Calligraphy Pens

How to Choose the Right One for You

When it comes to calligraphy pens there are a mind boggling different items out there in the market to choose from. Choosing a pen that is right for you can be a tough task, especially if you are getting started with the art form.

Here I have got tips for you that will be helpful in choosing the right pen for your project.

So what should you look for in a pen made for calligraphy?

The best answer without getting too technical is look for something that feels good and you are comfortable handling it. Don’t be shy of holding and trying out different pens available in specialized shops in your town. Touch them, feel them and use them wherever possible, even before you consider the technical aspects.

Having gone through the first step of choosing pens for calligraphy, let’s now look at the technical aspects. There are various parameters based on which you can choose your pen.

Nib width is one such parameter and the nib you choose for your pen will be governed by the calligraphy script for which you will use the pen.

A wider nib is ideal for large texts whereas a finer nib is for smaller and more detailed fonts. It’s always a good idea for beginners to start with a smaller nib and then gradually move on to wider ones.

Shape of the nib is another parameter based on which you will decide which pen to buy. Some calligraphy scripts will require special pens whereas you can make do with common pens for the rest.

One more point to consider while buying calligraphy pens is the flexibility of the nib with respect to the pen holder. There are two options. One is a right nib whereas the other is a flexible nib.

If you are a beginner or tend to press hard on the paper then a rigid nib is the way to go. Flexible nib gives experienced calligraphers much more control over the thickness of the strokes. A flexible nib is ideal for calligraphy writing involving varying thickness.

Look for a pen which feels just right to your hands. Pens with more weight or the very light ones that do not feel good will not produce a work of art that you truly are capable of.

So go out, hit the pen shops, have a look around for your perfect pen. It might be a task to wade through all those options available, but then once you find the right pen, it will be a reward well deserved.