Hello everyone,

I'm just now getting into fountain pens, and have just received a Pelikan M400 in "Honey" from Richard Binder who ground the nib down to Extra Fine. It looks broader in the pictures partly because of the paper I was using, and partly because the picture is blown up a bit.

But now I need your opinions on which style of penmanship I should adopt now that I'm writing with something more than a Bic. For the past several years I've mostly printed, but I would like to have a little more personality in my writing as I plan to do more of my personal correspondence in ink now vs. a computer.

So, tell me what you think...





And the pen that wrote them...sorry, couldn't resist.


Regards,
Kenton

For personality and readibility, your second exemplar is far superior. Unless you equate masculine penmanship with unevenness, there is nothing particularly masculine or feminine about either hand.

Andy

As any graphologist could tell you, the slant in the second example indicates a greater degree of emotional influence and habit. Regardless of other strokes made in your writing, the vertical style is probably closer to your personality. My handwriting is vertical; I can force my writing to either a right or left slant, but it isn't natural.

yikes.... here we go again ...

Dear Kenton..
I prefer the 2nd sample... bcos its neater .....

Just keep writing away, u will settle into a style .... your style ....

Kenton,

At least you seem to have good control of both styles. About 8 years ago I tried different styles, but I could never decide on which one I liked more (I liked some parts of one, and different parts of others), so now my handwriting is a strange mixture of several different styles. I'll even use two different styles within the same word. (this personal style isn't necessarily bad, but it does look kinda funny and maybe less formal compared to a style that is more consistent.)

Luckily within the past couple months as I've started using FPs more for my every day writing, I have started to refine the styles a little more and am slowly coming to something a little more normal, which is actually a lot like your second example. I think you and I have a lot in common in this regard. Since I'm maybe a month ahead of you, I can tell you that if you like the second style and keep using it, like you said, it will definitely become more natural.

As far as legibility though, I didn't have any trouble at all reading the first one, and also found the second one to be easy to read.

Edit: Are you still using the Waterman ink or did you decide on another one? Looks pretty good in that picture, but I'm sure it looks different in person.

--Stephen

Stephen,

Yes, I am still using the Waterman ink until some others come that I have ordered. It does look a lot better, though, than it at first did. I did a thorough flush and cleaning on my nib in the other pen (Waterman Harmonie), and I was also sure to let the nib dry completely, and I think that helped. The samples above were written with a brand new Pelikan, and I've had no issues with weak ink color, although I still want to try some other blacks.

Regards,
Kenton

My preference would be B, most likely because it is similar to my hand writing.

-Bruce

What type of paper are you writing this on? Just out of curiosity? [is it 3x5's and if so, who's?]

I personally like the aesthetics of the second one... but both are legible.

BTW, I too just got an m400- wonderful wonderful pen, eh?

Cheers!
-Allen

Guess I'm going to be the contrarian by liking both styles but I do prefer the first one. It is more unique and expressive IMO.

Actually,

It's just a cheap pad of paper that I got from work, so I really don't know who the maker of it is.

And yes, I'm really enjoying my M400...I'm already looking at which one I should get next! Perhaps an M600 or maybe another M400.

Regards,
Kenton

Well, the second is typically american. Both are very readable. It depends on how patriotic you feel when you are writing You'll find out that the american fellows like the second better, because they find it more familiar. Just write as you like.

I think your second version is cleaner looking and has a better "eye feel" (new technical term from MT). Of course my handwriting is typical Parochial School Palmer from the 50's and I tend to like that style of writing. As you continue to use it, it will become more and more natural and neater and you may find the first style harder to acheive.

Having a choice is very nice. Why choose only one? You can use them for different occasions.

For the same reasons that others like number 2, I dislike it. Brings back bad memories of school and so on.

First one is MUCH easier for my eyes
Second one looks like school writing on speed


Regards
alex

The first one is much more legible to me than the second... then again, maybe it's because it resembles my usual handwriting.

Graphologists of my acquaintance have gotten things wrong (about me, and about people well known to me) far more often than they've gotten them right in judging characters from handwriting samples.

You guys are making it hard...

I think it's always good to keep your "audience" in mind. If I'm writing something that I actually want someone to read, I'll try to make it nice, but if I'm writing something that only I will be reading, I revert back to my usual scribbles.

All this thinking...

Just write!

Good solution! You have a flowing, legible and attractive cursive, so I'm glad you are not throwing the sample B style out entirely -- it's so rare nowadays! (My own Palmer-taught cursive has broken down over the many, many, many years, unless I'm really focused on it. Oh wait, I recently switched to italic...)