What Is The Point?

[ben2talk]

Having left school just a few years ago - so happy to get away from stupid inky fingers and be allowed to use ballpoint pens whenever I liked... it seems strange that people are so crazy about pens.

 

My writing sucks, however. About 15 years ago, I decided to learn Calligraphy and wasted a ton of money buying Osmiroid and Sheaffer calligraphy sets, then tried a few dip pens... I had fun trying, but always led myself to a pit of despair.

 

The fact is, I'm not artistic. I cannot really 'draw lettering'. When I do, just to keep it going to get a single word on paper looking as it should is a masterful feat - for a poem, maybe one line looks good if you blank out the others (even with guidelines...).

 

15 years later I'm here again - I picked up a Lamy, aluminium with graphite finish. I wanted to test a 1.1, but they had only the calligraphy set. The only option was a 1.5 italic for me - I need help with texture in my writing.

 

After experimenting, I had a huge surprise. You DON'T need to measure 5 nib widths to determine your writing size (for a 1.5, on a normal feint ruled A4 pad, you'll be writing on every other line).

 

I tried just writing - the same scrawl that works with my Rotring pencil (with super smooth Ain leads). Now, instead of trying to change my writing style, I'm simply going to scribble with the pen as nature intended rather than fight it and end up quitting.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Nice writing!

[Penquin]

Very nice Handwriting. Welcome to FPN!

[beak]

Welcome back! I think you're very sensible - improve what you have rather than fight to attain an unatural style. A good lesson for all of us.

[JonSzanto]

Good on you - the writing looks *very* nice.

 

In a way, you sound like so many of the musicians I've worked with: those that spend years and years trying to sound like someone else, or someone else's idea of what is 'right', that they end up miserable; those that found their own voice ultimately pleased themselves and made the best music.

 

Here's to your own hand, my friend!

[drgoretex]

Looks excellent! And you are quite right - enjoy the pen, and the writing, nothing to prove!!

 

Ken

[Tereghan]

I had an old book on calligraphy once, in grade school. Went out to the garage to borrow some of my dad's tools to draw lines on my own paper, read through the first chapter, practiced a page full of 'a's in pencil and quit right away. Got a proper Sheaffer calligraphy kit in college with three different nibs and write with it like a normal pen. Much nicer that way. Welcome!

[chris.hale]

I'd be proud to have your writing, it's much better than mine!

[ehemem]

 

If that is your handwriting, I wouldn't worry about learning an italic cursive style if I were you. Your writing is very legible. You might want to experiment with smaller square nibs and see how that affects your writing.

[rcarlisle]

Ben, your handwriting is far better than mine was when I started trying to reform it over two years ago. I don't think you need to reform it. However you might enjoy reading Teach Yourself Better Handwriting by Rosemary Sassoon. I checked it out of my local library. She basically recommends what you ended up doing on your own. Very sensible approach to developing legible handwriting, not necessarily calligraphy handwriting. And Welcome to FPN!

[Wolverine1]

Your handwriting is really, really very good!!!!!

[ethernautrix]

What? Concerned about your handwriting? It's fabulous! I like it.

 

 

[Chris H]

Nothing to worry about in your writing. Just which pen to get next and which ink.

 

Chris

[ben2talk]

Wow, thanks guys - I definitely want to try to find a smaller nib, though I love the way this one writes if I increase the size - on feint ruled paper it looks okay if the text pretty much fills the space, with cramped ascenders and descenders (I tend to loop them or bend them over 'chancery' style)... but the real answer would be a nice cheap Lamy with a 1mm nib giving similar contrast.

 

My worst enemy is generally paper - in a world of ballpens, greasy paper is generally not a problem. A greasy patch can seriously affect the texture of a page and I'm wondering how you guys get around that - is it an ink or paper problem?

[Brianetta]

I got the Lamy 1.1, but I had to sharpen it before it would write the way I wanted it to. It didn't seem much different to the regular fine nib before that; my diagonals were nearly as broad as my verticals.

 

Greasy patches are a problem, which I avoid by having two sets of paper. One's my general notepaper, which might get greasy, the other's the good stuff for letter writing etc, which I don't touch without first washing my hands.

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

I know little of calligraphy. Your handwriting is very pleasing to the eye, and worthy of envy. Not artistic ? You express yourself well. Wrtie to friends and family. See what reactions your letters bring.

[Joly]

 

Your writing looks great....don't doubt it! And just go on!

[ben2talk]

I just did a test - wiped a finger down the page and wrote on it, and sure enough just touching it with my hand left an area of spidery script... I guess better than washing hands is to have a sheet of paper to put between your hand and the writing sheet.

 

Fortunately, most of the books I write on tend to accept the ink well, and don't spread. Luck of the draw I guess, but it reminds me why ball pens - gel and rollerballs - are still an essential item.

 

My next purchase is likely to be a Rotring Rapide Pro pencil, not sure if I'll get the 0.7 or 2.0 just yet, because they're dirt cheap here (in The Mall, where Tikky's go for $3.50 US, the Rapide goes for $25 - however, my wife works near the factory and bought her Tikky for $2 - so I'm hoping the Rapide will be around $20 or less...).

[Brianetta]

Fortunately, most of the books I write on tend to accept the ink well, and don't spread. Luck of the draw I guess, but it reminds me why ball pens - gel and rollerballs - are still an essential item.

Yes. I hate to admit it, but the pen in my Filofax's loop is a Parker Jotter with a Fisher Space Pen refill. I hate writing with it, but it writes on pretty much anything, permanently.

[snoww]

Nice handwriting!