The handwriting of everyday

[scotrace]

I used to take pride in my handwriting, but that's all gone now, even as my tools have improved. I have my Blackwing pencils and a nice fountain pen (though my ex swiped the Parker), but all I ever write now is notes while interviewing people on the phone, and that's all rapid scribble with a (probably best pen ever) Bic ballpoint. I do a great deal of writing--on a laptop.

 

[Harry Gooch]

I'ma big fan of fountain pens - rarely use anything else now - but 99.9% of my handwriting is for myself alone. I now only have three out of my eleven or so classes which are assessed by handwritten exam, and that is on the way out - it's not uncommon for my students signing in to tutorials to have to borrow a pen. Most of then still handwrite well enough, but it'snot really part of their world any longer - it's a rare student indeed who takes note with pen and paper in a lecture now rather than via laptop or tablet. I don't think handwriting will disappear any time soon, but it's certainly becoming less important in the 'real world'.

In Ontario, Canada, I think most boards of education have stopped teaching cursive writing.

 

[North American Sojouner]

I almost forgot...lol
Zim

 

[Edward Reed]

I almost forgot...lol
Zim
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WONDERFUL!!!!! Thats AWESOME! Inspires me to sit down and play around with my fountain pen and practice my penmanship. very cool!

 

[North American Sojouner]

WONDERFUL!!!!! Thats AWESOME! Inspires me to sit down and play around with my fountain pen and practice my penmanship. very cool!

Thanks Edward. Didn't spend much time on it but I've always just threw something together. I need to slow down, and make it better. When I do the calligraphy I do slow down a lot. Have fun with it and thanks again.
Zim

 

[Edward]

In Ontario, Canada, I think most boards of education have stopped teaching cursive writing.

That's a shame. I first learned to handwrite pre-school; from five to sevenish we were taught to print, then cursive / "joined-up writing" was introduced at about seven, a year or so before we switched from writing in pencil to writing everything with a fountain pen. After a year or so theschool moved to cheaper, fibre-tips instead of fountain pens, though I later found my way back on my own.

I totally accept that handwriting is not the primary method of communication with others in the modern world, but I can't begin to imagine how I'd cope without the option of handwriting, evne if 99.9% of the time it's only for my own reference. I still keep all my work to do lists and such on pen and paper because it's so much easier, and I'm still not fully transitioned to an electronic diary.

 

[Harry Gooch]

That's a shame. I first learned to handwrite pre-school; from five to sevenish we were taught to print, then cursive / "joined-up writing" was introduced at about seven, a year or so before we switched from writing in pencil to writing everything with a fountain pen. After a year or so theschool moved to cheaper, fibre-tips instead of fountain pens, though I later found my way back on my own.

I totally accept that handwriting is not the primary method of communication with others in the modern world, but I can't begin to imagine how I'd cope without the option of handwriting, evne if 99.9% of the time it's only for my own reference. I still keep all my work to do lists and such on pen and paper because it's so much easier, and I'm still not fully transitioned to an electronic diary.

I agree, Edward. I have a very high-tech job, but still take a lot of hand-written notes -- with a fountain pen, of course!

 

[Harry Gooch]

I almost forgot...lol
Zim
View attachment 250892

I find that writing cursively is a great way to slow down my mind. It's almost like a form of meditation.

 

[Edward]

I agree, Edward. I have a very high-tech job, but still take a lot of hand-written notes -- with a fountain pen, of course!

I've advised many undergrqaduates over the years to try a fountain pen as a way of coping with a three-hour exam - much easier on the hand, less cramping, as it glides ove the page rather than having to lean in with a biro. Some of them have even taken my advice and reported it helped a lot (I wish I'd thought of it when I was in their position!). All my notes to self are with a fountain pen. Heck, half the time I createan excuse for myself to use one. I discovered a few years ago that I had becomed known as "the sort of person who might have a fountain pen" - I was in the middle of a tutorial when a member of admin staff came in in a flap and asked if I had a FP on me and if they could borrow it - our University Chancellor, Princess Anne, was apparently visiting and they wanted a decent pen for her to sign the guest book with. The hilarity of it is that, well.... let's just say my views on monarchy are quite French. I still have that pen somewhere - it's a nice Duke (can't recall the model number), made in Shanghai and bought new in Beijing around 2008.

 

[Harry Gooch]

My father told me never to lend a fountain as it can be ruined by someone used to a bic. Too bad you didn't have that excuse to hand!

 

[Dm101]

My father told me never to lend a fountain as it can be ruined by someone used to a bic. Too bad you didn't have that excuse to hand!

That's the excuse I use all the time.
I built a flex-nib fountain pen that has taken me months to fine tune.
There's no way I'm letting someone uninitiated ruin what I've put so much time and money into.
No way.
No one uses my constant companion unless they can prove they understand how delicate the tines on a UEF flex-nib pen are.

 

[Dm101]

I almost forgot...lol
Zim
View attachment 250892

Awesome! I've been doing a bit of calligraphy myself this summer...

 

[Dm101]

The tools of my travesties...lol

 

[Edward]

My father told me never to lend a fountain as it can be ruined by someone used to a bic. Too bad you didn't have that excuse to hand!

Folks would probably struggle to use my pens if the nibs have taken on my hand, as I'm a southpaw.

 

[Eva Granch]

I love to make greetings cards so I have practice in calligraphy a few months also
I read their wiki, resources like the "Calligraphy Bible" for more references to different scripts, bought some dip pens and ink, and began practicing various broad nib scripts. With regards to the development of my day-to-day handwriting, I saw an immediate jump in quality as soon as I wrote with a fountain pen.
Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!

 

[Dm101]

I've been learning more and more about how these pens operate since I picked up this Noodlers Ahab.
I think I've finally found my favorite pen. This thing is completely serviceable from tip to cap!

 

[Steepleman]

I'm pretty sure we still teach cursive in Victoria (Australia). At least they did a four or five years ago. It's a rather nasty cursive though which looks rather childish. A modernised copperplate script would seem more useful, being somewhat closer to print anyway.

 

[FlyFishing]

I am so glad I stumbled across this thread. I have been fascinated with fountain pens since I was a young child. However, my writing had always been terrible and I stopped writing in cursive decades ago. This thread had me purchase a few cheap fountain pens again and start practicing my cursive. I've already seen improvement in less than a month. Thank you all for inspiring me to improve my writing, I didn't think it was possible!

 

[Dm101]

I'm in my 40s now and sought to find a proper writing instrument all my life from as far back as I can remember.
I "borrowed" my mothers pens from her ophthalmology lab because they wrote smoother and were better than standard pens...
In my professional adult life I sought custom pens from all of our vendors and at trade shows and conferences because they were higher quality and seemed to "Write better". A trait that my co-workers in various govt institutions could never seem to understand...no matter how I tried explaining it.
I spent high dollars on fancy ballpoint pens made from sterling silver expecting a better writing experience...only to be let down because of a standard low-quality ink-insert...the only thing available on the market.

I never knew about the world of Fountain Pens until earlier this year after the pandemic hit.
All of these lost years...beating myself up thinking my hands were broken or that I was broken...
All I needed was the right tool to express writing in the way that my soul intended.
I have since gotten my sister to experience and love fountain pens while purchasing two more of my own and learning how to service and balance them over this summer. I am moving into modifying nibs to have flex once all of my tools arrive next month.
Rather than buy flexible nibs for all of my fountain pens, I will just create them.

I'm still amazed...all these years...all it took...was the right tool.

 

[Artifex]

I'm still amazed...all these years...all it took...was the right tool.

It's often said that a bad workman blames his tools. What's never mentioned is that (s)he is quite right to do so! Learning to select the right equipment for the job, in my view, is central to every art and technical discipline.

Back to topic, I must admit to having tried and failed more than once Palmer's advice to write with the shoulder and upper arm. Only my fingers seem to have the precision required to form letters. Am I missing something?