WITB: Dip Pen Holders
AN EASY GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL ART TOOLS
Dip Pen Anatomy | Holders | Nibs | Popular Brands | 10 Tips
Welcome back to my official blog guide, “What’s in the Box!?”
And today we are going to approach the topic of dip pens.
Today we will be discussing “Everything You Need to Know About Dip Pens” however, I have been told that some people find the presentation - meaning everything being in one place - overwhelming. You can follow one of the links above to jump to a different blog post where the information has been divided into parts.
TYPES OF PEN HOLDERS
STRAIGHT
Known as a straight pen holder, this is a design that allows for the nib to be placed directly into the body of the pen holder. The type displayed is known as the “Classic” style and is a more traditional design which uses metal prongs and friction to hold most standard 9mm nibs. It is typically made of wood and is dipped in a protective layer of paint. Keep in mind that any prolonged contact with water will warp and swell the wood which may damage the paint causing it to break or fall off.
OBLIQUE
Known as an oblique pen holder, this is a design that requires a 9mm nib to be placed off to the side of the pen holder, typically made of a plastic or metal material, which off sets the position of the nib allowing a right handed calligrapher to more easily create a lettering style that features a slant. Some - but not all oblique pen holders - allow the off set nib holder to be removed and will instead function as - what is called a “Standard” straight pen holder that uses a ring of plastic as well as friction to hold most standard nibs.
QUILL
Known as a quill pen holder, this handle is uniquely designed to handle “quill nibs” (known as crow or hawk quill nibs). Quill nibs are about 3mm in width, and mimic the old fashioned feathered pens of the same name which are cylindrical in shape. This style of pen holder is almost exclusively (see Comic Nib Holders) made of brown plastic and are relatively thin and small in size which can become uncomfortable after prolonged use.
COMIC
The Comic pen holder is a straight styled pen holder that is uniquely designed to fit both the standard and quill styled nibs. This design is perfect for artists who may wish to switch between both styles of nibs without having to stop and switch out nib holders as well. As you can see the pen insert features two rings which can tightly and easily secure either size nib. These nib holders are a great alternative to the small and uncomfortable quill pen holders mentioned above.
GLASS
There are two more common types of glass nibs, but there are quite a few designs out there. The first has a much longer, spiraled pen nib while the other has a shorter and fatter nib. Either version uses this area to hold and discharge the ink and with the help of gravity, it will slowly make it’s way down the glass until it is once again necessary to recharge.
Dip Pen Anatomy | Holders | Nibs | Popular Brands | 10 Tips