Sheaffer Calligraphy Maxi Kit 3 Nib Grades Ink Cartridges Tracing Pad, 3 Viewpoint Fountain Pens (73404)

I used to use Sheaffer pens when I was in grade school and high school. These were kind of popular pens in my high school in the 1980s. There was a group of us that used them. Which was nice when you ran out of ink cartridges in the middle of the day. This pen is really nice for the price. Not quite as fine a nib as I'd like, but it's a very nice pen. It's easy to put a new cartridge into it. That works exactly how I remembered it from high school. It's light. Just a little lighter than my Lamy Vista demonstrator. Writes just as nicely as my Lamy does too. I've been cleaning my Sheaffer between ink changes because I like to switch out the colors occasionally. I just rinse it in the sink until there's no more ink running in the water. Then I blot the water out of it with a paper towel. Usually let it sit and dry for a bit too before putting a new cartridge into it. Cleaning it made the ink flow better too. I'm probably going to be buying more of these just because I think it's fun to write with fountain pens, and they're inexpensive enough that I can afford to collect them. My friends think I'm weird for using fountain pens, but I think that's because the skill of handwriting is becoming a lost art. No one uses pens anymore. Everything is done on computers or tablets now.

Calligraphy is not hard to learn, and there are guides on the internet. I actually used to teach it to 6th graders when I was an art teacher. The real trick is holding your pen so the nib is at an angle like the "backslash" key on a keyboard so that some parts of the letters turn out thick and others turn out thin. Add to that some other touches and you can create beautiful things in no time at all. This kit actually was a bargain considering the cost of just one pen and ink. It contains: 3 pens with nibs of different thicknesses. If you write on something small, use the smaller nib...as you write on larger items, you larger nibs. Otherwise, it's too hard to use a large pen on a small piece no different than writing with a thick marker. The pens all have a clear window in them to show you how much ink you have have left. You can change out the nibs on the pens....like if you are using red ink on the thick pen, you can change out the nib to a small one on the pen. 14 ink cartridges and a variety of colors (extra black ink) tracing pad & instruction booklet and that's the great part. You can actually read how to do each letter and then practice on a tracing pad over each letter. Need more practice? Order a tracing pad with your order for this or get one at any arts supply place. And also remember there are a variety of ways to write calligraphy. As long as your letters show that thick and thin look when holding the pen correctly, you don't have to do the strokes exactly like they show any more than any adult still does cursive the exact way they learned in gradeschool. All writing is a little different and the more I practice calligraphy, the more ornate it gets! Incidentally, I do not like calligraphy markers. The ink doesn't flow well enough and the nibs are too thick. I always use ink calligraphy pens. Also: When you have a party and have food out, buy little cards and note what each appetizer laid out on the table is...no one has to seek you down to ask, especially if on a special diet or limited palette, and it looks beautiful. Also great for big feasts like Thanksgiving when not everyone knows what the dish is by sight or what's in it (and, since I don't eat meat, I'm forever asking questions like that myself!)

Great kit to get you started with calligraphy without spending a lot of money. Pens write rather smoothly for such an inexpensive set and you get plenty of ink cartridges to get you started. I'm glad I chose this kit, because since I am new to fountain pens in general, I did not realize you cannot remove a cartridge until it is empty...unless you want ink to spill everywhere. A lot of similar kits only include one pen body and several nibs. This limits you to writing with one size nib and color until you run out of ink in one cartridge. With this kit you can write in 3 different sizes and colors in one sitting. Minor complaints: I did notice that ink slowly seeps out of the seam on the front of the nibs when pens are stored laying flat. Hopefully storing upright will remedy this. The instructional booklet included could be larger so you can see the directional arrows on how to draw the letters better. The practice pad included is more like a scratch pad, very small and flimsy, and the ink bleeds through the pages. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that wants to get acquainted with writing calligraphy.

This pen came quickly. It had 2 cartridges with black and blue ink. I didn't want the cartridges, so I made up a converter from what I had around the house. The pen writes about like any 2 mm nib. Has to have a special converter just for Sheaffer pens (unless you create your own). The pen is lightweight and attractive. The feed seems fat for a feed. I feel I have to hold the pen up at a 75 degree angle to keep from dragging the feed onto the paper. It is a nice pen and delivers bold sharp lines with some variations in line width, depending on direction of the pen stroke. The price is good for anyone wanting to try a 2mm stub nib.

Il Kit è arrivato in 24 ore. Soddisfacente la confezione, le plastiche sono di media qualità, come i pennini che sono piuttosto rigidi. Chi ha la mano alla stilografica non avrà problemi all'uso.

Very effective calligraphy pen at a very reasonable price.Probably more suitable for a beginner than an expert who would need a variety of nib widths.

cadeau de noel très apprécié

An excellent set! The price is a little on higher side. No information about how to get the refill ink cartridges.

Excellent produit. Les plumes sont très souples et glissent parfaitement sur le papier. L'encre ne coule pas. Le petit cahier d'exercice fournit des explications très claires et très détaillées sur la manière de tenir son stylo, la position à adopter pour bien écrire,l'ordre dans lequel écrire pour tracer une lettre. Chacune des écritures est présentée avec la manière de tracer les lettres, l'inclinaison du stylo..... Un petit pack très complet et très bien conçu pour qui souhaite débuter la calligraphie. A recommander pour toutes celles et ceux qui souhaitent s'initier à cet art.