For centuries, writers have sought out the smoothest, blackest (and most permanent) ink possible for use in dipping pens. With their porous tips, fountain pens have a reputation for providing the best results, but many fountain pen users worry that the ink won’t work in a dip pen.
You can use fountain pen ink in a dipping pen, but because the consistency of fountain pen ink is different than that of dipping pen ink, it could be more difficult creating line thickness variation using the flex of the nib. It can be harder to write using fountain pen ink with a dip pen.
What is a dip pen?
A dip pen, also known as a nib pen, is a nib with a pen-like casing. Dip pens were the earliest type of fountain pen, which appeared in the early 19th century. Their predecessor was the quill pen, which had been the only writing utensil for centuries. Using a dip pen begins with filling the reservoir with ink.
You might be confused by the word reservoir in combination with dipping pen, but it is the name of the oval-shaped hole in the nib.
It would be best to hold the pen in a vertical position to allow the ink to flow from the nib to the paper. The ink flows from the reservoir to the nib point through capillary action.
A dip pen is also a great way to get started with calligraphy, as they are usually much less expensive than fountain pens or calligraphy pens. Whether you prefer to dip into a bottle of ink or use an inkwell, you can learn a lot about your writing style using a dip pen.
What is a dipping pen used for?
A dip pen is a handheld tool you use to write on paper. Dip pens are sometimes called nib pens and are very different than modern pens that use liquid ink cartridges. Dip pens are made from metal or wood and have a nib dipped in an inkwell, which provides the ink for writing. (people usually housed the inkwell is in a larger container that they called a desk stand.) One of the most famous writers who used a dip pen was Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, among other works. He used a dip pen to write all of his books but one.
Dip pen ink
Dip-pen ink referred to the ink containing a colorant and was placed directly into a dip pen before writing. During the late 18th and early 19th century, ink manufacturers started producing a bottled form of dip-pen ink, convenient for those who often used a dip pen. Before this time, it was not uncommon for writers and scribes to make their ink.
The main differences between fountain pens and dip pens
The most significant difference between a fountain pen and a dipping pen is the reservoir; a fountain pen has its ink reservoir on the inside, whereas the dipping pen has its reservoir as an oval hole in the nib. Another difference is that a fountain pen can only use fountain pen ink, whereas the dipping pen can use any ink, even ink like India ink that would clog up a fountain pen’s inners.
Why you shouldn’t use fountain pen ink in a dip pen?
Ordinarily, fountain pen ink is not what you want to use in a dip pen. Dipping pen ink is not made to be drawn out of a reservoir and into a nib, and it can clog the pen’s feed and nib because it is not water-based.
Fountain pen inks have pigments and dyes added to a carrier, water, but they also use wetting agents to optimize the ink’s flow through the pen’s inners. These wetting agents can cause the ink to flow too quickly off a dip nib, which in turn causes blobs and stains. Fountain pen ink dries faster than the ink explicitly made for a dip pen.
You can still write and draw using fountain pen ink, but you should compare it yourself with decent dipping pen ink. You will find it more pleasant to use.
Conclusion
You can still write and draw using fountain pen ink, but You will find it more pleasant to use.