Correspondence Cards

[rogerb]

I am sorry ifd I offend, but I do think so much of this so-called etiquette is a load of old twaddle!

 

Use good quality paper/card, write on it as nicely as you can and send it..... life is too short to get precious about things which matter so little, in the overall state of the Universe.

 

What does matter is that people communicate with one another, and like most of us I guess, I happen to think that a hand-written note(preferably with a FP!) is just so much more personal than an email.

 

My only personal bete noire is stationery with lines..... but I'd rather get a letter on a page torn from a lined exercise book than no letter at all(assuming it was from someone I care about). I just wouldn't use it myself, except in an emergency.

 

I hope the couple to whom I just posted a 'correspondence card', close-written on both sides and in a rather unusual envelope, don't take too much umbrage at such an appalling breach of 'good form'

(I usually just use notepaper and envelopes, but I wanted to send them something written with an American pen, ink and on American stationery.....this was the only US-made stationery I had to hand).

 

And, as long as the paper/card will take it, I don't have any problems with making the best use of it by writing on both sides...the Lalo paper I currently have doesn't write nicely, with most of my FPs, on the reverse side.

 

 

[Rapt]

Rather than ordering I decided to try making my own... Stonehenge 90lb 100% cotton paper cut to 4"x6" size.... The paper has a nice finish and takes FP ink beautifully, at least all the inks I had on hand.

 

I think they're quite nice, and some have the deckled edge.

 

[BillZ]

New Member and first post. Wife gave me a MB Starwalker FP and Fineliner for my 62nd birthday last year. Rediscovered the joy of writing letter. Started using Crane lined letter paper becuase of being"straight-line challenged. Problem is that you only get 20 sheets with 20 envelopes. I usae 2 sheets/letter. For Xmas my wife got me some monogrammed CCs that fit the envelopes!! Best of both worlds. I like to refer to them as snail email.

[kiavonne]

  BillZ said:

New Member and first post. Wife gave me a MB Starwalker FP and Fineliner for my 62nd birthday last year. Rediscovered the joy of writing letter. Started using Crane lined letter paper becuase of being"straight-line challenged. Problem is that you only get 20 sheets with 20 envelopes. I usae 2 sheets/letter. For Xmas my wife got me some monogrammed CCs that fit the envelopes!! Best of both worlds. I like to refer to them as snail email.

 

Nice gifts from your wife. Letter writing can be such a therapy. We need to keep it alive.

 

"snail email." heheh, ok, that works.

 

And welcome to FPN BillZ.

 

[WhosYerBob]

I use correspondence cards for notes that are too short for a full letter - a dashed off note as it were. I use both sides if need be and use various size nibs according to what I want to say and how I want to say it. The envelopes can be lined or not - depends on the vendor.

 

I've developed a real love for the Fabriano cards, and a real irritation for the G. Lalo cards with the fake deckle edges that have all sorts of chad-like bits hanging off of them. Once my G. Lalo stock is used up, I don't intend to buy any more.

 

I've found that as I have written more and more frequently, I have a good gauge in my head as to which should be correspondence cards, medium size notes or full size business letters. Very rarely do I ever send post cards, as I prefer what I write to be eyes-only to the recipient.

[BillZ]

  kiavonne said:

  BillZ said:

New Member and first post. Wife gave me a MB Starwalker FP and Fineliner for my 62nd birthday last year. Rediscovered the joy of writing letter. Started using Crane lined letter paper becuase of being"straight-line challenged. Problem is that you only get 20 sheets with 20 envelopes. I usae 2 sheets/letter. For Xmas my wife got me some monogrammed CCs that fit the envelopes!! Best of both worlds. I like to refer to them as snail email.

 

Nice gifts from your wife. Letter writing can be such a therapy. We need to keep it alive.

 

"snail email." heheh, ok, that works.

 

And welcome to FPN BillZ.

Forgot size. Mien are 4-1/4x6-3/8 inches. The writing "sort of"shows thru but not badly. Thanks for the welcome.

Also discovered Moleskine for journals!!

[Dave Johannsen]

  lefty928 said:

Last spring, I came across this Web page describing the proper "stationery wardrobe" and was enchanted with the idea of correspondence cards (I was buying lots of boxes of thank you cards at the time): gailrhea/Pens/paperink.

 

At the risk of being a distraction to the current thread, I just wanted to say think you for providing this pointer. Though I've been using a fountain pen almost exclusively for a decade now, I am woefully ignorant about papers and writing etiquette. This brief guide is a goldmine of information for us neophytes. Again, thank you for posting this (and thank you to the author, Gail Rhea).

 

 

Dave

 

[lwetzel]

  BillTheEditor said:

  Chemyst said:

  BillTheEditor said:

I only use one side of the card because that's what I learned in the Navy eons ago when officers were still expected to have and use calling cards, and when commanding officers (their wives, to tell the truth) used correspondence cards for invitations. I'm too old/lazy to change.

 

You'll be happy to know that Service Etiquette still covers the procurement and use of calling cards, though I've only seen one (from some lieutenant no less). I've never received a correspondence card as an invite, mostly the wives just send e-vites these days for hail and farewells and such.

Thanks for the update -- I had to smile when I read it. Some things never change!

 

I'M WITH YOU FELLAS. I BOUGHT THAT STUFF AS EXPECTED COMPLETE WITH THE ENGRAVED METAL THINGEE. NEVER USED ANY OF IT. HOWEVER I DID HAVE AN XO WHO DEMANDED THAT NO ONE BUT HIMSELF COULD USE GREEN INK ON THE SHIP. I GOT MANY CORRESPONDENCES FROM HIM IN VITRIOLIC GREEN! FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS.

[lwetzel]

  WhosYerBob said:

I use correspondence cards for notes that are too short for a full letter - a dashed off note as it were. I use both sides if need be and use various size nibs according to what I want to say and how I want to say it. The envelopes can be lined or not - depends on the vendor.

 

I've developed a real love for the Fabriano cards, and a real irritation for the G. Lalo cards with the fake deckle edges that have all sorts of chad-like bits hanging off of them. Once my G. Lalo stock is used up, I don't intend to buy any more.

 

I've found that as I have written more and more frequently, I have a good gauge in my head as to which should be correspondence cards, medium size notes or full size business letters. Very rarely do I ever send post cards, as I prefer what I write to be eyes-only to the recipient.

 

I agree WYB. I had the opportunity to write 50 or so "thanks for all you do" cards this last Christmas. I tried to pesonalize each note but essentially said the same things on the card. It didnt take me long to get the hang of how much I wanted to say on each one. Now I am setting out to buy a good set of cards to continue the process. Incidentally I got several thank you notes from recipients. Folks really like to get handwritten correspondence. Maybe email is not as ominpotent as I thought. Cursively :ltcapd: