How to Stop a Glass Dip Pen from Flooding the First Letters
If your glass dip pen leaves a heavy blob or overly dark first letters, reduce the amount of excess ink in small, controlled steps. Start with the maker’s instructions, then test a shallower dip or a gentle touch against the bottle rim on scrap paper. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what helped, and avoid pressing, scraping, or tapping the delicate point against hard surfaces.
Why do the first strokes get too much ink?
A glass dip pen holds ink in grooves along its nib. When the grooves are full and the nib’s surface carries extra liquid, the first contact with paper can release more ink than later strokes. Kawanishi Glass explains that ink travels through the grooves by capillary action and cautions that over-saturation can cause excess dripping. The amount a pen holds and how it releases ink depends on its design and the ink being used. (Kawanishi Glass: Products)
The symptom helps narrow the cause. A single pool right at the start points toward excess ink on or in the nib. If the line stays unusually wet, broad, or uneven after the first strokes, ink type, paper, pen angle, and pressure may also matter. These are possibilities to test, not proof of a defect: the same pen can write differently with different inks and papers. The Hobonichi glass pen guide, for example, notes that line feel can vary with ink viscosity and recommends a slight tilt and gentle writing. (Hobonichi Techo: Hexagon Glass Pen)
Check your pen maker’s dipping instructions first
There is no universal dip depth or soak time for every glass pen. Hobonichi recommends dipping half the tip vertically for its Hexagon Glass Pen, while Kawanishi Glass advises dipping its pen for about two seconds and ensuring ink reaches the base of the grooves. Those instructions differ because they describe particular products. Follow the guidance supplied for your pen before borrowing another maker’s method.
If you cannot find the instructions, make your first test conservative: dip only the nib, lift it slowly, and keep the glass point away from the bottom and sides of the bottle. Kakimori specifically advises avoiding contact with the bottle bottom. Watch the grooves as you withdraw the pen. If they appear filled and a bead hangs from the tip, test the excess-removal step before reducing the dip further. Avoid letting the point strike the bottle rim; the tip is delicate. (Kakimori: How to Use a Glass Pen)
Remove excess ink with a light touch
After lifting the pen, pause above the bottle to let surplus ink drip back. Then, if the nib still looks overloaded, softly touch one side of the tip to the inside edge of the bottle opening. Hobonichi recommends a soft touch against the bottle edge to remove excess, and Manuscript’s guide suggests lifting slowly and allowing extra ink to drip back. Treat this as a small adjustment: avoid dragging or scraping the point around the rim.
Do not wipe the glass tip firmly with tissue or cloth while it is loaded. A firm wipe can remove too much ink at once, and a rough surface may catch on the point. If you choose to blot, use a soft, lint-free material and touch lightly rather than rubbing. The goal is to remove a visible hanging drop while leaving ink in the grooves. If a gentle rim touch already solves the pooling, there is no need to wipe.
Test on scrap paper before writing
Keep a piece of the same kind of paper beside your writing surface. After dipping and removing any visible excess, draw a few short lines or loops there before beginning the finished lettering. Look at the first mark, then the next several marks: does the first still pool, do later strokes become too pale, or does the flow look steadier? Use the same pen angle and light pressure for each test. Kakimori recommends a low writing angle and flowing strokes without excessive pressure; Kawanishi also notes that each glass pen has its own comfortable angle and pressure.
Think of the test as a simple comparison rather than a search for a magic setting. For example, keep the dip unchanged and try one gentle rim touch on the next test. If that reduces the heavy first mark without making the following strokes faint, keep that handling. If it does not, rinse the nib and begin again with one slightly shallower dip. Changing only one variable at a time makes the result easier to interpret.
Adjust one variable at a time
Use this sequence to troubleshoot without guessing at several changes at once:
Keep the writing conditions steady. Use the same ink, scrap paper, grip, and angle for the next comparison.
Try a controlled excess-removal step. Let the pen drain briefly over the bottle, then softly touch the tip to the bottle edge if a drop remains.
Test the first marks. If they still pool, rinse and dry the pen, then try a slightly shallower dip while following any maker guidance.
Compare the next lines. If the first mark improves but the pen quickly skips or fades, the shallower dip may have left too little ink in the grooves. Return to the prior dip and use only the gentle rim touch, or make a smaller dip adjustment.
Check the paper or ink only after that. Keep the dip and wiping method fixed while testing another paper or ink that the maker says is suitable. Manuscript advises smooth paper and cautions that very thick or pigmented ink may cause skipping or buildup. Ink compatibility varies, so do not assume every ink works equally well with every pen. (Manuscript Pen Company: A Guide to Using & Caring for Your Glass Pen)
Keep the glass tip and ink clean
Do not press harder to control a heavy line, scrape the nib on the bottle, or tap the point against a hard surface. Kawanishi cautions against excessive writing force, and Hobonichi warns that handmade tips can vary in shape and writing feel. If the nib looks chipped or cracked, stop using it rather than trying to smooth it yourself.
When a test is complete or you switch inks, rinse the nib with clean water and dry it as the maker instructs. This clears ink from the grooves and helps keep residue out of the next bottle. Kakimori recommends rinsing and wiping the nib clean; Kawanishi advises washing the tip after use because dried ink can clog the grooves. Avoid putting a wet or ink-covered nib into a different ink bottle: rinse and dry it first.
A simple starting routine
For a repeatable starting point, prepare scrap paper, dip according to your pen’s own guidance, lift without touching the bottle bottom, let surplus ink drip back, and make a light rim touch only if a bead remains. Test a few marks before writing on the finished page. If the first letters are still too wet, change just one factor—usually the dip depth or the amount of rim contact—and test again. This keeps the adjustment small, observable, and gentle on the glass nib.