3 Types Of Calligraphy Pen Holders – A Beginner’s Guide

Getting the right tools is the first step to learning calligraphy. In pointed pen calligraphy, the bare minimum you’ll need to start is a nib, a pen holder, ink and paper. 

This blogpost will focus on pen holders, breaking down the different types of pen holders available and how to use them. I’ll end with my recommendation on what type of holder to get, so don’t miss that! 

A quick note – in this blogpost, I talk about pointed pen nibs and broad edge nibs. Pointed pen nibs are used for scripts like Copperplate and Spencerian, while broad edge nibs are used for scripts like Italic and Fraktur. I explain the difference between pointed pen and broad edge scripts in this blogpost.

Let’s get started with straight holders!

Calligraphy Straight Pen Holders

Straight holders are the easiest type of pen holders to get used to, as it feels the most similar to a normal pen or pencil. 

Straight holders can be used with both pointed pen nibs and broad edge nibs. The nib is inserted directly into the body of the pen holder, forming a straight line. Simply insert the nib until it is held firmly in place and doesn’t drop off easily. 

Where the nib is inserted depends on the type of straight holder you have. 

This straight holder is a Tachikawa T-36 Comic Nib Pen Holder. There are two circles where you can insert a nib. The bigger circle outside can hold nibs like Nikko G, Hunt 101, Leonardt Principal Extra Fine (LPEF) and Speedball C nibs, while the smaller circle inside can hold extra-small nibs like Brause Extra Fine 66 and crowquill nibs.

However, smaller broad edge nibs like William Mitchell roundhand and italic nibs don’t fit tightly. I’ve had accidents where my nib fell into a dinky dip of ink!

This straight holder has four “claws” in the centre, and the nib is inserted between these claws and the body of the pen holder. Not the centre space inside the claws!

The claws are slightly springy, so it holds on to a variety of nibs tightly including Nikko G, Hunt 101, LPEF, Speedball C nibs, William Mitchell roundhand and italic nibs, and extra-small nibs like Brause Extra Fine 66.

While straight holders can be used for pointed pen nibs like Nikko G, you may hear many calligraphers recommending oblique holders for beginners instead (I agree!). 

So what are oblique holders? 

Calligraphy Oblique Pen Holders

Oblique holders can look intimidating to beginners, but it’s not that difficult to get used to! Oblique holders have a metal flange on its side, and nibs are inserted into this flange. 

Remember how straight holders can be used for both pointed pen nibs and broad edge nibs? Oblique holders, on the other hand, can only be used for pointed pen nibs. 

(To look at it in another way, you can use a straight holder or oblique holder for pointed pen scripts like Copperplate, but you can only use a straight holder for broad edge scripts like Italic.)

You may wonder – then why should I buy an oblique holder? Why not just buy one straight holder since it can be used for both types of nibs?

This is because the metal flange makes it easier to write scripts with a slant, like Copperplate. When writing, the nib should be aligned to the slant angle, which is approximately 55°. The flange offsets the nib at an angle, so you don’t have to rotate the paper as much. 

This is why an oblique holder is usually recommended for those learning Copperplate, or other scripts with a slant. But some calligraphers prefer writing Copperplate with a straight holder, and that’s fine too, as long as you can follow the slant angle consistently. 

When using an oblique holder, simply insert the nib until its tip is aligned with the centre axis of the pen holder. 

Metal flanges are typically stiff and can’t be adjusted too much, so each flange can only fit a certain size or type of nib. That’s why you may find oblique holders specially fitted for extra-small nibs like Brause Extra Fine 66.  

However, an adjustable oblique holder fixes this problem!

Adjustable Calligraphy Oblique Pen Holders

Adjustable (sometimes also called universal) oblique holders have either a screw to hold a nib in place (left in above photo) or a bullock flange (right in above photo), which looks like a piece of metal folded several times over. 

With an adjustable oblique holder, you can easily use nibs of all sizes and curvatures including Nikko G, Hunt 101, LPEF, and Brause Extra Fine 66. So an adjustable oblique holder is very convenient if you use a variety of nibs! 

2-In-1 Calligraphy Straight & Oblique Pen Holders

As the name suggests, a 2-in-1 holder is both a straight holder and an oblique holder, thanks to the removable flange. 

When used as a straight holder, you insert the nib into its outer circle, similar to the Tachikawa T-36 Comic Nib pen holder I showed above. However, you can’t insert any nibs into the smaller circle in the centre!

A 2-in-1 holder sounds like the best of both worlds right? You can use it as a straight holder with broad edge nibs, or oblique holder with pointed nibs. Well yes, but only for a certain period of time. 

As you keep inserting and removing the flange repeatedly, it can get loose over time. The removable flange of my 2-in-1 holder got so loose that it moves around when I’m writing. So I’m just using it as a straight holder now. 

Pros & Cons Of Each Calligraphy Pen Holder

To make it easier to understand and decide, here are the pros and cons of each type of pen holder, and my personal recommendation!

What Calligraphy Pen Holder To Get 

To summarise: 

If you’re starting to learn calligraphy, get a 2-in-1 holder to try out both straight and oblique holders to decide which you prefer. 

Later on, get a dedicated straight or oblique holder when you’ve decided which you prefer. (Unless you’re practising broad edge scripts, then you should just stick to straight holders). 

For oblique holders – if you use only one type of pointed pen nib, get an oblique holder that fits that nib well. If you use (or want to try) different types of pointed pen nibs, get an adjustable oblique holder. 

I hope this blogpost was useful for you to understand and decide on the type of pen holder to get! You can also check out my previous blogpost for recommendations on the type of nib, ink and paper to get as a beginner.