Customer Reviews

Sheaffer(R) Calligraphy Kit, Set Of 7

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While I am not a beginner at calligraphy, I bought the large set with three pens, three nibs, and cartridges in assorted colors simply because it was such a good value. On the plus side, these are standard Sheaffer fountain pens that take standard "classic" Sheaffer fountain pen cartridges and other standard Sheaffer nibs. The jewel-toned plastic pen barrels are lightweight, attractive, and easy to hold. Two quality control issues: the fine-point nib in my set has very poor ink flow, although the other two work beautifully.(Poor ink flow can be discouraging, especially to the beginner.)Oddly, in this set the color of the cartridge did not necessarily coincide with the color of the ink inside--for example, both the purple and the dark blue cartridges contained black ink. On the whole, the large set is an excellent value and a great way to get started in calligraphy.

I'm an absolute beginner, so I bought this kit because I thought it looked like a good value. I still think it was--I like the wide variety of colors of ink cartridges, and the three different nib sizes provides some variety, too.

My big complaint is with the instruction book. The font for the instructions is so tiny--I would guess it's smaller than 8--that it's very difficult to read. The text is offered in multiple languages, so I guess they were looking to conserve space. While the sample alphabets are large enough to read and copy, there are only 4 or 5 styles, and a couple of sample phrases, such as "Thank You," or "You're Invited," to practice. Several of the alphabets are Gothic looking, and I wanted something lighter for invitations, place cards, scrapbooking, etc.--so I will probably have to shell out for a separate book with more options.

If you have any experience with calligraphy at all, the instruction book won't be an issue for you--you probably won't have to look at it. However, if you are a beginner, the equipment in this set is more than enough to get you started, but you might want some other instructional resources.

I'm a raw beginner when it comes to calligraphy, so I was looking for a starter kit that included nibs in different sizes. I picked the Sheaffer set of seven because it had gotten a couple of favorable reviews, and because Sheaffer is a reputable name.

I'm not thrilled with what I got. I do appreciate the fact that there are three pen bodies, because I don't have to swap out nibs whenever I want to work in a different size. Another positive is the excellent selection of colored ink cartridges--everything from hot pink through purple. However, they didn't always puncture easily and cleanly, which contributed to ink flow problems. The nibs aren't helping much there, either. The fine one is okay, but the medium and broad nibs are chronically irregular, so it's nearly impossible to get even lines. My other complaint about the nibs is that they're all too thin. Beginners are best off making big letters to learn, and none of these nibs is broad enough to make a well-proportioned letter more than 3/4" high, max.

The pens have comfortable rubber grips. They're quite a bit lighter than what I like in a good pen, but I hardly paid as much as I would for a good fountain pen--and besides weight and balance are a matter of personal preference. So overall this kit was a mixed bag. It's not as good as I might have liked, but it was so inexpensive that I probably shouldn't be so critical. Still, I'd suggest that instead of buying this, you check out your local art supply store. You should be able to find high-quality nibs and holders from Brause or Speedball, and won't pay more than this.

I am totally satisfied with my Sheaffer For The Beginner Calligraphy Kit including 3 pens, 3 nibs, and 14 ink cartridges.

Each pen is ergonomically designed with cushioning grips for the fingers to rest upon; with this feature the hand tends to relax, allowing for fluidity of movement and more graceful lines.

The nibs are made of quality metal and perform flawlessly so the ink flows evenly and every time. I've used all sorts of technical, fountain, and art pens in my work--these pens will stand up to any of them for the task they're designed for.

The inks in my kit were nothing to complain about. The colors are clean, crisp, and dry richer than when first applied; the "light" yellow at night turned a very substantial and beautiful deep yellow by morning. I'd call them jewel-toned.

The booklet supplies the basic information you need to get started and nothing more. The 'hands' include The Sheaffer Script, The Chancery Hand, The Gothic Hand, The Unical Hand, and the Roman Serif Alphabet, in their complete upper and lower cases, along with their respective numerals 0 to 9, all large enough to trace or copy without a problem.

This calligraphy kit is very nice, and works very well on invitations and other fancy things.However, some of the colors are a little light, and so you cannot see it on the paper. Overall, this calligraphy kit is great for many uses and deserves four stars.

I am very happy with the pens and the inks in this beginning calligraphy set. I actually bought this one after trying the smaller set. Having three different size nibs, and three different pen blanks is very handy.

I first used Sheaffer fountain pens back in the 1970's in junior high school when my Mother tried to encourage my brother and I to improve our handwriting. The ink is just as free flowing and convenient as I remember it. The cartridges minimize mess for beginners (or in Mom's mind, teenagers)

I am a hobbyist and use the calligraphy pens for my personal use, letters, greeting cards and scrapbooking and it was important that the inks were listed as 'acid free' These pens meet my simple needs while allowing me to finally practice my handwriting. Mom would approve.

This set came with a nice lettering size guide with lines and center lines printed on heavy card stock. That was a nice additional to this kit from previous versions. This set is not meant for master calligraphers, but intended for hobbyists. MIne came with two pen barrels, three nibs, and several ink barrels.

I was disappointed with the quality of the pens and ink. The ink runs and the enclosed material was not that good. I also purchased The Complete Caligraphy Set (Readers Digest - Ann Bowen) and all though it uses dip pens, it turns out that they work MUCH better and the material was excellent. For the price, I cannot knock this kit too much, but truthfully, I probably will never use this set. The ink is runny, the nibs are too hard and I just could not control the ink flow. Stick with dip pens and some good bottle ink.

Comes just as advertised. 3 pens with multiple colored ink cartridges which you build yourself. I have no previous experience with calligraphy so I can't say whether or not this is a great product in that regards. The included book has a few fonts illustrating pen-stroke for the entire alphabet. Good to get things started. As with all things, practice makes perfect. Don't expect to learn the art without applying some time and practice.

I already own this set and was planning this set as a gift. The package arrived in a timely fashion, but the box was crushed because it had been packaged in an envelope rather than an adequately sturdy alternative. Needless to say, it was a disappointment.