My Favorite Hybrid Fountain Dip Pen Hack!

|| UPDATE ||
Turns out that this DIY hybrid pen is more commonplace than I realized, thanks to comments from @Ichiro Fakename & @aquafloriana! There are product offerings by Kakimori, Serendipity Hybrid Pens by Pensive Pens, Sailor and Pilot.
** ATLAS STATIONERS discount code: LIANE10 for an extra 10% off most products. Some exclusions may apply: www.atlasstati...?sca_ref=3350439.3FR91Hi4Ph **
\\ SWATCHING SUPPLIES:
Hobonichi A5 Plain Notebook: amzn.to/3QEMUbS
Kakimori Brass Nib and Cherry Wood Holder: www.atlasstati...
Stainless Steel Condiment Cup: amzn.to/3kAHLEJ
Glass Eyedropper: amzn.to/3QB2xkO
Plastic Pipettes: amzn.to/3FGHfMp
Hi Everyone, Liane here! I haven’t seen any KZbin content talking about this so I created a video to share what I discovered with you all! I also demonstrate how to switch/change nibs in your Kaweco Sport fountain pen.
If you've already seen this fountain pen hack elsewhere or are already doing it yourself, please let me know! I googled it, looked it up on KZbin and had no luck. I've seen folks put calligraphy and manga nibs on fountain pens, but not the other way around.
MY PROCESS:
After breaking my glass dip pen, I was looking for something to swatch inks with in order to finish filming an ink comparison video. I ended up using a Pilot Kakuno as a dip pen but cleaning out the nib feed between different inks was an inconvenience. Then I was inspired when the Pilot Pen Company announced that they were releasing a fountain pen nibbed dip pen called Iro-Utsushi, only to find out that there aren't any available in the United States (at least not yet). While playing around and switching out nibs for my Pilot Metropolitan, Pilot Kakuno, TWSBI Eco and Kaweco Sport fountain pens, I discovered that all of their nibs can be mounted on a calligraphy nib holder! As you can tell, I am so excited to share this discovery with you and hope that it inspires you to modify your own fountain nib dip pen and give it a try!
PENS:
Lamy Safari
TWSBI Eco
Kaweco Sport
Pilot Metropolitan
Pilot Kakuno
Pilot Prera
INK:
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Pek
SUPPLIES:
Handmade Wood Inkwell (purchased on Etsy from DesignKOUS, wonderful shop!)
Hobonichi Plain Notebook A5 (purchased on Jetpens)
1920s Vintage Glass Dip Pen (you can find it by searching "ANTIQUE glass ink dip pen 1920's HAND-BLOWN" on eBay)
WATCH NEXT:
|| Ink Comparison No. 1: Lavender-Greys: • Lavender Gray / Grey I...
|| Ink Comparison No. 2: Bright Blues: • Bright Blue Inks! Foun...
|| Ink Comparison No. 3: Olive Greens: • Olive Green Inks! Foun...
WHERE I BOUGHT MY PENS/INKS:
Vancouver Pen Shop: IG @vancouverpenshop
Goulet Pen Company: www.gouletpens.com
JetPens: www.jetpens.com
Vanness Pen Shop: www.vanness1938.com
Anderson Pens, Inc: www.andersonpens.com
eBay: www.ebay.com
MENTIONED:
Pilot Pen Company's Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen Video: • iro-utsushi（いろうつし）使い方ガイド
#fountainpen #pilotpen #kaweco

[@Canalus]

Putting a calligraphic nib on a refillable brush pen is pure genius. Thank you so much, I might have discovered a new favorite tool!

[@lianelikes]

Thanks! It is definitely a frankenpen but would love to see how it works for you!

[@wind-flower]

It seems like Pilot and Sailor figured out this hack as well. They're now offering dip pens with fountain pen nibs - the Sailor Hocoro and the Pilot iro-utsushi. Your way of going about it is still cheaper for people who already have a few pens with exchangeable nibs, but for people who are just starting out, getting one of those might be an option as well

[@lianelikes]

Yes, absolutely. I don’t know if the sailor and pilot dip pens have removable nibs, curious to know.

[@jamesaritchie1]

It's a terrible idea, if it actually is a fountain pen nib. A fountain pen nib doesn't have a built in reservoir, which means it doesn't hold any ink, so you have to dip every few words. I haven't tried their dip pens because I can't tell if they have a built in reservoir. If they don't, the pens are a horrible idea. If they do, and they've just added tipping to a real dip pen nib, it might be worth looking into, but it isn't something I want or need. Dip pen nibs do not have tipping, and do not need it. For those who think no tipping would be a problem, try a fountain pen with a stub nib. There are very, very popular, and have no tipping. There just isn't any good reason to use a fountain pen nib as a dip pen, or to add tipping to a real dip pen nib. Doing so is just a marketing gimmick aimed at those who don't know very much about dip pens, or why the nibs are made as they are.

[@kaas2597]

thank you for nice background music, very good choice :)

[@lianelikes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Aquafloriana]

Yesss! I've been doing this with my old Jinhao nibs for years for testing inks. Didn't realize this wasn't a common practice. 😄

[@lianelikes]

That is amazing, I just ordered a Jinhao pen and would love to give it a try! I know, it should definitely be more commonplace, surprised it’s not mentioned on KZbin. I talked to my mom about this hack (she’s in her late 60s) and she was not surprised. She grew up doing this all the time in her childhood.

[@technoraptor7778]

Same

[@jamesaritchie1]

I find a glass dip pen works much better for testing ink. Cleaning the pen is far faster and easier, as well.

[@thepedanticplanner]

Thanks! I just remembered that we have a chintzy dip pen we bought as a child's souvenir here in Germany. I tried all my nibs and they work fine.

[@lianelikes]

Glad it worked out!!!

[@davidmathews2124]

Yes…doing this myself & thought it was common. Now do the reverse and use your exotic manga & calligraphy nibs in a fountain pen. Often done with the JinHao 750 among others. Playing with tricks like these…Winter is too short! LOL

[@lianelikes]

I will have to give it a try and get myself a jinhao 750!

[@davidmathews2124]

@@lianelikes I would try the new JinHao X159 and check out multiple how to vids. There are tips it’s good to know.

[@sandrablair6205]

What a brilliant idea, you've saved me from spending a fortune on a kakimori & I'll be using my old nibs in my calligraphy nib holders from now on. It's also a easy way for me to try out new nib sizes without having to buy more pens. Thank You XXX

[@lianelikes]

Absolutely!!!!

[@LordWhatever]

Definitely a great idea and to be honest I was blown away by your "water brush fountain pen frankenpen". I've seen a couple of artist illustrators using fountain pen in dip pen nib holders and also a German artist using his Lamy safary pens as dip pens, not using cartridges or converters, just using the whole pen as a normal dip pen. His idea came because he wanted to use his Lamy safari pens with India ink without ruining his pens. He put the pens on water after every use avoiding ruining the pens feed. (I'm not sure about that but it certainly "worked" for him).

[@lianelikes]

Yeah, it’s the nib feed between ink changes that is inconvenient! I forgot to swatch the ink with the Frankenpen, I’ll have to demo it in another video!

[@jamesaritchie1]

I suspect he uses the Lamy Safari because it's a very cheap pen and ruining it is no big deal. But I think he'd be much better off buying a real hybrid dip pen that comes with a feed that works better with India Ink. Or. for that matter, using India Ink that is formulated for use in a fountain pen.

[@NateGerber]

@@lianelikes I'm very interested to see a demo of the water brush Frankenpen :) -> is it possible to use the water reservour as a way to dilute or possibly mix dip inks while writing?

[@lianelikes]

@@NateGerber I will have to provide a follow up video featuring the frankenpen! I used it primarily as a dipping tool as it leaked the last time I filled it with ink. I’ll have to keep playing around…

[@anabello7]

Brilliant! I've just been dipping my empty FPs and cleaning thoroughly in between inks, but this will save me so much time with my ink swatches!

[@lianelikes]

It really does make swatching inks so much easier!

[@scribblesandinkstains]

Omg, mind blown at 4-minutes in. Thank you for sharing! I have multiple dip pen holders and hardly touch them because of how scratchy my calligraphy and manga nibs are!

[@lianelikes]

Totally!!! Glad the video was helpful!!!

[@HenrikVGroth]

I bought the Zebra flex nibs on amazon - they are wonderfull

[@a.o9656]

There's a Moonman fountain pen that comes with a glass nib attachment. The lid can cap the glass tip too. I am saving up for it. Though it's only $50 Australian. So might be cheaper for USA

[@MarcellHobbs]

How interesting and innovative! I appreciate you for sharing your daring!

[@lianelikes]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Tailslol]

You can make an ink reservoir from a can as well if you want to write a longer time or use stub nibs.

[@lianelikes]

Good to know, thanks! Going to google that now.

[@justmej9364]

Oh my goodness! This is such an obvious solution - thank you for knocking some sense into me before I spent money on the Pilot model that’s new and does exactly the same. I still had a calligraphy grip and fitted my Kakuno EF on it and ink swatching has NEVER been easier. Thank you so much!

[@lianelikes]

I’m so glad this video was helpful! The Pilot Kakuno nibs are perfect for this!

[@fossilimprint2954]

You are a genius!!

[@pdtrubber]

Thank you so much. The thought of using a fountain pen nibs is remarkable.

[@lianelikes]

😊

[@lianelikes]

Thanks Pennie!

[@vwood2]

Just brilliant! For years, I’ve been using a lamy vista as a dip pen to sample inks. It works but there’s so much wasted time cleaning out the feed after each sample. This will save me mountains of time! Thank you very very much!👌💐

[@lianelikes]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lynnhayes5514]

This is great! Noodler's flex nibs work as well. Goulet sells a lot of different replacement nibs very reasonably.

[@lianelikes]

Noodler’s flex nibs! Will give it a try, thanks!

[@davidnichols6174]

I also use a flex nib from a Noodler's Ahab. Any other #6 size nib should also fit.

[@Nora-jt9zy]

This is fantastic hack!! Thank you for sharing ❤️

[@lianelikes]

Thanks, Nora!

[@beverlyb.322]

Definitely excited! I’ve been trying different methods because I can’t seem to control the ink on the glass nib at first. I have many pen holders from my years of doing calligraphy, and I have lots of pens with the nibs you mentioned. I would never have thought of this. Genius.

[@lianelikes]

Thank you, Beverly!!!

[@jamesaritchie1]

If you did calligraphy for years, you should know that dip pens work infinitely better than fountain pen nibs for any kind of dipping. Fountain pen nibs have no built-in reservoir, which means they hold no ink, and they have tipping, which can interfere with them small amount of in that coats the nib. There are several dip pen nibs that work extremely well with fountain pen ink, far better than a fountain pen nib does with no feed. Stub nibs are extremely popular with fountain pen users, and the stub nib also has no tipping. The only difference between many dip pens nibs and a stub nib is that the real dip pen nib has a built-in reservoir, and the stub nb does not. Why use a nib that is not designed for dipping, and that is not designed to hol any ink, when you can use a nib that is designed for dipping, and that does hold ink? And the simple fact is you are NEVER going to get the experience of writing with a fountain pen unless you put an ink into a fountain pen, let it flow through the feed, and see how the feed and nib work together. I think this is all about not want to clean a pen, which shouldn't be a big deal. Even if I'm being lazy and going slow, it still rarely takes more than three minutes to clean a cartridge/converter pen with a bulb syring and a paper towel. Nost often, it takes about half that long. So why not just put the ink in a fountain pen? This is the only way to tell how that ink will work in a given pen with a given nib and a given feed.

[@terryslaughter1409]

I love it. I have a couple jinhao pens that I don't use and will give this a try. Thanks for sharing😊

[@Aquafloriana]

I do this with my Jinhao x750 nibs and it works great! You will love it!

[@terryslaughter1409]

@@Aquafloriana great. I look forward to using them.

[@lianelikes]

Welcome! I just got my first jinhao and am also excited to try!

[@caddywampus]

Thank you! I'm getting a Tachikawa nib holder and will try this out 😁

[@lianelikes]

Awesome! Love the Tachikawa nib holders, their grip sections are so comfortable.

[@gristlevonraben]

i did this with my old wood dip pens. i washed it off in a cup of water, each ink swatch, 15 at a time, on day three my wood split, fourth day, paint came off and pen fell apart. this happened twice, minus falling apart. may i suggest you recommend doing this with glass holders or plastic only. 😁

[@lianelikes]

Oh no! Lol

[@lefthandedclogger]

I’ve definitely done this too! But the water brush idea is so exciting, I’ll need to try that. Sorry about your glass pen! I’ve been so paranoid about nicking mine, even though mine just came from dollar tree. But it works so well!

[@lianelikes]

The glass pen paranoia is real! I’ve already nicked another one!

[@karma13612]

Yup! I came up with the same thought yesterday!! I have two nib holders, one seems to take the large nibs (#6) and the other seems to accept smaller nibs (#5). And it saves ink since you aren’t always drawing ink into a feed and then rinsing it down the drain. Works great for testing inks with various nibs and paper and you can make the inks last longer! Can’t wait for the Pilot Iro Utsushi fountain pen-nib holder to sell in the states. Looks like a game changer. I don’t like calligraphy nibs since they seem to be like writing with a straight pin!! Yuk!!

[@lianelikes]

Yes, I totally agree with the calligraphy nibs!

[@AmbidextrousCrafter]

Thank you for this hack!! This is the tipping point for not buying a glass dip pen that I might not use at all because I’m clumsy and will most definitely break it in no time no matter how careful I am.

[@lianelikes]

I’m glad it was helpful!!!

[@ichirofakename]

1. Good info. It's surprising that this technique wasn't mentioned in the thousands of posts I've watched. It is unfortunate that normal dip pens are so much wetter than fountain pen nibs. Also a shame that standalone fountain pen nibs hold so little ink. The Serendipity handle, accomplishes your technique with some room to hold more ink, but is too hard to clean and expensive IMHO. 2. Another good dip option is the Kakimori Brass dip pen. Definitely worth the premium price ($45?). 3. I've been waiting for the newish Sailor Hocoro dip pen with fountain pen style nib to become available in the US at a reasonable price. 4. Pilot Petit1 nibs are rectangular, similar to Lamy, so they won't fit in a dip pen handle.

[@lianelikes]

Thanks for the info, so knowledgeable and thorough! I’ve never heard of the serendipity pen, is that a calligraphy nib holder? Also, looked into kakimori and I see that they also have a fountain nib attachment, which is cool. Look forward to getting the sailor and pilot dip pens in the US too.

[@ichirofakename]

@@lianelikes Serendipity is designed to do what you are doing, hold a fountain pen nib, but with a feed as well, so it holds more ink.

[@lianelikes]

​@@ichirofakename Mind blown, 'm excited to get my hands on a hybrid pen now!

[@MummyBrown]

To thicken your inks for better dip usage add a little Gum arabic to a sample sized amount. It gives thinner inks more texture and reduces bleeding and feathering for very wet inks. Just a note: This should only be done for ease of dip pen usage, not for thickening inks for fountain pen usage.

[@ichirofakename]

I bit the bullet and overpaid for a Sailor Hocoro. NOT recommended, draws a 16" line max.

[@afountainpenawakening]

great hack! thanks for sharing

[@lianelikes]

You are so welcome!

[@user-mt6rs4oy4w]

sand your glass pen down with any grit sandpaper above 500 go gently it will work

[@lianelikes]

Thanks for the tip!

[@lauriepadecky8055]

You might look to see if there are any fine glass/crystal repair places near you. I was able to save a beautiful candlestick my mom left me.

[@lianelikes]

Oh, I hadn't thought about that! I'll look into it, thanks!

[@CreatingCuteArt]

That glass dip pen really was so gorgeous, such a shame it broke but that seems so common that people have the tips snap off. I would break a glass dip pen immediately-it’s the same reason I can’t be trusted to wear a white top of any kind!😂😂

[@ChericeByler]

Mind Blown! Thanks!

[@archivist17]

Great ideas.

[@lianelikes]

Thank you! 😊

[@jamesaritchie1]

I've done that, but I still prefer glass dip pens. or regular metal dip pens. I have no problem with a glass dip pen not feeling like a fountain pen, though a quality glass pen really isn't much different at all. The cheap glass dip pens with just a ball of glass to hold are not fun for me, but the more expensive ones that have a real grip do a great job. I also just use my regular dip pens. I have a couple of dozen different nibs, and several of them work well with fountain pen ink. Much better than a fountain pen nib that doesn't have a feed or a built-in reservoir. With steel dip pens, choosing the right nib makes all the difference. I have several nib that behave exactly as fountain pen nibs, but because the nib has a reservoir, it holds more ink and writes a lot longer than a fountain pen nib placed in a dip pen holder. But, really, it's so fast and easy to clean a cartridge/converter fountain pen using a bulb syringe that more and more often I'm saving my glass and metal dip pens for actually work or play, and just filling a pen when I want to play with an ink, or test all the inks I get. With a bulb syringe and a paper towel, it seldom takes more than a minute or two to clean a cartridge converter pen. This means that if I really love an ink it's already in a pen and I can start using it immediately. And because it's in a pen, I don't have to guess how it will work in that pen because I already know. If I don't like the ink, or already have more than enough pens inked up, in a minute or two I have a clean pen again. The ONLY way to tell how an ink will work in a fountain pen is to put it in a fountain pen. Even dipping the feed doesn't tell you how fast, how slow ink gets to the feed, if it gets there at all. It's all in what works for you, of course. We each have our own way of doing things.

[@lianelikes]

I appreciate your thoughtful response, what are some of you favorite glass dip pens?

[@TersiaCorbitt-iw8fs]

You can send your glass dip pen back to a glass pen maker to have it repaired 😊

[@larryglatt2548]

Very clever, thank you. How about the other way around; dip pen nibs in fountain pens?

[@lianelikes]

Now that would be interesting!

[@rogerblakemore6501]

Real question becomes can you use a dip pen nib for a fountain pen?

[@lianelikes]

Yes, I’ve seen done!

[@ZolaneG]

Absolutely brilliant! I just broke my glass dip pen so I can’t wait to try this. May I ask what the name of your dip holder is, please?

[@lianelikes]

Thanks so much ZGordon! Unfortunately, I don’t know the names of these nib holders. I got these years ago from a calligraphy workshop, sorry about that! I bet you can find them at your local arts and crafts store?

[@ZolaneG]

@@lianelikes Thank you very much!

[@muncker3]

Where did you get that short vial from? Looks perfect for dip pens and not having to fill a 5ml vial to the top or keep a full ink bottle at your desk

[@lianelikes]

I love them! I bought them on Etsy from a shop called designKOUS. I believe they’re called mini dinky dip refills or mini ink vials?

[@ainat141]

I do my test with all my inks whit my calligraphy nibs and one fountain pen nib, but I believe that the feed gives and important characteristic to the writing experience; I believe that is the reason you don’t see much about this practical advice. When I change my ink in a fountain pen I will to compere with and without feed to compere.

[@lianelikes]

Absolutely, agree that the dip pen experience is different than writing with a fountain pen and that using multiple implements provides a 360 degree look at how the ink behaves…

[@kevinm8770]

Good video. Where did you find the stubby vials for ink wells and the vial holder block?

[@lianelikes]

I bought them on Etsy, the shop is called Design KOUS. The vials and holder came as a set!

[@shashisharma6487]

Very nice video,

[@lianelikes]

Thanks so much, Shashi!

[@sushanart]

💖👍

[@papertalesp]

Just in time! I broken my glass pen 😭

[@lianelikes]

Sorry to hear about your glass pen! They're fun but delicate.

[@Teenywing]

I don’t know what it is but the glass pens are just so visually horrifying….i find them so repulsive. I realize that’s so weird but it’s something that I can’t get over.

[@mariatriesart8389]

Just make sure you don't use calligraphy dip pen ink on your fountain pen nibs, the inks for calligraphy are thicker and you don't want it drying on your nib. I'm not sure how they would dry. Especially if you tried a gold nib. Yikes!

[@lianelikes]

Yes, I’ve heard!!! That would be a nightmare with gold nibs 😬

[@davidbyers7246]

They don’t work, I have gotten one of these dip pens with a fountain pen nib and it cannot even write one whole word. I have since tried other fountain pen nibs and they also do not work. You have to keep the feed under these nibs to have ink flow consistently from them. Here’s another idea, get ink that is made for dip pens, and combine it with a proper dip pen nib! How about that for an idea!

[@PrettyBoots]

It's funny; I had this idea a long time ago, but I never tried it because I assumed the fountain pen nib wouldn't fit the calligraphy pen holder. I guess you lose every time you don't try!