If you have wondered if calligraphy and fountain pens are the same, this article will provide you with the answer!
Although there are similarities between calligraphy pens and fountain pens, they are different. A calligraphy pen is a specialised fountain pen, but there are some significant differences between them, including their nibs, inks and other physical differences. Let’s further explore the similarities and differences between fountain pens and calligraphy pens.
Differences between fountain pens and calligraphy pens
Let’s see what the differences between these two types of pens are.
Different nibs
A pen’s nib is the metallic tip that directs the ink flow. The nibs of calligraphy pens and fountain pens are quite different. Calligraphy pens have disposable nips, which are cheaper than fountain pen nibs. You can often buy pen nibs in bulk packs. Fountain pen nibs are made of more durable, higher-quality metals such as steel, gold or rhodium. These nibs are built to last. Because they are of higher quality, they are more expensive than calligraphy pen nibs.
Fountain pen nibs come in different shapes and sizes (including extra-fine, fine, medium and bold) but are typically pointed and thin to allow the ink to flow to the tip. When writing with a fountain pen, you must hold the pen at a constant angle while writing. Fountain pen nibs can move in all directions.
Calligraphy nibs are “cut” nibs that are usually broader and more angled for creating textual effects. The angled, square tip of the calligraphy nibs allows the user to create thick or thin strokes, depending on the direction you point the nib. Calligraphy nibs are more flexible than fountain pen nibs to allow creative strokes.
Calligraphy nibs are available in small, medium or large sizes, measured in millimetres. Most calligraphy projects use nibs of different sizes for creative expression.
Different purposes
One reason for the higher quality nibs of fountain pens is that fountain pens are made for practical daily use. Writing with a fountain pen produces uniform lines based on the size of the nib. The angle at which you hold the pen does not affect the lines created by a fountain pen.
Calligraphy pens are used for fun activities and can be used for specialised writing projects as the writing produced by calligraphy pens is more creative and decorative. They are also popular for copperplate calligraphy or italic style calligraphy. Copperplate calligraphy involves line variation from the pressure applied to the nib, whereas the italic calligraphy style has line variations from the nib orientation.
Different inks
The ink of calligraphy pens is thicker than fountain pens, since the thickness helps the ink stay in the nib. The viscosity of the calligraphy ink causes this stickiness and gives the writer better control, especially when trying line variations. Although calligraphy ink is also water-based, it contains oil. You must rinse calligraphy pens out after use to prevent the thick ink from clogging the nib.
Calligraphy inks are available in many colours and even with glitter to add dimension and texture to calligraphy projects.
Fountain pen inks are very liquid and comprise water and different colourants. Fountain pen inks come in various colours and types, including scented inks and shimmer inks.
Using calligraphy inks in a fountain pen will clog the fountain pen’s parts. You can use fountain pen ink in a calligraphy pen but may find it too thin and runny for easy use.
Physical differences
Calligraphy pens are simple writing devices compared to fountain pens. A calligraphy pen comprises just a holder and a nib. A calligraphy pen cannot hold ink indefinitely, unlike fountain pens with refillable reservoirs. A fountain pen’s body has many components, including the ink reservoir, the feed and the nib.
Price
As discussed, fountain pens have better-quality nibs and can last longer. Fountain pens are sophisticated items – ideal as gifts for graduates or retirees. Calligraphy pens do not last as long and are cheaper than fountain pens.
Ease of use
Beginners find it easy-to-use fountain pens for their daily writing, as it is easy to control the fountain pen. With a calligraphy pen, it may take a new user a while to learn how to control their hand pressure and the direction of the nib. Although the learning curve for using a calligraphy pen is steep, practice makes perfect, and you will be happy with the results if you persist.
Another difference is that a fountain pen is immediately ready to use, whereas a calligraphy pen may require preparation before you can start using it. Calligraphy pens can be messier than fountain pens.
Similarities between fountain pens and calligraphy pens
There are several similarities between fountain pens and calligraphy pens. Let’s see what they are.
Writing action
Both calligraphy pens and fountain pens use capillary action to write. Standard pens use friction for writing. Capillary action is an intermolecular force or tension that causes water molecules to follow molecule-by-molecule from the fountain pen or calligraphy pen nibs. Capillary action results in a smooth gliding action while writing and gives handwriting a unique character.
Physical similarities
Both fountain pens and calligraphy pens have a barrel and a nib, but the fountain pen’s barrel contains more components than the calligraphy pen.
Both can work for calligraphy
You can do calligraphy with a fountain pen, such as modern or faux calligraphy. You can use a fountain pen for traditional calligraphy with the correct nib. Even with a suitable nib, a fountain pen could produce railroad lines where the lines have hollow insides. The results of using a fountain pen for calligraphy will not be equal to calligraphy done with a calligraphy pen.
Using a calligraphy pen for daily writing will slow your writing significantly, which may not be to everyone’s liking.
Both originated from dip pens
Both calligraphy pens and fountain pens originated from dip pens. Dip pens were the first calligraphy pens. Fountain pens were created because writers were tired of using dip pens and needed something more convenient than dipping a pen nib into ink all the time. Dip pens were also quite messy to use.
Paper quality matters
Using a fountain pen or a calligraphy pen will get the best results when using high-quality paper. Using regular printer paper will cause bleeding in both pens since they allow more ink to flow onto the paper than other types of pens. When you want to use your fountain pen or calligraphy pen in a notebook, follow the same principle and buy a notebook with good-quality pages.
Storage is important
You must store calligraphy and fountain pens correctly to ensure they last longer.
Before storing a fountain pen, clean the nib. When the fountain pen does not contain ink, you can store it vertically or horizontally for up to a year. You need to store a fountain pen with ink horizontally for two weeks or vertically for a month.
To prevent rust, you must always clean and dry a calligraphy pen before storing it. Storing a calligraphy pen is easy – pop it vertically into a container with the nib facing upwards.
Now that you know fountain pens and calligraphy pens are different, you may wonder which one to try. As we saw, both have their specific uses. Why not get both – a fountain pen for daily writing and a calligraphy pen for fun, creative activities?
