Calligraphy is an exquisite art that requires minimal and simplest tools. All you need to execute this beautiful art is just a calligraphy pen and a surface. Calligraphy pens have a lot of similarities to fountain pens.
When it comes to calligraphy, Patience is the name of the game. If it is to be a perfect masterpiece, this delicate art requires all the attention and practice from the artist. But that is not all, it also requires the best calligraphy pens available in the market.
Here are the best calligraphy pens that are available in the market today. The list also contains pens highly recommended by seasoned calligraphy artists.
Speedball Elegant Writer Calligraphy Markers and Set
These crisp chiseled nibs are excellent when you are trying to avoid splotchy writings. If you also want to send out a beautiful handwritten invitation devoid of irregular and unattractive handwriting texture, Speedball Elegant is your ultimate friend. These calligraphy pens make it easy to form lovely calligraphy letters on holiday cards, gift tags amongst others.
These broadly pointed calligraphy pens allow the ink to flow out freely. The ink that these pens use are acid-free and AP nontoxic. Speedball Elegant are excellent calligraphy pens for professional calligraphy writers. It also works well with beginners. They give a colorful, sharp definition on the surface and are ideal for huge professional projects.
Pros
- They are acid-free.
- They are AP non-toxic.
- The ink flows freely out of the pens.
- They are suitable for both beginners and professional calligraphy writers.
- They are not splotchy.
- They are regular and well defined on the surface.
- The bulk is an incentive to purchase.
- They are long-lasting.
- They are smooth with no blots.
Cons
- Some ink dries in different colors.
- They are dry.
- They can be a bit scratchy on the surface.
Sheaffer Viewpoint Calligraphy Pens
These brightly colored calligraphy pens with simple design are ideal for both beginners and advanced calligraphers. They have an updated cap and clip designs and they are majorly purposed to bring sophistication and elegance to cards, invitations, journals, scrapbooks among other surfaces.
While Sheaffer is dedicated to preserving and improving the features in these pens that calligraphy artists have enjoyed since its inception, these pens have a special design that enables them to serve regular pens. The barrels are designed with a window to display the ink level and the color. Additionally, the nibs are color-coded to indicate the stroke width.
This not too fancy calligraphy pen is fairly affordable and comes highly recommended for new calligraphers. Its body is stainless steel and lightweight and can work excellently with basic techniques. Its silver-colored nib is pointed and is perfect for creating smooth and easy calligraphy writing.
Pros
- They are ideal for beginners and experienced calligraphers.
- Their nibs are color-coded.
- The barrels have windows.
- They are affordable.
- The nibs are smooth.
- They are easy to use.
- They are lightweight.
Cons
- The quality is not so good.
- They skip so much.
SukuraKoi Coloring Brush Pens
These calligraphy pens are the best when you want to introduce some color to your art. They are flexible and they contain dye-based transparent ink that can be intermixed for a variety of colors. With these brush nibs, there are a lot of things you can achieve including fine, medium, and bold strokes. These work out perfectly well by varying the pressure on the brush nibs.
If on the other hand, you want to create seamless washes and color gradations, all you need to do is to use the Blender pens. These odorless calligraphy pens are excellent for students, graphic artists, designers, and illustrators.
These pens are compatible with almost all kinds of surfaces. Their bold and intense ink is fade resistant and you can either write or draw with them. They are also Chemical-proof and the flow of the ink right through the tip to the surface is simply superior.
Pros
- Their tips are flexible and elastic.
- The ink is bold and intense.
- They can work with most surfaces.
- The ink flows easily.
- They are fade resistant.
- They are chemical proof.
- It neither bleeds nor smears.
- The ink blends easily.
- Easy to achieve various strokes.
- They have great saturation.
Cons
- They are not water-resistant.
- They are not fade-resistant.
- They are not great for larger projects.
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
These superior quality calligraphy pens feature both soft and hard tips. To change the intensity of the strokes, all you need to do is to just change the brush pressure. Their strokes are normally extra-fine, fine, and medium but it all depends on how you prefer them. Their water-based ink is excellent for writing and drawing. This ink is also odorless and pigmented.
These beginner-friendly calligraphy pens are ready to use straight from the shelves. Their highly pigmented ink is smooth and consistent on a surface. These inexpensive calligraphy pens are lightweight to handle, and they come at a very affordable price.
Pros
- The tips are both soft and hard.
- They are easy to use.
- They have flexible brush tips.
- They give a variety of strokes.
- Their ink is water-based.
- Their ink is pigmented.
- The ink is smooth and consistent on the surface.
Cons
- Their barrels are non-refillable.
- They cannot be shipped outside the United States.
- One point dries out a little quicker.
Tombow Lettering Sets
We are back at Tombow again. The calligraphy pens are so superior in quality and deliverables perhaps you would love to try them out. These calligraphy pens are virtually offering an artist everything they could possibly dream of working with to get exquisite writings and drawings.
First things first, their instructions handbooks that come with these pens are truly handy. They will offer you tips to get started and advance in your calligraphy projects. Their flexible brush tip will give you very bold, big, and fine letters. If you wish to add more details and tweak around a little bit, the fine tip on the other side is always there to assist you with that.
Tombow Lettering Sets come with a blender pen for blending and softening the colors. The ink is both water-based and odorless. They are also acid-free, and they do not bleed through the surfaces you choose to use. These calligraphy pens are a safe bet to use even by the younger members of the family because they are nontoxic.
The best part about these calligraphy pens is, they give a variety of strokes to work with. Their thickness variety makes it excellent for lettering and illustration without breaking because they are built to withstand pressure. Their superior tips will do a lot of work for you including self-cleaning.
Pros
- They ink blend well.
- Their ink is water-based.
- They are acid-free and non-toxic.
- They do not bleed through the surfaces.
- They are non-toxic.
- They give a variety of strokes.
- Their tips are self-cleaning.
- Their brush tips are very flexible.
- Their nylon fiber brushes retain their shape.
- It is excellent for both beginners and professionals.
Cons
- They are not refillable with ink.
- Manufacturers restrict shipping outside the United States.
Things You Should Consider When Buying a Calligraphy Pen
Before you even think of grabbing your wallet and heading to a stationery shop in your area, you need to first ask yourself the kind of calligraphy you are venturing into. It is often said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That is entirely true when it comes to calligraphy.
You do not need to spend your life savings just to start yourself off in calligraphy. All you need to do is to start simple and affordable. All you need is a simple calligraphy pen and a surface to work on. Below is what you need to consider before committing your money to any particular brand.
- The Nib of the Pen- To be able to choose an ideal nib, you need to choose a style of calligraphy you plan to work with. The shape and the size of the nib will play a very big role in this one and you ought to know the ones that are suitable for your style.
- The Style the Pen- There are different designs and sizes of calligraphy pens available in the market today. Go for the ones that are easy and convenient for you to use.
- The Handle of the Pen- You wouldn’t want to invest your hard-earned money on something you will have to wrack your brains on how to handle. Go for something with a very comfortable grip that will not be callous and cause pain to your fingers after using it for long hours.
As early mentioned, patience is the name of the game. Rush and distraction do not belong together with calligraphy. The right kind of quality tools and your personality as an artist will be greatly reflected in the kind of art you will produce at the end.