...and certainly worth having if you're a writer craving for some pretension and ritual in your life.

It's important for anyone entering the world of dipping pens to know that you must always prep new nibs by either cleaning the protective oils off with Q-tips sufficiently soaked with alcohol or soaking the nibs directly in gently boiling water for a minute or two, and then making sure they're quickly dried with a napkin to prevent rusting. This is to ensure that the nibs will hold ink well. I have seen people run a lighter under and over them, as well as stabbing potatoes with them, but I am not inclined to play with fire and I would rather not waste any otherwise good potatoes.

Having prepped mine as soon as the package arrived, I find that I'm not much a fan of nibs 1-5, as the lines they produce are all too thick for my liking. But the default fountain pen nib that comes already attached to the holder works fantastically. Though this set comes with a nice, small rectangular bottle of 'black liquid' I should say, I have found mine to be too watery, and none of the nibs could hold enough, if any, to write with. I suppose I could have remedied it had I any powdered Gum Arabic on hand to attempt to thicken it but alas I did not, and so disposed of the liquid inside and kept the bottle.

If you have your eyes set on this set, I recommend that you also include a bottle of Winsor & Newton brand ink in your cart and that you look into other nibs on the market, such as Nikko G, Blue Pumpkin/Braus Steno, Braus Rose 76, Kakimori etc. I have a few Nikko-G nibs that I had ordered alongside and I am a fan of the finer lines it produces when I write.

Keep a shot glass of water nearby to stir the drying ink off your nibs as well as a napkin to wipe them clean and dry after every time you are done using them. A little Altoids tin should do well to keep your nibs in one place.

I would've rated this 5 stars but the 5th gear down on the holder I received appears to be a bit bent. I can't be certain this is the same for all that is produced but I am a bit disappointed it's not perfectly flat, as any good mechanical gear should be.

My girlfriend loves this pen, the interchangeable tips provides a wide array of possibilities when practicing calligraphy or just being artistic. A wonderful buy to be sure

I bought this as a gift for a friend. It is more for decoration than use. Her birthday is not until August so there isn't much I can say other than it is neat looking.

A mi hermana le Encanto ya que se estrena como escrituras y se lo envié de regalo por graduacion.

Planning to give as a gift. Packaged beautifully. True to description. All items in description were present upon opening to check. Excited to give to recipient. Would purchase again if I have a chance.