Trustela Calligraphy Set for Beginners, Wooden Dip Pen, Feather Quill, 19 Nibs, Ink Set, Gift Box Review (2026)

What comes in the box

Trustela's set pairs a brown wooden dip pen with a black feather quill pen made from real goose feather, 19 different calligraphy nibs, an 18ml bottle of black dip pen ink, a silver oblique pen holder and a black gift box finished with gold lettering. That is a fuller kit than many entry sets, which typically include only one holder and a handful of nibs. The gift box presentation and the inclusion of both a plain wooden pen and a more decorative feather quill make this a set that works as a present as much as a learning tool, since it arrives ready to give without needing extra supplies bought separately.

The 19-nib assortment

Having 19 nibs in one box means a beginner can experiment with a wide range of line widths and nib shapes without buying them one at a time, which is useful early on since it is not always obvious which nib style suits a particular hand or script until it has been tried. The tradeoff with large nib assortments bundled into budget starter kits is that quality across that many pieces tends to be inconsistent, with some nibs performing noticeably better than others. New letterers should expect to test several nibs before settling on one or two favorites, rather than assuming every nib in the box will perform the same way.

Wooden pen versus feather quill

The set includes two different pen bodies: a simple wooden dip pen and a more ornamental feather quill made from a real feather. The wooden pen is the more practical choice for regular practice, since it holds steady in the hand and is built specifically for calligraphy work. The feather quill looks striking and suits display or occasional use, but feather quills in general are more decorative than functional for daily lettering practice, since the natural shaft can be less consistent to grip and control than a purpose-built wooden or resin holder. Beginners planning to practice often should lean on the wooden pen and treat the quill as a bonus piece.

Ink and care notes

The included 18ml bottle of black ink is not a permanent ink, according to the product listing, which is worth knowing before using this set for anything meant to last, such as framed artwork or archival cards. For practice sheets and learning exercises this is not a problem, but letterers planning finished pieces for display should budget for a separate bottle of permanent or pigment-based ink. The listing does not detail specific cleaning steps for the nibs or holder beyond general calligraphy care, so new users should follow standard dip pen habits: wipe nibs after each session and let ink dry before storing the pen away.

Where it ranks

Among calligraphy gift sets, this Trustela kit placed fourth of seven, behind Mont Marte's 32-piece set, Wordsworth & Black's cartridge-based gift set and a similar 7-nib gift box kit, but ahead of two glass dip pen and quill sets. In dedicated dip pen roundups it ranked first of seven for gift-worthy presentation, and third of seven among full starter kits, sitting just above Staedtler's 33-piece set and below Arteza's lettering pen set and Mont Marte's kit. The large nib count and full gift-box presentation are the strongest reasons to pick this over a bare-bones starter set.

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