From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V4 #8 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Sunday, October 15 2000 Volume 04 : Number 008 ======================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with unsubscribe scribes-digets in the body of the message. Leave the subject line blank. Do not include any additional text. [scribes]: Reed Pens Re: [scribes]: Reed Pens ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 11:43:26 +0000 From: Randy Asplund Subject: [scribes]: Reed Pens You can find descriptions in several current calligraphy books, most of whichI don't have, so someone else will have to post thgat along. The reeds you need are woody and fibrous. You cut one taper down to a nib rather than a two step like with quills. It is really simple. I have no idea what species from your area will work though. Try a few, and if ink flows, great! If it doesn't, then you can try another. If it is really woody and not absorbant, you will definitely need to write on a steep slope. Otherwise gravity may take over. If it is too absorbant it will just soak up a lot of ink and not last very long. Reeds will give very fine lines when sliced sharp. Really wide pens for large calligraphy can be made as well. Much larger than a quill. Good luck! RanthulfR Diane Karpinski wrote: > > Greetings to All Scribes, > > A gentlelady in my Barony asked me for information that I haven't a clue > where to find the answer... How does one make reed pens for scribing? She > has the idea to use as an A & S project, but not the direction where to > start to get her research. She and I would greatly appreciate any > information and/or direction to get her started. So far she has been unable > to locate anyone in AnTir with this knowledge although I have no idea how > far afield she has looked. > > H.L. AElfwynn Fiske, Barony of Stromgard, An Tir > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > > Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at > http://profiles.msn.com. > > =================================================================== > To unsubscribe from this list, send email to > with a blank Subject: line and > unsubscribe scribes > in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in > the body. - -- Randy Asplund (734) 663-0954 Science Fiction and Fantasy Illustration 2101 S. Circle Dr., Ann Arbor, MI. 48103 See a Universe of art ranging from Medieval Manuscripts to Star Trek and Magic: The Gathering at: http://www.provide.net/~randyaf =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 08:59:43 -0700 From: David & Corinne Kohrn Subject: Re: [scribes]: Reed Pens The other difference between reeds and metal nibs or brushes is their effect. With a metal nib you can twist the pen to get a wider line (either deliberately with your fingers, or by the natural curve of the letter). With a brush you can sometimes get this effect by twisting, but also by applying more pressure. I read a treatise once that held that the Book of Kells was writen with a reed. (Based on the slight thickening of the line at the bottom of the downstrokes (look at the bottoms of an n for example)). I've only played with Celtic half-Uncial with a reed a few times, and I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has. It is possible to get the same effect with other tools, but often they require extra stokes. Extra strokes at the end of a letter tend to be unlikely (the whole purpose after all was to get alot of text on parchment ; extra strokes at the beginning of a letter (serifs etc) usually derived from a need to get the ink flowing). Calote dragonfly@w-link.net =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V4 #8 ***************************