# Pens for calligraphy lovers?



## yaroslaw (Apr 30, 2013)

I've recently met a calligraphy professional, who is well-known in my country and nearest country calligraphy community, and even organizes calligraphy festival at the end of May. 

We were talking about possible pen line for them, as normal fountain pens are of very low interest for them.

We have few ideas to discuss:
1) nib holders for calligraphy nibs seems unprofitable - we have a lot of them from China for $2-3, and they would need long pieces of wood (which already is more them $2-3, and hard to get nice wood that size). And, all vendors I order (all from IAP) have them out of stock.

2) gold custom calligraphy nibs (italic, stub) are just TOO expensive, and a pain to stock them up. They are too specific.

3) I saw few pens from a member here made from Rotring nib units, also few vendors (Manuscript for example) made calligraphy nib units that can be dressed up in a wood or nice acrylics

4) cheaper calligraphy steel nibs (like I was shown) are UNTIPPED. So I've got an idea of grinding off tips from normal IPG nibs (I have a bunch of them which are substituted by Heritance) to make stub broad nib.

Your thoughts and more ideas?


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## yaroslaw (May 13, 2013)

Come on, don't anyone have any ideas or such a customers??


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## Twissy (May 13, 2013)

I have made a couple of custom pens for a customer using Manuscript calligraphy nibs. Here in the UK you can buy a set of about 4 or 5 different style nibs complete with a crappy pen for about £4. I binned everything apart from the nibs. I made the pens around a JoWo #5 feed and holder, so I think you _may _find that you can get them to work in a lot of the junior size kits. The customer adjusted the nib positioning on the feed to suit his requirement, but he is extremely happy with his pens.
I should add that this solution is probably not suitable for using india inks.

The Rotring nibs I use in my custom pens work out at just over £10 each, and in my opinion well worth it. The writing experience is far superior than hat of the Manuscript ones.

Hope this helps.
Regards
John


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## arioux (May 13, 2013)

Depend on your notion of profitable.  I sold some holder for $50 to $100.  All you need is a unique wood, 5 or 6 size of the holder part that your custommer can try and feel and make him one "custom fit".   Takes about half an hour to an hour to turn and finish.  Wood parts and finish and infra is about $10.   So $40 profit is good for me.  Have them engraved, fill with crushed turquoise inlay,  gold leaf finition.  African blackwood at the holder end, 1 inch long gold leaf covered aread and amboynia burl for 4 or 5 remaining inches = winner, should have take a photo of that one. When you are conpetitionning agaist mass produce chinese products you need to develop the sense uf "uniqueness".

Dont bother with th nib, they know more than us about them and they aready have their hown.


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## its_virgil (May 13, 2013)

Here is what I do: http://www.redriverpens.com/pdf files/calligraphy Dip Pen.pdf

Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## darrin1200 (May 14, 2013)

That is a good article Don. I have seen it before but have been unable to find the nib holders. Do you know where I might be able to get them.

John, I love your work using the Rotring sections. My problem is that I can only find the Manuscript ones here in Canada. If anyone knows of a supplier here in Canada, I'd love to here about it.


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## arioux (May 14, 2013)

darrin1200 said:


> That is a good article Don. I have seen it before but have been unable to find the nib holders. Do you know where I might be able to get them.
> 
> John, I love your work using the Rotring sections. My problem is that I can only find the Manuscript ones here in Canada. If anyone knows of a supplier here in Canada, I'd love to here about it.



You can find them here ;

Dip Pens : Fountain Pen parts - NIBS, - Wholesale Fountain Pen Ink - Golden Nib AZ


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## Twissy (May 15, 2013)

darrin1200 said:


> That is a good article Don. I have seen it before but have been unable to find the nib holders. Do you know where I might be able to get them.
> 
> John, I love your work using the Rotring sections. My problem is that I can only find the Manuscript ones here in Canada. If anyone knows of a supplier here in Canada, I'd love to here about it.



Thanks Darrin. I get mine from Cult Pens who ship worldwide. Ordering one or two from them will probably avoid any customs duty.
Regards
John


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## Glenn McCullough (May 15, 2013)

Try here:
Search Results for 'calligraphy nibs' - BLICK art materials
If they don't ship to your area, let me know, I will send them to you.


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## yaroslaw (May 15, 2013)

Twissy said:


> I binned everything apart from the nibs. I made the pens around a JoWo #5 feed and holder, so I think you _may _find that you can get them to work in a lot of the junior size kits. The customer adjusted the nib positioning on the feed to suit his requirement, but he is extremely happy with his pens.



We tried this just on place, and it seams that kit and manuscript nibs are of pretty different length, so when you push nib fully, you will push it too much. But, as I have understood, you've had not pushed Manuscript nibs fully? Is it holding good enough, not needed a reposition it every time? And how was ink flow?

These guys have a festival in a week or two, I want to prepare for it

Twissy, also about Rotring - what are actual section thread size on them at the end?


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## Twissy (May 15, 2013)

Here are a couple of kit pens I converted to Manuscript nibs using a standard meister style feed (M6.4x0.5).
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n564/twisspens/8.jpg
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n564/twisspens/IMG_0144.jpg
I made the sections myself to take the above feed. The feed will grip the nib well enough so the nib won't slip, and once set up the flow is fine. Certainly my customer has no complaints and the manuscript nibs are his everyday writer.

The threads for the Rotring sections are 3/8"x40tpi with a double lead of 20tpi. For the first half dozen or so of these I used a standard 3/8x40 single start and chased the threads on the section, advising the customers that if they wanted to use other Rotring sections I would have to chase the threads for them.

Hope this helps.
Regards
John


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## yaroslaw (May 17, 2013)

Wow! Making a section for kit pens....))
I've met the calligraphy guy yesterday, and we tried 2 things:
1) I've ground italic on kit nib (I have them available "free" as I put Heritance nibs on pens). It's no more "tipped", but Manuscript nibs are untipped anyway
2) I putted manuscript nib in kit feeder-holder assembly.

Both mods are good, with 1st one having better flow but less possibilities in wideness of nib. So for calligraphy fest I'll ground a dozen of kit nibs and those who have Manuscripts can easily switch to them.


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