Pen review: Glass dipping pen

Glass pen

Some of my friends surprised me with a visit and a gift the other day – a beautiful and completely unique blown glass pen! I had seen these pens online before, and had been really curious about them but decided against buying one at the time. I’m thrilled that Lindy bought one for me, and from a Queensland glass artist too! Wolfgang Engel lives and works in his Bundaberg studio and creates unique glass pens that follow the style of the glass pens that were first blown in Venice around 150 years ago.

Glass pen
The spiral handle is gorgeous!

Glass pen
The nib is also beautiful, and draws a line that is pretty close to a 08 felt nibbed pen.

Glass pen
Writing is really comfortable, and the spiral nib does hold heaps of ink for a dipping pen. I was using Noodlers Bulletproof Black ink. I love how the ink fades as I write and by turning the pen around in my hand as it runs out I can use the ink that is caught in the spirals around the nib.

Glass pen
Drawing with the glass pen feels just as lovely as writing with it! I would love a whole heap of these pens in different nib widths so I can retire my felt pens entirely – it’d also solve the problem of having to dispose of so much pen waste each year, as the only consumable of using a dipping pen is the ink.

Glass pen
A close up of my hand writing – the paper I was using wasn’t the best, but it still wrote beautifully.

If you like unusual writing instruments, I recommend a glass pen highly! It’s just a little bit more fancy, yannow?

9 comments

  1. Oh, i loooovveee! That'll be on my christmas list next year, me thinks!:) Much more eco too! Wonderful:)

  2. Glass pens, dip pens, fountain pens, felt pens, ball pens.. each bring out a certain emotion to the writer :)

    When I'm in a rush, a biro/artliner fits my sketching/writing styles well. On the days I feel a little classier, I write/draw with my fountain pen, but when it comes to bringing your mind to a different era, the glass/dip pens are the way to go!!

  3. THAT is gorgeous! The stand/rest too – Beautiful! I SOOO want one.
    I searched Wolfgang Engel online, but can't find his site(if he has one). Do you know where your friends found that? Did the stand come with it, or did you already have that? – Heath

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  5. THAT IS BEAUTIFUL, MY HUSBAND GOT ME A HAND BLOWN GLASS PENN 2 YEARS AGO AND MY NEPHEW BROKE IT.I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ONE EVER SINCE.MY BIRTHDAY IS THIS MONTH, AND GUESS WHAT I’M GONA BE GETTING??? I LOVE THE GLASS PENS,THEY WRITE BETTER THAN YOU WOULD THINK. I CAN’T WAIT FOR MY NEW ONE.

  6. Hi I was wondering where I can find a place where I can get a custom pen it’s for someone special to me and she loves art so I thought this would be a good idea. Thanks.

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