Calligraphy Pens

There are many different kinds of pens that are suitable for calligraphy. Actually almost any kind of chisel tipped pen will work well at least for practice. You could even try sharpening a pencil on two sides making an "A" shape instead of sharpening it all the way around.

There are about four main types of calligraphy pen to choose from. Quill pens made from duck, goose, or turkey feathers were the pen of choice until they were eventually replaced by the steel-nibbed pen. Instructions on how to make your own quill pen can be found here.

Felt tip pens are the most convenient. They are readily available in many craft and hobby stores and are ready to go right out of the package. They are disposable once the ink runs out, but the tips tend to wear and tear easily which can make your writing a mess.

Fountain pens are both elegant and convenient. They need only a little urging to get the ink flowing smoothly and only need refilling every once in a while. Sometimes fountain pens come with changeable calligraphy tips and other features and if well taken care of can last for many years. Some drawbacks to the fountain pen are that they don't do well under low air pressure and can be quite expensive.

Steel nib pens are probably the most versatile of the calligraphy pens. The calligraphy tips, or nibs, are easily changeable and last a long time. With practice you can get very fine detail and hard edges with these pens. Steel nib pens require ink refills every couple words or so. This can be done by putting a half drop of ink into the reservoir or using a brush to paint some ink into it. Or you could just dip the brush into the bottle of ink, but it tends to look better if you use one of the other methods.

Brushes are sometimes used for calligraphy, but this is usually used in Chinese or Japanese style calligraphy instead of western style writing.

There are many calligraphy gift sets available in book stores, art stores, or online.These sets often include dip pens with nibs, ink or several kinds of inks, paper, and instructions. Sometimes, calligraphy sets come with a full instruction book that will guide you through the process of learning this ancient art.

A good site for calligraphy pens and supplies is Manuscript. This company has locations all over the world and a great online catalog. Several calligraphy kits are available as well as many other quality printing items.

If you don't want to order your calligraphy materials online, simply head to your local book store or hobby store to see what is available locally. Most book and hobby stores have information on calligraphy if not actual kits and supplies