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The cheap pen that changed writing forever

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Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#21

Post by NewOrderNow »

Cancan82 wrote: post #6

I recently switched to a fountain pen - way easier to write with and way less tension. Neil Gaiman suggested it and so I gave it a shot. Never going back - my handwriting is better (but I write cursive) and it is easier to write longer without strain. That said - super cool story.

Same, once I used one, there is no no going back.

You can certainly go deep with ink and pens and whatnot, but you can buy a Lamy for cheap on Amazon and just stick with cartridges and still get a far superior result.

If anyone feel like their writing is sloppy and avoid writing because of it, try a fountain pen.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#22

Post by redvenom »

kaonwarb wrote: post #2

One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to deny it has several other drawbacks. I imagine this is part of why, as an elementary school student in France, I was required to write with only fountain pens. [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp...

I also write for long periods of time, and use a mechanical pencil with softer lead (2B). It doesn't replace a pen when you need a pen, but if you just want to avoid hand strain, this is another option.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#23

Post by throwaway201101 »

yoz-y wrote: post #12
ginko wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How anyone can enjoy writing with fountain pens is completely beyond me. They were the bane of my childhood.

In my school we had to use a fountain pen up until fourth grade (lefties had an exception). The day I could finally ditch the fountain pen was a happy one indeed. Nowadays I use gel pens, best of both worlds. I definitely agree that ballpoint pens are hard on the wrists.

This is strange to me. When I was in school (1970s/80s in the USA) we used pencils almost exclusively. Rarely, the final draft of an essay might be required in ink (pen type immaterial), or typed, but not below grade 6-ish.

I do like the feel of writing with a fountain pen but never used one until I was an adult. I still prefer pencil for note-taking and rough draft writing.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#24

Post by watwut »

enriquto wrote: post #16

The wording of this article is very strange. All references to fountain pens happen in the past tense, as if they did not exist anymore. Millions of people still use fountain pens every day. The author lives in a bubble of ballpoint users or what?

I most definitely do. Fountain pens are used by first graders and second graders. Everyone else is using ball point pen.

People even draw with them.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#26

Post by m463 »

kaonwarb wrote: post #2

One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to deny it has several other drawbacks. I imagine this is part of why, as an elementary school student in France, I was required to write with only fountain pens. [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp...

My favorite pen is the pentel energel 0.7mm.

It will write smooth dark lines just the right thicknes without blobbing or cutting out, and is the most effortless pen to write with.

But yes, it does write at a higher angle than a fountain pen. I had a fountain pen years and years ago, and it was something you had to want to use. I can't help but think of it like vinyl records, straight razors and film cameras.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#27

Post by stordoff »

ginko wrote: post #10
WalterBright wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The gel pens are my favorite, but I did enjoy using fountain pens in grade school - I just liked the way the result looked.

How anyone can enjoy writing with fountain pens is completely beyond me. They were the bane of my childhood.

I had to use a (cartridge) fountain pen at school (90s, UK primary school), and they were awful - the nibs were scratchy, and prone to breaking if you pressed even slightly too hard, and they leaked fairly often. A decent fountain pen is a completely different experience.

I've mostly switched over to Staedtler Triplus fineliners for general writing - they're much easier on my hands/wrists[1], but retain the convenience of ballpoints.

[1] I have a joint disorder, and writing more than a couple of lines with most ballpoints will make my fingers and/or wrists hurt. I can write for 20-30 minutes with the fineliners before they trigger the same issue.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#28

Post by egypturnash »

virtue3 wrote: post #17
criddell wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the difference between the kind of strain you get from pressing harder with a ball point pen and the kind of strain you get from lifting weights in a gym? I guess what I'm really asking is if your body will adapt to the increased hand strain? Is it a short-term problem?

you lift weights along muscle systems designed to handle load. Your wrist/elbows etc are relatively weak. See tennis elbow, etc. The other issue is that you end up writing 4-6hrs a day in school 5days a week, wheras the gym is something like, maybe 20 minutes per muscle group? depending. And that doesn't tend to be more than 3-4x a week. I used to weightlift with a much lighter ex. The one thing I noticed was that ev…

It also doesn't help that nobody teaches you proper form for holding a pencil. You start a sport, you're gonna be made aware that there are ways to do the sport that immediately hurt, and that there are ways to do it that won't hurt immediately but will fuck you up for sure in the long run, or even the medium run.

There are ways to hold a pen or pencil that will fuck you up in the long run for sure, and most people hold one in these ways. I didn't learn proper form until I was in my twenties, via lore passed on from master animators I was working under. I've since seen the same knowledge in places like "old penmanship manuals" but it sure was not a thing I was taught as a kid learning to write.

Fountain pens, you kinda have to learn decent form to use. A Bic? You can write with any kind of grip, even one that looks like you tied your fingers in a knot around it.

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#29

Post by godelmachine »

m463 wrote: post #26
kaonwarb wrote: post #2

One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to deny it has several other drawbacks. I imagine this is part of why, as an elementary school student in France, I was required to write with only fountain pens. [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp...

My favorite pen is the pentel energel 0.7mm. It will write smooth dark lines just the right thicknes without blobbing or cutting out, and is the most effortless pen to write with. But yes, it does write at a higher angle than a fountain pen. I had a fountain pen years and years ago, and it was something you had to want to use. I can't help but think of it like vinyl records, straight razors and film cameras.

>>pentel energel 0.7mm.

Thanks for mentioning this

I am currently on the lookout for new pen to make my standard usage pen.

My prime requirement is that it should be 1.0mm, or at a minimal 0.7mm, since I love the thickness. Secondary requirement is that it should be smooth.

I bought Baoke gel from Amazon and while I loved it a lot, was greatly disappointed to find it was of Chinese make.

Am now searching for something that’s of non-Chinese origin. So far, I have zeroed in on Uni-ball impact 1.0mm gel pen, and am shortlisting their 0.7mm gel pens as well. I would also give uni-ball 1.0mm and 0.7mm ballpoint pens a try as well in case I feel gel pens get used up faster, since always carrying a backup refill can be an inconvenience.Also, TCO with gel pens is always more than ballpoint pens.

Does anyone have any suggestions in mind?

Please proffer

Re: The cheap pen that changed writing forever

#30

Post by woofie11 »

criddell wrote: post #15
kaonwarb wrote: post #2

One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to deny it has several other drawbacks. I imagine this is part of why, as an elementary school student in France, I was required to write with only fountain pens. [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp...

What's the difference between the kind of strain you get from pressing harder with a ball point pen and the kind of strain you get from lifting weights in a gym? I guess what I'm really asking is if your body will adapt to the increased hand strain? Is it a short-term problem?

Intense, short loads, with long recovery breaks in between build muscles and strengthen tendons. That's lifting weights at the gym.

Writing and typing is continuous, repetitive strain with no recovery. That's the killer.

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