Best pen for writing on bows?

[Badger]

   What is the best pen for signing and writing on bows? I rarely ever write on my bows. Also do you write on the raw wood or after some finish has been applied?

[mikekeswick]

Use some shellac to fill the grain first, with light sanding inbetween coats. Then Indian ink with a dip pen. You can get lots of different nibs and of course the ink comes in many colours. You can also get acrylic inks.
I never found a decent 'normal' pen that didn't look like a child had signed it with a felt tip!

[Badger]

  The dipping part kind of worries me, will one dip form an entire letter, if I have to continue a line I would be in trouble.

[mullet]

I spray a coat of Poly then write over it with an extra fine Sharpie. Then spray two or three light coats over it to seal.

[mikekeswick]

No the nibs come with a sort of mini reservoir/depression on them so you don't actually dip the nib into the ink. The ink bottles have a sucker thingy attached to the cap and you fill the nib up with that before writing. You can do a good few words before needing to refill it.

[Badger]

  Thas cool, I learned to write with a shaffer which is like a fountain pen. I never could write well with anything else.

[Dances with squirrels]

Steve, I use Faber-Castell artist India ink pens. It's India ink, but eliminates the ink wells and tips used with them... they work more like a Sharpie, but with infinitely better ink. They come in different nib sizes, and in fact, you can get a set of them in different sizes to see which you like best for less than $8 on the big auction site.

I write on raw wood, or wood that has been dyed, let the ink dry, hit it lightly with spray finish, let that dry for a bit, then commence with the spraying process. It would also work fine between coats if the one beneath it was dry... and perhaps that would be the better route to take if you thought you might not get it right the first time and had to wipe it off and start over. Of course, try it on a test piece with your choice of finish to make sure they're compatible.

India ink won't fade over time like some others... like Sharpies.

Another pen I've had really good results with is the Jelly Roll ball point pen... in black and silver. I treat them just like I do the Faber-Castell pens as far as the finish goes. I've found them at local craft supply stores. They too are hardy, come in many different colors, and have not faded over time.

[H Rhodes]

I do like Eddie, but look for the ultra-fine sharpie. 

[mikekeswick]

Sharpie ink fades over time and that's even in our weak feeble English sunshine! Even if your finish has UV inhibitors.

[mullet]

I also use a Dentet Slicci in gold, silver, and bronze with a .08 tip. You can get them at Hobby Lobby.

[Badger]

 Eddie, is that like a paint pen?  Looking for a medium thickness, a little fatter than a ballpoint.

[wizardgoat]

I prefer to use a wood burner pen. It'll never fade, and it gives a cool look

[Pat B]

I use India ink and a nib type pen or a home made quill pen made with a feather or a small diameter piece of bamboo. Sharpie's always faded on me too.   I'll spray the area to write on with satin pole, write on it then seal with Tru Oil along with the rest of the bow once the ink has dried.

[mullet]

Steve, yea, it's a paint pen. They come in a lot of different colors at Hobby Lobby and different tip sizes. The silver and gold look real good on Osage as it darkens.

And I have an osage made in 2004 that was written on with a sharpie and it still looks good.

[Eric Krewson]

I use an extra fine calligraphy pen and archival white acrylic ink.

This is Speedball, super pigmented acrylic ink, well used for at least 15 years, I just bought a new bottle of something similar at Hobby Lobby. One dip in the ink will make a whole line, sometimes two. If you goof up you can wipe off the lettering with a wet paper towel and start over, I start over a lot.

 

I dip my pen and make a short line on a piece of cardboard before I start lettering. I can see if I have a good line or a blob of ink starting out  this way.

I like white because as wood darkens it stands out more over time. I put down a few coats of Tru-oil before I letter and a couple more coats over the ink after it dries. The lettering never fades or chips off.