How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
theatlantic.com
How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
1–10 of 47 posts
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#2Fountain pens are awesome
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#3Fountain pens are awesome
I had to use them at school; my hands and clothes were almost permanently ink-stained. I do not miss them.
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#4Fountain pens are awesome
I had to use them at school; my hands and clothes were almost permanently ink-stained. I do not miss them.
That was my experience as a kid, but using them as an adult that’s never the case. I think it was a combination of cheap pens and a child’s carelessness.
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#5Fountain pens are awesome
[deleted]
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#6Writing utensils definitely influence scripts. One tidbit I like is the evolution of the Burmese script.
The Burmese script was originally square format but became round and cursive due to the popular use of palm leaves (and others) as a medium: straight lines would rip the leaves, so softer round strokes were preferred [1].
The round cursive style is in stark contrast to modern Devanagari (India) where the strong overhanging line is a core feature [2] despite both scripts descend one way or another from the Brahmi script [3].
As for the OP, ballpoints have come a long way such that one could easily find a ballpoint that is sensitive enough for a Palmerian style (but perhaps not Spencerian as that genuinely requires varying line thickness).
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_alphabet
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#7When I was in school, I wondered why my hand hurt from writing so much. I switched to gel pens and my hand fatigue went way down.
We put up with a lot in the name of cost. The thin blue Bic pens are much cheaper, but when I have to use one I really hate it.
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#8 My cursive was dead on arrival, or so I recall. It has been almost sixty years since I was introduced to it, so my recollections are vague. I thought that we might have started with pencil before moving on to fountain pens. I'm not sure how the southpaws, at least ones with fine-motor skills as bad as mine, kept the ink off their wrists.
Re: How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive
#9Fountain pens are awesome
Especially with an italic nib.