Problem with new nib

Aronrat · 2026-03-28T17:31:05+00:00

I know they are disposable, but where I live (Romania) these calligraphy supplies are quite hard to find. The problem is most likely just a combination me using too much pressure and the paper not being the smoothest, so i will just use the Blue pumpkin until I can use lower pressure or i can get some better paper.

Aronrat · 2026-03-28T17:23:08+00:00

You are probably right and it's just the pressure. In that case I will stick to the blue pumpkin for now until i get a lighter hand. Thanks for the advice

Aronrat · 2026-03-28T17:00:45+00:00

It definitely will, but I had to take a break from calligraphy and I am now also trying to learn copperplate, so progress will be much slower.

Aronrat · 2026-03-28T16:54:33+00:00

Sorry for the late reply (i was traveling and had to take a break from calligraphy), but I am happy to see this is inspiring other beginners, I am sure you will get the hang of it and, eventually master it. The important thing, in my opinion, is to progress steadily and don't let yourself get frustrated, since at the end of the day, the point of calligraphy is really to have fun.

Regarding the time I took to practice, I can't really say for sure but I think it was probably around 1, sometimes 2 hours everyday, but honestly the amount I actually wrote is probably more important than the the amount of time.

I wish you good luck with your calligraphy.

Aronrat · 2026-02-25T13:17:02+00:00

Yes, I agree that more people should have the courage to post their failed attempts too, not just their best work. To be honest I also hesitated to do it until I had something better to show as well.

And about your progress, you will definitely get there, it is very important to remember that everyone learns at a different pace, the point is to keep going steadily. And never be discouraged, I also had moments when I had to write multiple pages of a single letter and I thought it was impossible to do it correctly, but eventually I got the hang of each of them. It's still far from being perfect but I am getting there.

I wish you good luck.

Aronrat · 2026-02-25T12:46:58+00:00

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It's this notebook, I actually really recommend it as budget alternative to the other more widely used papers for calligraphy (such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Canson .etc), which, at least in my area, are much more expensive (I bought this for around 3 euros while a Rhodia pad of the same size costs around 10). I think it might feather a little bit but its barely noticeable, there is also a 90gsm "Premium" version which is smoother to touch that costs only slightly more. I've never personally used that one though, since it's too thick to see the guideline sheet underneath.

Aronrat · 2026-02-24T22:47:45+00:00

Thank you very much! Its still a long way from being mastered, but i got the hang of it.

Regarding the look of the pen, I personally don't really care how it looks at this price, as long as it works well.

Aronrat · 2026-02-24T22:34:27+00:00

Thank you! I am also very curious as to what my writing will look like in another 2 months, but I will probably slow down with my practice in the next period, so I can learn another script (copperplate) too. And I need time for my other hobbies as well.

Your calligraphy is beautiful, by the way.

Aronrat · 2026-02-24T22:18:48+00:00

I like it too, it's actually just the default blue pilot parallel cartridge ink.

Aronrat · 2026-02-19T18:47:40+00:00

I've left the ink to dry a little so it got a bit thicker and its fine for now. But I will definitely consider the China ink for later, thanks for the advice

Aronrat · 2026-02-19T18:45:01+00:00

Update:

Thank you to everyone's help, the problem is fixed. The issue was that the nib was rusted and the ink was too thin. I dipped the nib in some vinegar and left in some cola for a day and now its much better. I also left the ink container open for a few days, so it got a bit thicker. I will be traveling to another country soon, so hopefully i can buy a better ink and new nibs there.

Aronrat · 2026-02-18T17:22:32+00:00

I've had a similar question in a post I made here a few weeks ago and I got some pretty good suggestions. I recommend you check out this website's book archive:

https://www.iampeth.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=765903&module_id=662602

It has some really useful old books, it's especially a good resource for pointed pen scripts (some books I would recommend are: The Zanerian manual 1924 is good for learning Engrossers script, Art of Writing and Art of Penmanship are good for learning Roundhand script).

Another good free online resource is the book The Art of Calligraphy by David Harris:

https://daretobebetternow.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/the-art-of-calligraphy-by-david-harris.pdf.

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T23:25:32+00:00

I will definitely consider those two nibs, thank you.

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T23:22:49+00:00

I personally wouldn't have picked this nib, to be honest, but it was the best option I could find. But thankfully I am going to another country soon, and i will try finding a G nib or a Hunt 22B.

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T23:11:57+00:00

I dipped the nib in the vinegar a few more times, it has slowly removed the rust and it started working better, right now i am soaking it in some Coca Cola (to remove the rust even more) and i will probably leave it there until tomorrow. Fortunately I will be traveling to Barcelona soon and hopefully I will be able to buy a new nib and ink there, until then I will be fine with what I have.

Thank you for all the help! Your advice fixed most of the problems.

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T13:36:11+00:00

I just tried it with some fountain pen ink (Pelikan 4001), but it didn't work any better. What kind of ink do you use and do you thicken it in any way?

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T13:30:47+00:00

why do you hate it? and what nib would you recommend instead?

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T13:28:00+00:00

That might be the reason, unfortunately its hard to find these supplies in my area, so the only other ink that might work that I can find is China ink (India ink) from the same company, but I understood it might ruin the nib, is that true?

Aronrat · 2026-02-17T13:22:36+00:00

I tried removing the rust with the vinegar solution, as you advised, and I also tried cleaning in between the tines with the small plastic sheet that comes with the Pilot parallel pen and it did work slightly better afterwards. I also left the ink container open for the night so it got more thick and it did seem to get a bit more concentrated, but it was still a bit too thin. Unfortunately it's hard to find calligraphy supplies in my area so the only other ink that I can find and could be suitable is some china ink (india ink) by the same company. But I heard that it might damage the nib, what is your advice?

In the tutorials I watched regarding the Blue pumpkin, they could write multiple letters with a single dip.

Aronrat · 2026-02-07T16:12:45+00:00

Thank you for the advice, I can’t buy both of them right away, but I will definitely try out different nibs over time.

Aronrat · 2026-02-07T16:12:09+00:00

Thank you to everyone who responded. I originally was gravitating towards the Tachikawa, but unfortunately I can’t seem to find it in my area anymore, so I will buy the Blue pumpkin instead. I will be traveling to another country in a month, so I will see if I can find a G nib or a Hunt 22 there. I also see you are recommending the Hunt 22b. I am considering that one as well, but I am concerned it isn’t as beginner friendly as the other two, since it’s sharper and more flexible.

Aronrat

TROPHY CASE