STAEDTLER Calligraphy Pen Set 899 SM5, Assorted, 33 Piece Set Review (2026)

What is in the tin

The Staedtler 899 SM5 set totals 33 pieces housed in a portable metal storage tin, and includes 4 calligraphy pens in assorted colors, 5 interchangeable nibs in extra fine, fine, medium, broad and extra broad widths, 20 water-based dye ink cartridges spread across blue, black, brown, pink, green, orange and yellow, a metal pump converter for filling from bottled ink, an instruction book and a practice paper pad. That is a genuinely large assortment for a single set, combining the pens, ink supply, a way to switch nib widths and enough guidance and practice paper to get a beginner started without buying anything else immediately.

Nib range and style

The five interchangeable nibs cover a full width range from extra fine through extra broad, which lets one set of pen bodies handle both delicate detail work and bold broad-edge lettering simply by swapping nibs rather than buying separate pens. That flexibility is useful for someone still deciding which calligraphy style suits them. It is worth checking the specific nib style before buying, since large assorted sets marketed broadly to beginners and families sometimes lean on felt-tip style nibs rather than traditional metal dip nibs, and the right choice depends on whether a buyer wants a more forgiving felt tip or the sharper line control of a metal nib.

Ink cartridges and refilling

With 20 cartridges spread across seven colors, this set carries enough ink supply to last through a good amount of practice before needing a refill, which matters for a large group or family set where several people might be sharing the pens. The included metal pump converter is a notable extra, since it lets the pens draw ink from a bottle instead of only using pre-filled cartridges, giving more flexibility once the initial cartridges run low. That combination of disposable cartridges plus a bottle-fill option is more versatile than sets that rely on cartridges alone.

Brand background

Staedtler is one of the oldest industrial stationery companies in Germany, with roots tracing back to the pencil-making tradition of Nuremberg and decades of research and development behind its writing instruments. That history is part of why this set gets recommended for both classroom use and family exploration of calligraphy: the brand has a long track record in writing tools generally, even though calligraphy specifically is a smaller part of its catalog than pencils and technical pens. The instruction book and practice pad included in the tin reflect a set built with beginners and group settings in mind rather than dedicated calligraphers.

Where it ranks

Among complete calligraphy starter kits for beginners, this Staedtler set placed fourth of seven, behind Arteza's guidebook pen set, Mont Marte's 32-piece kit and Trustela's wooden dip pen gift set, but ahead of June & Lucy's workbook kit and a basic oblique pen starter kit. Among fountain pen calligraphy sets specifically it ranked sixth of seven, well behind Pilot's Parallel Pen set and Mont Marte's kit, reflecting that this set's strength is its broad piece count and brand trust rather than being purpose-built as a fountain pen calligraphy system. Shoppers choosing between the two categories should weigh whether they want a general assorted kit to explore several styles, which favors this Staedtler tin, or a dedicated fountain pen set built around one consistent nib format.

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