Send Next-Level Thank You Notes with Dip Pen Calligraphy Essentials

Dip pen calligraphy can look pretty intimidating, but give it a bit of practice and it can actually turn into quite a relaxing and inexpensive way to play with art and improve your handwriting in the process. Don’t know where to begin? These four essentials will help get you started on the path to churning out handwritten thank you notes like it’s 1899.

A Selection of Nibs (and a Potato)

Beginner nibs are inexpensive and easy to replace, so don’t hold back in choosing a variety of shapes and sizes. Before you use them, however, they need to be treated in order for the ink to flow well — stabbing the nib into a fresh potato whenever the ink gets stubborn is a weird but effective way to clean them before, during and after use.

Nib Holder (and Oblique Nib Holder)

Dip pen nibs are designed to be interchangeable, so you need a nib holder to act as the body of your pen. Nib holders can be straight or oblique — the benefit of the latter is that it improves the angle of pressure on the page for a more even distribution of ink. If you’re right-handed, an oblique nib gives you a lot more control, resulting in a much smoother line.

Lots and Lots of Practice Paper

Beginning calligraphy takes time and patience, but can also provide the same kind of enjoyment as a game of Sudoku or a complex coloring page. You don’t want your nib tip to catch on textured paper or ink to bleed across the design, so chose a notebook or practice pad that has smooth, thick pages and be prepared to go through a lot of them.

Wide-Mouthed Inkwell

Some nibs, especially oblique nibs, can’t fit into the small inkwells that are often packaged with beginner calligraphy sets. Grab a pot of ink with a wide mouth that gives you plenty of space to avoid smearing ink all over your pen (and hand, and clothes, and stuff) in the process.

Get Inked

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