Mont Marte Calligraphy Set, 32 Piece with Pens, Nibs, Ink Cartridges and Booklets Review (2026)

Who this set is built for

Mont Marte packages this as an all in one entry point to calligraphy, and that is exactly where it fits best: someone who has never held a dip or cartridge calligraphy pen and wants everything needed to start in a single purchase, or a giver who wants a complete looking gift rather than a single pen. The included introduction booklet walks through letterforms step by step, which matters more here than for buyers who already know their preferred nib width and just want refills. Experienced letterers who already own a favored pen and nib combination will find less new value, since the core appeal is the guided structure, not any single premium component inside the box.

What is actually in the box

The 32 pieces break down into four classic style calligraphy pens, five nib grades from extra fine through extra broad, twenty ink cartridges split across black, blue and five accent colors, a converter so the pens can draw from bottled ink instead of cartridges, and the introduction plus exercise booklets. That is a genuinely wide spread of nib widths for one set, letting you move from fine italic hand to broad blackletter strokes without buying separate pens. The converter is a useful inclusion since it frees you from cartridges long term if you want to switch to specialty bottled inks later, something many beginner sets skip entirely.

Learning with it day to day

Because the set leans on cartridges rather than a dip nib and inkwell, day to day use is closer to a fountain pen than traditional dip calligraphy, which lowers the mess and setup time for a beginner practicing letters at a kitchen table. Swapping nibs between the four pen bodies takes a moment, so plan practice sessions around the nib width you want to focus on rather than switching constantly. The exercise booklet gives structured drills to work through, and Mont Marte's general reputation as an established art supply brand means the pens and cartridges are built to a consistent standard rather than being an unbranded assortment.

Trade-offs against other gift and starter sets

Against the Wordsworth and Black gift set, which centers on a single quality pen with a bottle of ink and six nibs, this Mont Marte set trades some polish for sheer piece count and a lower entry price point relative to what is included. Against the Trustela beginner set with its wooden dip pen and feather quill, Mont Marte's cartridge based pens are less decorative but considerably less messy for a first attempt at lettering. The trade-off buyers should expect with any 32-piece set is that a portion of the color cartridges and one or two nib widths will likely sit unused once your handwriting style settles, which is normal for bundles this size.

Verdict

This is a sound pick for a true beginner or as a calligraphy gift, since it removes the guesswork of assembling pens, nibs and ink separately and adds two booklets that actually teach the basics rather than just listing techniques. It carries our score of 8.4 out of 10 for good reason: the nib range and included converter give it staying power beyond a first few weeks of practice. If you already own a calligraphy pen and just want more ink or nibs, skip the full set and buy those parts individually instead, since much of the value here is in the complete beginner package, not any single component.

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