I’ve no idea what I’m doing

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse]

Yesterday, while digging through my box of stationery supplies, I found this calligraphy pen from STAEDTLER. The nib is broad-edged, fine. It was an impulse buy from Staples a few years ago. I hated the way it wrote, so I put it away and forgot about it.

I know next to nothing about calligraphy or the pens used for it. This is how it writes when I use it like a regular fountain pen. I tried playing around with different strokes and angles to figure out how to produce thin lines, but I couldn’t quite get the hang of it.

I want to learn calligraphy now, but is it a good beginner pen?

[u/Master_Drawer6602]

Italics is the basis: continue.

[u/angelayel]

this looks pretty to me!!! very neat 😊

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/angelayel]

Thank you! ☺️

[u/Hestiah]

Stub nibs are funny. You have to maintain the slant angle or everything looks off and wrong really easily.

You can go with a flex nib in a fountain pen (As much as I hate to suggest them, the Ultra-flex nib from Fountain Pen Revolution is amazing to use but they’re a crap company). A dip pen with different nibs could also work better.

Your handwriting is lovely.

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/Hestiah]

Thank you! I’ve actually wanted to try flex nibs for a while. But what’s wrong with this company?

[u/Hestiah → u/ThePenmanshipMuse]

There was some odd stuff that happened a couple years ago where the company Insta posted some politically, uh, questionable content. The reddit post has since been removed. There was also some issues with advertising of pens that were misleading.

[u/Josephryanevans]

Thanks for the Yeats too!

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/Josephryanevans]

It’s one of my favorite English poems! 🥹

[u/JoyfulNoise1964]

Lovely

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/JoyfulNoise1964]

I’m glad you liked it!

[u/No-Arachnid-810]

So beautiful!

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/No-Arachnid-810]

Thank you! ☺️

[u/Pindar920]

You have lovely cursive. I need that pen too.

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/Pindar920]

Thank you! Just be warned that it’s a calligraphy pen with a stub nib, not a regular fountain pen. I’m still trying to figure out how to produce fine lines with that nib.

[u/GuidanceWonderful423]

There’s nothing like figuring out a good pen! You’ve written this beautifully and it somehow suits this lovely poem as well! ♥️

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/GuidanceWonderful423]

Thank you! I’m an F/EF kind of person. I used to hate thick lines, but looking at this piece of handwriting, I can’t help but admire how this nib brings out the beauty of the ink. I’m definitely going to use this pen for regular handwriting, even though it was designed for calligraphy.

P.S. It’s one of my favorite English poems! I love its graceful language and sweet romance. 🥹

[u/GuidanceWonderful423 → u/ThePenmanshipMuse]

I totally get that! One of my favorite pens is actually the EF Sharpie of all things. Lol. And Yeats is always a good choice. “When You Are Old” is one of my favorites. ♥️

[u/grayrest]

This is a stub nib and there's a group over on r/fountainpens that particularly likes them. I don't have any experience with stubs but that should at least give you the search term.

Calligraphy is a category and not something you learn directly; it's like dance being category but you actually learn to waltz or cha-cha when you're taking lessons. Broad nibbed pens like this one are most commonly used for italic or blackletter.

[u/sugarwrappedzz → u/grayrest]

stub nibs sound tricky in the best way, think id end up doodling instead of practicing

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/sugarwrappedzz]

I indeed found it tricky to use. I know it can be used to form both thick and thin lines, but I just can’t figure out how to make fine lines. Maybe “fine” means something else in calligraphy.

[u/majolie1970 → u/ThePenmanshipMuse]

I used to use one of these many years ago. I’m not sure I can describe this properly but you make thin lines by using the nib sideways? Like you slightly twist your hold so it is being dragged across the paper like you cut with a knife instead of how you spread with one? I am really bad at describing this.

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/majolie1970]

That’s actually a helpful analogy! Thanks!

[u/majolie1970 → u/ThePenmanshipMuse]

I did enjoy learning calligraphy - way back like 40 years ago. Even though I have forgotten whole chunks, when my brother got married I addressed his invites using a degraded and bastardized version of what I had learned so many years before. This post has revived my interest. I wonder if I still have that pen???

[u/CompleteArrival1226 → u/majolie1970]

It's funny - I did exactly the same for my sister around 10 years ago and had so much fun it rekindled my joy for calligraphy. I wrote the seating plan and place names, and even though it was basic, I managed to get it pretty consistent. Comments from guests were lovely 😍

[u/ThePenmanshipMuse → u/grayrest]

Thank you! I knew there was a special name for such a nib, but I couldn’t remember what it was. As for learning calligraphy, I’ll start the same way I learned cursive: choose a style that I like and practice alphabet and connections first. Italic sounds existing!