Preparing a New Nib and Choosing Ink: My Copperplate Setup
For regular Copperplate practice, I often use bottled ink intended for fountain pens, particularly Parker Quink. What matters to me is a steady flow and clean strokes with the nib and paper I am using. A more prestigious ink brand is not essential for learning.
Before judging the ink, however, prepare the nib. A protective coating on a new nib can stop ink from adhering properly.
Check how the ink sits on a new nib
The goal of preparation is to remove the factory-applied coating so the ink coats the nib evenly, rather than gathering into separate droplets. Follow any preparation advice supplied by the nib manufacturer.
A gentle method described in my workbook is to clean the nib with a little dishwashing liquid and water, rinse it, then dry it immediately and thoroughly. After preparation, test how the ink covers the surface before beginning a full line of practice.
Other preparation methods I have tried
My workbook also records personal experiments with brief heating and with wiping the nib using a cloth moistened with a little saliva, without placing the nib in my mouth. These are experiences I am documenting, rather than steps that every learner needs to follow.
Heating can leave soot and can damage a nib or its coating even when it is brief. In my own test, I let the nib cool before wiping away the soot with a soft, slightly damp cloth and drying it. For someone starting out, the gentler cleaning method avoids that heat-related risk. The useful result is an evenly coated nib, not the use of any particular trick.
The fountain pen inks I use
Parker Quink is my main example. LAMY bottled inks and Caran d’Ache Chromatics are other options I have included in the workbook, with the same qualification: test the particular ink with your nib and paper.
A clean hairline, a controlled shade and predictable flow are more useful tests than the price or reputation of the bottle. Changing the paper or nib can change the result.
Why I stopped using India ink for practice
With the India inks I used, I needed several attempts to adjust the dilution to the flow I wanted. Too much water could cause feathering, even on my usual paper. Dried deposits on the nib were also difficult to remove and made cleaning more demanding.
Those experiences led me to stop using India ink for my regular practice. They do not mean every India ink needs dilution or behaves the same way: formulations differ. I describe the problem as it occurred in my setup.
The limitation of fountain pen ink on a pointed nib
In my setup, these inks can flow quickly and leave only a small reserve on the nib. Without an adaptation, I sometimes have to dip several times to finish one letter. That interrupts the movement and becomes tedious in a longer session.
This is why I experimented with a second nib and a wire coil as small ink reservoirs. They are optional adaptations, and their usefulness depends on the particular assembly and flow.
The physical Copperplate workbook brings together the nib preparation notes, the two illustrated reservoir methods and the exercises I use after setting up. For an overview of the wider equipment, see my Copperplate tools.