Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'letters'.
-
Does Anyone Else Also Use Manual Typewriters? What For?
kealani posted a topic in It Writes, But It Is Not A Fountain Pen ....
Does anyone else also use manual or vintage manual typewriters? What do you use it for? Correspondence? -
I currently use 52gsm white TR paper. For me it is too thin and flimsy.... and shows through more than i would prefer. I love Clairefontaine Triomphe paper but it is too heavy for multi-page international letters. So what's in between? I prefer white that's able to show sheen and shading. Blank, dot grid or lined works. I look forward to your suggestions. PS... I am in the USA so stuff I can get here, please..
-
ELCO James Velin A4 100 gsm Writing Pad Blank with Deckle Edge Watermark DOM Wrapped 1 - (40 Sheets) Saw this on Amazon, in various formats, and would like any comments or views about it.... Alex
-
Help Me Assemble Evidence That Handwritten Letters Are Safe Enough.
jonathan7007 posted a topic in The Write Stuff
All: I like sending handwritten communications. Postcards, letters. I'd like to continue doing so. Please contribute any links or resources you know that will support the safety of handwritten personal letters and cards. Here's the one I have (New York Times, March 24, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/health/coronavirus-mail-packages.html?searchResultPosition=1 I'd like to have good evidence for anyone that asks me why I'm still sending thank you cards, thoughts, etc. through snail mail. I hope that our shared joy in the handwritten world will uncover some good science or philosophy to support our continued sharing on paper. I know that there is at least one thread here about the packages that come from China or senders in other "hot spots". My question seems a different concern so I started a new thread. If mods or users want to shift this elsewhere on the site, I'd be happy to do that. Sincerely, jonathan7007 -
Is there such a thing as elegant printing vs cursive/script? Such as for snail mail letter writing? Can anyone post samples of printing in letter writing? Are there actual styles for this? Thanks Aloha jim
-
Three weeks ago, I wrote a letter to my aunt and mailed it so it would arrive the day she got back from her and my mom's sisters' trip She wrote back to me saying it was the most extraordinary things she ever received in her entire life. It made me happy to get a letter back. She should get a reply from me tomorrow. She asked about my fountain pen collection, but I forgot what I told her in the first letter... and may have repeated what I said about it. Gosh, I'm just so excited about it!
-
The point of this is to be able to write to people that are entirely different from you. To write to strangers, to get a new perspective. Instead of one long term exchange, you will write to lots of different people without the need to commit to anything. So, here's how it works: You post your name and any other information you want to give about yourself here, everything but your name is optional. Then people who want to recieve letters from you will PM you with their address. Then you as the sender will just have to try to write to as many of the Recievers as possible. As sender, remember to write your address somewhere on the letter or envelope if you want people to be able to write you back Here's my entry: Andreas Nygren, I live in Finland but speak swedish as my first language. I wear hats and love books. I also really like all sorts of games.
-
I recently learned about this Dear Flint Kids project and am really moved by the children who are organizing it. (The amazing young woman spearheading it also raises money for backpacks and school supplies, tickets for movies, and books--"A Wrinkle In Time" right now--to distribute in the community. More about her at http://www.lovewhatmatters.com/i-remember-my-mom-telling-us-to-not-drink-the-water-10-year-olds-terrifying-experience-with-flint-water-crisis/) I'm sharing this info for anyone who is looking to put their pens and ink to good use. No affiliation--other than inspiration. https://twitter.com/dearflintkids?lang=en The goal is to write to the children of Flint, Michigan, to let them know the the world sees and supports them, even as they still struggle to get clean water, among other basic needs. Send letters of encouragement to Flint Kids c/o: Mari Copeny PO Box 138 Flint, MI 48501
-
Best Cursive Style For Writing Letters To Family, Pen Pals, Etc?
nicagrace posted a topic in The Write Stuff
Hello everyone! This is my first post on the site. I am so happy to have discovered Fountain Pen Network; I've spent the last several hours looking through the various forums! Sorry if this topic has been covered before, but I wasn't able to find anything with the search results. I'm an avid pen-pal letter writer, and I've been wanting to improve my penmanship. I was thinking of looking at 'Business' style ala Mills. I was intrigued by the Spencerian style, but I'm wondering if that would take up too much space while writing a lengthy letter. What styles do you tend to write with for personal correspondence? Thanks in advance! -
I seem to gravitate towards films that include letters somehow, but have found it has happened with BOOKS as well. Unfortunately I can’t sit still long enough to read books. (I feel terrible when I have to confess this to my correspondents who all seem to love reading!) But I do collect children’s books and have found that for such a small collection I have picked up several that in one form or another have something to do with Letters or Snail Mail. This thread is for Books only. (I’ve made a separate one for films). I’m hoping the members of FPN will help compile a list of Books that include Snail Mail as part of the story. (They don’t have to be children’s books. )
-
Bonjour - Barb Marshall of WriteWhileUCan posted that September 1 is World Letter Writing Day. The founder would like to receive letters from different countries. http://www.ritewhileucan.com/september-1st-world-letter-writing-day/ Merci, et bon journée!
-
My love of snail mail should be no surprise to me (although sometimes it is) because all my life when watching a film that somehow included Letters or Snail Mail my little ears would perk up. In the digital age, more than ever I find films that include Snail Mail absolutely enchanting! The more snail mail is written into the storyline, the more captivated I become. This thread is for Film only. (I’ve made a separate one for books). I’m hoping the members of FPN will help compile a list of Films that include Letters or Snail Mail. Thanks in advance for adding to the list!
-
Hello all, I often print postage labels for small packages from the US Postal Service website and as I was perusing the area where you can purchase stamps, I came upon this very nice-looking souvenir sheet called "Classics Forever". It's a sheet of six stamps commemorating US postage and "in appreciation of stamp collectors and philatelists everywhere". They feature Washington, Franklin and Lincoln in various styles as based on postage from the mid-19th century. They are very handsome stamps. The mediocre cellphone pics just don't do them justice. What really strikes me is that they are printed with the intaglio method as with the originals (and as with paper currency). It's a method not often used with your regular run-of-the-press stamps: a metal plate is engraved with an image. It is inked up and then wiped clean. This leaves ink only inside the grooves of the line. Paper is then pressed hard against the plate and the ink from the grooves is transferred to it. The method produces a fine line and a slightly textured surface as with freshly printed money. The overall effect is elegant. Artistic. They make your letters look particularly classy and old-timey. (Especially when used on C6 envelopes like those made by Clairefontaine.) You can just about see the raised surfaces on the stamps as the light reflects off of it in the following detail. Interestingly, in the last picture, you can see further evidence of the intaglio method as one peels off the stamps to see the underlying backing. It seems that the whole sheet - stamps, backing and all - were printed in this manner as reflected light reveals the embossed effect. Despite their premium look and feel, and worthiness of discerning collectors (IMHO), these six stamps are priced at the going rate (US$ 0.49 each as I write this). They are "forever" stamps and can be used as 1st-class postage despite any future fluctuations in rates. One does have to order it from the website and pay for delivery, however. It doesn't seem to be available at Post Offices, very unfortunately. Was this topic the first ever stamp review on the FPN? Regards, Rich I have no affiliation with the USPS. I have purchased these stamps as would have anyone else. (In fact, I bought two sheets: one to use and one to just keep wrapped up and perhaps frame one day!) Neither was I compensated in any way.
-
" The Twenty-Six Old Characters" - 1947 W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company Movie
elysee posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
You may enjoy watching "The Twenty-Six Old Characters", a 1947 movie made by the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company. http://youtu.be/1xUDehNvbrE This movie contains a brief history of writing from the use of pictures to the development and use of letters as well as a brief history of the development of pens. In addition, the movie includes a discussion of the function and workings of fountain pens and some filler systems. Of course, since the movie was made by the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company, Sheaffer fans should particularly enjoy it. Can you identify the pens used in the movie? ; ) Enjoy! : ) -
I just read a beautiful book, published this summer, about artists and their handwriting. I think it will interest many who follow this forum. It is like a really beautiful art exhibit, in book form. "Pen to Paper: Artists Handwritten Letters, from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art," edited with an introduction by Mary Savig. Reproductions of letters are included, along with brief biographical info about the artists, analysis of the handwriting and how it reflects that individual's approach to art, and other interesting bits. (Full typed transcriptions of the handwritten letters are also included at the back of the book.) I borrowed the book from the library. Hardcopies and a Kindle edition are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Pen-Paper-Handwritten-Smithsonians-Archives/dp/1616894628
-
Hello everybody, since I restarted writing letters :-) I wonder how much is postage around the world. When I pull a letter out of my mailbox first I always look who sent it and then I take a look at the stamps, trying to read the date when they were stamped and figure out how much it was. I found some topics about postage here but none was up to date. So you maybe want to join in. For a better understanding, I add the estimated value in US-$. Letter from Germany to worldwide via airmail: - Postcard 0.90 Euro = 1 USD - Standard size, up to 20g: 0.90 Euro = 1 USD - Standard size, up to 50g: 1.50 Euro = 1.66 USD - Big envelope, up to 500g: 3.70 Euro = 4.10 USD
-
I have to confess I got bogged down in the collected letters of both John Steinbeck and Jane Austen, and so decided that maybe reading other people's letters was not for me. I tried it again with the letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, but again gave up after a while. Then, in 2015, two books got me into reading other people's mail: The first os Letters of Note, compiled by Shaun Usher. It is an eclectic collection, and it frequently contains reproductions of the actual letters. Most of the letters are very interesting, many beautiful, but my absolute favourite is a standard form letter from a Bureau of Etiquette in China, AD 856. "I was ready to sink into the earth with shame." Indeed. Wonderfull stuff. The second one is Simon Garfield's To the Letter, an ode to (or obituary for) the letter, which covers the history of the letter from ancient Greece to now, the history of the postal system, various famous letter writers, and some letters from Chris Barker and Bessie Moore, who wrote to each other while he was stationed in North Africa during WWII, fell in love, carried on their romance by mail, and finally got married. (Garfield has since edited a collection of their letters, My Dear Bessie.) I heartily recommend both books, and I plan to give collected letters another go. Maybe Kurt Vonnegut or Mark Twain will be the thing. We'll see. Whose letters do you read?
-
Just wondering if anyone is participating in incowrimo 2016, which will begin soon? I haven't seen any update on incowrimo.org I'll be happy to send my address via message for participants (or if you're looking for a pen pal).
-
Curious what Fountain Pen friendly envelopes fellow pensters use when writing their pen-pals. Tell the rest of us what envelope you use, why and where you get them and what they cost. If possible, post links and pictures of the envelopes, but unused and perhaps with writing on them. Looking forward to seeing what others use when writing their pen pals and where they get them.
-
Finding The Best Paper For A Specific Letter...
rhodialover posted a topic in Paper and Pen Paraphernalia
I've been browsing Goulet and my local pen store (Artlite here in Atlanta) for some stationary to write a particular letter, and it is of the utmost importance that it looks good, and coveys a sense of finality. In fact, I wish this letter to be a final one to the particular person(s) who will be receiving a variation of it. I have been wronged a great deal by several people in a position of power (and I will be leaving my vulnerable position before the letters have been posted), and I wish to convey, with the utmost formality, finality, and dignity, my extreme displeasure in having known them. I say this to give an overview of the content of the letters, so that the paper will match. I have been looking for something roughly A4 sized (it's going to be a long sort of letter) un-ruled, off white, and not unlike the Rhodia R line of paper, which people have come to recognize as mine, but is too thin and informal for my purposes, and perhaps a bit too yellow. Price is not an object, although I require only 10 or so sheets to accomplish what I wish to do. (However, low sheet count is not a requirement.) I've looked at G.Lalo and Original Crown Mill (cotton, not laid, and yes, I am aware of the texture of G.Lalo) and was wondering if something like Crane might be more suitable for the task, although I am shooting for something which they are not likely to see ever again, and Crane happens to be popular for letters of magnitude. I have no preference as to watermarked or not, so long as the paper is reserved and not flamboyant in tone. I especially like the color of G.Lalo Ivory, does anyone have this next to some of the Rhodia 90gsm or Clairefontaine regular white? I have tried and failed to like Triomphe, I just couldn't get myself to like it. I want something heavy-ish, but not cardstock. I have really grown to like the 90gsm Rhodia, but as this will be for one off letters and not repeats, I want the absolute best that I can get my hands on, although best is always relative to the person. Thanks in advance for any help one of you might be able to offer. -
[Malaysia] Fountain Pen-Friendly Paper (For Letters)
ernestcow posted a topic in Paper and Pen Paraphernalia
Hey guys, Do any of you know any fountain pen-friendly paper similar to Clairefontaine that is easily obtainable in Malaysia? Paper will mainly be used as letter paper for mail so a notepad with perforations would be best. Thanks in advance! -
[Malaysia] Fountain Pen-Friendly Paper
ernestcow posted a topic in China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)
Hey guys, Do any of you know any fountain pen-friendly paper similar to Clairefontaine that is easily obtainable in Malaysia? Paper will mainly be used as letter paper for mail so a notepad with perforations would be best. Thanks in advance! -
http://news.msn.com/us/video?videoid=16c6b19a-da94-b667-3981-5326d80e933d&from=en-us_msnhp
-
For anyone who has expressed an interest in forming another Round Robin Letter, here's where to sign up. A round-robin letter is one that circulates within a family or small group. Each person writes his/her contribution and forwards to the next on the list. The second person adds a page and forwards both pages to the third person. The third person adds a page and forwards all three, etc. When the envelope comes back to the first person, his/her original page is removed and replaced with a new one. The cycle continues. These are the parameters: SIX 8.5 x 11 inch pages of 20# paper plus one cheap lightweight envelope weighs one ounce. Therefore participation is limited to 6 people. (Anybody can set up round-robin letter 3, etc.) Each person may write only one page and must use 20# paper or lighter, but may write on the back of the alloted page. Letters must be forwarded within 3 days. If that's not possible for any reason, just mail the bundle and catch the next round. No bogging or hogging the letter. Letters may be international, so members must be willing to pay international postage for a full ounce. Remember that if you use heavier paper, you force everyone to pay for an extra ounce of postage, which becomes expensive for every other member of the group. If more than 6 people want to try a round-robin letter, I would encourage someone else to jump in and start a third.
-
Do you want to write a heartfelt letter to your loved one, but don't know how to write one? Don't worry, just share some of your fondest memories and moments with us, and our professional writers will craft a sincere, straight from the heart letter for you, all in your own handwriting. BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com.
