My Newest Addiction - Penmanship

[Petach]

I had the Czar Nicholas II - a partly-gold partly-Malachite rollerball (large version) that I sold on eBay a few years ago. I would have kept it, but the gold (plated I suppose) part was accumulating scratches, so I got rid of it. Nice collector's item. I bought their big fountain pen in the 1980's, around $500-$600 in those days, but it leaked, so I gave up on fountain pens. I remember in high school we had some nifty pens (Sheaffer?) that took little plastic liquid-ink cartridges, and we even refilled some of them. I think there are some cartridge pens even today.

a really interesting thread. My handwriting is atrocious and I can only look on with jealousy. My Parkinsons tremor prevents me from writing at all: the paper goes all over the place as I try to hold it down left handed and my right hand jabs and stabs with a pen.

In my days as a detective I worked with another sgt who used violet coloured ink and had the most beautiful handwriting. He was also very poetic with his speech AND drove an Audi Quattro in rallying.

 

[Richard]

In my days as a detective I worked with another sgt who used violet coloured ink and had the most beautiful handwriting. He was also very poetic with his speech AND drove an Audi Quattro in rallying.

Sounds like the basis for a TV detective series - don't think we've had one who drives a rally car and writes beautiful purple poems.

-R

 

[Les Klein]

My handwriting is very poor, often legible only to me. Nevertheless, I used a fountain pen throughout my career to take notes during interviews and assessments. It seemed to me that a fountain pen had a beneficial effect on my writing style, providing a little more resistance on the paper. In later years my use of a fountain pen drew curious looks and questions (“Do you use real ink?”). I’ve used Waterman, Cross, and Parker pens.

As my work place became more digital I wrote less and typed more. Eventually I only used my fountain pen to sign reports, and then I was signing them electronically. When I retired I set aside my fountain pen - the reservoir dried up before replenishment. For occasional cursive writing I use a gel ink pen; It feels closest to liquid ink.

 

[davect01]

a really interesting thread. My handwriting is atrocious and I can only look on with jealousy. My Parkinsons tremor prevents me from writing at all: the paper goes all over the place as I try to hold it down left handed and my right hand jabs and stabs with a pen.

In my days as a detective I worked with another sgt who used violet coloured ink and had the most beautiful handwriting. He was also very poetic with his speech AND drove an Audi Quattro in rallying.

God bless you. My Grandfather and my Dad both had Parkinson's.

 

[Les Klein]

I forgot to include a description of my ink refilling. The Cross pen that I used for many years (and others) was only refillable with cartridges. But, I rarely bought new ones because I refilled them using a syringe (easy to acquire in a hospital). So, one of my desk drawers contained ink jars (usually Parker Quink Blue), a syringe, blotting paper and other spill wipe-ups.

 

[kyteflyer]

I love fountain pens and use them daily (but rather for drawing than writing):

| 2015 – FOUNTAIN PEN DAY

Have you discovered the infatuating world of inks yet? I have a few reviews on my site (just recently put my long-term evaluation of one):

| DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN INK

Milan, I am just falling about in complete admiration of your undeniable artistic talent. Wow. Just.. Wow!

I'll check the other links... But... The ink review... Wow.

 

[Isoterica]

I love fountain pens and use them daily (but rather for drawing than writing):

| 2015 – FOUNTAIN PEN DAY

Have you discovered the infatuating world of inks yet? I have a few reviews on my site (just recently put my long-term evaluation of one):

| DE ATRAMENTIS DOCUMENT BROWN INK

I have several fountain pens and even franken-made some myself:

| PIERCE

I guess you already discovered Fountain Pen Network, but if you haven't, you're in for a helluva ride:

The Fountain Pen Network

And for acquiring, I highly recommend Goulet Pens, they are really great:

The Goulet Pen Company

I used fountain pens through high school, was also doing calligraphy in art class then and was very good at it. I had made my own script But I haven't done for years now. And yes I made more than one frankenpen, you have to! My most recent pen purchase, about a year ago, was an Italian Murano glass pen.. kinda on the order of these. Glass Dip Pens from J Herbin, and Authentic Models

 

[ReD]

My only Franken Pen

View attachment 116510
Seagul Feather Quill 1 by Roger Evans, on Flickr

 

[drd1135]

I tried to use my MB fountain pen for notes but chemical structures and tiny subscripts were beyond my cursive abilities. This was noted by others which resulted in a gift of my current MB pencil.