I'm finished with my first bow and I am wanting to put the poundage on it but am not sure what type of pen or ink I should use. Anyone out there know what kind of pen I should use and also if I should poly over it once it has dried.
Thanks for any help.

I use the fine india ink markers.  Haven't tried the "real" dip pens yet.  It wipes right off if you make a mistake so it needs a seal coat when finished.

I tried a couple fine paint markers but controlling the flow was an issue for me and fixing mistakes wasn't as easy.

Thanks for the help. Are these pens available at local arts and crafts stores typically or do you have to order them online? I made a few calls and couldn't find any in local stores

I read on another post that some were using gel pens. Craft stores have them. Haven't tried anything myself, bows are not finished yet

A Sharpie industrial fine point.  Add text to bow after applying a coat (or more) of your sealer, then add another coat (or more) of your sealer.  This way you can remove the text with fine sand paper if needed down the road without damaging the bow.

Dino

I've used the Pentel Slicci fine gel pen/gold or a DecoColor Extra fine liquid gold paint pen(preferred). You can get these at a hobby/craft store.
If I make a mistake or don't like how it looks I'll use Goobegone to easily wipe it off then wash with thin dish detergent/water to get off residue and try again.

I have had the best luck with acrylic ink and a nib pen.  I get it at Michels comes in black and white maybe another color or two.

Sounds like I have a few different options. Thanks for the help. This bow really turned out pretty well for my first try and I didn't want to mess up on the last step.
Thanks

Go with a sharpie with a fine tip. If you don't like the way it looks you can take it off with a little finger nail polish remover. Works better than paint pens for me.

Imo, Gelly Roll paint pins. Can be removed with denaturad alcohol, and does fade like a sharpie.

I agree, I've used Gelly Roll pens and I like them alot. Sharpies, even when first applied, aren't as dark and clearly defined.

Michaels used to carry Gelly Roll pens of various colors, I don't know if they still do or not. I stocked up on them last time I got some. I use black on the light colored bows, and silver on the dark ones.

This letters better than anything I have tried so far, cheap pen, extra fine point, water based acrylic ink. Got a few miles on that bottle of ink, hard to read the label, it is "Speedball Super Pigmented Acrylic Ink".

I bought all my lettering stuff at a Hobby Lobby craft store in the calligraphy section. I am sure most other craft stores sell the same pens and ink.


   

Produces very fine lettering with a little practice. The best part, if you goof-up you can wipe off your lettering with a wet paper towel and start over. I seldom get my lettering just right on the first try.

   

I put a couple coats of Tru-Oil over my lettering after it dries to "lock" it in place.

That is the ink I was referring to earlier.  Great stuff thanks for the picture Eric, by the way fine job on the lettering, mine doesn't usually look quite as nice.

I bought the fine india ink pens at Hobby Lobby.