Show Us Your Handwriting - Vintage Penmanship!

[pgoat]

personally I am not interested in perfection - I just love the personality and individuality in nicely executed cursive writing. Little idiosyncrasies are just icing on the cake.

I think for me that is the draw, vs. the consistent font of computers and typewriters that CB mentioned - which has its own appeal. I definitely prefer that to bad handwriting - like mine!

 

[pgoat]

As an occassional dealer in ephemera and historical documents, I marvel at the beauty of proper penmanship that was fairly commonplace at one time. Here is an example of a letter written by Boston Luxury Grocer Silas Peirce. Even in a rather mundane content letter, he uses very elegant pen work.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_Du3I5gQBEoY/Rbq4-0eyRPI/AAAAAAAAAXI/tYYeN0KTD1g/s1600-h/silas1.jpg

great example.

btw, great user name and avatar!

 

[pgoat]

Nice thread. Nuns forced good handwriting on us, but after learning it, I refused to continue with it and developed an angry style of all-caps printing. I want to write in cursive again and I certainly know how, but no opportunity.

That's funny! I was told my crushing letters together was an early attempt to draw attention from my 3rd grade teacher whom I guess I had a little crush on (up till then I had neat if unspectacular printing).

Or, it coulda just been I stunk at script!lol

 

[Mojito]

On that famous ship?

Good call! Yes, that's the one. Last in the collection is a postcard sent about the 8th April (I'd have to check the date) with a promise to write on his return to the UK.

 

[DerMann]

That's cool - I never thought to try it myself. It cost me about $50 to have my old mom's pen re-bladdered, so I gladly paid it.

You're right - the dip pen is VERY scratchy - but still kinda fun....until I get tired of running out of ink every five seconds!

That's about the running price for that kind of service (I assume it was cleaned as well).

I might consider posting a classified for the service, as there are not any local pen shops, and I'm certain that someone is in need of a re-bladdering.

I used a dip pen at school once. Didn't like it too much, though. I only use them for some ornamental writing or doodling.

 

[pgoat]

That's about the running price for that kind of service (I assume it was cleaned as well).

I might consider posting a classified for the service, as there are not any local pen shops, and I'm certain that someone is in need of a re-bladdering.

I used a dip pen at school once. Didn't like it too much, though. I only use them for some ornamental writing or doodling.

yep - actually was $65 - that included cleaning, adjusting the nib, etc.

you should try advertising that service. I had these 2 Esterbrook pens since my folks stopped using them in the 1960s. I just assumed they were 'broken', but kept them for their sentimental value, as they didn't take up much space. When I realized they were fixable (while shopping for a new fountain pen last year) I jumped at the chance of resurrecting them - I am thinking there are many people out there with a family heirloom pen that would be willing to pay a small fee to have it working again.

 

[DerMann]

As I sit here, trying to perfectly pen my lady friend's name, I remembered one thing that they taught students back in the day - you're mean to keep your wrist from touching the paper.

It's not exceptionally hard, it just feels awkward having your hand floating there. I feel that I am writing too daintily.

I usually try it a number of ways before writing the final product. If I can get to a scanner, I'll post a picture.

 

[GwenLake]

Don't forget to Show Us Your Handwriting!

 

[pgoat]

wow - that is so cool - thanks Gwen!

I have a four day weekend coming up so I may fill some of my fountain pens and I'll try to get some samples up.

Being an archivist, I try to stick with pencil as much as possible at work, so I can't really carry my fountain pens around with me. I tend to use them at home for my sporadic attempts to faithfully keep a journal. I have been jonesing to use them again!

 

[AmateisGal]

To bump this topic up a bit, there was a very interesting opinion piece online today that a friend pointed out to me called, "Stop Teaching Handwriting."
To me, this is quite sad. I recently bought a quill pen and ink, plus some parchment paper, and plan to write letters to my friends this way to keep this tradition alive.

 

[Foofoogal]

I seem to have much worse handwriting every year. I noticed it more when I sent out my Christmas cards this year. My father had beautiful handwriting and I truly notice when people do.

 

[John Boyer]

It is encouraging to see a renewed interest in handwriting and handwritten correspondence. I made an effort in 2008, with a reasonable degree of success, to send more handwritten notes, cards and letters; moving away from the less personal email. I did this because I appreciate receiving handwritten correspondence and believe, hence, that handwritten correspondence has a greater impact.

I believe that the quick and easy email correspondene has become overused and, therefore, deteriorated to the quality of correspondence most likely found on the "world's restroom wall".

I, too, have recognized a significant decline in my handwriting--as I remember it--and stamina. While I have given up hope of developing a Spencerian style, I have been relearning handwriting using the Italic Handwriting Series by Getty & Dubay. Currently, I am using Aurora and a Pilot retractable fountain pen w/ medium point. I hope to move up to some vintage pens.

There are also rumblings within or own school system to discontinue teaching handwriting classes. Needless to say, I am opposed to this move. I suspect, year's later, many of these students will find the need to relearn this forgotten skill.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Oh, how I love handwriting!

I enjoy handwritten anything so much! I letter things for people from time to time. Though I would say that my style is very loose Spencerian. That is what I studied to practice handwriting - though now it is very much my own style that I use!

I also love to send handwritten correspondence so much that I write letters to people for random reasons. Just for the excuse to pen something. I keep a journal of sorts for the same reason.

My husband took up Spencerian after he met me. And just from the repro workbook you can get he pretty much mastered the script. He writes cleaner than I do. It is really lovely to look at - though I am sure that is not what he was going for when he learned.

 

[John in Covina]

I seem to have much worse handwriting every year.
**********
Poor handwriting usually has to do more with speed than anything else.
Slow down and take the time it takes to do it right or at least clearer.

 

[Lady Day]

Poor handwriting usually has to do more with speed than anything else.
Slow down and take the time it takes to do it right or at least clearer.

So true. I think faster thank I can cursive write, and that lets in all the shortcuts. When I slow down and savor each letter, I write that much better.

LD

 

[John in Covina]

Some people will type out what they want to say first in Word so they can get it right.
Then they'll hand write it.

 

[jayem]

The other day, while writing somebody a letter, I realized I've almost completely forgotten how to write in cursive

 

[Rachael]

I haven't written in cursive since I was 16 and started working in my father's sign shop. since all orders had to be taken in block letters I got in the habit and never stopped.

because of the tendonitus in both wrists, my handwriting is now horrid, but I can still letter! it just takes a long time and a fat pen.

 

[John in Covina]

Palmer Method - When I won a vintage pen on Ebay some years back they included 8 small award pins for someone that had taken instruction in the Palmer Method.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Some people will type out what they want to say first in Word so they can get it right.
Then they'll hand write it.

That would be me.

The single largest problem I have with writing anything by hand is getting the stupid lines straight. :eusa_doh: Plagued me when I was a kid; the only reason it doesn't plague me now is because I type. There is no greater terror than trying to write on a blank, white notecard. *shudder*

I'd like to have better handwriting. Occasionally, I'll still play around, trying to see if I can make it prettier, but it hurts to write for long periods of time. (I'm sure this means I'm not doing it right...) So it remains a weird mishmash of cursive and I'd-rather-be-typing-this-thing penmanship.