Review on Pilot Parallel Pen Premium Caligraphy Pen Set Scrapbooking & Stamping by Barbara Simmons

My experience with calligraphy pens varies from some mid-level kits (e.g. Scheaffer) as well as nib and style. I'm by no means a typographer and have only had one acquaintance at the enthusiast level since my art school days. I learned calligraphy with a pen and well-designed nibs, often made from a single piece of metal with a "breathing hole” in the center and two separate tines. Larger nibs may have another piece of metal above (or sometimes below) the split section to regulate flow and hold more ink. Cartridge-type ballpoint pens are not much different, except that there is some sort of feed channel between the two pieces of metal, which is often placed. In either case, the line produced by the teeth is slightly different because the pressure changes the flow rate depending on how far apart the teeth are. Light pressure corresponds to thinner lines. With more pressure, the teeth diverge, resulting in a change in the width of the teeth, line and increase in flow. Holding the pen parallel to the bottom edge of the paper also changes the line width. Unlike this traditional design, Pilot Parallel nibs extend parallel above and below the feeder, allowing ink to be drawn more continuously between layers, requiring less pressure (almost none) and with the added benefit of turning the pen sideways can to achieve an effect similar to a ballpoint pen. Ultimately, the result is ease of use and better ink mixing effects. If you just want a thicker, smoother line for a ballpoint pen or nib, you'll be very happy. I also think it could be useful for professional letterers who want to diversify their toolbox or for those who use it for very large letters that need to be filled. However, this creates problems for more traditional calligraphers like me. As mentioned above, calligraphy in general is pressure sensitive. Increased pressure and angle relative to the bottom changes the thickness of the line. The parallel design doesn't let the tines spread apart as there are no tines at all, so the only way to change the thickness is to change the angle of the flat tip. So instead of a wide range of line weights, you get two sizes: horizontal and vertical. Increasing speed can also decrease thickness somewhat, but only at the expense of accuracy. Minor additional issues are a) it bleeds profusely with the included ink and b) the small pen is too big. If you're expecting the package shown in the picture, then don't either. Please see my photos. I appreciate the inclusion of the bubble, but correct product description and images are important. The pilot should be updated accordingly. Also note that (amateur) writing on *cards*!