Just some glass pen tips that he didn’t really go into in case you’re interested in buying one: 1. Be careful when choosing inks for glass pens because they might clog the pen if they have little sparkly things in them, like iridescent inks. I’ve found that fountain pen ink works amazingly well. 2. If the nib gets slanted like one of the ones he showed in the video, it’s possible to use either sandpaper or a paper bag to smooth down the nib.
1. Glass pens are specifically for clog and stain prone inks that don't play nice with fountain pens. If they clog up, you can just swish them in water or scrub them clean with a toothbrush if the ink is particularly stubborn. If you look at J. Herbin's inks, the dip pen inks are all the kind you would never use in a fountain pen. Things like white pigment and metallics. You can certainly use a glass pen for general writing, and many people do, but they're often used for art when a finer line is needed than can by made by a paint pen. Dip pens in general are used a lot in comics for inking with archival and water-resistant inks that might clog a fountain pen. You would never dunk a fountain pen in acetone, but you could certainly pop the nib off a dip pen and drop it in, and glass is fine with solvents too. 2. Paper bags work for polishing because of the silica content in the paper. For something like the cheap J. Herbin pen shown after the Rohrer und Klingner, start with sandpaper, finish with the bag. I'd check periodically with a loupe and use wet-dry sandpaper so you can keep any glass dust down with water.
Easiest way to clean a glass pen after use is to keep a small container of Windex or other glass cleaner nearby. Then swish the glass pen in it, wipe it dry, and move on.
Thank you. Having done a bit of glassblowing, as well as pen making; this is fascinating. Knew of glass pens but your excellent video has opened the horizons.
There are some very nice ones to be had. I have a visconti with a glass nib which I got on the second hand market. From the research I did its from the mid '90s. Uses std international cartridges or converter and writes amazing.
The trouble is that it is fairly expensive. Does not seem that complicated to make. You also have to wait a while for shipment from overseas to the US.
I used glass pens before I got into fountain pens. This review reminds me of how much I loved them. They’re wonderful, quick and easy! Just don’t drop it!
I made pens like these as part of a glass blowing class. The points (if not re-worked) are just the result of how the glass snapped off after the twist. You can grind and polish the tip (nib end), but all the ones I have purchased are just the random result of snapping the pen off of the rod. If you do grind/polish the nib end, be aware that the dust is powdered glass and quite harmful.
I did wonder about these glass pens.... Spotted one by accident on an ink review video. How fascinating. Cleaning fountain pens has always cause me some anxiety so it did occur to me that this might be a great solution! Thank you for confirming this and thank you for showing us a range of them here! I will definitely put one of these on my shopping list for 2020!
I have a couple of pens from Wancher and I am very happy with their artistry and style of my pens. I was looking at these glass nib pens as an alternative and now seeing you with your demonstration and will be considering purchasing in 2020. The two pens I purchased are an Aka Tamenuri and a true wood pen. Both are quality pens and are comfortable to write with.
Thank you, David - I love the fairness & honesty of your reviews. I have a glass pen & lots of ink sample vials, & using the pen saves SO much time cleaning (& water, now we have water meters) when journalling.
The glass pen you showed that Wancher sent you that you didn't know the name of is, I think, the same as one of the ones I have. It's a J. Herbin glass pen (I don't think it has a model name) and it was $25 at my local pen shop when I bought it not too long ago.
I like the Wancher glass fountain pens. I purchased ‘Earth’ (Medium, clear) and ‘Eclipse’ (Fine nib, Black) I did notice the same threading issue but once I was used to the threading it was second nature to check and adjust the barrel. And yes, the glass dip pens are great for testing inks!
Hey thanks for the video. On a similar note, I bought an innovative metal dip nib recently from Inkcage. It holds a crazy amount of ink. With one dip I filled a whole page with tight line spacing of A5 paper. It was super impressive, it’s replaced my fountain pen as my daily writer for the moment. Would love to see you review Jim and his products
Hi Foggy! First, thanks for the excellent video. I've a good bit of experience with glass pens, & let me say, that 2nd one's tip is actually broken! The fact shows well in your microscopic imagery. Not to be snarky, but I'm a bit surprised you couldn't tell -- remember you did note it was a bit 'scratchy' on the paper. That microscopy shows why! And as several others have noted, a bit of work with fine sandpaper can bring it back to serviceable status.
Great introduction to glass pens, thanks! With respect to the thread/uncapping issue, there is a reason for having more thread on the barrel side, which results in more friction due to the greater contact surface. Using some silicone grease on the cap side should at least alleviate the issue.
i think i like/ love the idea behind the last pen not because it has a pen tube (i call it) but because u can screw the cap on and protect the tip and also theres no body to worry about droping the down side is the huge price.
I have exact same wancher pen he shows and I love it. I love the glass pillow too but most all how it writes compared to other dip pens Now there are so many more on the market since this video was made. I have tried them all, but keeping coming back to my beautiful wancher f
Pen #2 is a standard made in China pen that retails for $3-$6, not $40. Available on Amazon and eBay. They work great unless you drop them or press really hard on the tip. Never a problem with squeezing so hard the handle breaks. They write extremely smoothly and for a long time, but you can always smooth the tip with 320 sand paper or a fine nail file if you think the tip is rough. This is my go to pen style.
Have you seen the kaweco king before? It is a limited addition I only heard of till recently. I was just wondering if you have used it or even heard of it.
Hey, we did an Urban Sketcher's at the SD Air and Space Museum! Nice place to spend a couple of hours. Of course, that means "resident free Tuesday" for me!
Sometimes I find that the ink does not want to write well on a dry glass nib, so I usually wet the end with water, then shake off the excess, before dipping into the ink. If I'm doing a bunch of ink cards, I have a glass of water nearby, where I rest the nib while I'm doing the actual swab. I dab the excess water off with a tissue and I'm ready to go for the next card.
Which nib size does your Wancher Shizuko in the video have? You mention that you're using the clear nib, but I couldn't find any mention of the nib size you used for the writing sample.
Thanks David, I have wanted a glass pen that had an ink supply, so I finally took the plunge a couple of months ago and bought the Shizuku Jupiter and love it. I inked it with their ink and it writes every time even after a few weeks of dormancy. I have not experienced the unscrewing problem you had..
I m 🍀. I was wondering how do you make the ink tests and I also wanted to know something about glass pens. And I got the two answers in the same video. Very educational. Thanks for your job. Greetings from Spain 🇪🇸.
Enjoyed your video very much very interested in the glass pan would really like to have the watcher glass pan but I’ll go with the cheaper brand. Thank you.
@@Pebblesmas hi, it’s a 3D printed holder with a fountain pen feed and large titanium fountain pen nib attached. It holds a lot of ink in every dip. I did end up getting one!
Good information on glass nibs for newbies. As noted, good way to evaluate multiple inks. But why use a glass nib over any old nib stuck on a stick?( or just a stick?) I assume there is history for glass nibs. How did cost, availability, quality and art influence development?
5:26 is too fragile for calligraphy 'writing' grip, but exclt for gfx artistry using an 'artist' grip. Informative, delightful video. Love using my glass nibs. Can you comment pls on using unstaved glass nibs sold in sizes/shapes?
So I really need help! I bought a new glass dip pen (the one with a longer nip) and accidentally chipped the tip of it. Do I sand it down or something? I would really appreciate some advice.
So cool. Glass is beautiful too and so smooth (especially on my diy onion skin notebook. Onion skin is amazing for fountain pens, it's the 2nd smoothest next to photo paper which is hard to write on and expensive). God bless, Proverbs 31
@@c.catlover4080 Yup. It's so smooth, effortless, it just floats, like a boat sailing on fountain pen ink, it's so relaxing, the ghosting is tolerable w/ medium, though photo paper is the ultimate best (but way more expensive to make as a fountain pen notebook):-) Onion skin is a bit hard to get but it's 2nd best.
@@c.catlover4080 I highly recommend pouring a a few drops of oil (baby oil is that's availble) into the ink cartridge if it's cartridge (using a syringe, or pour an amount on a graduated cup or container and pour the drops of oil there) if one is not an ink purist, coz' the nib is metal, this helps lubricate it but ask first if if this is safe for feeds like Ebonite. This technique is used in technical pen community by draftsmen.
I wonder what ever happened to that retractable glass pen that was on the market a few years ago? Anyway this was an excellent video on subject of glass pens.
On the wancher model how does the I know flow to the nib, from the inside or outside? Is the nib hollow? Other glass pens you duplicate or in and have ink on the outside, how does the wancher work?
You don't want to press too hard...but they are very firm. There is no give in them at all. Think of it more like writing with a pencil rather than a pen.
Figboot on Pens Loved the Wancher dip in glass pen that came in the wooden pencil box but had trouble finding it on their website. Do you have the Japanese name. Only able to find the Dream Pens.
There's a link to the Kunisaki pens in the notes below the video... ru-vid.com?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wancherpen.com%2Fcollections%2Fkunisaki-glass-pen&v=uK-Mz-EFrwk&redir_token=7V2eMnuutoXt8a4o4e-orD7HTXR8MTU3ODY2MDE0OEAxNTc4NTczNzQ4&event=video_description
I remember seeing glass pens in a Common Reader catalog about 15 years ago (bonus points to anyone who knows what that late lamented catalog was). But that was at a moment in life when I was poor as old Job's turkey so I couldn't buy them. Always wondered what they're like.
Brilliant video. At the start of the video you mentioned the nib may have worn away. Is this something to be aware of using glass nibs. Do they wear down noticeably?
On the pen with the black handle, it was more like it was chipped. Through normal use, I haven't experienced glass nibs wearing down. I don't believe it's something you need to worry about.
There's a link to the Kunisaki pens in the notes below the video... ru-vid.com?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wancherpen.com%2Fcollections%2Fkunisaki-glass-pen&v=uK-Mz-EFrwk&redir_token=7V2eMnuutoXt8a4o4e-orD7HTXR8MTU3ODY2MDE0OEAxNTc4NTczNzQ4&event=video_description
Cool video. However, I don't think you mentioned the nib size for the last pen you demoed. You mentioned it was available in a number of sizes, but not the specific size you have for that particular pen. Any chance you let me know?! Thanks!
@@FigbootonPens Wonder why the vintage ones (with a convertor or filling system) are so popular, though. Recently tried to buy one on Ebay and it was swiped from me at the last minute. I hate that. :(
Jason I make glass beads. I’m guessing they use borosilicate glass, a hard glass, so you’d need a significant torch temperature to melt the end, and definitely some experience in glass to melt just the tip and not the entire nib.
is there a glass pen that has a body that looks like a normal fountain pen. I would like to have one to test out inks, but the body just looks a little tacky to me.
Despite the obvious beauty and artistry of the Wancher pens, I actually prefer the first pen; the white one. I did click on the link you provided and the pens are all sold out. Do the fountain pen retailers also sell these Wancher pens? Does Wancher ever have a rep at the pen shows?
I tuned mine using wet and dry. Micro mesh is just to fine to for the super hard glass. Instead of figure of 8, I pulled it in a straight line rotating the pen at all times to prevent a flat. I also only did this at a steep angle. In affected creating a dome on the end.
Wow Dave, you review the Kunisaki glass pen and Wancher raises the price, lol. Its now $150. They are beautiful but i'll stick to my J Herbin. No matter how careful one is, its glass and i don't have any 100 year old glass pens in my collection. Thanks for another great review though.
Had a glass pen, I found it at a consignment / antique store I paid 10$ for it wrote well with my Mont Blanc Emerald green, then one day I opened up the case and the nib was broken off...... no one in the house had an idea how that happened. 😠
Its glass- and therefore subject to the law of thermal expansion. If subjected to temperature change too quickly, Glass will spontaneously break on it's own. Its the same line of reasoning as to why its a bad idea to put cold water in a heated coffee pot, or why its a bad idea to put an empty coffee pot on a hot plate.
@@pjfsr7024 It doesn't take a lot to do it to a glass pen which is relatively thin glass compared to most uses of glass. It's also not necessarily heat itself that will do it, but rather "change" that happens too fast, rather it be from "hot to cold" or "cold to hot" - so the good ol' AC could have been the offender.
the one reason i would use a pen of this is for white ink. That is exactly why I want a glass nib fountain pen like the shizuku, I want to write with white ink in non white paper.
That second pen, the one with the black body/stem/handle, I've seen what looks like an exact copy, on AliExpress, and I mean perfectly copied. And it costs less than $5 Canadian!
Taking a cue from my optometrist, I wonder if these could be made of polycarbonate? Very strong. Thanks for the video! That thin pen was so beautiful...
I take my glass pens to sandpaper to make them smoother or adjust the angles, or make it more amenable to thick glittery inks. Very easy to ruin your pen though, so.
I don't understand why so many people use these for calligraphy. You normally need a bit of line variation and flex for calligraphy. A glass pen has literally zero flex.
i thought i was hallucinating when you didnt put the 'u' in colour. literally threw my world into a spin. i think i need sleep. that glass pen using the convertor is mind blowing. really nice outer.
Someone gift me an inexpensive glass pen (with an hourglass in the handle, that lasts about as long as the ink load so that's kind of fun) and it's rather too sharp... would be afraid to grind on it, but wondered touching it up with a tiny bit of acrylic. In fact seems to me you could make a glass-like nib to spec from one of the very hard acrylics that take a glass-like polish.
I know this is 3 years old video but for the quality you got, the wancher pen is severely overpriced for a subpar glass pen quality in japan standard. Guridrops, TAG stationery glass mouse, hiyori glass, produce very smooth (almost no claw feedback) nibs and provide consistent ink flow regardless of angles rotation of the pen
