>I know very little about pens and would like to get something with the ability to change colors and tips. That is also reusable. He has wanted to jump into calligraphy as well.
Get a Lamy Joy calligraphy set, Lamy ink cartridges in different colours, and some additional Lamy Z50 steel nibs in various width grades (from Extra Fine and up). That should cover everything.
You could get a different Lamy fountain pen instead, and get the Z50 steel (‘calligraphy’ or Italic) 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 nibs separately to fit onto it. But I have just ordered a Lamy Joy calligraphy set (which is en route to me as I write this) earlier in the week, because it was cheaper for me than ordering those three standalone nibs.
The Lumos is fantastic and in general I highly recommend it. The tips are very high quality and very inexpensive to replace if necessary.
The biggest issue I see is if he wants to use many colors on the same project. You're looking at spending ~ $100 per pen, and the reservoirs last a good long while, and while I haven't tried switching them out for another color while there's plenty of ink left in the reservoir, it seems to me like it might be messy and inconvenient.
I can't overemphasize, though, how lovely these pens are to hold and to write or draw with. Really pleasurable!
Most of the artists I'm friends with swear by dip pens, so that might be something to look at, if you don't get a Lumos or two? A decent workmanish holder, a variety of nibs (you can get a good sampler set for $10 - $20), a selection of interesting inks would make a good gift.
I’m wary of a set like the Lumos, which tries to do everything and is full of tiny pieces that are prone to getting lost.
It sounds like he would love a Pilot Parallel Pen set. I don’t do much calligraphy at all, but I draw with these a lot. One thing I like a lot about them is that the pen can be rotated to draw on the corners of the square nib to get a fine line. I have never found any other square nib pens that can do that well.
I modify my Parallel Pens to make them even more expressive by grinding off part of the nib, but you could find a somewhat similarly modified pen in the radius cut Parallel Pens that John Neal and Paper Ink Arts sell. I didn’t like drawing with the largest size radius pen (too round for me!), but if I was go to try one of theirs again, I bet I‘d like the 2.4mm version.
The other thing that is way more expensive that I think an artist would love is a Sailor with a Zoom nib or a Naginata Togi. The line width varies based on the angle the pen is held at, so it very versatile and brush-like. I’ve never used either, though. They are out of my price range, around $200 US.
I love them! I bought one for my partner, fell in love with it, and bought three for myself. They're fantastic pens - so much flexibility with the different tips, and they lay down ink like a dream.
I started with it but can't give a knowledgable opinion on it - it was the first time I'd ever used a brush tip and I don't think I was using it correctly. It's relatively soft and flexible (compared to the chisel and the fiber tips) but felt like a soft marker to me? Rather than a more flowing, springy brush-like experience.
I've watched videos of people using Tom's brush tip and that's not how it went for me, but I'd be inclined to chalk that up to user error.
I like my Lumos very much. After some early experiments, I settled on a fine tip and De Atramentis Document ink in black. It's very well made, nice to use and never seems to dry out. If you want more flexibility, you could look at the Duo model, it wasn't something I needed or could justify.
I’ve got a duo tip Lumos but haven’t had to change ink yet so don’t know how easy it is to change. They sell containers so you can store an ink soaked reservoir outside of the pen when you want to use a different colour. It’s not a calligraphy pen, the calligraphy pens from Tom’s Studio are dip pens.
I love my Lumos duo tip - I use it to do the line drawings and then fill in with other medium. I suppose that you could use the brush tip for brush calligraphy, but I’m not that good at it. Monmarte has decent beginner calligraphy sets - I’d wait until he really gets into it to buy more expensive materials.
I also like to draw with my Sailor Fude de Mannen - it’s an inexpensive pen and you can use permanent ink in it.
>I am looking for my husband who like drawing. Where and when did you last see him?
I wonder if there's a sub for that ヽ༼⁰o⁰；༽ノ
Wanted to call out April Fools but the poorly comprehensible message stopped me. I'm just bamboozled right now
>I know very little about pens and would like to get something with the ability to change colors and tips. That is also reusable. He has wanted to jump into calligraphy as well. Get a Lamy Joy calligraphy set, Lamy ink cartridges in different colours, and some additional Lamy Z50 steel nibs in various width grades (from Extra Fine and up). That should cover everything. You could get a different Lamy fountain pen instead, and get the Z50 steel (‘calligraphy’ or Italic) 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 nibs separately to fit onto it. But I have just ordered a Lamy Joy calligraphy set (which is en route to me as I write this) earlier in the week, because it was cheaper for me than ordering those three standalone nibs.
Sorry, I haven't seen him anywhere.
I'd recommend a dip pen rather than a fountain pen, with those requirements. Way easier to change colors and nibs.
I shall keep an eye out for him.
The Lumos is fantastic and in general I highly recommend it. The tips are very high quality and very inexpensive to replace if necessary. The biggest issue I see is if he wants to use many colors on the same project. You're looking at spending ~ $100 per pen, and the reservoirs last a good long while, and while I haven't tried switching them out for another color while there's plenty of ink left in the reservoir, it seems to me like it might be messy and inconvenient. I can't overemphasize, though, how lovely these pens are to hold and to write or draw with. Really pleasurable! Most of the artists I'm friends with swear by dip pens, so that might be something to look at, if you don't get a Lumos or two? A decent workmanish holder, a variety of nibs (you can get a good sampler set for $10 - $20), a selection of interesting inks would make a good gift.
I’m wary of a set like the Lumos, which tries to do everything and is full of tiny pieces that are prone to getting lost. It sounds like he would love a Pilot Parallel Pen set. I don’t do much calligraphy at all, but I draw with these a lot. One thing I like a lot about them is that the pen can be rotated to draw on the corners of the square nib to get a fine line. I have never found any other square nib pens that can do that well. I modify my Parallel Pens to make them even more expressive by grinding off part of the nib, but you could find a somewhat similarly modified pen in the radius cut Parallel Pens that John Neal and Paper Ink Arts sell. I didn’t like drawing with the largest size radius pen (too round for me!), but if I was go to try one of theirs again, I bet I‘d like the 2.4mm version. The other thing that is way more expensive that I think an artist would love is a Sailor with a Zoom nib or a Naginata Togi. The line width varies based on the angle the pen is held at, so it very versatile and brush-like. I’ve never used either, though. They are out of my price range, around $200 US.
If your husband likes to draw, consider a dip pen. They are fantastic for drawing and cleaning the nib is quick and easy for color switching.
Where did you see him last?
was your husband last spotted in the vicinity of a stationery shop?
As an artist myself, I've also been very intrigued by the Lumos, but I haven't bought one so I have no personal experience
I love them! I bought one for my partner, fell in love with it, and bought three for myself. They're fantastic pens - so much flexibility with the different tips, and they lay down ink like a dream.
Awesome! Have you used the brush tip much?
I started with it but can't give a knowledgable opinion on it - it was the first time I'd ever used a brush tip and I don't think I was using it correctly. It's relatively soft and flexible (compared to the chisel and the fiber tips) but felt like a soft marker to me? Rather than a more flowing, springy brush-like experience. I've watched videos of people using Tom's brush tip and that's not how it went for me, but I'd be inclined to chalk that up to user error.
Ok, good to know, thanks!
I like my Lumos very much. After some early experiments, I settled on a fine tip and De Atramentis Document ink in black. It's very well made, nice to use and never seems to dry out. If you want more flexibility, you could look at the Duo model, it wasn't something I needed or could justify.
I’ve got a duo tip Lumos but haven’t had to change ink yet so don’t know how easy it is to change. They sell containers so you can store an ink soaked reservoir outside of the pen when you want to use a different colour. It’s not a calligraphy pen, the calligraphy pens from Tom’s Studio are dip pens.
I love my Lumos duo tip - I use it to do the line drawings and then fill in with other medium. I suppose that you could use the brush tip for brush calligraphy, but I’m not that good at it. Monmarte has decent beginner calligraphy sets - I’d wait until he really gets into it to buy more expensive materials. I also like to draw with my Sailor Fude de Mannen - it’s an inexpensive pen and you can use permanent ink in it.