Using ballpoint in my exams made me all the more grateful for my fountain pens...

[T.D. Rabbit]

I've had to use a ballpoint pen to write my exams here, I could use the Pilot V7 but I tend to write very slowly/very messily with it if I'm not careful, so uni jetstream it was. My arm hurts. So does my hand. 

Now, home, I pick up the Jinhao to practice some math- I don't like the pen too much as it doesn't fit well in my hand, but I'm gonna finish off the ink supply in it and then de-ink it, probably permanently (Might give it to a friend). And I use it for math because of the intensity with which I'll be writing probably..

I start writing, music in ear, and whoa. This is amazing. 

I'm incredibly confused for a moment, yes, but the explanation is clear. Using the ballpoint for a few days has basically made even the slightest relief from the pressure and intermittent flow feel great.

 

Yeah, I love these pens.

[Chris1]

The last time I had to do an exam - loooong time ago - I used a fountain pen (with permanent ink in case of spills eleswhere). I think it caused some funny looks. But, it made me write slower and caused me to think carefully rather than pour out the words as they came into my head. But I had used the same pen throughout the course for taking notes; no biro and absolutely no keyboard.

 

Plus, my fingers, wrist, hand and arm didn't ache afterwards so I could lift my pint of beer easily and enjoy!

[Bo Bo Olson]

My handwriting had deteriorated so bad, I couldn't read my printing, with a ball point, and it's death grip...in one is plowing the south forty without the mule.

 

I moved the fountain pen out 1/4th of an inch from the middle finger fingernail junction, and no more pain...and I didn't have to press down to make the ink get rolled on.

I was still using the death grip, but had less hand and arm pain.

 

I then went over to the forefinger up method of grasping a fountain pen and developed a light grip in three minutes, not the 6 months or more of constantly trying if still using the tripod death grip with it's killing Kung Fu Thumb Pinch.

 

Takes three minutes to learn to use the forefinger up and some three or so days of switching back and forth before settling in with the forefinger up method of gripping a fountain pen.

[chromantic]

You could replace your Jetstream with gel rollers, far less pressure required though the ink would probably lack the Jetstream's permanence. There are also refillable rollers that you can use any FP ink in.

[Bo Bo Olson]

An old post of how to hold a fountain pen, and lightly.

 

Italic nibbed pens are held before the big index knuckle and the nib is canted @ 45 degrees, and the drawing of letters is done in a push pull movement.

 

Regular pens 'rests' after the big index knuckle at 45 degrees, or 40 degrees at the start of the web of the thumb.....depending on how long and heavy the pen is. If long and heavy it rests; in the pit of the web of the thumb....at 35 degrees, taking weight off the nib.

 

Classic tripod the thumb is at 10 O'clock, the forefinger at 2, and the middle finger at 6.

However, because of the 10-2, pressure is often until one spends some 6-9 months learning to hold very lightly, way too much time, leading to the Death Grip with accompanying Deadly Kung Fu Thumb Pinch.

 

Folks are use to plowing the south 40 without the mule with a ball point, so use too much pressure. No pressure is needed, in if the pen is held after the big index knuckle, it floats on a small puddle of ink.

If held before the big index knuckle, it has too tiny a puddle and one gouges little grand canyons into the paper. (or one has to buy a fat and blobby Pelikan double ball nib.)

(Italic of course is different.)

 

I use the 'forefinger up', way of grasping a fountain pen, an automatic light grip, which takes three minutes to learn.

Standard or medium-large pens should be posted for better balance, and then they are not 'too small', as some claim who refuse to post a pen so designed.

Many Large and Oversized pens are too clunky posted....

 

Finally made some pictures of the 'forefinger up' method of grasping a fountain pen. An automatic light grip...............no more Death Grip.....and remember to keep the thumb a flat dam....no Kung Fu Death Pinch....

The Classic Tripod puts pressure down on the pen from the 10&2 positions.

With the thumb held flat at 08:30-09:00 there can be no down pressure. The forefinger rests on the top of the pen.

The pen will not somersault out of your hand.

Move the pen from the nail joint to 1/3 inch into the fat of the finger pad.

 

Pens used a '90's springy regular flex Pelikan 400 and a semi-nail 605.

 

It takes three minutes to learn, will take some three days to become real accustomed to it....which is better than the 3 months to a year it takes to lighten a Classic Tripod with it's built in over pressure finger and thumb positions....along with the cocked high pressure Kung Fu Thumb Death Grip.

 

I learned this on the com....having a painful dent at my middle finger joint...that was a bit of nerve damage more than likely from Death Grip ball points; that didn't go away with Death Grip held fountain pens.

 

This shows a flat thumb. Bow of the forefinger good....as you will see one can bend it a bit....but you don't want an 'elbow' bend in the forefinger....in that will cause unneeded pressure.

Showing where the pen should rest on the middle finger pad....away from the nail junction. And a 12:00-12:30 resting forefinger position.

 

Fairly good forefinger up positions. The thumbnail is 1/3 past the forefinger crease....for a higher hold.....a tad too much forefinger bend...but acceptable, in comfort is the main thing...but it is not bent. No mid finger joint poking up in the air like an elbow.

Here the thumb is higher up the barrel...near the forefinger pad crease.

 

With the thumbnail at the crease of the forefinger joint the pen will rest deeper into your hand, more at a 40 degree angle at the start of the web of your thumb....If the thumbnail is a tad before the forefinger crease the pen will rest higher close to 45 degrees.

If you are more comfortable there with 'that' pen. A pen should rest where it wishes....if heavier or longer a bit deeper in to the web of the thumb.

It's your decision, but by moving just the thumbnail a bit down from the forefinger crease, your pens angle will be higher to right after the index knuckle....if you wish.

Above...flat thumb.

 

A fairly straight forefinger up.....comfort is part....a bit of bow in the forefinger is not bad....as long as it's only a bit.............when you have bent the knuckle that is too much.

Just a slightly wider pen.

•  

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[jchch1950]

A professor of economics at my University had a compulsory policy for exams,they have to be written with a fountain pen. He said that the handwritten text with a fountain pen was easier to read.

[T.D. Rabbit]

On 2/27/2025 at 9:29 PM, Bo Bo Olson said:

My handwriting had deteriorated so bad, I couldn't read my printing, with a ball point, and it's death grip...in one is plowing the south forty without the mule.

 

I moved the fountain pen out 1/4th of an inch from the middle finger fingernail junction, and no more pain...and I didn't have to press down to make the ink get rolled on.

I was still using the death grip, but had less hand and arm pain.

 

I then went over to the forefinger up method of grasping a fountain pen and developed a light grip in three minutes, not the 6 months or more of constantly trying if still using the tripod death grip with it's killing Kung Fu Thumb Pinch.

 

Takes three minutes to learn to use the forefinger up and some three or so days of switching back and forth before settling in with the forefinger up method of gripping a fountain pen.

I realised because of this comment that my grip is nearing the death grip too

Sorry I did not get time to reply to this comment and even then I don't have much to say in reply, but I tried the forefinger up method, and it's certainly much more comfortable... I'll try to use it for the next few days.

 

And wow, about your next comment, the detailed explanation, I've gone through that, thank you so much! It was very helpful. I have intense pain while writing for long periods of time, and pain starts as soon as I start writing. With your method it doesn't hurt much, only the pain of getting used to yet another style of writing.. (Yes I've switched style once before)

[T.D. Rabbit]

On 2/27/2025 at 9:31 PM, chromantic said:

You could replace your Jetstream with gel rollers, far less pressure required though the ink would probably lack the Jetstream's permanence. There are also refillable rollers that you can use any FP ink in.

In that case I think it would be too much like the V7, but I'll try that out.

The refillable rollers... I've been looking for one in India for months, but the only ones available are the Schneider Ray and the J. Herbin refillable, and both are way too expensive, 3000 rs, for a rollerball that'll need replacement tips.

Thank you!

[T.D. Rabbit]

On 2/27/2025 at 8:17 PM, Chris1 said:

The last time I had to do an exam - loooong time ago - I used a fountain pen (with permanent ink in case of spills eleswhere). I think it caused some funny looks. But, it made me write slower and caused me to think carefully rather than pour out the words as they came into my head. But I had used the same pen throughout the course for taking notes; no biro and absolutely no keyboard.

 

Plus, my fingers, wrist, hand and arm didn't ache afterwards so I could lift my pint of beer easily and enjoy!

With how bad the paper is, and the lack of permanent ink in my collection, I sadly could not do anything like this...

 

It sounds so nice though, to not feel like the arm was run over many times

[T.D. Rabbit]

3 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

A professor of economics at my University had a compulsory policy for exams,they have to be written with a fountain pen. He said that the handwritten text with a fountain pen was easier to read.

My doctor, who uses a fountain pen to write instructions and dates for appointments, will attest to this fact.

[Bo Bo Olson]

 

Thank you.

 

One of the men in the real writers section, Coklin??? came over to the main section with the forefinger up method @ 15 years ago, with a simpler description and a few pictures, so I tried it...and thank him for it.

I had come up with many details describing it, like how high do you want your pen to sit. That is done, with where you place your flat thumb's thumbnail, at or just after, the middle of the fore finger crease. Such a little tiny thing of less than 1/3 an inch or 1 cm, can make the pen barrel (plus cap) end sit up, or lay lower.

 

The main thing is to move the pen from the nail junction, some 1/3 of an inch or a centimeter towards the tip of the middle finger's first joint.

The second most important is to get rid of the Kung Fu death pinch, is to lay the thumb...flat...on the pen.

Rest, not push, is the last thing. No pressure.

[T.D. Rabbit]

On 3/1/2025 at 8:42 PM, Bo Bo Olson said:

The main thing is to move the pen from the nail junction, some 1/3 of an inch or a centimeter towards the tip of the middle finger's first joint.

I'll try that yeah!

 

Is this method heavily dependent on arm movements? Because I find it difficult to write with it without moving my arm around a lot (I don't mind, it's just I won't always have space for this)

[Bo Bo Olson]

If you want to move your arm, do it, I don't have any problems with that, either way.

With your question, I just realized I do move my arm...somewhat, but not as much as some recommend for arm writing.

 

It don't do two finger, scribbling like the Death Grip.