The Calligraphy Pen

Calligraphy pen use, buying guide and maintenance tips.

Pelikan Calligraphy Pen

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. 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. 

2008 Montblanc Writer’s Edition George Bernard Shaw

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.

Visit The Calligraphy Pen Store to buy a Montblanc Limited Writer’s Edition “George Bernard Shaw” fountain pen.

Calligraphy Alphabets | Italic Hand

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.

Italic Hand

MontBlanc Fountain Pens

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.

Browse through the following Montblanc fountain pens for sale or find out about some of the range of regular release and special edition fountain pens.

MontBlanc Meisterstuck LeGrand Fountain Pen

Montblanc Meisterstick

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.

Buy a MontBlanc Meisterstuck fountain pen.

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.

Buy a MontBlanc Boheme fountain pen.

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.

Montblanc Starwalker

Buy a MontBlanc Starwalker fountain pen.

Special Editions

Marlene Dietrich

Montblanc 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.

Buy a MontBlanc Marlene Dietrich Special Edition fountain pen.

Greta Garbo

Montblanc 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.

Buy a Montblanc Greta Garbo Special Edition fountain pen.

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)

Montblanc Hemingway

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)

Montblanc Christie

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)

Montblanc Imperial

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)

Montblanc Wilde

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)

Montblanc Vo

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)

Montblanc Dumas

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)

Montblanc Dostoevsky

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)

Montblanc Poe

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)

Montblanc Proust

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)

Montblanc Schiller

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)

Montblanc Dickens

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)

Montblanc Fitzgerald

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)

Montblanc Verne

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)

Montblanc Kafka

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)

Montblanc Cervantes

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)

Montblanc Woolf

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)

Montblanc Faulkner

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.

Lamy Calligraphy Fountain Pens

Lamy fountain pens have a strong reputation as sturdy, reliable pens that are comfortable to use. Lamy is one of the leading fountain pen manufacturers in Germany and the fountain pens are sought after the world over.

You can buy Lamy Fountain and Calligraphy Pens by visiting The Calligraphy Pen Store

The following is a selection of some of the most popular Lamy fountain pens on the market today. 

Lamy CP1 PTFountain Pen

This is the top of the line in the Lamy range and is a very sleek, cylindrical bodied pen made of solid stainless steel.

Lamy Accent Brilliant Finish Fountain Pen

This is a simply designed pen that is both durable and stylish. It includes a solid steel spring-mounted clip and the grip sections towards the end of the pen are interchangeable.

Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen

Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen

The Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen has a classic design that has been in favor for decades. The pen is made of fiberglass reinforced Makloron with stainless steel accents. It’s a pen that is lightweight and easy to use. To refill this pen you must use an ink bottle rather than a changeable ink cartridge.

Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen

The Lamy Joy is the company’s classic calligraphy pen. The holder is a smooth chiselled looking pen with a wire clip. The Lamy Joy Calligraphy Pen comes in three nib widths of 1.1, 1.5 or 1.9mm. This is an upscale lightweight shaped stem pen. The clip is flexible and made of spring brass wire and comes with a stainless steel nib of a varying chisel point.

Lamy Logo Fountain Pen

The Lamy Logo Fountain Pen is made of stainless steel with a cyclical matt finish and spring-mounted steel clip.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

The Lamy Safari pens are strikingly handsome looking pens that are incredibly durable. The Lamy Safari Italic fountain pen is contoured for a more comfortable grip and you can find them in a shiny black finish with a stainless steel nib which comes to a medium italic point. The Lamy Safari Fountain pens come in a range of colors such as black, white, charcoal, lime green, yellow, royal blue, bright red and blue and red. The available nib sizes are extra fine, fine, medium and broad.

Lamy Vista Fountain Pen

 

The Lamy Vista Fountain Pens come with a transparent casing that shows off the inner workings of the pen. The pen comes with the same Lamy pen clip that adorns the Lamy Safari. This pen comes with interchangeable ink cartridges.

Lamy AL Star Fountain Pen

The Lamy AL Star Faountain Pen takes its shape from the Safari range and is made from a lightweight durable aluminum with a comfortable grip. The pen comes with nibs in extra fine, fine, medium and broad.

These fountain pens are more on the Lamy page of The Calligraphy Pen Store.