On the Hunt for the Perfect Pen Holder

Lunar New Year is round the corner, so it’s time for spring cleaning and decluttering.

This week, I started going through my craft & calligraphy supplies.

And these are the pen holders I’m getting rid of.

For various reasons: too heavy, shaky flange, awkward universal flange, multiples of the same holder, sticky surface (hence the tissue 😛).

Even though I’m getting rid of them now, I can still remember the hope I had when I got each pen holder.

Hoping that a chunky carrot holder would be more ergonomic. (But it’s too heavy).

Hoping that a universal flange will allow me to switch nibs easily. (But this flange is tricky to use.)

Hoping that having a prettier holder will make calligraphy more fun. (But it didn’t feel right in my hand.)

I guess I was on the hunt for the perfect pen holder, in hopes that my script would improve too.

You may feel the same way.

Especially for beginners, because you’re flooded with tools you’ve never seen, heard or tried.

My suggestion: don’t focus too much on the pen holder.

A suitable pen holder can improve your grip to make calligraphy easier, but is rarely the make or break factor.

Start with a simple, inexpensive and readily available pen holder.

Focus on finding the right combination of nib + ink + paper that works for you. That is often the most challenging part as a beginner.

Put your time into practising the basics like making smooth lines and consistent letter forms.

Because there’s no perfect pen holder that will solve all your problems.

When you want to, and only if you are able to, slowly experiment with different shapes, weights and materials of pen holders.

Over time, you’ll learn what feels comfortable, what nibs you like, what your grip needs, what you prefer aesthetically.

Then, you can invest in higher quality (and of course pricier) pen holders that you’ll keep using for years to come.

Download my Beginner's Guide to Pointed Pen Tools (includes my recommended pen holder for beginners!)

Read guide to different types of pen holders

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