Feathers for calligraphy

Calligraphy translated from Greek means "beautiful handwriting" and is considered a subspecies of art.

The meaning of calligraphy lies in the beautiful writing of words, in the correct arrangement of letters, a certain slope and the font used. Calligraphy is hard work and some meditation. Of course, knowing the basics of this time-consuming process is very important, but you should also be aware of the tools that are used for writing.

The essence of the calligraphy pen is that with a single movement of the brush on paper, you can create a subtle line or bend, which subsequently thickens, maneuvers, and then becomes thin again.

The writing tool works on the principle that with a slight pressure on the brush, the tip or point draws a thin line, and with more pressure, the line gently and smoothly flows into a thick stroke. In this case, the line of transition from thin to thicker is not visible.

Many, most likely, will now think that calligraphy is written only with brushes or bird feathers. The first, of course, is true, but not quite. They wrote with brushes in the old days, when it was not possible to invent something else - there was no worthy analogue.

Similarly, at that time there was no analogue in the form of metal feathers. It was only in 1748 that Johannes Janssen invented the world's first steel pen, and only a century later, the German company Heintze & Blanckertz patented this idea and began mass factory production of the product.

Now on the market there are a large number of brands that produce both feathers and fountain pens. With the development of production, diversity and accessibility have appeared.

For people who are just new to this art, special kits are sold. It remains only to choose the material from which the pen will be made, because how it should be kept depends on this.

There are various parameters, based on which you can choose the necessary pen for calligraphy. These include weight, as well as material and cost. The more famous the company that launches the product, the better quality and higher price.

First of all, it is worth considering what the pen consists of. It consists of four components:

• tip;
• cloves;
• openings;
• immersion level.

For convenience, feathers are usually subdivided into digital sizes: 0.38, 0.5, 0.75, 0.77, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 2.0 mm. Another option for dividing feathers into species is a special designation. For example, it is customary to distinguish: Fine, Soft Fine, Medium, Broad, Music.

The hole was created so that the ink does not flow out with one large blot on the sheet, but is gradually fed to the tip according to the familiar principle of the pen.

The hole in the tool must be monitored - ink must always be in it. But if you take too much carcass, then, most likely, a large drop simply rolls down the smooth metal down onto the paper.

If a person does not trust the pen or is afraid to stain paper, then in this case it is worth buying ink pens that have refill cartridges or removable cartridges.

The principle of the pen is simple and lies in the cloves themselves. If the cloves that are at the tip itself as its components are tightly compressed, and there is no pressure on the pen itself, a thin sharp line is drawn. The lighter the pressure, the subtle line remains on the paper. But if you press harder, then the cloves will gradually begin to disperse, thereby increasing the line, making it thicker.

Disclosure occurs arbitrarily from pressing. The main thing is that this is done correctly, otherwise there will be difficulties with the letter, since the tip will become unpleasant and very noticeable to scratch the paper.

You should always hold a brush or pen in the direction of the line that will subsequently appear on the sheet. If this is a straight line, then you need to withstand strictly 90 degrees.

But if such a task seems too much, then there are special oblique holders in which the pen can immediately be installed at the desired angle.

The length of the line and its thickness are also affected by the flexibility of the pen itself. Flexibility is called Flexible, which means “flexible” in English. Each manufacturer has its own flexibility, which is indicated on the box with feathers.

Combinations between flexibility and tip thickness give the writing a certain effect. But before looking at flexibility, you should pay attention to what font you plan to use when writing - both the capabilities and the letter depend on it.

In the modern world, a huge variety of fountain pens, single pens, and writing kits are produced. There are various sets: of two pens with two selected feathers, one pen and three or more kinds of feathers.

Except for single cases or special orders, companies issue standard pens or sets, which include sizes F (fine), M (medium), B (broad). Some feather lines marked extra fine (EF) are also found.

Well-known brands represent a small line of pens with flat feathers of different sizes, which are called the abbreviation stub.

Originally created for accountants and bookkeepers, because they had to write numbers in narrow columns, and the text had to be written just as finely. Now these pens belong to the category of extra fine or fine-writing.

In the letter, the lines were thin, the tip of the instrument is long and hard. The letter is slightly difficult due to the fact that the cloves, when parting, scratch the surface very much. They quickly deteriorated due to their subtlety, broke and could even rust.

Sending postcards at all times cost significantly less than a full letter, which is why postcards were in great demand among consumers. And companies began to produce special pens and writing sets on postcards, since standard accounting pens were not suitable for this business because of their fragility. Firms began to produce softer and more flexible nibs for convenient writing on less dense cardboard.

It is worth staying on feathers for shorthand. There were no copy machines and scanners at that time, and people often had to rewrite everything manually. For this reason, shorthand was very popular, and a special pen was created for it to facilitate the work.

The pen was equipped with a large ink "ink", more than standard. The long body fits comfortably in your hand. Such pens were called Steno and did not impede work, did not scratch the paper, and they could be written as quickly as a person could write. Pens were popular with people who wrote a lot.

For the sophisticated person special pens for calligraphy appeared. The tip has a certain size, the case is one-piece and without cartridges.

Many amateurs and professionals notice that writing with a glass pen remotely resembles writing with a quill pen. In both cases, quick writing is simply impossible. Most likely, this can be suitable for meditative actions, for enjoying the process of calligraphy and drawing different ornaments in letters and numbers.

For beginners, pens with a spherical or round tip are suitable. The line of such brushes will be even, and writing will not be so difficult work, because the teeth will not go apart.

A correctly selected calligraphy tool will last a long time and will be able to please its owner for many years. For this reason, during the purchase process, you should pay attention to the following qualities:

• the pen should have a smooth mirror surface without scratches, cracks and chips;
• the tip of the tool should be flat and undeformed;
• the teeth of a good tool should be the same size and be symmetrical.

An overview of classic writing pens is provided below.