choice of pen nib and handwriting style

[KateGladstone]

In my experience and observation, those forms of cursive that permit lifting to dot/cross "i/j/t/x" do indeed permit faster writing than the usual North American styles that forbid these (and other) pen-lifts within words.

However, most of us can write faster still by also making certain pen-lifts that I think the Mad Dutchman does not make - namely, by moving the the pen of the paper where needed to avoid all curved joins (such as the join in "sc" or "pa" or "gh") because lifting the pen allows a straight line here (shortest, therefore quickest, distance between two points) instead of a curve. A straight-line "air-join" goes so much faster than an equally legible curved-line "paper-join" that the writer saves far more time than the time spent in moving the pen slightly off the paper as needed to join straight in the air like this.

Other joins (straight-line joins such as we see in "an" and "on") do not benefit from lifting off the paper, since they have little or no curve that one could save time by straightening. So, in those cases ("an/on" and the like) one saves time by remaining *on* the paper.

 

Kate Gladstone - www.learn.to/handwrite - www.global2000.net/handwritingrepair

[KateGladstone]

Those who feel curious to see what Peterson looks like can visit its site at http://www.peterson-handwriting.com

 

The last time I talked with any Peterson officials, they denied that anyone anywhere does poorly with that method. In 2002 or 2003, a few years after my last talk with a Peterson person, I confess I smiled to myself when I read on the Peterson web-site (then later in a few news-stories on handwriting) that the company had discontinued its 75-year-old handwriting competition because of the uniformly execrable quality of such entries as it had received that year. Peterson teachers and former users/students of Peterson Handwriting tell me that the company continues to believe that Peterson produces uniformly good penmanship - I wanted to ask current Peterson users about this I've never managed to find any present users except /a/ company officials and /b/ the schoolchildren to whose schools/districts the company officials sell the program. Other than company officials I've never (so far) found anyone using Peterson past the age at which his/her school stops giving handwriting lessons.

 

A funny thing - somewhere on the Peterson site, you'll find a "forum" about handwriting, put there ostensibly to let people share info, ask questions, etc. I put "forum" in quotes (and use the word "ostensibly" too) because, if you go there and post anything unfavorable to Peterson (bad experiences with the program, or whatever) it magically disappears within a day or so.

[J. John Harvey]

I marked that I use non-italic nibs and "school" handwriting, even though my handwriting is now nowhere near what I was taught in school. Mine is more slanted, typically, along with various other differences. The handwriting I was taught is the work of demons and the teachers for the most part didn't really care how anything looked. I blame today's teachers and perhaps even the uninspired type of handwriting for my peers' horrible handwriting, if they remember it at all.

[Sonnet]

I just checked out the Peterson web site. Definitely not what I learned in grade school and for that, I'm actually grateful

[Sonnet]

What influenced my handwriting the most

Finally found it. If you click the above link and scroll through the book's excerpts until about page 8, you'll find the illustration of a letter to Samantha from her friend, Nelly. Believe it or not, this illustration of a fictional letter probably influenced my handwriting more than anything else.

Background: Changes for Samantha by Valerie Tripp is [originally] the 6th book in a series from the American Girl empire, now owned by Mattel. Since the 1980s, American Girl has sold historical fiction for 3-12? year olds with correlating dolls, accessories, etc. The "Samantha" collection focuses on a fictional 9-year old girl living in Victorian-influenced America (circa 1904). Other collections include books and dolls about WWII, the Great Depression, Civil War, Colonial Williamsburg/Revolutionary War, etc. At the end of these chapter books is a section going into more detail about what life was like during that particular era. For instance, the end section of Changes for Samantha details how a girl Samantha's age would eventually be able to vote, and go to college-- for the likely purpose of finding a husband. So I'm guessing this letter from Nelly serves as an example of Copperplate script from an early 20th-century working class child. Notice the entrace serifs on "a," "c," "g," etc. that are typical of Copperplate writing.

When I learned how to write cursive in 1991 [i was almost 8 years old], I learned a style that seems very similar to the above example, with the exception of the entrance serifs. After reading the Samantha books over the next few years, I started adding said serifs to my handwriting and they've stuck, for the most part. I don't think my teachers were too happy about that but beyond giving me "satisfactory" grades in handwriting [as opposed to "good" or "very good"], they didn't do too much else.

So there you have it-- I learned to write from both my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers, and from the "Samantha" books. I've done some work in the "Write Now!" copybook but I'm not really feeling the whole "italic" thing. Maybe I just need to give it more time since I'm still on the printing portion and haven't progressed to cursive italic yet.

And in case you're wondering, I went to all this trouble because I lack a scanner and I just can't seem to take good pictures of my handwriting with a digital camera.

 

Oh, and I apologize that the writing "sample" is so depressing.

[paolimd]

  KateGladstone said:

I've never managed to find any present users except /a/ company officials and /b/ the schoolchildren to whose schools/districts the company officials sell the program. Other than company officials I've never (so far) found anyone using Peterson past the age at which his/her school stops giving handwriting lessons.

 

This is sad! However, I must say that, even though I'm a Palmer student (back in the 50's), I had the chance to know the Peterson Method. I've been practicing it for the past 4 or 5 years, and it has greatly improved my handwriting.

 

As a physician, I have to write fast, sometimes on poor quality papers. Peterson's is a great asset in this conditions. As with everything else, practice is the clue.

 

I remember, back in grade school, the Nuns taught us, and wrote with, the Palmer Method. Such beautiful handwriting! Not to mention the beauty of the page itself, with a readable, understandable penmanship! Now, I believe, if they could do it, so can I (us), don't you think so?

 

Anyway, handwriting, whichever the style or method, is very therapeutic. It releives tension and stress, particularly when done just for kicks...

[Tara]

This is a sample of my writing style.

 

I'm going to a nib-meister in Houston next week to see if he can tweak my Pelikan and possilby a couple other pens.

 

Suggestions on what sort of nibs I should look at?

 

I seem to be drawn to the more rounded ones rather than the more angular. Is the middle sample what y'all would call a 'stub'? It's very rounded. . .

[kenny]

I have to write so quickly during my usual workday that I can border on the illegible frequently.

[kissing]

I'm happy to write with both an Italics calligraphy nib and a non-calligraphy nib. I use both types just as much.

 

So my handwriting is a hybrid of conventional cursive and italics cursive.

 

Also, i'm one of those people who hold the pen with wrist hooked and i hold it in such a way that my handwriting changes everytime i write

[hpp]

Popped in again!

 

This thread looks interesting. I had never been much concerned about my choice of nibs or my writing style.

 

First: My writing style. I don't know how to describe it. To me it seems to be a rather sloppy variant of school cursive. Most people tell me it looks great but IS unreadable. But: My writing style hasn't significantly changed during the last 30 years. I had shown two examples elsewhere in the FPN; I cannot remember where ...

 

Second: Nibs. I do like O-nibs. Montblanc Noblesse: OB. Kaweco Sport: OB. Pelikan M800: OM. But I am also writing with the conventional types. Old Montblanc (school!): M. Vintage Pelikan 100N: F. Sheaffer Touchdown: F. Pilot VP (recent): B. Pilot VP (old style): F. Nibs do not have the slightest influence on my writing style, sole exception being the size of my handwriting ...

 

Sometimes I switch over to a Pentel Fude Pen. It is my absolute favourite when I am practising Japanese (a kind of reanimation - I began with learning Japanese nearly 30 years ago, but I was forced to give up, because I had to change my employer for a while). A fude is the most flexible pen (in reality it's a brush) you can imagine. Not very adapted to our western way of writing but wonderful for chinese and japanese characters, if you are a calligrapher (I am not!).

 

So much for the moment,

kind nightly greetings from bad old Europe,

 

Hans-Peter

 

ps: Maybe I should prepare some newer examples of my handwriting, including something written with the fude (although experts in chinese/japanes writing might kill me).

[sonia_simone]

The forum denizens are highly forgiving of all kinds of handwriting, in whatever language.

[born t]

http://cantabgold.net/users/born/handwriting-1.jpg

 

This is how I write. I don't know how to call this style; it has developed from the Chancery Cursive I normally use for calligraphy. As you can see, not all the letters in the same word are joined. As to legibility, I'll let you be the judge.

 

I find a combination of a very wet, fine italic nib and Moleskine paper is the best, and I use the latter for all sorts of writing.

 

Regards,

Born

Edited September 23, 2006 by born t

[Margana]

Born,

 

Your writing is quite legible and very fluid. What is equally impressive is what you have achieved on Moleskine paper with a wet nib, lovely shading with very clean edges. Excellent work!

 

Margana

[Stumpy]

Very nice Born! You have an excellent italic hand.

[sonia_simone]

Lovely visual rhythm to it, it really flows nicely.

 

I love that Monaco Red as well.

[journo]

  Quote

Maybe I should prepare some newer examples of my handwriting

Hans-Peter, please do; it would be great to see them.

[TMLee]

dear Born ...

Beautiful handwriting .... I like it ...

Rgds

[london]

A bi tof a late reply on my behalf....

 

But I agree with TMLee, I love your handwriting sample Born. Very beautiful.

 

- Mark

[KateGladstone]

I hope that PaoliMD will post some of his/her (doubtless quite nice) medical handwriting.

 

Just out of curiosity, PaoliMD, how many letters per minute can you legibly write with the Peterson Method?

 

With all due respect, I have Peterson on my mind today because I've received a couple of e-mails from Peterson "washouts" seeking help.

[KateGladstone]

Tara, I'd call the nib you used for that middle sample a "rounded" or "ball" nib, not a "stub."

To make a stub nib, SLIGHTLY round off just the corners and upper/lower edges of an Italic nib.