I can already see it has a more fine nib that the Pilot pen I was using, which is ideal for my journal. The finer line means less ink so it seems to dry more quickly.
I used to use an oblique nib back in the day (NTTAWWT), as it added some panache to my handwriting. I still do many of the loops and swirls today that used to look so good with that type of nib. That wouldn’t work for me now, but I can understand your preference.
I also prefer the Lamy fine nib for everyday note taking. But the 1.1 oblique nib gives just a hint of that line variation, adding a little flair in the everyday without it looking like calligraphy. I like to mix it up.
Pretty amazing that Limey will spend literally hundreds of hours around the house working to automate shit that I would never have thought to automate, yet he is perfectly happy to write with a turkey feather dipped in a jar of ink. Not a criticism, of course, just an observation on the vagaries of human nature.
So, the fountain pen I had to buy for that art class was scratchy as hell and made my skin crawl while using it. Are better fountain pens better about that, or is it simply an acquired taste? More importantly, is something like this worth it for someone with objectively bad handwriting?
Fountain pens should not be scratchy. There may be some “feedback”, but if you feel you’re having to dig into the paper, something is amiss. That’s kind of the point of a fountain pen. Theoretically the nib doesn’t even have to touch the paper, the ink flows from capillary action. They should be damn smooth. Obviously, some are smoother than others, but the aforementioned Lamy Safari is a good inexpensive pen that writes really smoothly.
As for your bad handwriting…the fountain pen won’t cure your chicken scratch, but if you’re genuinely interested in improving your handwriting, a fountain is a good place to start by slowing down and being deliberate about forming letters. It just takes a little practice. The other thing about a fountain pen is that it requires less effort to write than a ballpoint (see scratchy, the part about). That can be a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to handwriting, but I’m pretty sure your handwriting is bad because you get in a hurry, and simply are out of practice.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Being out of practice is a legit thing. I hadn’t written anything longer than a Post-It note in decades and my handwriting was terrible. Since starting my journal, even though it’s almost entirely bullet points, I have found that my handwriting is improving.
I’m pretty sure that’s why they were required in H.I.S.D. elementary schools back in the '60s and '70s. I think it was about 4th grade when we had to get a “cartridge” pen.
I am enjoying the Lamy Safari. Very smooth and not scratchy at all. I think that, at its price point (currently $23 on Amazon), it’s a great choice to see if you and fountain pens get along. It comes ready to go out of the box; no additional paraphernalia needed.
https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Safari-Fountain-Umber-Cartridges/dp/B00V55F1RG/ref=sr_1_3
I remember my mom having a calligraphy set as one of her hobbies and my dad having a few fountain pens when I was a kid. I tried them, made an ungodly mess of things, and never had the desire to pick one up again.
I remember my old fountain pens regularly causing a mess. So far, the Lamy has been clean as a whistle. It has a more consistent ink flow than the “premium” gel roller I was using before.
Ah, the Pilot Vanishing Point. Very nice, and practical, pen. No cap to fuss with. Love that color too.
I have my sole tattoo in the center of my left palm. I gave it to myself when the Vanishing Point was sputtering during a phone call and I thought the nib was retracted. I’m very proud of it. It was painful though.
It’s kinda the lawyerly equivalent of a jail tattoo.
I had my late Dad’s Cross ballpoint pen that I used for years at work. It was brown with gold trim, it twisted closed, I replaced the ink cartridge a couple of times, and it was such a reliable, solid, useful writing tool and looked nice in my uniform pocket.
Then, one day, in my 3rd year at Southwestern Airtrails, I made the tremendous mistake of letting one of our Flight Attendants/Aisle Donkeys/Trolley Dolleys use it and it up and left.
I was crushed.
I’ve replaced it with a nice chrome retractable Cross pen with my name engraved in it, but man, losing my Dad’s was devastating.
Alas.
Way cool. I always lose expensive pens at work, so I make do with .5 mm Pilot pens. Ink glides and the pen feels comfortable, and if/when someone walks off with it, I have more.
Don’t let anyone filch your pen. Problem solved.
I wish. Problem is a lot of people come through my office. They don’t touch my framed coins or currency display, but every so often a pen goes walky.
Sometimes they show up again, sometimes not.
I used Pilot pens often in flight school and at my first airline, cliched as that is.
They’re well-built, but the ballpoint is too fine for my taste.
First world issues.
Put your pen in your pocket. If they reach in, slap the shit out of them.
I work with some high-power types. On the one hand they aren’t grabby, but slapping anyone is pretty much the opposite of my communication style.
If I could figure out who is doing it, I might rig an old pen I have to conveniently leak after they start using it …
