When Bryan sees his daughter Alice practicing Japanese calligraphy with a brush and ink, he is struck by how outdated it all seems... When do you need to use a pen nowadays, let alone a brush?!

The hüsn-i hat is the centuries-old Turkish calligraphy art. Traditional tools include a glazed paper, a reed pen, pen knives and soot ink. Many calligraphers, or hattats, make their own tools and ...