There are apparently vast piles of pen nibs stowed away in warehouses and basements, cast aside after the ballpoint pen came along and stole the scene. There are an unending variety in the brands and shapes, and I was unable to find details on which nibs might be good for what. You can pay a buck or two per nib at a good pen store. Alternatively, you can pick them up in quantity (usually a gross or by the 100) for $5 to $20 a box on ebay. There were some really nice mixed lots on the UK ebay, but shipping was a downer.
I knew I wanted some for lettering and for drawing, but didn't know which ones. I also wanted to have enough for the kids to play with at a calligraphy class I'm teaching next week. So I ordered a few. Boxes.
Needless to say, if any of my buddies are dip pen fanatics, PM me your mailing address and I'll share a few nibs!
I played with some pen nibs when I learned calligraphy in high school. That was when writing was writing, lol.
ReplyDeleteNow those really do bring back some memories! Fourth year primary school aged nine being the only person allowed to use real ink and a calligraphy pen because I had lovely handwriting.
ReplyDeleteTo this day I still far prefer to write with a fountain pen than a crabby biro. I still don't understand why I was chosen either as I was the only leftie in the class!