I got a lovely glass J Herbin dip pen for my birthday and am interested in any suggestions you have regarding using it properly. The primary problems I have are (1) how to dip so that I don't get a flood of ink when first starting to write and (2) how often to re-fill so that the writing is uniform and doesn't fade.
Using A Dip Pen
- Thread starter TinyTim
- Start date
Don't worry. You'll learn by practising it.
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 I expect 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!
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 I expect 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!
I've managed to write half a page with a dip pen. The paper makes a difference. Some papers draw the ink and so it disappears fast.
When I clean the 'nib' of a glass pen, I dip it in water and dry it by gently holding a kitchen towel to it and twisting the pen the way it wants to go. At this point it's easy to break the tip, so be careful. I broke one, and am more careful now.
I use an ink well rather than an ink bottle, just to be careful with the nib. I don't want to bang it on the bottom of the bottle.
If your glass pen is precious to you then buy cheap ones from Aliexpress. They look identical to expensive European brands, and I fancy they are all made in China. The cheap ones my or may not be seconds, but they are good enough for practising and learning how to not mishandle or break these fragile pens.
I second everything razorboi has said.
When I clean the 'nib' of a glass pen, I dip it in water and dry it by gently holding a kitchen towel to it and twisting the pen the way it wants to go. At this point it's easy to break the tip, so be careful. I broke one, and am more careful now.
I use an ink well rather than an ink bottle, just to be careful with the nib. I don't want to bang it on the bottom of the bottle.
If your glass pen is precious to you then buy cheap ones from Aliexpress. They look identical to expensive European brands, and I fancy they are all made in China. The cheap ones my or may not be seconds, but they are good enough for practising and learning how to not mishandle or break these fragile pens.
I second everything razorboi has said.
Seconding what @razorboi and @Ebberman said. I have several glass dip pens along with a couple of regular steel nib dip pens. Some of my glass pens I can barely get a paragraph out of, some I can write for at least half a page; with the right ink and paper, I could probably go longer. I prefer glass nibs for normal writing because they are so easy to clean and you can use just about any ink you like. Just be gentle with them and you'll be fine.
I have two J. Herbins. The package on both said made in China. I can get a couple of lines out of them. I have a Rohrer & Klingner that writes much more smoothly, and I can get a lot more lines out of it. It’s very nice. I wasn’t impressed with the Herbins and thought about selling them.
The Rohrers are truly 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 Herbins. 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.
Are you still thinking of selling one of the Herbins?
Yes.
