Speedball
Speedball's proud heritage began in 1899, when the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company began manufacturing and distributing steel pens. Nearly two decades later, in 1913, Hunt sought to improve upon the functionality of the lettering tools of the day and joined forces with master letterers Ross F. George and William H. Gordon. Working together they developed the perfect a nib with a reservoir. It was nicknamed “Speedball” because of the efficiency of the pen, which cut working time in half.
The Speedball name has become synonymous with high-quality pen nibs. There are two different kinds of nibs: broad-edge and pointed, both can be inserted into Speedball pen holders. In addition, Speedball also product a wide range of pen holders, dip inks & cleaners, calligraphy markers and fountain pens.
Featured
Collections
- Crow Quill Nibs
- Bowl-Pointed Nibs
- Pointed Nibs
- A-Series
- B-Series
- C-Series
Crow Quill NIBS
Hunt Crow Quill nibs all possess a tubular design and offer different levels of flexibility and fineness of point. While most often used as drawing tools, these nibs can be used for calligraphy, especially the #108 for alphabets featuring bold flourishes.
WAYS TO USE:
Noted for their superior ability to hold larger amounts of ink and minimize the need for reloading, this group of nibs is most commonly associated with drawing details like cross-hatching.
Bowl-POINTED NIBS
Hunt Bowl-Pointed nibs posses less flexibility than the standard pointed grouping and offer a high potential for detail. The #512 nib features a fine point, while the #513EF boasts an extra fine pen point.
WAYS TO USE:
This group of nibs is ideally-suited for use on project requiring high levels of detail. These nibs are most commonly associated with drawing/cross-hatching, but can be used for calligraphy, especially for artists who claim they are “heavy-handed.”
Pointed Nibs
Sturdy and durable, these nibs are suitable for use on a broad range of papers and projects sizes/scales. Similar in design, each of the nibs within this grouping vary in flexibility and spring, allowing for different writing experiences and results, providing artists with the maximum amount of control.
WAYS TO USE:
This group of nibs is ideally-suited for use with ornamental or decorative projects and calligraphy. The most commonly associated alphabets are Copperplate and Spencerian scripts.
A-SERIES PEN NIBS
Patented in 1913 and introduced two years later, the A-Series nib is where is all started for Speedball. Featuring a nib that possesses a square tip, bent to form a “shoe,” A-Series nibs allow artists to create a uniform line with a single stroke. Most commonly used for Gothic, Monoline and Block Sans Serif.
WAYS TO USE:
• Perpendicular to base line: Keeping shoe flat on surface; produces uniform stroke in any direction with squared beginnings/endings
• Held at angle: Achieves either diamond-shaped beginning/ending or a squared finished on a diagonal stroke
• Turned on back: Using broad, flat end; produces either letterforms with thicks and thins or serifs of uniform width
B-SERIES PEN NIBS
The B-Series was developed shortly after the A-Series and launched in 1916. Like the A-Series, the B-Series has a bent end to form a “shoe” to produce a uniform width line. Unlike its counterpart, the B-Series has a rounded finish, ideal for creating sans serif letters without thick and thin lines.
WAYS TO USE:
The B-Series can be used for an array of monoline projects. Most commonly used to create the following:
• Monoline
• Versals
• “Built Up” letters
• Cartoons, uniform line drawings, borders
C-SERIES PEN NIBS
The C- marked the third addition of Speedball series of nibs, with the line now representing the most popular of broad-edge offerings. This C-Series is a traditional broad-edge nib with great deal of flexibility. This flexibility was intended to have the same characteristics of ancient scribes’ reed pens, while offering a calligrapher a “close imitation of the finest small brush work.” The C-Series was developed to be held at a consistent pen angle that varies dependent upon alphabet.
WAYS TO USE:
The C-Series can be used for most traditional calligraphic alphabets including:
• Roman
• Carolingian
• Italic
• Blackletter (Gothic, Old English)
• Uncial / Half Uncial • Foundational
