DIY Planner - fountain pen - Comments

Crazy

shris — Sat, 5 May 2007 22:26:54 -0400

Hi.

I got a Pilot fountain pen for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was my first 'writing' pen, I've used sharp, flat calligraphy pens and sharp pointy drawing pens before, long ago.

Prior to this new item, I was an avid user of ball pens with liquid inks--like the uniball signo--and gel pens like the pilot G2.

Personally, I find the difference between my new fountain pen and my gel and liquid ink ball pens to be rather like the difference between suspensions in a luxury sedan and a sports car. The sports car, like the gel pen, allows you to feel the texture of the road. The luxury sedan floats you over the road, smoothing it so you don't feel any bumps. I will just say that an ordinary cheap ballpoint pen is like walking through deep mud in loose rubber boots. Sticky and difficult, requiring a great deal more muscle.

It's actually not that wide a difference to me, gel vs fountain. Not as far apart as the car analogy seems. It feels to me like they write with the same force, just one is a hair smoother and floatier than the other. The new fountain pen *is* heavier than the gel pen, being metal and quite solid. I can't write with it when the cap is perched on the end of the pen--it's too heavy and the balance is wrong. But it's not uncomfortable when I have the pen set to the side.

The fountain pen requires more thought when writing--there's a definite 'up' and 'down' and the correct side has to be 'up' to write at all. Likewise my pen lays down a broader line than I prefer with my gel pens. I like a fine line, .05 or less. There are fountain pens that are narrower, that's just not how this particular one is made. It also isn't pressure-sensitive, really--the line is as thick on the upstroke as the down, whereas my gel pens' lines do change thickness slightly on the upstroke. So it's less calligraphic than I thought it would be. You can get fountain pens that do adjust--this beginner model just doesn't.

I don't really know if I'll go after another fountain pen that is more calligraphic, lighter, and narrower. The 'luxury sedan' feel isn't a real motivator for me, though I understand why it appeals strongly to some folks. I work from home mostly, so I'm not out to impress anyone, either. *shrug* it's a nice pen, but I don't get a 'wow' from it.

I must be weird.

shris

fountain pens

David Wang — Sat, 5 May 2007 16:47:23 -0400

I have been collecting fountain pens for a long time.

If u find these new pens writes well, u should try the
vintage ones where there is flex and the nib writes like
butter....

itss just a pleasure to use ..

mmmmmm fountain pen

des — Sat, 5 May 2007 10:56:02 -0400

I just got my Lamy Safari in the mail yesterday and have spend quite a bit of time scribbling and doodling. I'm amazed at how little pressure it takes to write. So much fun. I see a bit of an obsession coming on. :)

The nice thing about working on your handwriting

SusanBeth — Sat, 5 May 2007 09:18:16 -0400

is that you can work the practice into your daily life.

Like, if you try that italic course, you learn new shapes for small subsets of related letters. So you take a few extra seconds as you are writing that to do list or shopping list and use it to practice making really nice Ms and Ns. ;)

Holy moly.

caligatia — Fri, 4 May 2007 23:34:01 -0400

I just discovered something weird. I'm used to writing cursive with my trusty G2 Pro pens, and tonight I attempted to do the same with a Pilot Varsity. The results are nearly illegible. The smoothness with which the pen writes makes my control go all to hell.

I need to practice. Especially since I just gave in to temptation and ordered a Lamy Vista. :)

Thanks!

rlaundry — Fri, 4 May 2007 10:28:13 -0400

I saw it somewhere else and it cracked me up - too good to pass up. :)

Reese
====================
I never finish anyth

LOL

Sara — Fri, 4 May 2007 10:02:29 -0400

Your signature line is HILARIOUS!!! <3 I needed that! TY <3

my artwork | my blog

I'll be looking

rlaundry — Fri, 4 May 2007 09:19:33 -0400

Thanks to you both for the book ref and the link, as well as ygor's encouragment. I'll be sure to look for them both.

A new someday/maybe project for the list...

Reese
====================
I never finish anyth

Calligraphy: "Beautiful writing"

ygor — Fri, 4 May 2007 08:12:44 -0400

I have taught calligraphy.
In my experience, it's the attention to the form of the letters that sinks in and becomes habit.

That course looks nice.
-----------------------------------
"I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." (Calvin and Hobbes/Bill Waterson)

A complete course in Italic handwriting

SusanBeth — Fri, 4 May 2007 00:24:44 -0400

starts here:

http://briem.ismennt.is/4/4.1.1a/4.1.1.1.quick.htm

My handwriting has gone from ugly & unreadable, even by me if more than a day had elapsed, to clear, legible, and even slightly pleasing on the eye. Italic is the way to go!

Write Now by Barbara Getty

Studio717 — Thu, 3 May 2007 17:53:55 -0400

Hi, Reese,

The book Write Now by Barbara Getty is one I was trying to remember. There's another one, though, that I can't remember the title of that has a different approach to writing cursive. I'd put that on a long-ago 'someday maybe' list but have forgotten it. If I can remember, I'll post it.

Also, you (and others) may want to look at the Penmanship threads over on the Fountain Pen Network (FPN -> Creative Expressions -> Penmanship). While some of what they discuss is calligraphy, there's quite a bit about both regular handwriting (including discussion on how to improve) and left-handed writing (problems, solutions, etc.). I'd say it's definitely worth a look.

Great!

rlaundry — Thu, 3 May 2007 15:02:57 -0400

That'd be super duper! I'd like to see it since I can use the improvement. My writing is a mix of written and printed letters, depending on how they flow in a word, but it can be pretty bad. I usually print if anyone but me has to read it. My wife and I have been together ~15 yrs and she can't always read it...

Reese
====================
I never finish anyth

Dear Mrs. L

Studio717 — Thu, 3 May 2007 13:23:26 -0400

Wow, I guess I owe more to my third grade teacher than I'd thought! Penmanship classes were a bear with her. She was never happy that I didn't always close my lower case 'a' at the top. LOL But I can write fast and tirelessly for hours, and, even better, I can read it later. Thanks, Mrs. L. :D

Over on FPN, there's been mention in the past of a handwriting book that many have found very useful for, uh, resurrecting their cursive handwriting. I'll see if I can find the references to it and post here.

Remedial cursive classes?

rlaundry — Thu, 3 May 2007 10:32:58 -0400

Ok, so we're all the same boat. Switched to printing long ago and when we try to write, it's hideous and illegible. Anyone found a good website to help improve your writing or teach a nice scipty style other than boring old cursive/Palmer?

Yes ygor, I've googled a bit :-) but haven't found much beyond courses you have to pay for.

Reese
==========================================
I never finish anyth

What's That Word?

Roberto_Notecardo — Thu, 3 May 2007 10:04:15 -0400

I switched to printing because nobody could read my cursive. Before the days of email, I left a lot of voice mails and hand written notes. I found I was actually losing more time with cursive because people kept interrupting me to ask "what's that word?" on a note I had left them.

Cursive can be a beautiful thing when done correctly, or a source of extreme frustration for the reader if certain liberties are taken with letter formation. I'm constantly asking others "what's that word?"

--Bob

fountain pen

jonglass — Tue, 1 May 2007 12:18:34 -0400

Hi- My name's Jon, and I just bought a fountain pen...

Seriously. Yesterday, while at a local store, looking for sidewalk chalk with my daughter, I saw a cheap fountain pen (that takes cartridges) for about 75 cents USD. It came with 12 refills, and had two carts inside. Not bad for the price. ;-) So, I brought it home, and finally figured out how to get ink out of it! It didn't have any instructrions, and has a weird name on the blisterpack, "bene" but the nib says "BEIFA".

First impression--never having written with one of these before--boy does it write easily!!!! No pressure whatsoever! I've got some relatively cheap copier paper, and it does well on it. I have also written on some Levenger paper--ooh boy! I can understand why people like fountain pens for the writing...

However, a couple questions.
1. The cap is clear, and I see little droplets of ink gathering inside. Is this normal?
2. While relatively smooth, I sense a bit of 'scratchiness'. Is this normal? Or, is this, as a I suspect, a factor of the pen's price. ;-) What do more expensive pens offer over a cheap pen? Just curious. I don't see myself switching to fountain pens, but this is the sort of thing for writing in journals, etc.

However, as a leftie, I get the ink smudging. yech. Also, I find that printing leaves tiny lines between letters because I apparently don't lift my pen high enough... or do others have this? I find I may prefer cursive with a fp! Others also experience this?

Thanks for listening to my confession...

-Jon

D*I*Y Planner - fountain pen - Comments

Crazy

fountain pens

mmmmmm fountain pen

The nice thing about working on your handwriting

Holy moly.

Thanks!

LOL

I'll be looking

Calligraphy: "Beautiful writing"

A complete course in Italic handwriting

Write Now by Barbara Getty

Great!

Dear Mrs. L

Remedial cursive classes?

What's That Word?

fountain pen

DIY Planner - fountain pen - Comments