Tips for using a glass dip pen

The first dip pens with inkpots were produced in the nineteenth century in England. These delicate and unique pens give you the chance to bring the elegance of the art of writing to our modern times. This can be achieved through our wide selection of Artistic Glass Pens from Venice which will enhance your creative and special activities.

The Pencils, Dip Pens with Inkpots and writing instruments such as glass Pens are made by our master craftsmen exclusively by hand following the ancient art of Venetian glass. They employ special techniques using a small flame to heat the glass, creating effects which recall the technique of Phoenician glass making and embelishing these writing instruments with the addition of precious 24 carat gold leaf inside the hot glass.

Design and features

The glass dipping pen design has been around for many years. It is much more durable than quills, but more fragile that the steel nibs that replaced them. They are now mostly used by those who wish to have the full contact with paper and ink that a dip pen can provide, or for testing various ink formulas.

The pen is 7.5" long overall and has three main parts: the nib, the grip, and the tail. The tail of the pen extends up from your hand to give balance and control similar to a brush, pencil, or other writing utensil. The grip is the bulbous part between the nib and the tail that you grasp in your fingers to hold when writing or drawing. The nib is the twisted tip of the pen that has deep capillaries that hold ink and release it when touched to another surface. The nibs are fine, yet smooth, so the pen doesn’t scratch on paper as some steel nibs tend to do. Since it is a single piece (rather than two pieces, like a steel nib or a quill), it doesn’t catch on papers with more "tooth". (The texture of paper is referred to as "tooth". It’s the difference between writing on glass and writing on paper. This is why some folks want a screen cover for their tablets, because the feel of glass is much too slick.)

The grip area of the glass dip pen is where the pen I was sent shines. Embedded in this clear bulb are bits of opaque and translucent material that create a jellyfish, which stretches its tentacles toward the tail. They are available in many colors, but due to their hand-crafted nature, are all unique. There are also models that have starburst effects, crooks and fins and such wrought into their tails and other designs to delight the eye. This makes the choice as individual as the person you are, or the person you are buying one for.

Performance

The pen holds quite a lot of ink. Using a dip pen is not difficult, but it is more time consuming and a bit more fiddly than using a gel pen or even a fountain pen. There is a bit of a learning curve, as there is with any art medium, but the feel of glass on paper is something I wasn’t ready for, as a long-time writer with steel nibs. It is so much smoother, yet you feel in control of the pen and can feel the paper texture at the same time. I remember going to a stationer’s shop years ago and the clerk was extolling the virtues of a glass pen over steel nibs. I sort of wrote it off as sales-speak, but after using one, I’ll have to say she was right – it’s a very pleasant experience, and turns out fewer snags and skips – if any! – than typical steel nibs.

Tips for using a glass dip pen:

Dip the pen in the ink, and watch as the ink climbs up into the grooves. Let any excess ink drip off.

Hold the pen at a slight slant.

You don't have to know any particular kind of lettering to use these. Your own handwriting will be just as fun, if you haven't learned any different lettering styles.

The pen writes in a monoline (single line), with no thick and thin variations. You can, however, thicken your down strokes with a few extra lines, to creat "faux calligraphy," if you like.

I have read that you may have to rotate the pen to find a sweet spot. Mine, though, writes the same, no matter which way I rotate it. These are all made individually, so they vary.

To clean, simply dip the pen in clean water, and wipe with a paper towel.

If you have certain requirements for the typeface you write, you may wish to buy multiple glass pens with different thicknesses.

If the pen tip is thinner, the ink will not be discharged too quickly, so dipping the ink once will take longer to write, but don't use color ink, it may block.

If the pen tip is thicker, the ink will be discharged faster, but if you use colored ink, it will not cause the pen tip to block.

You will definitely find your ideal gift from the wide choice of Glass Dip Pens and blown glass pen Holders offered on our online shop.

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