Do you know what is one thing which prevents a calligrapher from not being a calligrapher? NIBS. Yes, the backbone of calligraphy and an essential calligraphy supply. Today, the nibs come in a metallic form, specifically steel, which is more durable than its predecessor, the copper and bronze nibs. Traditionally (4th century), reed pens were used as the ultimate tool for writing. They were made from wood cut into specific shapes to write that used capillary action to hold the ink; however, they were not flexible, and achieving finer strokes was a different problem altogether, hence came in the quills. The quills (6th century) were made from the moulted flight feathers of a large bird trimmed around the edges to make it pointy and achieve extremely fine strokes. The main problem with quills was their durability; since they were pointy, they wore down quickly and, therefore, had to be replaced frequently. At this time (19th century), metal nibs began being produced by John Mitchell in Birmingham, England. This was a brief introduction to nibs, an essential supply in our tool kit.
For this post, we have with us Sana Waseem, also known as letterart_sana in the community. I have been studying scripts since 2022 and started practising calligraphy fully in 2023. Calligraphy is my passion; to beautify it a bit more, I love adding a touch of watercolours and florals to enhance the final piece. This post introduces a few of the many nibs available in the market, some honourable mentions, and my favourites.
Leonardt principal EF Nib-
This one needs no introduction; it is the absolute favourite of most calligraphy enthusiasts. The high-flex nib is a dream to write with; it produces extremely fine hairlines and healthy swells. It is modelled on rare vintage Principality no.1; this nib is a great choice for Copperplate, Spencerian, and ornamental penmanship.
The only con, which is actually not a con, is that it is not beginner-friendly. A certain amount of knowledge and experience is required to handle this nib smoothly.
Hunt 101 Nib-
This is another high-flex nib from Speedball Calligraphy, my favourite. It produces beautiful swells and thin hairlines and glides like butter. It is ideal for intermediate or advanced-level calligraphers. The textured paper is the only one on which it snags a bit, but mastery can be achieved with practice. Another drawback is that it is a bit heavy on the pocket.
Blanzy 2552 Departmental Nib-
The variations achieved from this are fascinating; the structure of this nib is quite unique, too. It has a long, sharp point with the elegance of royalty. It gives excellent shading and is beginner-friendly, too, suitable for various pointed pen scripts. It is a little costly, but of course, vintage nibs are more expensive.
Blue pumpkin Nibs-
Again, a great alternative to the above nibs, this is a suitable option for beginners. It is a medium-flexed nib, produces good hairlines, and lasts a long time. With little care, this is so easy to use and maintain. Due to the pitchfork structure of the nib, it holds a lot of ink but, at the same time, catches fibres from very textured papers.
Leonardt DPG Nib-
I started my calligraphy journey with this nib. It is such bliss to work with it, and it imitates the Leonardt EF nib. This is such a budget-friendly buy, retailing twice as cheap as the Principality nib. It produces fine hairlines and heavy swells and works well on various papers. If you are considering switching between copperplate and ornamental penmanship, this is a perfect nib to practice both.
Some general tips-
- Since these are metal nibs, proper cleaning is required as they tend to rust if left with certain inks.
- If you are beginning your calligraphy journey, start with walnut ink crystals or Parker quink ink; these inks are beginner-friendly and don’t eat up the nib.
- After each use, wash the nibs and clean them with a paper towel to protect and preserve them.
- Lastly, use WD-40 quarterly to preserve them in the long run.
These nibs have greatly helped me in my calligraphy journey; therefore, I hope these will benefit you, too! These are my favourite nibs. By practice, all of these nibs may become your favourite, too. We all are learning, and if you have any further queries, feel free to comment. I hope to clarify them. I would love to hear your thoughts, too. Don’t forget to share this with your friends if you found this helpful.
Dream, practice and learn!