Quite often when searching online for a new calligraphy pen you may find that the results you get back will direct you to “fountain calligraphy pens” pages. This may lead to some confusion as the newcomer to the world of calligraphy may not be aware of the difference between a calligraphy pen and a fountain pen.

Let’s start with a fountain pen first. The fountain pen was the forerunner to the modern day ballpoint pen in terms of being the implement used primarily for cursive writing on a day to day basis. The fountain pen contains its own ink supply that is then delivered to the pen nib from a replaceable ink cartridge or refillable reservoir. The nib of a fountain pen has a rounded point that is suitable for flowing script with minimal pen lifts.

The calligraphy pen is otherwise known as a dip pen stemming back to the early pens made from reeds or quills with the ink delivered to the nib by dipping it into the ink. The nib of a calligraphy pen differs to that of a fountain pen in that the calligraphy pen nib has a straight edge compared to the fountain pen’s rounded point. The calligraphy pen is designed to be held at a constant angle to the page throughout each stroke, creating the thick and thin lines that are particular to the lettering that is being created. Similarly, the calligraphy pen nib is designed to be pulled in one direction (from the top of the page to the bottom), creating each letter with multiple pen lifts. To make this even clearer, the calligraphy pen is never pushed.

So, for example, when constructing the letter ‘o’, the calligrapher will first draw the left semicircle in an anti-clockwise direction starting at the ten o’clock position and ending at the four o’clock position. Then the pen is lifted back to the ten o’clock position and, in a clockwise direction will draw another semicircle from ten o’clock to four o’clock again.

Another difference between calligraphy pens and fountain pens is in the ink that can be used with each. Make sure you use only ink that is specifically labelled as being suitable for a fountain pen in your fountain pens. India ink, drawing ink and calligraphy ink are thicker than that which is used in a fountain pen and will only clog up the fountain pen feed with the particles that are present.

So, when searching for a calligraphy pen that you are intending to use specifically for calligraphy, take care to buy an actual calligraphy or dip pen. You will be after a separate calligraphy pen holder into which can be inserted a pen nib. To get you started, some of the better known calligraphy pen makers include Osmiroid, Speedball, Platignum, Rotring, Sanford and Brause.

The latest calligraphy pen maker we will be looking at is some of the Pelikan range. Pelikan pens are wonderfully well-constructed with the calligrapher in mind. In this particular post I want to concentrate purely on the calligraphy pens from Pelikan. In a future post I will be presenting the vast range of Pelikan fountain pens.

The calligraphy pens below are your solid workhorse calligraphy pens with no special frills or features. The nibs are standard stainless steel and they are filled by replaceable ink cartridges. 

Pelikan Script Calligraphy Pens

P50 Calligraphy Pen Set 

This is a great calligraphy pen for the beginner who will generally be happy to use a separate calligraphy pen depending on the nib thickness required. The pens are inexpensive but quite well respected as good functioning calligraphy pens.

The Pelikan Script calligraphy pens come in a calligraphy set of three pens, color coded to indicate the nib size. The Script pens are cartridge fill only pens and come in 1mm, 1.5mm and 2mm nib sizes. When you buy the pack of 3 calligraphy pens you also get 5 ink cartridge refills.

I’ve added an image of the Pelikan P50 Calligraphy Pen Set pack to give you an idea of what you might be looking for. At around the $35.00 mark for a pack of three pens, you can’t beat the value, particularly when you consider you are getting the Pelikan quality for that price.

P52 Script Calligraphy Pen

Shown here is the P52 Blue Script Calligraphy Pen which comes with a pen nib width of 1.5mm. The pen is ideal for producing beautiful expressive writing and has a long tapered barrel for added balance. Also available in the P52 Script range is the green, which has a 1.0mm nib width and the red with a pen nib width of 2.0mm.

Any of the pens mentioned above will be particularly suitable for producing most of the more common calligraphy hands used today. Alphabets such as Italic Hand, any of the Gothic Hands, Roman Capitals or Uncial Hand can all be created with the Pelikan Script Calligraphy Pens. 

The latest addition to the Montblanc Writers Edition has been released. This Limited Edition series of pens has been annually commemorating famous figures of the literary world since 1992 and I have only recently summarized each entry. You can check out my post about the Montblanc Writer’s Edition.

The 2008 Writer’s Edition fountain pen pays tribute to Nobel Prize winning author George Bernard Shaw. The pen features rings of marbled dark green lacquer that grow progressively narrower as they near the cap. The nib is 18K platinum-plated and is engraved with a flower to symbolize the flower girl Eliza Doolittle from Shaw’s best-known play “Pygmalion”.

The Montblanc Limited Writer’s Edition “George Bernard Shaw” fountain pen will be available in August 2008. The limited numbers for this pen will be 16,000 fountain pens, 18,000 ballpoint pens and 4,000 sets that come accessorized with a mechanical pencil.

Italic hand developed in Italy, hence the name of the script, during the early Renaissance period of the 15th century. The italic hand was adopted by Pope Nicholas V for the papal chancery.

Today, italic is favored by modern scribes as a flowing script that can be created swiftly and requires fewer lifts of the calligraphy pen. Italic differs from many other hands, with its oval-shape and forward slope. It is written using a pen angle of between 35 and 45 degrees, remaining held at a constant angle.

Italic is a form of calligraphy that closely relates to handwriting, as the letters are formed with a rhythmic up and down movement and notable by one stroke developing from where the last left off. That being said there is also a certain level of artistic merit to the hand and those who become proficient at it would want to add the skill to their artist resumes.

This is a formal script with regulated letter shapes. The “a” and “n” provide the basis for most letters in the alphabet. The connecting strokes should spring from the base and join at the head as closely as possible.

We come to the most popularly collected fountain pen brand in the world, Montblanc. The Mont Blanc Fountain Pens have a distinctive appeal to them. Mont Blanc pens are handcrafted by Master Craftsmen with great care going into every pen created.

MontBlanc Meisterstuck LeGrand Fountain Pen

The Mont Blanc Meisterstuck is one of the most famous writing instruments of our time. The nib is hardcrafted and made from 18 K gold with a platinum inlay. Midway along the pen shaft are three gold-plated rings and the pen clip is also gold-plated. The pen barrel is a precious resin black.

Othe pens in the Monblanc Meisterstuck range include the Le Grand, Le Grand Traveller, and two tribute pens dedicated to the memories of Frederic Chopin and Mozart.

MontBlanc Boheme

The Boheme Royal Black and White fountain pen and the Boheme Royal fountain pen are both cartridge fountain pens with retractable platinum-plated 18 K gold nibs. The barrel of the fountain pen is covered in cut diamonds with a total weigh of approximately 15 carat. The barrel and cap is made from white gold and the pen clip is set with a paramount cut diamond.

MontBlanc Starwalker Resin

The MontBlanc Starwalker fountain pen is a cartridge pen that is made of black precious resin. The nib is a rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib. Working up the barrel, the rings and clip are platinum-plated. The pen is topped with a Montblanc floating star in a transparent cap.

The Starwalker range also features the Starwalker Cool Blue, the Starwalker Metal/Rubber and the Starwalker Doue.

Special Editions

Marlene Dietrich

The Montblanc Marlene Dietrich Special Edition fountain pen is a cartridge fountain pen that is characterised with a platinum-plated 18 K gold nib with a heartshaped hole. The pen’s barrel and cap is made from black precious resin and is inlaid with the Montblanc signet in a mother-of-pearl inlay. The pen also features platinum-plated rings and the pen clip is set with a deep blue sapphire. The Marlene Dietrich special edition was a release limited to 1,901 pens.

Greta Garbo

The Montblanc Greta Garbo Special Edition fountain pen was released to celebrate the 100th birthday of Greta Garbo. The fountain pen is made of black and cream colored precious resin. The body of the pen is shaped to resemble the female form in honor of the screen goddess and the pen clip is set with an Akoya pearl.

Anniversary Edition Fountain Pens

Mountblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire 100

The anniversary edition Montblanc Meisterstuck Solitaire 100 fountain pen was a release that was limited to just 100 pens. This beautiful pen is crafted in white gold and is structured with mammoth inlays. The handcrafted 18ct gold nib is inlaid with the Mont Blanc mountain massif. To top the pen off is a sparkling patented Top Wesselton diamond cut into a star shape.

Writers Limited Edition Fountain Pens

Every year since 1992 Montblanc have released a pen as a tribute to the great writers of world literature

Hemingway (1992)

 

Number made : 20,000 fountain pens
Pen Information
Coral red and dark brown precious resin with gold plated mountings and a rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib.

Agatha Christie (1993)

 

Released in two models, the Limited Edition and the Limited Edition 4810

Number made : Limited Edition - 23,000; Limited Edition 4810 - 4,810
Pen Information
Black precious resin with sterling silver and the snake’s eyes set with rubies. The nib is gold-plated 18-karat. The Limited Edition 4810 is gold-plated sterling silver and the snake’s head is set with sapphires.

Imperial Dragon (1993)

 

Released in two models, the Limited Edition and the Limited Edition 888.

Number made : Limited Edition - 3,500; Limited Edition 888 - 888
Pen Information
Made with a black resin barrel and features a solid gold dragon on the cap, the eyes are set with rubies on the Limited Edition and sapphires on the Limited Edition 888. The nib is rhodium-plated 18-karat gold.

Oscar Wilde (1994)

 

Number made : 20,000
Pen Information
The unconventionally decorated barrel and the many details hint at the passionate spirit of Oscar Wilde. Both the clip and the mountings are made of gold-plated 925 sterling silver. An engraved signature of the author decorates the cap of the pen.

Voltaire (1995)

 

Number made : 15,000
Pen Information
The barrel is black precious resin with gold 925 sterling silver mountings and an 18-karat gold nib.

Alexandre Dumas (1996)

 

Number made : 15,000
Pen Information
The barrel has a marbled precious resin finish with gold-plated mountings and inlays and a rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib.

Dostoevsky (1997)

 

Number made : 16,300
Pen Information
The black resin barrel is featured with a delicte ornamentation that carries on to the gold-plated rings and the nib. The clip is adorned with a domed sapphire-colored stone.

Edgar Allen Poe (1998)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
The cap and barrel features a midnight blue marbled finish with gold plated mountings and an 18-karat gold nib.

Marcel Proust (1999)

 

Number made : 17,000
Pen Information
The 8-sided barrel is adorned with delicate engravings and is made of 925 sterling silver as are the mountings. The rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib features an engraving of an hourglass.

Schiller (2000)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
The barrel is black resin while the cap is amber. Schiller’s signature is inscribed on the cap and the 18-karat gold nib is decorated with a small crossbow.

Charles Dickens (2001)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
The barrel is a green precious resin  with 925 sterling silver cap and mountings. The nib is rhodium-plated 18-karat gold.

F. Scott Fitzgerald (2002)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
The barrel is a shimmering white mother-of-pearl which contrasts to the black precious resin cap which is decorated with the signature of F Scott Fitzgerald. The 18-karat gold nib is engraved with a 1920s urban skyline.  

Jules Verne (2003)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
The barrel is made of bright blue lacquer with platinum-plated mountings and is surrounded by a guilloche consisting of evensized waves. The nib is rhodium-plated 18-karat gold.

Franz Kafka (2004)

 

Number made : 14,000
Pen Information
As tribute to Kafka’s work “The Moetamorphosis” the barrel of the pen transforms from round to square. The top, clip and rings are made from 925 sterling silver and the barrel is a dark, deep red.

Miguel De Cervantes (2005)

 

Number Made : 13,000
Pen Information
The body is made of brown marbled lacquer and is embellished with the writer’s signature. The 18-karat gold nib is engraved with the outline of a windmill.

Virginia Woolf (2006)

 

Number Made : 16,000
Pen Information
The barrel is jet-black precious resin with wave shaped guilloche on the barrel and cap. A faceted ruby is set on the clip and the nib is 18-karat gold engraved with two elm trees.

William Faulkner (2007)

 

Number made : 16,000
Pen Information
The barrel is black-brown shimmering precious resin that resolves into a platinum-plated upper body and cap with a subtle ring structure. The nib is hand-crafted 18-karat gold.

These are just a selection of the range of top quality Montblanc Fountain Pens available. For the opportunity to buy some of these fantastic pens, visit The Calligraphy Pen Store.