconds (being careful not to dip the nib too deeply and get the penholder wet)
• Now dip the nib in the cold water and gently stir again for 3-4 seconds

Repeat these stages several times, carefully dry the nib and it is ready for use.(note: sometimes the nib will look duller after the treatment)

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