Pen Recommendations For Heavy Handed Writer

[MadAsAHatter]

I've gotten into the hobby about 3-4 months ago and have really been enjoying writing with fountain pens. My wife is now showing some interest and would like to give them a try, but she is scared because she is such a heavy handed writer. She is one that death grips the pen and if she doesn't have at least a good 5-6 page buffer will put dents into the desk pressing down so hard. She's afraid she would bend the tines and screw up the nib.

 

Do you have any recommendations of a pen that would be good for her to try that would stand up to some heavy handed writing as she works on breaking the habit of pressing down so hard?

[sandy101]

1/ A Lamy which comes with cheap replaceable nibs, or a bunch of preppies.

 

2/ Something with a thick, steel nib. Mayb ehte Faber Castell Loom or the italix Parsons Essential.

 

However, maybe the opposite might help. Something light & thin which encourages gentle handling?

[carlos.q]

Lamy Safari or AlStar. The beveled section will help her develop a proper tripod grip.

[Karmachanic]

Maybe a dozen disposable Jinhao X750s to learn the benefits of a light hand?

[BergerDM]

1/ A Lamy which comes with cheap replaceable nibs, or a bunch of preppies.

 

2/ Something with a thick, steel nib. Mayb ehte Faber Castell Loom or the italix Parsons Essential.

 

However, maybe the opposite might help. Something light & thin which encourages gentle handling?

 

Gotta say is what happened to me. I got a lot of video time beofre getting my hands on a FP, but when I did I improved my posture, tried to correct my grip further and after testing for myself how light a touch is needed for the pen to leave ink on the paper, got a lighter hand by practicing.

 

[SpecTP]

start with an esterbrook dollar pen with a 9450 nib. that pen and nib will handle heavy handed writing with aplomb. it's an absolute nail.

[rollerboy]

For ruggedness it's hard to beat the Lamy Z50 nib as found on the Lamy Safari, Al-Star, and Studio fountain pens.

 

That said, consider trying breaking the heavy hand habit *before* making the switch to fountain pens. If she's a ballpoint user switch to a liquid ink rollerball, for example a Pilot V5. A rollerball will work with a light hand but can withstand a heavy hand until she's broken the habit.

[Honeybadgers]

I second the lamy safari/al star since it's got such a rigid nib and the triangle grip. Also consideration is the twsbi eco T or whatever model has the triangle grip.

 

Encourage that she fix her grip. My wife's grip is appalling and has required a lot of work to get back to normal.

[praxim]

Hand her a pencil whittled to a fine lead. Keep the whittling knife handy for fresh sharpening. When she can write without breaking the lead too readily, hand her a real fountain pen.

[sidthecat]

Get her a Waterman Lady Agathe: the converters are a little spendy but they’re dry writers. I’d recommend a Lady Elsa (the pretty little Eighties ringtops) but they’re harder to find. The Executive line has similar qualities.

[sirgilbert357]

Hand her a pencil whittled to a fine lead. Keep the whittling knife handy for fresh sharpening. When she can write without breaking the lead too readily, hand her a real fountain pen.

 

Heh, that's not a bad idea. You can also get a mechanical pencil to avoid the "whittling" aspect. Every time she breaks the lead, just advance it a click and try again. You can get some pretty decent mechanical pencils for less than 15 bucks...

[ENewton]

The nib on my Monteverde Invincia Deluxe is so....rugged that one could probably throw it at a dart board.

[Tweel]

start with an esterbrook dollar pen with a 9450 nib. that pen and nib will handle heavy handed writing with aplomb. it's an absolute nail.

 

I was going to suggest approximately the same thing, although I had in mind an Esterbrook J with a 9461 (fine) or 9460 (medium). Those nibs are tanks, designed for pressing through layers of carbon copies.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Tweel

[Maccabeus]

Get her a glass dip pen. I didn't realize how much of a death-grip I put on my pens until I got a glass dip pen and started being intentionally gentle with it.

[Bibliophage]

Parker Vector. You can drive it through drywall and continue to use it.

[Bornin1992]

What about the TWSBI ECO? Its nib is rigid and, as an added bonus, it is a piston filler. Personally, I have a heavy hand and am quite okay with it: I find the nibs mold to my writing style over time, but that could just be imaginary.

[A Smug Dill]

Do you have any recommendations of a pen that would be good for her to try that would stand up to some heavy handed writing as she works on breaking the habit of pressing down so hard?

 

In my view, people don't break their habits easily when the operating 'environment' (including but not limited to the tools and/or other people) are 'forgiving'.

 

I'd say a 'bouncy' steel nibs such as those on pens in the Platinum Balance or Pelikan M20x product lines will stand up to heavy-handed use and not easily spring or snap, but then the user wouldn't necessarily be driven to learn by avoidance of undesirable outcomes. If your wife likes a fine/precise line, then personally I'd suggest something like a Pilot Elabo/Falcon with a Soft Extra Fine nib; the differences in outcomes (without breaking or springing the nib) between writing heavy-handedly and with a light hand is readily noticeable, as feedback in a TOTE (Test-Operate-Test-Exit) loop.

Edited June 7, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[bob_hayden]

The OP does not specify a price range. The Sheaffer Triumph pens with conical nib would be a somewhat expensive alternative. I would not recommend the similar-looking Wing Sungs. Though they feel like nails my experience is that excessive pressure will spring them.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Get her a Zebra G in a dip pen...the nib is for a dip pen fairly stiff (about wet noodle I think from my reading) , and don't cost much....sooner or later she will stop bending them into pretzels.

 

One of the big problems is holding a fountain pen, or even dip pen, behind the big index finger knuckle instead of before it like with a ball point.

 

A Safari can teach a triangle grip, but will do nothing for a Death Grip.

The forefinger up method, is an automatic light grip.....takes three minutes to learn, up to a week to finally change over.................not usable with a ball point.

 

Long flat thumb, and at 08:30 on the barrel is the key.

Help! How Do You Hold Your Fountain Pen?

Edited June 7, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[SoulSamurai]

How about a Noodlers or FPR flex pen (not the ultraflex)? They will flex when a significant amount of pressure is applied, but that won't harm them. That way she will have a tool that gives her feedback on how much pressure she's applying without being damaged, plus flex writing is fun. You can also grab a spare non-flex nib from Noodlers or FPR for around $5 to swap into the pen if desired.