Topics

1

Coffee & Nib-bles / Mothers Day

« on: March 10, 2024, 01:14:56 PM »

To all the Mums, Mummys and Mothers.
You all deserve nothing less than to have a lovely day today.
Take the day off,............. but put the kettle on first xxx

2

Kind Critique / Nay worries - I can take it.

« on: February 14, 2024, 04:45:35 PM »

I have been able to sit up in bed a little bit further the last week or so, although not for too long, but I owe 6 people this.
I am totally new to calligraphy, as I have said in the past, and I can't tell you how bloody frustrating it is to have all the gear, very little idea, but a bucket load of 'wanting'. I am the most impatient person I know, but I have given it my best shot, so here goes,.....
Self critique
1) I need to concentrate on keeping the 55 degrees angle. Bloody annoying!
2) Spacing is not good at all. Bloody annoying.
3) I don't like writing the letter 'r' the way I do at the moment. I'll keep going for a little longer and if I keep messing it up I'll change to writing it another way, likewise the capital 'Z'.
4) I need to concentrate on doing drills more. Much, much more, likewise with the alphabet.
(in short, I need much more practise, but I thunked it wise to look for advice)
Thanks in advance,

Mark.

3

Tools & Supplies / Ink stirring

« on: February 14, 2024, 12:40:06 PM »

Howdydoodee,

I'm a bugger for gadgets, and I have just bought a new one. One which, having arrived from my friend A. Mazon, and tested, will save time. More than that, I have bought it in a colour my wife approves of, which is only fair as she paid for it.
Take a look at this,.....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B2JP7MW8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
The rotation is very strong for what it is - to the point that the 'stirrer' should be placed into the ink pot so it touches the bottom. I did realise this prior to inserting in the pot. (just placing the stirrer into the ink and letting it go halfway in will cause the ink to go over the top of the bottle. If the bottle is deeper than a single stirrer, just join another stirrer to the first stirrer to make it longer. Really good gadget and I can see this saving a lot of time and effort (ok, so mixing is relaxing, for me at least, but who doesn't like a gadget).

4

Tools & Supplies / Dip pen friendly ink & paper combination.

« on: January 12, 2024, 07:09:47 AM »

Happy New Year to all.

I appreciate that the, 'which is best,...' questions are asked/answered a lot, but I don't recall that the, 'which is the best combination ink for a dip pen and loose leave paper for practising other than using HP32' question has been asked, but if it has, then ,..ooooops - bite me, but not on the bum. ;-)

5

Coffee & Nib-bles / K2,..... Are you happy now?

« on: December 09, 2023, 08:56:21 PM »

Are you happy with having to pay $700m over 10 years for a starting DH and a possible Pitcher after year one, providing he mends properly? Big risk. You could end up with a 2-3 year DH (hope not though), but as said previously - he'll put numbers up as a DH that many 'names' would buy in an instant (imo). As a baseball fan, I can't wait to see him play in March, and I hope he mends well to be able to pitch in '25, but as a Yankees fan - this '24 season needs to go well for us - keeping names off the IL is paramount. (Stanton and Judge really hurt us in '23). The purchase of Soto is a nice result for us though, but if we can pinch Yamamoto from under the nose of the Dodgers and the Red Sox, that would be cool, but under the nose of the Mets,... that would be the chocolate sauce on top of the Ice Cream Sundae.

6

Tools & Supplies / Nib recognition

« on: December 07, 2023, 05:31:15 PM »

I've purchased some more nibs. Lucky me
In amongst the nibs I had quite a few with the word 'Hart' but nothing else written. The name/word is printed out and some of the spacing/word is all over the place, so I'm guessing the nibs were made quickly and for an individual?
On the nibs which I had the most of in the purchase, I'll call them, #1 - the nib had the wording - Made in England. Nothing else.
However - there was a single nib, I'll call it, #2 - identical in every way to the #1 bar for the writing.
On this nib, it read - Belman and Son Ltd,.... Convex pointed pen,.... Birmingham,..... 56 EF. When I thumb tested both #1 and #2 they both flexed under the same pressure (if that helps any)
Is there a possibility these nibs could be the same nibs (made by the same company). The reasoning for not having the same writing on the nibs, obviously from a new collectors perspective is a mystery (other than they are made by different company's), hence why I am asking if anybody would have an idea.

7

Tools & Supplies / Rusty nib

« on: November 29, 2023, 09:19:45 AM »

A short while ago I bought several nibs from ebay. The advert said - 'Vintage Hinks, Wells & Co No. 3 Broad Stainless Steel Nib'. On reciept of the nibs I very quickly had a look at the nibs and had to put them away for a week or so before really looking at them.
The point of the post is this: On closer inspection I have noticed that the nib in question has rust on the outside left side (just below the word London) and also on the inside at the same level. The rust doesn't appear to have eaten through the metal.
I'm under the impression that stainless steel doesn't rust, so how is the nib rusty. I have no interest in debating with the seller as it is a nib costing a couple of £'s, but I do have an interest in learning about the nib. In adverts I have seen, when it states gold nib, am I correct in thinking that it is only the point to the back of the tines which are gold?, or is it actually the whole nib - likewise when it says stainless etc. I'm guessing that a brass stated nib is fully brass.

Also, is there anything to put on a nib to stop it rusting, other than to make sure the nib is totally dry once cleaned, and in point of the above mentioned nib, is there anything to stop it rusting more.
I'd appreciate an education if possible. Thank you.

8

Coffee & Nib-bles / Happy Thanksgiving.

« on: November 23, 2023, 05:52:38 AM »

Enjoy your turkey, and enjoy the surrounds of your family, and if the family can't be together - telephone them or contact them via whatever medium you use. Most of all - tell them that you love them. Life has a bastard of a reputation for being so cruel.

Happy holidays from a Brit to you all xx

9

Tools & Supplies / Unused older nib

« on: November 23, 2023, 05:19:07 AM »

I have bought several old 'new' nibs, and would appreciate some advice on what to do by way of nib preperation.
I'm assuming that a really old nib wouldn't have an 'oily' coating, and that a nib from the 1940/50 and younger probably would, so is there a difference in how to 'pre-clean them' so to speak.
Also,....
One nib I bought has rust on the 'shoulder/side' (sorry, don't know if there is a proper term for the parts of a nib other than the tines) which has also spread to the inside of the nib..... is there a solution to use which will stop the rust from getting worse, or is it a case of biting the bullet and counting my loses.
Any help greatly appreciated.

10

Tools & Supplies / What is this nib called?

« on: November 16, 2023, 08:48:17 AM »

Bit of a 'Know ya onions' type question.
Does anybody know what nib this is?

After some surfing and finding a really good website which show pictures of nibs, I think I have found that the nib is a '404'. It doesn't give detail of its age or if still in production though.

11

Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Miniscule 't' and 'p' and 'r'?

« on: October 23, 2023, 04:36:36 AM »

The miniscule 't',.... why is the 't' shorter than other miniscules which rise above the 'x' height line.
The 'p'. The miniscule has a choice of two options. An 'overturn' or/and an 'oval'. Why?
The same for the miniscule 'r'. Two options ascertaining to the form it is written. Why?

Any help would be appreciated.

12

Coffee & Nib-bles / Is there 'noise' in the background?

« on: October 21, 2023, 04:00:56 AM »

When you are practicing your writing, do you have any kind of 'noise' in the background?
Things like the television, or radio, cd, youtube and the like?, or do you prefer to write in silence?
I know several people who would rather not have anything break their concentration when practicing their chosen 'art form' - my youngest son - he 'loses the plot' if he is disturbed whilst working on his hobby. Actually, he's like a man possessed if he is interrupted, yet away from his hobby, he is the most placid, shyest person that I know. Personally, I find it helps to relax, but I can understand how some people wouldn't dare play music for fear of making a mistake, especially in calligraphy due to breaking concentration. Like not spelling something correctly or omitting a letter from a word thus ruining a piece. Maybe that is my trouble - spending too long listening and singing to Bono, or Billy Joel, or conducting a symphony with my dip pen and having excess ink flying all over the room. 

13

Open Flourish | General Discussion / Light box thingymajig

« on: October 16, 2023, 03:10:27 PM »

Light box?
I've never used 1 before, but I'm aware that they are very useful.
I've just bought myself a new printer, and my youngest, bless him, has just bought me some HP 32lb from America (it'll be here Saturday) so I can certainly roll out some guidelines, sooooo,....
I feel the need, as ya do,... to buy myself a light box. No idea what I'm looking for, so I went to, yep, Amazon, and I found this,.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083GTGZ9P/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2H680WMF0F6WA&psc=1,.... Is that any good? Can anybody recommend a decent 'thingymajig'? Do I need to get an A4 size or is bigger better, like A3 size. Anything bigger wont work as I can only use something that will fit on a 'hospital bed table' 13" x 20". I can always buy a slab of MDF and rest it across the top of the table, cut to size, but that isn't really what I want to do.
Any help gratefully appreeeeshiated. Fankums.

14

Tools & Supplies / Nib sale on Amazon

« on: October 13, 2023, 04:24:03 PM »

Hi,
I was going to buy a couple of 'Lenny EF Principles' from a well known British calligraphy site today, but decided to check Amazon after seeing that they were being sold for £2.65 each.
RESULT!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swan-Pens-Genuine-Leonardt-sample/dp/B0BBW4CPX7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6P82GOIRQ43D&keywords=leonardt%2Bef%2Bprincipal%2Bnib&qid=1697229619&sprefix=leonhardt%2Bef%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-1&th=1
So I bought 2 lots. Hope it helps somebody out.

15

Coffee & Nib-bles / I bought me a new set of eyes - or so it seems

« on: September 26, 2023, 02:09:01 PM »

I bought this a few weeks ago, and, WOW! just WOW!
Honestly, there isn't enough superlatives to use to big this up.
Put it this way - should I ever require another one for whatever reason, and if the price goes up to £100 I'd be first  in the queue to buy one. It really is that good. It's comfortable to wear. I choose to wear it with the headband and take the 'arms' off. 3 AAA batteries (don't know what they are called size wise in America, sorry)
The magnification lenses are awesome.

No affiliation with whoever makes them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284866244865