Dip pens provide the most personal form of writing.
Dip pens -- also called nib pens -- are used for map drawing, illustrations, calligraphy and occasions when a strongly personal effect is required in writing or drawing. Unlike fountain pens, they have no reservoir of ink apart from what is held in the nib. Originally developed at the end of the Eighteenth century to replace quill pens, the first dip pens were sharp pointed. Oblique nibs became more popular in the middle of the Nineteenth century and nowadays nibs of all shapes and widths are available. The technique of dipping them in ink is all the same, although the technique of writing with them differs greatly.
Instructions
1. Wash the new nib in warm soapy water. This removes the protective coating provided by the manufacturer to prevent rusting. Be careful not to damage the tines -- the two prongs that form the tip of the nib -- when drying.
2. Place the nib in the wooden or plastic handle without damaging the tines. Make sure you do not force it into the holder as it is important to keep the rounded shape.
3. Use waterproof, indelible, India ink or the traditional iron gall ink for the best results. Neither can be used with a fountain pen because they would either clog or corrode it. The depth of blackness and quality of the ink is distinctive of the dip pen.
4. Dip the nib only in the ink, as any on the holder will be transferred to your fingers and could end up smudging your work.
5. Use a nib reservoir if you want to write or draw for a longer time without re-inking. The reservoir is a narrow piece of metal with flanges that slide over the nib. It has a point which should lie centrally and flat just behind the tip of the nib.
6. Use a medical dropper to apply the ink to the reservoir if you are doing very fine work. This allows greater control over the amount of ink that is taken up and reduces the risk of a too thick line, or even blots, appearing on the page.
7. Wash the nibs after use, especially if you have used pigmented ink, as that dries to a solid mass and will stick the tines together or prevent the maximum ink to taken into the reservoir.
