The Classic Tripod Grip

[pmhudepo]

The other rotation of I recommend is intended to change the orientation of the pen barrel, but this is not really a grip change, either. Bringing the wrist parallel to the desk turns the pen point to the right, i.e., more in the direction of the Spencerian or Copperplate slant, and lowers the angle between the pen and the page.

 

Like this? I've exaggerated the first position quite a bit, but I hope it provides a good illustration.

 

[Mickey]

 

Like this? I've exaggerated the first position quite a bit, but I hope it provides a good illustration.

 

 

Exactly. As your photos show, this rotation gets the weight off the heel of the hand, pretty much a requirement for Spencerian. Without the desk for an anchor, the fingers will tend to be less active, another good thing.

 

When I was using a flexible FP for roundhand, I turned my hand even further (anti-clockwise), so my wrist was absolutely parallel to the desk. In addition to further lowering the pen angle, that position allowed my paper alignment to be almost the same for shaded roundhand and Spencerian as for italic. Re-acclimating to a more usual wrist rotation (for italic or for writing with an oblique holder) took about a half a page of practice, about the same amount of warm up as I require to change hands or pen style, anyway. For me, it was easier (more intuitive) to dial in the wrist rotation according to the hand than dial in the paper (and eye). Obviously, others may have different inclinations.

[Flounder]

This whole thread stinks! Spare us these Brussels Bureaucrats with their Barmy Bolshevik fixation on 'collectivising' the handwriting grips we know and love. God knows it will be a cold day in hell before I give up the 'Toro'.

 

 

 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/El%20Toro%20Handwriting%20Grip/ToroHandwritingGrip012.jpg

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I find the top of the thumb flat at @09:00 to give a wall to rest the pen....I think a thumb held higher could add down pressure where none is needed.

 

Anything that takes away pressure on the pen, should be thought of....instead of killing so many baby featherless birds making baby bird paste, by having a grip too close together, too far forward....where one holds a pen....instead of letting it rest with a light forefinger pressure just enough to stroke the baby featherless bird.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[DaveBj]

The top picture in #7 is the grip that I have been using since the late '80s. It's a very relaxed hold that lets me write for hours without cramping or fatigue. It also works marvelously well on pens with triangular or semi-triangular sections, like the Safari and its clones and the Jinhao X450.

[Strombomboli]

However doesnt anyone get a bump on their middle finger joint where the pen rests? (...) I have started to put a plaster on the middle finger whenever I am writing a lot which helps considerably. However I would be interested to know if there is any remedy for this problem?

 

I never have a bump on my middle finger, because I have a corneal point there. It have developed it a very long time ago and can't remember not having it, even though I have been writing with fountain pens all my life and have been holding my pen in a light tripod grip. I don't use force to hold my pen.

 

Now I wonder, if other people who write a lot, also do have cornea on their middle fingers.

 

There is no such thing as a "ballpoint grip." It's just bad grip, and people with bad grip will have developed it no matter what pen they used.

 

I beg to differ. Or else: how on earth could you develop such a grip with a fountain pen?

 

**************

I know someone who writes with his index finger stretched out. Of course, this is with a ballpoint pen and this person doesn't write much (almost nothing) by hand.

[Tojusi]

Best. Thread. Ever.

 

Or if not the best, then at least very useful. Especially all the clear pictures. A big than you to the OP for starting this with the clear instructions and pictures.

 

I was a finger writer long long ago plus had a weird grip on top of that. And in fact, still now whenever I reach for a ballpoint (shudder) I instinctively go to my odd grip. But I have managed to train myself towards arm or shoulder writing and a better grip with fountain pens and (mechanical) pencils.

 

I recently realised that my grip is still a bit too tense. Seeing this thread and trying out the classic tripod and forefinger on top really helped to relax the grip. Now I have to train for this to become instinctive. Plus these grips really force the giving up of the finger writing.

[Bo Bo Olson]

From tripod to 'forefinger up' had me changing grips much of the first day, by the third day was the grip I started the day with. By the end of the week tripod felt odd.

One should know both grips, and use the one, one feels best with.

 

I don't consciously use the forefinger up to make a pen of some flex, flex. It could be I am doing so, but that was not why I went over to the forefinger up.

I had pain at the nail junction of my middle finger.....I don't know how many decades I'd had it. Now I don't after five years of the forefinger up. In that I'd moved my pen contact point down 1/3 of an inch. I was also not pressing the pen deep into the flesh, as I had with the Death Grip Tripod. Letting the pen rest, didn't make me fear I'd push the pen off the edge of my finger by moving it out of The Dent That Hurt.

 

I do not have hand fatigue any more from writing.

No, pain, no fatigue made writing fun.

 

It's not really fun with a ball point.....there my handwriting reverts with in a sentence to need a Retired English teacher** to decipher what I wrote and it's real shaky.....back to printing.

With a fountain pen, my script has improved from chicken scratch, to Rooster Scratch....well my wife still can't read it. , but I can.

 

I could use more arm and shoulder writing, in either styles.

 

**Can't afford an English teacher with a job.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[AnneHW]

Love this thread!!! But I'm an idiot, I guess, because I don't understand where 10:00, 12:00 or 9:30 are? Maybe I didn't study the photos closely enough. The photos are great, but could you please do a video?! :-D

 

I know that is a big request and I'm half (only half) kidding!

[ac12]

 

Love this thread!!! But I'm an idiot, I guess, because I don't understand where 10:00, 12:00 or 9:30 are? Maybe I didn't study the photos closely enough. The photos are great, but could you please do a video?! :-D

I know that is a big request and I'm half (only half) kidding!

 

Look down the pen from the back to the front.

With the nib level, 12:00 is the top of the section straight up, just like the face on an analog clock. And the other clock positions are similar, 9:00 is flat directly to the left, and 3:00 is flat directly right. So 9:30 is on the left and slightly up, and 10:00 is sightly further up about 30% above the 9:00 position.

[AnneHW]

Look down the pen from the back to the front.

With the nib level, 12:00 is the top of the section straight up, just like the face on an analog clock. And the other clock positions are similar, 9:00 is flat directly to the left, and 3:00 is flat directly right. So 9:30 is on the left and slightly up, and 10:00 is sightly further up about 30% above the 9:00 position.

Thank you, that helps me a lot!

[Bluey]

Won't that grip be a problem if you use a Pilot Capless (VP)

[ehemem]

Won't that grip be a problem if you use a Pilot Capless (VP)

 

No, the VP/Capless was designed for the standard tripod grip.

[Bluey]

 

No, the VP/Capless was designed for the standard tripod grip.

Must be the camera angle. Looks to me as if the forefinger is in line with the nib where the clip on the VP is

[ehemem]

Must be the camera angle. Looks to me as if the forefinger is in line with the nib where the clip on the VP is

 

 

Standard tripod grip, not "Forefinger-up" grip with the hand rotated inward...

[Bluey]

Ok

[cellmatrix]

 

Like this? I've exaggerated the first position quite a bit, but I hope it provides a good illustration.

 

As long as this thread is still active I'll just chime in and say the top grip is what I used for most of my printing/pre fountain pen life however once I started writing Spencerian with a flex pen I switched to the bottom grip and it made a big difference.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

When I learned what's being called here the tripod grip for a fountain pen it wasn't called that. It was called, "Hold it this way or we'll beat you."

 

Later in school ballpoint pens became cheap enough that everyone used them. I could never get the right grip on them, too much pushing was required for my fingers to be able to hold the grip we'd been taught for fountain pens. I think they started us with that same grip on pencils in the First Grade. Little kids using that grip on pencils must have made some very faint marks on the paper.

 

Coming back to fountain pens years ago I was finally able to use the grip I'd been taught to use as a kid. Feels a lot better .

[maus930]

well done -- thx -- I see young people using pens and pencils and I can't believe the crude grips most of them use --of course they are using ballpoints -- don't know what fountain pens are and they are printing ---never learned cursive

 

Very sad

[DavidHL]

This is very informative! Thank you!

 

I have a question. while writing with the classic tripod grip, should the pinky and ring finger glide on the surface of the paper? Or they should float in the air?

 

This questions leads me to another thought:In this website

 

http://www.paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html

 

(which I recommend a lot. I wrote to Anna with several enquiries and she was very informative with her responses), it is advised to use the shoulder girdle muscles instead of the wrist and fingers to write. My thought is: if the pinky and ring finger do not touch the paper while writing, the position would encourage the arm to use the shoulder girdle muscles instead of the wrist, and this would not be the case if the fingers actually touched the paper while writing.

 

I would like to advance that I am just starting with this exercises and don't have sufficient practice to support the theory, and would really appreciate the opinion of the experts.

 

What are your thoughts?