Posts filed under Dip Nib

Kaweco + Kakimori = Perfect Swatching Tool!

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

When I wrote this article on ink swatching over two years ago, I was using a glass dip pen, the back end of a plastic paintbrush, and a ruling pen for my swatching. Since then, I traded the glass dip pen for a Kakimori stainless steel dip nib and a few months ago, I recalled seeing an IG story where someone used a Kaweco SketchUp clutch pencil to hold their Kakimori dip nib and I knew I had to try it.

I bought a Kaweco SketchUp 5.6mm clutch pencil in Chrome on eBay, though you can find them from a variety of vendors including JetPens. Kaweco also makes the clutch pencil in 3.2 mm, so be sure to get it in the 5.6mm size as that is the one that can fit the nib.

*The Kaweco SketchUp 5.6mm clutch pencil in Chrome.*

*Replaced the lead with the Kakimori steel dip nib.*

For the past 4 months, I have been using it as my go-to for writing samples on swatch cards as well as making the lined swatches in my Endless Recorder. I had forgotten my trusty paintbrush when traveling for the holidays, so I used it to do the Col-O-Ring swatches too. Here are some things discovered:

It is SO easy to clean the Kaweco + Kakimori! I don’t swish my Kakimori (because I don’t want it in dirty water), but I could swish if I wanted to and wipe it clean afterwards. Instead, I use a syringe at my desk to clean the nib into a dirty cup. I don’t have to worry about getting it onto the clutch mechanism since it is chrome-plated brass, and I can easily release the nib further if ink got past the clutch.

The pencil’s clutch mechanism along with the long parallel sides of the nib makes it easy to adjust the Kakimori nib to be further in or out. Just don’t push it too far in because it could get stuck (you’d have to push the nib from the other end but it could potentially scratch/damage the sides of the nib).

The clutch pencil is very sturdy and hefty without being overly heavy. It has a nice weight to it 1.56 oz/44.16 g) and I know it could withstand being dropped on the floor, though my hardwood floors might not appreciate that. Since I’m only using it for a few moments at a time, the weight isn’t something I really notice. That said, if you don’t want a nib holder that’s on the heavier side, you might prefer something lighter like this Tachikawa T-40 nib holder which also has the added of bonus of a cap to protect the nib. I have a similar Tachikawa holder without the cap for the brass Kakimori and that one weighs 0.39 oz/11.04 g with the nib. Kaweco also has the SketchUp 5.6 mm in other materials, like acrylic, which is lighter than the metal ones; they just aren’t as easy to find.

*Kaweco SketchUp in Chrome and Brown Acrylic (note that the button is depressed further on the Chrome because the clutch is opened further to fit the nib.)*

Relatively inexpensive - Considering the heft and clutch mechanism, the clutch pencil is pretty affordable and retails for ~$40-45 depending on finish. The aluminum nib holder from Kakimori, on the other hand, goes for $72. Of course, you can also buy nib holders that are much less expensive, like the Tachikawa above, but they also won’t feel the same as the clutch pencil.

I prefer the compact size of the Kaweco clutch pencil since other nib holders tend to be much longer. It fits easily in my pen accessories pouch which I take to meetups.

*Here’s the clutch pencil next to a Kaweco AL Sport (The Little Witch) for comparison.*

You can “scratch” the paper when making swatches if you are using the tip (as opposed to the sides), especially if you go back and forth too quickly. Normally, I would say this isn’t because of the nib holder, but I think it happened more with the clutch pencil because the weight of it naturally put more pressure on the nib. I noticed this more if I didn’t change my writing angle while swatching. I have to remember to use the sides of the nib more when doing so, but it’s great for making clean lines for smaller swatches. Also, I can end up with a lot more ink than I want, so I’ve gone back to using the back end of a paintbrush for larger areas so the ink isn’t as concentrated.

*Compare the relatively straight lines from the Kakimori (left) vs back of a paintbrush (yes, I am VERY backlogged with swatching.)*

*It is a little exaggerated here but you can see the scratchy lines that were pretty easy to make when using the tip of the nib to swatch the ink.*

*Swatching lines of ink (like Robert Oster’s Romeo & Juliet) is easy with the Kakimori.*

I don’t remember exactly whose bright idea it was to share this combination on IG, but I thank them for it because both the pencil and nib have held up quite nicely. Now to keep working on my swatching backlog!

(Disclaimer: All items in this article were purchased by me.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Kaweco, Kakimori, Dip Nib.

Sailor Dipton + Hocoro Ink & Dip Pen Set Review

One of the categories of stationery I’ve found myself enjoying recently are dip pens and nibs. Glass nibs, steel nibs, folded nibs, different handles … you get the picture. Why? Fun. Ok, quick ink testing, too, but mostly fun. Who doesn’t want to quickly and easily start slinging ink around on the page?

I’ll be reviewing more of this type of product in the future, but today I wanted to take a look at one of the more fun acquisitions I have made recently: the Sailor Dipton + Hocoro Ink & Dip Pen Set.

Sailor’s Hocoro Dip Pen is a recent offering, allowing users an easy access point into the world of dip nibs. The plastic barrels are simple and lightweight, and feature interchangeable nibs, so one barrel can handle all of the sizes (Fine, Medium, 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm Calligraphy, Fude) on offer. The Fude nib is what I was after this time, especially in combination with the Dipton shimmer ink they paired with.

What is a Fude nib? The end of the nib is turned upwards in such a way to mimic the strokes of a traditional Japanese calligraphy brush. This allows for line variation from wide to thin, depending on the angle of the nib, and the shape of your stroke. And if you simply intend to write normally, like I do most of the time, it works well while providing added character to your letters on the page.

Along with the Fude nib, the Dipton inks for these sets were designed specifically to be used as dip nib inks, not filled in a fountain pen. Could you, if you wanted to? Probably, but I wouldn’t. The glitter particles could clog feeds and filling systems, so if you want to use shimmer inks in your pens, I would buy formulations designed specifically for them, of which there are plenty.

This particular set had three ink variants: Mellow Forest, Coral Humming, and Ice Dance. I went with the dark and moody Mellow Forest for this test, as opposed to the two brighter options. Sailor has also made other sets of these available that feature sheening inks, so definitely shop around if shimmer isn’t your thing.

The line I get from the Fude nib at my regular writing angle is broad, and has that brush tip flair that works well with my letters. If I write holding the pen at a higher angle, the line gets finer, and the lower the writing angle, the wider the line. This is the perfect nib to get creative with.

It may not look like it from the pictures, but this nib holds a lot of ink. The feed design is trough-like, holding a good amount of ink in the middle area between the nib and the feed. This design is also easy to take apart, making cleaning a breeze.

As an ink, Mellow Forest looks great on the page, and in combination with the nib, allows for great shimmer coverage. One tip: make sure you cap the bottle after each dip, so when you go to shake up the bottle before the next dip you aren’t throwing ink across the room. I don’t want to hear this Horror Story! But to get full shimmer coverage, you do want to shake it each time, so be careful.

While I enjoy having the 10 ml bottle of shimmer ink to play with, I’ll get much more usage from the Fude nib in this set. It will work well with any ink, and I look forward to seeing what I can create with it.

You should think about creating with dip nibs and inks as well. They are easy to use, and provide a different experience than traditional fountain pens and nibs. This Sailor Dipton + Hocoro Ink & Dip Pen Set is a great choice, albeit a little expensive for a beginner at $29. It is nice to get an all-in-one kit up front to see if you like it, and then you can explore a world of different options out there.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sailor, Dip Nib, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

One of the things we love about fountain pens is that they can hold a wee tank full of our favorite ink and continuously feed it to a smooth nib. Dip pens give a similar nib experience, but without the ink tank hooked up to it. Instead, you dip the nib into a bottle of ink before writing on the page. It sounds inconvenient--having to stop writing all the time to re-dip! And with some dip nibs, it can be an issue. Leave it to Pilot to make one that just rocks.

The Pilot Iro-Utsushi is a simple design. It's a hollow, lightweight plastic body with a plain metal nib at the end. That's it, that's the pen! Uncomplicated. No feed, no moving parts, just a writey stick. The body comes in several color options, this one is a smokey, clear grey. The body tapers steeply toward the end, and it has a fairly plain grip section. There are a few textured lines along the length of the grip to help with slipping, but they're so smooth I'm not sure they do much. The pen is so light, though, that it doesn't need a fancy grip section. Balance and control aren't issues.

The nib can be either fine or medium. The one I tested is a fine nib. If you've written with a Pilot Metropolitan pen, the writing experience is similar. Which is to say, it's good. The nib is smooth and has perfect ink control. It's not too wet, but never feels dry. It isn't flexible at all, but it creates a nice, consistent line.

The most noticeable feature of this dip pen is that it writes for aaaaages on a single dip. I got 70 words on a single dip--about a third of a page. Two dips per page? That's hardly an interruption at all. And I could scribble vigorously across more than an entire line of a page before a single dip ran out. Despite holding a useful amount of ink, the nib never dripped. There was no mess, no fuss--just a pleasant writing experience.

The only issue I had with the pen at all is that I wish it had a roll stop of some kind. Because it has no real cap, just a rubber sleeve covering the nib, it tends to roll around whenever it is set down. Other than that, this is a great dip pen. It is currently priced at $11, which is a little higher than I thought it would be. The Pilot Varsity is only $3.20, and it has ink in it! It's a fair price compared to fancier dip pens, though, and it would be perfect for ink testing. Or just writing anything--the dipping is rare enough that it doesn't slow things down. It feels old-timey. Like I'm writing some kind of love letter or a constitution, not a grocery list. I dig it.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!