How To Cut a Bamboo Pen

"Reed pens are many centuries old. They are used for Calligraphy that needs a broad-edged, flexible pen. Ward uses bamboo pens for Blackletter and other Gothic writing. The pens are about seven inches long and one half to one inch wide at the tip.

Bamboo makes an excellent reed pen. The widest pens come from bamboo which is thick outside but has a small diameter core. You can use freshly cut bamboo or let the bamboo cure for a year or more. The fresher the bamboo the more flexible the pen. Ward prefers freshly cut "black" bamboo called Phylostachys."

Updated: July 02, 2007 at 11:40 PM
[Link no longer available. Our apologies.]

Comments

[Matt]

Could you demonstrate how to use one of these bamboo reed pens?

[Lev Lar]

When I tried to see the demonstrationof how a bammboo pen was cut I was forwarded to a web hostin co.

[Ann Miller]

Please fix the link to Ward Dunham's Reed Cutting demonstration if you can. Right now (and for the past year or so) it has led to WebHero.com instead of to Ward!

Thanks!