PentelArts Tradio Calligraphy Pen, Water-Based Ink, 1.8mm, Black Barrel - TRC118ABP

Daughter loves them!

This has a quality look and feel. The cap has a window that looks in on the nib; nice touch. It has a plastic clip with a little bit of spring to it. The cap snaps into place on a ridge on the barrel below the feed.The ink is supplied by cappilary action and gravity into the feed, and then glides from the iridium tip onto the paper. Because of the way the nib is built, it allows for a little bit of flex action, which admits more or less ink through the feed and can give the user control over how fine the line is; this is great for calligraphy and art.The barrel unscrews at the center point where a metal band protects the threading and acts as a stop so that the plastic threads aren't damaged by screwing on too tightly. Inside is an international ink cartridge that is replaceable when the supply is exhausted. Here's the rub: You want to replace it with high-quality ink, as this is *everything* in a fountain pen. It has to be water-based and dye-tinted (as pigment particles will clog the feed).The section below the band on the barrel is quite long and tapered. The entire length of the barrel goes beyond the Not hard to get used to, and nice for control and comfort. The ridge I mentioned before works really nicely as a grip for the fingers to facilitate detail work, and avoid slippage.All in all, this is a nice economy fountain pen.

I've had a number of similar models in my life and the Pentel Arts Tradio Calligraphy Pen wins for easy of use factor. When it runs dry, just pop in a new cartridge and it doesn't leak! Easy peasy. The cap is easy to pop on and off, can store on the back, and protects the nib well when not in use. Speaking of which, the 2.1mm size is ideal for calligraphy and I like how with adjusting pressure you can increase the width of he line.While terrific, I still have a bias towards chisel point markers when it comes to calligraphy. They're just more predictable a little bit easier to control. The iridium tip of the Pentel Arts Tradio isn't as smooth or easy to handle as a felt marker tip, and it costs a bit more. If you're strictly doing calligraphy don't need variable widths other than what you can do by adjusting the angle of the nib, then I recommend using a marker. Otherwise, this is a lovely fountain pen style writing instrument that I am sure the right person with treasure and enjoy using. Writing on heavier than standard stock paper is recommended to minimize bleed-thru.~ Kort

I got this pen for practicing calligraphy and the Hebrew alphabet. It's my first calligraphy pen, and I'm a beginner, so issues may be more user error than a problem with the pen.Pros - this is a very comfortable and light weight pen to hold. The barrel is sized right for my arthritic hands to hold securely without a strain. It was easy to get the ink cartridge loaded and didn't make a mess, and I was writing with it in just a minute.However, I do find it hard to switch between finer lines and thicker. I was hoping to be able to easily get the flowing transition that you see in Hebrew characters, but this pen seems to sort of hang up in the transition, and I have to move to scrap paper and scribble to get the ink flowing. I can't tell if this is a pen issue or a user issue, being inexperienced - I'll post an update after I've worked with it some more.

I have always wanted to play with a calligraphy pen, this is my first time. The pen came with one ink cartridge. Since I am new, I didn’t quite understand how to find the right refill, just said international standard which yielded a mix of results. Took about 30 minutes for me to find the right one. Given the numinous reviews, I settled on 25 PCS Jinhao International Size Pen Ink Cartridge to Fit Fountain Pens, Black for $4.98.Can’t wait to set aside some time to really practice with this pen! It feels light, guess I was expecting it to be a heavier pen. It was easy to load the cartridge and just getting use to pressure and angle.There were no instructions regarding how to use the pen, so I had to purchase a book. The ink on 20 weight paper showed slightly on the back, so not sure what weight paper to use.

This is a very nice gravity fed pen that easily allows control over how much ink flows. It works very well for calligraphy, or even regular writing if you purchase a converter that allows the use of bottled ink, as it adds a wonderful stylistic flare when compared to normal pens. Surprisingly lightweight and comfortable in the hand, has a nice feel to it. The ink cartridge is easy to load, an added bonus that it doesn’t leak. Performance is great for this price point, but it can’t compare to much more expensive pens that will allow for greater control and a more smooth flow across the page. So keep in mind that is just a $20 pen.

These types of pens tend to either lean one of two ways, either having too much ink coming out at once, or too little. This is one that leans more towards having less ink rather than too much, which works for me since I'd rather have a thinner line than accidental pools of ink in random spots. Once you get going it writes well, and it's light weight so your hand doesn't get fatigued as quickly as gripping a heavier pen. Works well!

I had a little difficulty getting the ink in the pen to work. There are no paper instructions per se, but turn the box over and instructions are pretty clear. You have to puncture one end of the ink “tube”. It took me a couple of attempts to take it out and try again but eventually, it started working just fine. It feels good in your hand and is a great pen to have should you need to do something " fancy".Easy to hold, easy to use. This is a great pen to address formal envelopes or just write with extra pizazz.