What are dinky dips?

Do you know the ancient ink wells? Well, these are modern ink wells. This term was first used in the United States. Handwritmic created several models of dinky dip. It’s an object consisting of a base and a tiny container for ink; it is one of the most important innovations of recent years in the calligraphy world. In fact, it is so important that calligraphers become accustomed to working in a precise and clean way so that they would no longer rely on just the ink bottle, which is always either too big or too tight to dip the writing instrument. Some of them, having noticed that the nib must never be too full and dirty with ink, dip a brush in the bottle and then load the nib with it. The operation is quite arduous, and I think it is easy to lose the writing’s rhythm unless the calligrapher is very experienced and skilled in managing all the tools and their position with their hands (even the left is involved in holding the brush). Moreover, it is also not ideal to dip the nib directly into a bottle in which the ink level is not visible. This will dirty the penholder, allowing ink to enter the locking ring of the nib.

On the other hand, those who use the dinky dip find it impossible to stop using it. The ink is poured into the small ink well with a dropper, filling the nib sufficiently. The base of the Handwritmic dinky dip ensures the stability of the small ink well, thus eliminating the “falling bottles” problems (especially those that are too high and tight).

Great attention is paid by Handwritmic makers to the raw material (beech wood from certified forests) and to the finish (non-toxic paint that makes the product washable).

Smart dinky dip

It has a round shape, slightly conical base. It is innovative and enjoyable to work with because it can house two different types of vials (the one with a screw top and the smaller one in diameter and slightly higher with a flip top) depending on the calligrapher’s uses and preferences. Typically, calligraphers writing with a pointed pen prefer to use the small ink well with a flip top. However, this cannot be transported full of ink. The screw-top model, on the other hand, is perfectly sealed.

We recommend ordering some additional vials for each colour you want to use.

Dinky dip school

It is an economic model with a simpler shape (round disc) unpainted and suitable for both adult and children’s classes (in fact, we sell a minimum of 10 pieces). A teacher who provides it to the students will make a great impression, as he/she will be able to prepare the student to work in a very clean way and in the best conditions. The wood base’s housing allows the use of only the screw top vial.

Large dinky dip

We have several wooden bases (square, rectangular or round) for larger diameter plastic jars. The larger diameter means a wide opening necessary for dipping tools – brushes, reed pens, automatic pen, and ruling pen – that are wider than the usual nib. Those bases also have a pen support (a pen rest).

Dinky dip with pen rest

We have several more complete desk objects with a concave recess suitable for resting a pen. The holes for the ink wells are always “smart”, because they have a double function for the two different vials. As all who love writing know, a pen can easily escape from the table. Moreover, unlike a common pencil or ballpoint pen, the nib is wet with colour and cannot touch the surface of a table or paper as it would cause an ink stain. Therefore, these supports are very useful. They are painted with non-toxic paint that protects against ink stains. Competitors generally resort to using nitro paints, something that Handwritmic absolutely abhors—the use of products that have a heavy environmental impact.

All these products include one or more pipettes to take the ink from the bottle and pour it into the dinky.