Calligraphy is an art that can be learned by anyone willing to devote a few hours per week to the study and practice of letters. For the left-hander the challenge has been coping with a chisel-edged nib as they try to find the best angle for the required writing line. After this alignment has been achieved the sequence of strokes have to be made in a reverse manner to the right-handed mode. It would seem to the left-handed calligrapher that everything must be done the opposite way around.

When writing in the accepted left to right direction the right-handed writer makes the majority of their strokes by directing the pen away from the body. The left-handed writer makes the majority of strokes by pushing the pen in a movement towards the body. When the right-hander writes the writing hand is well in advance of the damp ink that has just been scribed onto the page. The left-hander pushes the pen in the same direction but must hold the pen in such a way that their hand does not smear the damp ink. This can be accomplished by either holding the pen below or above the line of writing in an unnatural way.

There are three known writing positions that may be chosen by a left-handed writer: the hook position, the under-arm position and the vertical position. The hook position is where the writer writes from above the line of writing with the paper positioned straight down. The under-arm position is where the hand is placed under the line of writing and the paper is positioned on an angle. The vertical position is achieved with the paper turned at 90 degrees and the pen then works from bottom to top rather than from left to right. This position will be most effective for those who want to use a right-handers pen nib.

A mechanical solution to the problems facing left-handed writers was the oblique nib which is cut on the opposite angle to a right-handed nib. Many calligraphers use the left-handed oblique calligraphy nib combined with turning the page on an angle.

A further tip to help the left-hander relates to the way you have the lighting set up. The right-hander should have the light on the left side while the left-hander should have the light coming from the right side. The reason for this is to ensure the shadow of your hand does not fall where you are writing.

Another compensation that may be necessary could well be in the way the left-handed writer must sit at their calligraphy desk. To help get the required pen angle, it may be necessary to sit further to the right of the page than would otherwise be advised. This, of course, will come down to a matter of personal preference and working out what feels most comfortable to you.

Being left-handed should not discourage you from picking up a calligraphy pen and trying this beautiful art. The techniques might be a little different and, at times, challenging bu remember, there are many successful left-handed calligraphers.

When choosing a calligraphy pen holder you need to take a couple of things into consideration: the mechanism that holds the nib in place and the barrel of the stylus. Some brands of nibs are a different size to others and so will only fit the specific manufacturer's holders. The weight and girth of the pen barrel will affect how easily the pen can be gripped. Some plastic shafts can be very smooth and become slippery after being used for any length of time which causes tension in the hand as the grip tightens.

Some calligraphers prefer to get a pen holder with a cork wrapping or a grooved rubber grip at the point where the fingers grip the barrel. It's all up to the individual calligrapher and you won't know how you feel about a particular pen barrel until you have felt it in your hand. Some calligraphers prefer to feel a heavy instrument while others would rather it to be light to enable them to feel the nib more keenly.

When you buy a calligraphy set, a calligraphy pen holder will be included with it. You don't necessarily have to use the one that comes with the set. Most times you can buy one separately and use the nibs that came with the set. As mentioned earlier, some pen holders are specific to their manufacturers own nibs. Pelikan nibs, for example can only be used with their own holder because of the complex nature of the connection which involves small metal tongues and hooks that link into one another.

It's a good idea to have a test drive with any pen holder you're considering buying. It should feel comfortable from the first moment because, if it's not comfortable to hold before you start writing it's going to be extremely uncomfortable later.

If there is a gripping device on the barrel of the pen you need to make sure that it fits tightly without any movement. A wobbly pen holder will not be conducive to making crisp straight strokes. Next, check that the nib sits straight in alignment with the holder. Any misalignment will prove to be very distracting.

Calligraphy pen holders are not necessarily particularly high priced items. Fitted with a high-quality nib, the plainest looking holder will be just as effective as an expensive, fancy as all get out one.

The Parallel Pen has proven to be a reliable, durable pen that gives you crisp edges proving suitable to both the beginner and experienced calligrapher alike.

A common problem with calligraphy pens, particularly the larger nibs, is skipping - where the ink is not delivered consistently. The Parallel Pen's construction is such that the ink is directed between two layers of metal forcing the ink to the entire writing edge without fail. If you choose to, you can turn the pen so that the nib is on its side and use it to produce fine handwriting

The Pilot Parallel Pen comes with both an ink cartridge and a bladder giving you the choice of whichever ink delivery system you prefer. Alternatively you can dip the pen or, if you want to try some color changes mid stream you canuse a combination of dipping and cartridge ink. Touching the nib of one Parallel Pen to the nib of a differently colored Parallel Pen will achieve that same effect.

The Parallel Pen is available in 4 different nib sizes - 1.5mm, 2.4mm, 3.8mm and 6.0mm. They are also supplied with a range of colored ink choices and these inks have been specially formulated for use with these types of nibs.

The Pilot Parallel Pen is just one of a number of low-cost alternatives examined here to choose from when buying a calligraphy pen such as the Sheaffer entry level pens, the Pelikan calligraphy pen, and the Rotring Calligraphy Art Pen.

Lettering refers to this creation of text and the drawn forms of text. Logos, headlines and most works for reproduction fit this category. With the art of calligraphy, the finished product is usually achieved with one pass of the calligraphy pen. The final result is appreciated for its individuality as well as for the consistency and fluidity.

Lettering differs because the process involves a certain amount of letter sculpting to ensure uniformity in letters because often times the result is meant to meet some sort of commercial need.

Calligraphy does not always require perfection, the finished work often reflects the personality of the person holding the calligraphy pen, their spirit. Lettering is a more exacting form of calligraphy and requires a more definite idea of uniformity and evenness.

The term lettering may also be used to cover every kind of letter-making, including calligraphy, drawn lettering, monumental letter-carving, typeface design, and so on.

One maker that has a few to select from is Brause Pens who makes double-ended wooden callgraphy pen holders. The Brause 1614 pen holder is a thin holder while the hexagonal wooden pen holder is a more substantial instrument. Naturally, these pen holders fit Brause calligraphy nibs.

If you want something a little special you might like to have a look at Wills Quills and the advertisement for some hand turned calligraphy pen holders. They are double ended, hand turned and look absolutely out of this world. They have been made to take a standard calligraphy nib such as a William Mitchell, Speedball or Brause nibs.

Checking out online acutions and other specialist pen stores will also help you to find more people stocking wooden calligraphy pen holders.

The Sheaffer Viewpoint Calligraphy Pen is designed as an entry level calligraphy pen that is available in a range of nib sizes from fine to broad. The pen can be bought in a blister pack that comes with a cartridge refill giving you two cartridges all up. The Sheaffer Viewpoint pens are color coded depending on the grade of the pen nib. As you can see by the picture to the left, the fine nib has been given the red color.

If one pen isn’t enough and you’re sold on the idea of the Sheaffer Viewpoint Calligraphy Pen, then you may want to get the Sheaffer Calligraphy Maxi Kit which contains the three Sheaffer Viewpoint pens in fine, medium and broad nib grades. Also contained in the pack is a range of different colored ink cartridges that will enable you to produce multicoloured work in the one project without having to change pen nibs.

If you don’t need to go so extravagant but still like the idea of a range of colored inks and nib sizes you can choose to get the Sheaffer Mini Kit which simply contains the three Sheaffer Viewpoint pens in fine, medium and broad as well as four assorted color ink cartridges. The Mini Kit contains a single pen barrel along with the three pen nibs which are removable.

Both the Maxi and Mini Kits come complete with an instruction booklet to help you out as you come to grips with learning to use your new calligraphy pen.

All of these calligraphy pens and calligraphy pen kits are also available for sale at The Calligraphy Pen Store.

Holders like the Heintze and Blanckert handle is just a piece of wood around 5 inches long that is flat on one side and bevelled on the others for comfort. This type of pen holder doesn’t have metal fitting to hold the nib in place.

Two main considerations should be taken into account when choosing a calligraphy pen holder. The first is the mechanism that holds the nib in place which might be an arching slit, a metal insert of something more complicated. The second is the barrel of the pen holder, what it’s weight is and the girth not to mention how easily the pen can be gripped. Some plastic pen holders can be very smooth and become slippery after being used for any length of time which causes tension in the hand as the grip tightens.

Some calligraphers prefer to get a pen holder with a cork wrapping or a grooved rubber grip at the point where the fingers grip the barrel. It’s all up to the individual calligrapher and you won’t know how you feel about a particular pen holder until you have felt it in your hand. Some calligraphers prefer to feel a heavy calligraphy pen holder while others would rather a light holder to enable them to feel the nib more keenly.

When you buy a calligraphy set, a calligraphy pen holder will be included with it. You don’t necessarily have to use that pen holder, most times you can buy a pen holder separately and use the nibs that came with the set. However this is not always the case because some pen holders are specific to their manufacturers own nibs. Pelikan nibs can only be used with their own holder because of the complex nature of the connection which involves small metal tongues and hooks that link into one another.

When you’re looking to buy a calligraphy pen holder, try it out by gripping it in the normal posture you would use when writing. Test the weight and feel of the pen after a nib has been inserted. You need to make sure that the gripping device, if there is one, fits tightly to the pen holder surface without any movement. A wobbly pen holder will not be conducive to making crisp straight strokes. Next check that the nib sits straight in alignment with the holder. Any misalignment will prove to be very distracting.

Calligraphy pen holders shouldn’t be particularly high priced items. So when you go out to buy a new calligraphy pen holder, buy several that will be able to meet all your calligraphy demands.

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 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. Whereas other calligraphy pens consist of a calligraphy pen holder and separate nibs, the Pelikan P50 is a single unit.

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.

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.