PILOT Parallel Calligraphy Pen Set, 3.8mm Nib with Black and Red Ink Cartridges (90052)

I absolutely love this pen set. I have two. And I couldn't love them more! This pen writes so amazingly smooth. It doesn't glitch or hitch up when writing (if it does, it means the nib has paper particles in it. It's easy to remove by using the Nib Cleaner that comes with this set.). The ink glides on with an ice-cream smoothness that will amaze you and make you wonder where this pen has been all your life. Hands down, it's the best Calligraphy Pen I've ever used. But I don't use it just for Calligraphy. I use it for all my art needs. This pen has so many uses. I'm particularly fond of it for my Art Journals, handmade cards and design.This set comes with everything that you need to get started. It comes with 2 ink cartridges - red and black. A pipette to clean the ink from the pen. A Nib cleaner to clean the nibs. Fantastic color instructions that include some basic calligraphy instructions - and of course the pen unit set itself. (And when it arrives, it doesn't look exactly like the set in the picture, but it is close. The silver pipette in the picture next to the cartridges is actually blue, and it's much bigger - and made of plastic. It's in it's own spot next to the barrel of the silver pen unit. And the nib cleaner (just a thin, plastic sheet that reminds me of a film negative) isn't in it's own place like in the picture, instead it's beneath the ink cartridges. Other than that, it's the same. The picture is probably just an old picture.)Getting Started:It's a snap to get started, simply unscrew the barrel and detach the pen from the unit. Insert the cartridge firmly - while holding the pen unit with the nib pointing upward. Be sure to push the cartridge in without twisting or turning otherwise the valve may not open. After you insert the new cartridge, squeeze the cartridge gently before use to allow the flow of ink to the nib. Be careful not to squeeze too hard otherwise you may rupture the ink cartridge and then ink will leak everywhere (even if you do not see a leak, it will be all over your fingers and soon, everything else). Squeezing too hard may also cause the ink to splash out.Some Tips:Make sure you clean your pen unit every time you change colors. Doing so is easy. After you remove the cartridge (while holding the cartridge upright) insert the pipette. Then, dip the pen into a pot of water. Press the pipette several times until the pen unit is clean. Remove the pipette and insert a new ink cartridge. Be sure to wipe off any excess water with a soft cloth.Always put your cap on tightly. Otherwise your ink may dry out.This ink reminds me of marker, in it's thickness, in its smoothness, and not unlike marker, it will also bleed through thinner paper. So, be sure to either put something beneath your paper when you write/design/draw - or use thicker paper.I haven't noticed much feathering at all. So that isn't an issue for me. Although, this ink does NOT dry quickly so you do have to be careful not to run your hand, pen, or anything else through it that could cause a mess.Did you know that you can write with this pen in two different ways? You use the flat side for your thick, calligraphy, curvy, wavy letters and design - but you can also use the thin side to create fine, thin lines, just rotate the pen. Best of both worlds!They make amazing refills for this pen which you can find here: Pilot Parallel Pen Ink Refills for Calligraphy Pens, Assorted Colors, 12 Cartridges per Pack (77312) for less than $6 (for 12 different colors). You can also find all black, or all the same of your favorite color.You can also refill the ink cartridges, if you wanted (I like India Ink) with an eye dropper. (They do not recommend this, of course.) For the price, the 12 cartridges, in my opinion, are really worth it. They're so simple to change, and the ink is fantastic! You do go through it fast though, a downside of the pen, but again, the price is good so it's not like it's bleeding you, and most bottled ink is expensive.As much as I love the refills, I do also like to refill them with my own ink once in awhile to get the variety - and the India Ink. (If you have a favorite ink, this may be the way to go.) The upside of refilling is that you can store the different ink colors. There really isn't any good way to store the ink cartridges once they are open. Keep them in an airtight container, upright, if you can.One of my favorite things about this pen is that you can use two pens to gradate colors. Simply put two different color cartridges in each pen. Hold one pen with the nib pointed upwards, and the other downwards. Leave the nibs in contact for several seconds. The ink from the pen pointing down will transfer to the one pointing up. Then, write. Your colors will gradate as you write.This pen comes in 4 different sizes. The 3.8mm (the green one) is my favorite, which is why I have two. I don't know, there's just something about the width (3.8mm) that is just perfect. Don't get me wrong, the others seem to be just as lovely and wonderful, and I'm sure they are perfect for their own jobs, but the way the letters and design look on paper from this pen, is just beautiful and classic. I like how it's boxy - squared. Simple. Thick. I love the look of the others, yes, but this one, it's my favorite.The one thing that surprised me about this pen, and I've decided to mention it to you in my review just so you're not as surprised as I was, is that this pen is made a lot more 'cheaply' than I thought it would be. I was expecting a 'pen.' A heavy, well built pen. Especially for almost $8. But the whole thing is made of a really light plastic. The heaviest part of this pen is actually the cap. I'm talking, it's almost top heavy when the cap is on. But after I got over my surprise, it really doesn't bother me anymore. That's because I see the good that comes from it being plastic. This pen is feather-light in the hand, so it doesn't weigh your hand down when you are writing. In other words, it's so easy to control. So, I think they got it right after-all. But it was a surprise when you're expecting one thing, and got another. So, just a fair warning. But, it works out okay in the end.If you're new to Calligraphy, or if you want to learn Calligraphy, this is definitely the pen for you. I have been writing in Calligraphy for a very long time now, and this is by far the easiest, smoothest, simplest experience I've ever had with Calligraphy. My 11-year-old has been wanting me to teach her, and this is definitely the pen she's going to start with. Yes, she's going to move up to other pens, but to get the technique down, I can't think of a better, more simpler pen to start on. There isn't much to mess up. The pen does all the work, you just have to concentrate on technique. The instructions come with a nice little 'getting started guide', Amazon has thousands of books, or, you could just Google Calligraphy and start there. For free. Just practice, practice practice. Do the same thing over and over and over again. You'll get it. Remember, practice makes perfect. Your goal is to train your hand and your brain to know what to do without thinking about it. So that it becomes natural.Are you an artist? Love Art? Like to draw? Putting together an Art Journal? Making Homemade cards? Trying your hand at Art Therapy? Definitely give this pen a whirl. You won't be sorry.Are you a pen collector? Do you love pens? I mean LOVE pens? Can't go into an office supply store without drooling over pens? You get excited when you think about buying a new pen? Pens are like Christmas? Yep, then add this one to your pen collection. It's calling your name. You won't be satisfied until you do. You will think of this pen constantly until you answer that call.I hope to one day collect them all. Because they're calling my name. Just like this one did.

Unless you want to jump to $50 individual nibs, these are simply the best real ink calligraphy pens you're going to find. Durable, consistently smooth, easy to clean, easy to refill. Best bang for the buck you're going to get.

This pen has a very broad nib and BLOWS through ink like a Cadillac Escalade goes through gas. The thing is though, it also writes like an Escalade drives and is a very smooth, high performance, durable pen. It has a very crisp, clean ink flow, it doesn't leak, and writes beautifully. I also own the 2.4mm,which is too small in my opinion, to make very a amazing scripts unless you really know what you're doing. What I like to do is write with my 6mm in one color, then use the 2.4mm to create drop shadows in another color. You can also create beautiful gradients just by touching the nibs together and "writing" on each other. They will draw ink from one another and mix it so that when you write the next few strokes will blend seamlessly from one color to another. The 6mm is my favorite to use, despite its appetite for ink, but I would definitely recommend getting the green capped pen as well (i don't want to leave the page to look up the size, it's the one between 2.4 and 6mm..i believe it's 4.2mm) as I've watched many videos and that's the perfect size for calligraphy. I plan on buying one, but for now am just going to get more ink and keep practicing with my 6. The 6mm is perfect for practice, since it exaggerates the size and shape of the scripts so you can get used to the proper strokes and gain muscle memory so when it comes time to use a smaller pen it will feel natural. Also, purchase as many 12 packs of pilot parallel colored in assorted colors. If you have an eye dropper or large syringe, you can mix the inks to create custom colors, or even cannibalize other gel pens with liquid ink (if you're careful enough to cut them open without spilling ink everywhere, something very easy to do.) and refill your cartridge. Most other inks will run smoothly through the parallel and I've found that very cheap, black inks are very enjoyable to write with because they are translucent and have a watercolor effect with the 6mm and when you cross or double back over existing lines, it doubles in contrast and looks great. Overall, i couldn't be happier with this pen and my new hobby.