Writing with a glass dip pen

Glass dip pens are not something I’ve played around with much, but that could be set to change!

I was gifted one a few years ago, but found it quite blunt to write with, although beautiful to look at, so it never became part of my regular calligraphy kit.

I was encouraged to try again after being approached by online retailer www.glassdippen.com, who are looking to connect with more calligraphers.

The company sells a large variety of glass dip pens, inks, pen holders and accessories.

With my new year pledge to experiment more, how could I resist?

What is a glass dip pen?

Glass dip pens are hand-blown and feature a twisted glass tip that holds ink when dipped into an ink bottle. They are used by writers and artists.

Each one sold by Glass Dip Pen is uniquely designed and said to offer better ink distribution and a smoother, more comfortable writing experience, as well as being fun to use and perfect for testing different inks.

The retailer has several collections, including The Thor Series, The Constellation Series, The Premium Series, animal designs (check out the flamingo) and limited editions.

Being a fan of Marvel/The Avengers/Chris Hemsworth, I was drawn to The Thor Series and I struck lucky with a beautiful blue and purple glass combination.

What are they like to write with?

The first thing that struck me was the weight of the pen – you can feel the weight of the glass, which is also cool to the touch, but it’s still light enough to write with.

The tip is nice and pointed and the twisted grooves hold a lot of ink, so you can write for quite a while before having to re-dip.

Glass dip pens produce a monoline effect, rather than the contrast of thick and thin lines you would get with a broad-edge or pointed nib, but you can use them to create faux calligraphy and illustrations.

I was advised not to use carbon ink or thick inks and I found that both my trusty Higgins Eternal and my new Herbin inks worked beautifully with the pen.

They’re also easy to clean – a quick rinse in some water and a pat dry is all it takes and it was easy to switch between inks.

Would you like to win one?

Glass Dip Pen has kindly provided Creative Calligraphy with one of its ribbon and gold leaf pens for a giveaway!

All you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter link below. The competition is open to UK residents only and the closing date is Sunday, February 23.

a Rafflecopter giveaway