![]() Manuscript is a British company and are renowned for their calligraphy (and hand lettering) pens, which they’ve been making since 1856, so they know what they’re about. Now you and I know that just isn’t going to happen, but hey, no harm in hoping, right? I was curious about the Hand Lettering pen, if only because, truth be told, my handwriting is atrocious and there’s always a hope that ones writing could be improved without the necessary requirement of having to practice, practice, practice. I'd say it makes a great beginner fountain pen for anyone.Once more I have been given the opportunity to review something for United Inkdom and this time we’re looking at budget hand lettering and calligraphy fountain pens from Manuscript. However, for the cost of $5 I would say you can't go wrong with this pen. The threads are also not cut very well, and there is an audible squeak when I unscrew the section. The finish is also slightly low-quality and something inside the pen rattles a bit if you shake it (not noticeable when writing). The pen is uncomfortably light for its size, and the cap does not post at all. The feed on the Broad nib was a bit off-center, but I didn't notice any visible effects. The line is so even and uniform that it's hard to distinguish them from those created by my Faber-Castell calligraphy pen. When you write with this pen, it looks like as if a calligraphy marker had made the words. There is no skipping, and the ink flow is extremely even, unlike my Lamy nibs which tend to create lines that are much darker on one side than the other. It writes extremely smooth with just a hint of feedback. (Not the nibs on the high end Watermans). So how does this $1 cheap brass nib write? Honestly, better than a cheap Waterman steel nib. All three nibs are "calligraphy" (Italic) nibs and extra ones can be obtained for about $1. All three nibs performed spectacularly on regular copy paper, Moleskine paper, and blank score sheets. The nib is made of brass (I believe) and is nice and stiff. I wish it could be a bit thicker and longer, but there is a lip at the end of the section that prevents your hands from slipping over onto the nib. The section is stamped with a guilloche pattern that is done very nicely - even, smooth, and helps the grip. ![]() I suggest using Pelikan 4001 cartridges in this pen - the pen writes very nicely with this ink. One note: The recommended ink for the Dodec is the Manuscript brand, which is not very good. The barrel provides space for international short cartridges or the supplied converter, which didn't function at all in my pen. Personally, I think it doesn't remove the "cheap" look of the pen, but thankfully it doesn't interfere much with the grip. The barrel is made of the same material as the cap, and contains a gold-colored ring that closes the gap between barrel and cap. The cap itself comprises maybe 20% of the total weight (most of the weight is in the barrel). It doesn't take long to screw off the cap, meaning that it can be taken off in just a second or two. The cap comes off with a screwing motion, which is nice. It is functional, but I'm sure that not many will like it. However, I was willing to put up with it, considering how cheap this pen was. The clip is engraved with the word "England". ![]() that I would normally sand or scrape off. ![]() I loved that there were no rough spots, seams, dots, etc. The barrel tapers slightly to the back end of the pen, which is rounded off. The barrel and cap are both polygonal, with 12 faces. I was impressed by the quality of the plastic in such a cheap pen. The Dodec's cap and barrel are both made of tough plastic. I bought this pen originally to experiment with the nibs, but after writing with it, I decided to keep and use it. The pen came with instructions (which I discarded), a converter (which was non-functional), 3 nibs in the sizes Fine, Medium, and Broad, and the pen cap and barrel. I bought this pen at Texas Art Supply (not affiliated) for $5.00. The pen is very small, it's about 8/10ths the size of my Safari. The clips is flexible plastic and the ring is painted plastic as well. The body appears to be ABS polymer, but it could be a different material. The Manuscript Dodec is a brass-nibbed fountain pen, that, in a set containing 3 nibs, the pen, and a converter, costs around $5.
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