ESSSHOP Handmade Glass Dipped Pen Set - Crystal Signature Pen for Art, Writing, Signatures, Calligraphy - Decoration Gift Set

The media could not be loaded.  The packaging of the pen is really a problem. The ink leaked out inside the box. What a mess! I believe it was from a plunge in temperature, and the rubber stopper shrinking, nonetheless, beware, and open it with rubber gloves.The pen is superb! What a piece of art and a fine writing instrument. I have purchased several others since this one purchase since I loved it so much. I grew up with the classic calligraphy pens with nibs in all kinds of styles, flat edged, bent round edged, flex nib... what a great, and marginally expensive hobby for a young person. Nearly half a century later, I can buy a glass dip pen for what one nib cost at an art store!What you need to understand is that thus is not a sharpie, not a ball point pen, and not a pencil. You cannot press and write. You WILL break the tip because using this pen in that way shows that you do not yet have the skill to write with it. The in is drawn out of the pen, not forced out, as with a ball point or graphite pencil. It is not friction that makes this tool work, do DO NOT PRESS HARD.Also, do not dip the entire glass top into the ink. This is how you get ugly blobs as you see photographed by many people who have purchased this pen or others like it. They submerge the pen, drowning it in ink, where only surface tension(look up water surface tension so you understand more about how this pen works), is all that holds back an ocean of ink. Then they put the fine tip to paper and do not move nearly fast enough to pull that ocean of ink along the surface of the paper. Pathetic. Dip the pen half way. Raise it up and see if a drip forms at the tip. If it does, you have over dipped. The ink will travel up and down in the spirals or lens of the inkwells formed in the glass. Each pen has its own style. All of those crevasses lead to the tip. If they are over filled, the ink flows out too fast. Remove the drip by touching the drip, not the pen to the glass of the ink bottle. If no ink drips again, you are ready.Writing is smooth and free. You need to keep turning the pen because the 45 degree angle for proper writing will make some of the groves unable to flow as well. Turn after several words to use them evenly. Know your pen and how to use it. Know how many lines it will easily write before redipping. Know exactly how to dip it and this pen will be the best experience you will have with calligraphy writing.Storage:although it comes with a glass rest, I would not leave it out. I would store it in the box with the foam. I washed my foam out, dried it, and returned it to the box. The foam glued to the box was blotted. You can see by my bottle picture how much leaked. It was 1/4 of the ink. Since it is good ink, but not great ink, I was not upset. I use Noodler's Heart of Darkness, as a rule, but you can buy or make your own inks. All inks work with this pen.The pen is easily cleans by running it under water before storage. Wipe with a damp cloth, and it will be transparent again.I would buy this pen over and over. It is a great gift for someone who knows calligraphy with a pen that has nibs, OR uses watercolor. This pen works much like a water color brush on watercolor paper. The color is drawn out, and you can't load the brush. The difference is the fragile nature of the fine glass tip as compared to mink hair brushes that bend.Pros: smooth writing on paper surfacesAll inks can be usedEasy clean up and color changesWriting and coloring are possibleCons: you need to know how to use the pen to have success. It is not a beginner's pen. It is fragile. It is not suitable for people under the age of 12(give them metal nibs).

I gave this as a gift to my son and he loves it.

I haven't used yet... Amazon continues to ask you to review items that you haven't received yet or just barely received! But this review will be about the presentation. I plan on using this pen to draw on my paintings. To that end, there is no easy way to store this pen or inks. It came in a rather large box as opposed to a case which can be stored. I knew this ahead of time, but I didn't think the box would be so big, nor the ink bottles so small. The nib looks good. I wanted it to hold more ink than a metal nib. I think it will work ok for my purposes.

This was an amazing product. I am really enjoying writing old fashioned letters using this glass pen and inks.

I am so happy with this purchase. The pen and each of the four included inks are of excellent quality, and perfect for my intended use, which is testing out new fountain pen inks and watercolor art. This is not a fine-nib writing experience, so for those who have teeny-tiny handwriting, this may not be for you. It's more like a B or even BB nib in fountain pen lingo. A perfect gift for the writer or artist in your life.

Nice set but one of the bottles leaked and was about half empty. Notified the seller and still haven't heard back.

I bought this set as a gift for my bestfriend for a late Christmas gift, and she loved it! The ink flows smoothly and it’s very easy to use! Would buy again!

I love it. Works great on vintage paper. Very strong and easy to use. Love the style and how the pen it has a rainbow design on the bottom part. This is my first quilt pen and I love it.

Brought for my boyfriend who is into calligraphy. Wonderful packaging and the glass pen came with no damage. The inks were lovely but you have to shake it thoroughly before using it to get that metallic look.

Good pen, better with supplied inks or more viscous inks rather than standard fountain pen inks

Beautiful set, granddaughter thrilled with present