Anyone use a glass pen?

[Doc Dan]

Anyone familiar with, or use glass pens?

I saw a few that were expensive and some that looked the same that were not. I thought it would be a better way to try out new inks, even some that would ruin a fountain pen. There is a bewildering amount of colors and types of inks, some with metallic, some with metal flake, and some with the most intense colors.

Anyway, I found a glass pen for only $1 USD and so I ordered it. I'll post a picture once it arrives. I'll need to buy some more ink, of course. That's a must .

All one need do with this pen is dip it in the ink and write. When finished, simply wipe it off, or wash it in water. That's it.

 

[razorboi]

There was a thread on it a while back.
The tips are fragile. They are easy to break in an ink bottle or whilst cleaning it.
There are speciality inks made for them.
Here's what I wrote:
You dip the spiral tip about half way into ink. Calligraphy ink is preferred over fountain pen ink, but both will work.
As you withdraw it, lightly touch or draw the point on the inside wall/neck of the bottle. It will draw off excess.
Hold the pen at an angle to the paper. It will not write vertically.
Draw some test lines, rotating the tip to find its best side. Some sides of the tip will write better than others.
Write with a relatively light touch. If you're used to bearing down hard with a biro, practise first.
Hold it at its specified grip, the large bulbous part.
It's claimed one can write a whole page per dip, but...that's an exaggeration...certainly a good number of lines.
You will develop a sense for it over time.
Use it often for any ordinary writing you undertake. Then, when you want to write an elegant note or card, you will be sufficiently adept at it.
Don't forget to clean it out with a water bath or rinse after every use or the ink residue will dry on it and it won't perform properly.
Remember, with these glass dip pens, it's easy to change ink colours!
As to brands:
The Rohrer & Klingners are hand-made in Germany. The nib is longer and more polished at the tip, with fine capillaries to ensure smooth ink flow. The grip is more comfortable. It's simply a superior pen to the J. Herbins pens, which are made in China. Not many stockists carry them, even those who carry Rohrer inks, which is mainly what they're known for. Jet Pens carries a selection of these glass pens stateside.
You'll find it's a different animal from a traditional nib fountain pen.
If you like it, treat yourself to a Rohrer...after you've broken a few of the cheap Chinese pens first.

 

[blethenstrom]

There was a thread on it a while back.
The tips are fragile. They are easy to break in an ink bottle or whilst cleaning it.
There are speciality inks made for them.
Here's what I wrote:
You dip the spiral tip about half way into ink. Calligraphy ink is preferred over fountain pen ink, but both will work.
As you withdraw it, lightly touch or draw the point on the inside wall/neck of the bottle. It will draw off excess.
Hold the pen at an angle to the paper. It will not write vertically.
Draw some test lines, rotating the tip to find its best side. Some sides of the tip will write better than others.
Write with a relatively light touch. If you're used to bearing down hard with a biro, practise first.
Hold it at its specified grip, the large bulbous part.
It's claimed one can write a whole page per dip, but...that's an exaggeration...certainly a good number of lines.
You will develop a sense for it over time.
Use it often for any ordinary writing you undertake. Then, when you want to write an elegant note or card, you will be sufficiently adept at it.
Don't forget to clean it out with a water bath or rinse after every use or the ink residue will dry on it and it won't perform properly.
Remember, with these glass dip pens, it's easy to change ink colours!
As to brands:
The Rohrer & Klingners are hand-made in Germany. The nib is longer and more polished at the tip, with fine capillaries to ensure smooth ink flow. The grip is more comfortable. It's simply a superior pen to the J. Herbins pens, which are made in China. Not many stockists carry them, even those who carry Rohrer inks, which is mainly what they're known for. Jet Pens carries a selection of these glass pens stateside.
You'll find it's a different animal from a traditional nib fountain pen.
If you like it, treat yourself to a Rohrer...after you've broken a few of the cheap Chinese pens first.

I have a couple of cheap Chinese ones for testing inks. Quick and easy, but I find them much wetter than a fountain pen. I guess that just have to do with the ink itself I assume.

 

[brucered]

I use an amazon 3 pk of "glass dip pens" to do exactly that, try out inks before I fill my FP.

If a pen isn't inked with my ink of choice to write a card or note, I use the dip pen.

They come in handy and were inexpensive. Mine came with 3 different coloured glass.

No issues.

Amazon.ca

 

[Doc Dan]

I figured for a dollar I had little lose.

 

[nemo]

If they could make a glass nib with some flex I might be tempted.
I use an antique dip pen and nib to test new inks. I binned my glass pen ten years ago.

 

[Doc Dan]

If they could make a glass nib with some flex I might be tempted.
I use an antique dip pen and nib to test new inks. I binned my glass pen ten years ago.

I don't know anything about dip pens. What should I know?

 

[nemo]

I don't know anything about dip pens. What should I know?

Generally, scratchy untipped steel nibs that can really flex. Not very convenient (redipping after just a few words) but CHEAP.

 

[Doc Dan]

Generally, scratchy untipped steel nibs that can really flex. Not very convenient (redipping after just a few words) but CHEAP.

I just want an ink tester that is easy to clean off and reuse.

 

[Old Hippie]

I just want an ink tester that is easy to clean off and reuse.

I tend to buy most of my fountain pens at the Vancouver Pen Shop. According to a smart and snarky-funny lady working there, what you want is called a "finger." That's what they use. I always leave the store with a 10-pack of them.

O.H.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I just want an ink tester that is easy to clean off and reuse.

I use a converter pen, but only twist/slide the converter to draw a little ink into the feed, not the reservoir.

I do have a glass pen, but found that different inks flowed off it at different rates, and therefore wasn't always representative of what would be laid down with a nibbed pen. So if I want to test an ink, I'll only do so in a pen I'd use that ink with day to day.

 

[blethenstrom]

I have used my regular empty fountain pen and dipped the nib in the ink so that it gets in the feed just a bit. This works for me to test the ink. I do use a glass pen sometimes, but it is writing VERY wet and is not really a good representation of what the ink will look like in your fountain pen. Dip pen should work fine. I am wondering if you could put a #6 nib in a dip pen holder and use that as well. That might be a better representation.

 

[Heron]

This is the one I use, $7.50 from jetpens. I mostly use it for swatching and it writes so much better than my Kakimori dip pen. (Picture from jetpens)

 

[Doc Dan]

That looks very nice. I see the nib is glass, but does it unscrew to take a cartridge?

 

[Nobeard]

I've briefly tried writing with a glass pen years ago and was not happy with the experience. It is, by its nature very hard. Its glass afterall. So, I did not like that rigid feeling. Its also hard to keep up with the needed ink. Just a bad flow.

 

[LuckyR]

I acquired one from a local artisan about 20 years ago. Absolutely beautiful, wrote okay if you are familiar with the dip pen technique. Mine has a swirling set of capillaries coming way up the "nib" to hold more ink so you can write longer between dips. Looks great sitting out on a desk (I don't actually have a desk).

 

[Doc Dan]

Yeah, mine has those swirls, too. I use the pen for testing inks, mostly, though I have written some poetry with it. It does, indeed, look good on a desk.

 

[Doc Dan]

I just realized that I didn't post a picture. I'll remedy that tonight or tomorrow. I like writing with it. It is just the thing if I want to write something quick and want to choose my ink.

 

[blethenstrom]

Do you also find that the first word or two after a dip with the glass pen is really wet and then it stabilizes? or maybe this just comes down to the cheapness of my $7 glass pen.

 

[Doc Dan]

Do you also find that the first word or two after a dip with the glass pen is really wet and then it stabilizes? or maybe this just comes down to the cheapness of my $7 glass pen.

If I put the pen on the paper and hesitate it can be heavy on the first word. I have a light hand, though, so I have the same flow throughout. My pen only cost $1.