Like so many, I've been "lurking" around these boards for a while now and figured I should "fess up" and join.
As a physician I do a LOT of writing every day and was contentedly destroying whatever penmanship I ever had with ballpoints for many years. The turning point for me however, was the day I picked up a patient's chart and realized I could no longer read the notes I had written the previous year in my own handwriting. Drastic measures, I felt, were called for.
Remembering my formative years in grammar school, I then came to the conclusion that I had to go back to a FP and Palmer method penmanship if I were ever to have a hope of reading my own notes again. A FP requires a certain level of precision on the part of the user, I reasoned, and therefore would slow my hand down sufficiently to cause me to actually form letters once again.
Since then I've never looked back and. like so many here, have now become fascinated with the instruments themselves as well as the unique characteristics different pens can impart to the written word. Writing became FUN again and more than just an inescapable part of my job.
I guess that means I've become a hopeless romantic as well as a confirmed FP user. As I look over the box of pens I've already accumulated I guess it means I've become a collector as well.
Oh well, I could do much worse I think
Regards
John
Full Version: Hi All
John, welcome.
Yup, you belong here. We're all fascinated with the pen as much as what we write with it. I too fixed my handwriting as a result of getting into pens, and it has made a huge difference.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...findpost&p=8851
Pull up a chair, grab a cup 'o joe, and make yourself at home.
Yup, you belong here. We're all fascinated with the pen as much as what we write with it. I too fixed my handwriting as a result of getting into pens, and it has made a huge difference.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...findpost&p=8851
Pull up a chair, grab a cup 'o joe, and make yourself at home.
Welcome aboard! Box of pens, huh? Very vague and general. Since you've lurked, you know it would just drive us nuts wondering what kind of pens - details, man, details! 
. Seriously, glad you found us. What pens and inks do you prefer, both for professional and personal use? Also, what type of doctor are you? Looking forward to seeing you around the FPNuthouse!
. Seriously, glad you found us. What pens and inks do you prefer, both for professional and personal use? Also, what type of doctor are you? Looking forward to seeing you around the FPNuthouse!
Welcome John !
The proof is now there : even physicians can not develop the extra-natural skill of reading their own writing
Keep enjoying the forums, and now that you have fallen from the lurking tree, just dive in.
Denis.
The proof is now there : even physicians can not develop the extra-natural skill of reading their own writing
Keep enjoying the forums, and now that you have fallen from the lurking tree, just dive in.
Denis.
Hello and welcome to FPN, John!
Ex-pharmacist here, so you know I can tell you tales about some physicians' handwriting I applaud your efforts to improve your penmanship! I know how rushed many doctors are when they are writing out prescriptions, so I empathsize with them. Still, it's nice to get a neatly-written prescription and not have to decipher what it says...
Oh, and as Southpaw said, what's in your "box of pens"?
Inquiring FPN minds want to know...
Ex-pharmacist here, so you know I can tell you tales about some physicians' handwriting
I applaud your efforts to improve your penmanship! I know how rushed many doctors are when they are writing out prescriptions, so I empathsize with them. Still, it's nice to get a neatly-written prescription and not have to decipher what it says...Oh, and as Southpaw said, what's in your "box of pens"?
Inquiring FPN minds want to know...
Hi,
Welcome! Are you from Rhode Island?
Dillon
Welcome! Are you from Rhode Island?
Dillon
Welcome! From where in RI do you come from? :bunny1:
Glad to see another lurker registering.
Glad to see another lurker registering.
Ya gotta admit, Doc, that the FP interest is a long way from your daily concerns, and as such should prove to be a relaxing diversion.
Welcome and enjoy!
Welcome and enjoy!
QUOTE (jjb_13 @ Oct 24 2005, 05:24 PM)
Like so many, I've been "lurking" around these boards for a while now and figured I should "fess up" and join.
As a physician I do a LOT of writing every day and was contentedly destroying whatever penmanship I ever had with ballpoints for many years. The turning point for me however, was the day I picked up a patient's chart and realized I could no longer read the notes I had written the previous year in my own handwriting. Drastic measures, I felt, were called for.
Remembering my formative years in grammar school, I then came to the conclusion that I had to go back to a FP and Palmer method penmanship if I were ever to have a hope of reading my own notes again. A FP requires a certain level of precision on the part of the user, I reasoned, and therefore would slow my hand down sufficiently to cause me to actually form letters once again.
Since then I've never looked back and. like so many here, have now become fascinated with the instruments themselves as well as the unique characteristics different pens can impart to the written word. Writing became FUN again and more than just an inescapable part of my job.
I guess that means I've become a hopeless romantic as well as a confirmed FP user. As I look over the box of pens I've already accumulated I guess it means I've become a collector as well.
Oh well, I could do much worse I think
Regards
John
As a physician I do a LOT of writing every day and was contentedly destroying whatever penmanship I ever had with ballpoints for many years. The turning point for me however, was the day I picked up a patient's chart and realized I could no longer read the notes I had written the previous year in my own handwriting. Drastic measures, I felt, were called for.
Remembering my formative years in grammar school, I then came to the conclusion that I had to go back to a FP and Palmer method penmanship if I were ever to have a hope of reading my own notes again. A FP requires a certain level of precision on the part of the user, I reasoned, and therefore would slow my hand down sufficiently to cause me to actually form letters once again.
Since then I've never looked back and. like so many here, have now become fascinated with the instruments themselves as well as the unique characteristics different pens can impart to the written word. Writing became FUN again and more than just an inescapable part of my job.
I guess that means I've become a hopeless romantic as well as a confirmed FP user. As I look over the box of pens I've already accumulated I guess it means I've become a collector as well.
Oh well, I could do much worse I think
Regards
John
Hello John!
I, too, am a "recovering-physician-writer." I'm an anesthesiologist, so most of my writing is done with a ballpoint or rollerball on a triplicate O.R. form. The small text areas are very cramped, so writing legibly is a constant challenge. The catalyst for me, was a day several months ago when I was trying to write an actual progress note in the chart...and I realized that other people were going to have difficulty reading what I wrote! It was such a struggle to slow myself down and try to write legibly that I too decided that I needed to go back and work on my handwriting.
Most of my writing at work, is still done with a rollerball pen, unfortunately. But the non-work-related writing that I've been doing with my fountain pens has helped. Another big step for me was when I purchased the book "Write Now" by Getty and Dubay. (See this link at Pendemonium.com.) "Write Now" is one of several books that outlines a form of writing called Italic Handwriting. Italic handwriting is a very "user-friendly" alternative to the classic "cursive" handwriting that we all learned back in grade school. I've modified my handwriting over the past few months and it is MUCH more legible than it had been.
Good luck with your writing and your new pen hobby. Be careful, though...I'm finding that it can be pretty addicting.
TMann
Welcome to FPN, John.
I, too, am interested in what's in your pen box.
Incidentally, it's not just the speed that improves writing; I can't write well with ballpoints if I go slowly either.
I, too, am interested in what's in your pen box.
Incidentally, it's not just the speed that improves writing; I can't write well with ballpoints if I go slowly either.
Welcome to the Fountain Pen Hospital John! Oops!! :doh: That is one of my favorite places to shop for pens.. I mean the Fountain Pen Network!
I can think of several physicians who need to switchover to fountain pens because their handwriting is absolutely horrible. Sadly, three of them feel that fine writing instruments have no place in the ER, and ballpoints are more practical.
If they only knew what is was like trying to decipher cryptic messages, they might reconsider their choice of pens.
Oops!! :doh: That is one of my favorite places to shop for pens.. I mean the Fountain Pen Network! I can think of several physicians who need to switchover to fountain pens because their handwriting is absolutely horrible. Sadly, three of them feel that fine writing instruments have no place in the ER, and ballpoints are more practical.
If they only knew what is was like trying to decipher cryptic messages, they might reconsider their choice of pens.
Thanks to everyone for the kind words and apologies for the delayed response. I know most would feel a nine month delay was a bit much but, as a practicing obstetrician, it "feels" OK if you know what I mean.
In the last seven years I have taken to using fountain pens almost exclusively both in the hospital and in the office as well. My favorites are a couple of Aurora Talentiums with medium Italic nibs. I enjoy these so much I have actually sent a couple of pens to Richard Binder to have the nibs reground to cursive italic and am waiting for another couple to come back from pendimonium with the same. I just love the way they write - just like an old Esterbrook with a #2314B broad relief steel nib I bought when I was in grammar school and have had ever since - only smoother.
Now before I satisfy everybody's curiosity about "what's in the box" I need to put out a disclaimer least you all think I'm independantly wealthy. Besides E-bay, here in RI I've had access to a few sources
geographically unavailable to most everybody else. One was the Ross Simon outlet stores in RI and ME. When Ross Simon dropped Montblanc from their retail stores a couple of years ago (in favor of Cross) they liquidated all their on-hand inventory through the outlets at give away prices. The other is the Cross Pen factory outlet at their headquarters in Lincoln RI where they clear out extra inventory also for pennies on the dollar. The last one is a chain called Tuesday Morning that specializes in mfgr's closeouts. All my Shaeffers came from there the same day for about $25 each.
Whats in the box:
Aurora Talentiums (2)
Black resin with GT 14K MedItalic nib
Celestial Blue resin with ST 14K MedItalic nib
Aurora Optimas (2)
"Mare" limited edition 14K MedItalic nib
"Africa" limited edition 14K MedItalic nib
Cross Pinnacles (3)
Claret red lacquer with GT 18K M nib reground to cursive italic
Green Harlequin lacquer with GT 18K M nib
Amber varigated lacquer with GT 18K M nib
Cross Townsends (6)
Gold 10K with 14K M nib
Sterling Silver with 18K M nib
Black resin/SSilver top with 14K B nib
Titanium lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Green varigated lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Lapis lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Cross Century II (3)
Black/Gold art deco with 18K B nib reground to cursive italic
Platinum plated "Art deco" edition 18K F nib
Chrome B steel nib reground to cursive italic
Cross Tennis Hall of Fame limited edition, sterling silver with 18K M nib
vintage Esterbrook J red with #2314B steel nib
Montblanc Meisterstuck 146 Burgundy resin with GT 14K OBB nib
Montblanc "A Dumas" writers limited edition with 18K M nib
2 vintage Montblancs (1960's?) black resin with 14K nibs (M&F)
Vintage Parker 45 red resin with steel M nib
Shaeffer Balance II (2)
Millenium Edition dark blue varigated resin with GT 18K M nib
Light blue varigated resin with GT 18K F trim
Shaeffer levenger "seas" edition blue resin with GT 14K B nib reground to cursive italic
Shaeffer Prelude bronze lacquer with GT M steel nib
Sailor 1911M Red resin with GT 14K Music nib
Waterman Philias black resin with GT M steel nib
Regards
John
In the last seven years I have taken to using fountain pens almost exclusively both in the hospital and in the office as well. My favorites are a couple of Aurora Talentiums with medium Italic nibs. I enjoy these so much I have actually sent a couple of pens to Richard Binder to have the nibs reground to cursive italic and am waiting for another couple to come back from pendimonium with the same. I just love the way they write - just like an old Esterbrook with a #2314B broad relief steel nib I bought when I was in grammar school and have had ever since - only smoother.
Now before I satisfy everybody's curiosity about "what's in the box" I need to put out a disclaimer least you all think I'm independantly wealthy. Besides E-bay, here in RI I've had access to a few sources
geographically unavailable to most everybody else. One was the Ross Simon outlet stores in RI and ME. When Ross Simon dropped Montblanc from their retail stores a couple of years ago (in favor of Cross) they liquidated all their on-hand inventory through the outlets at give away prices. The other is the Cross Pen factory outlet at their headquarters in Lincoln RI where they clear out extra inventory also for pennies on the dollar. The last one is a chain called Tuesday Morning that specializes in mfgr's closeouts. All my Shaeffers came from there the same day for about $25 each.
Whats in the box:
Aurora Talentiums (2)
Black resin with GT 14K MedItalic nib
Celestial Blue resin with ST 14K MedItalic nib
Aurora Optimas (2)
"Mare" limited edition 14K MedItalic nib
"Africa" limited edition 14K MedItalic nib
Cross Pinnacles (3)
Claret red lacquer with GT 18K M nib reground to cursive italic
Green Harlequin lacquer with GT 18K M nib
Amber varigated lacquer with GT 18K M nib
Cross Townsends (6)
Gold 10K with 14K M nib
Sterling Silver with 18K M nib
Black resin/SSilver top with 14K B nib
Titanium lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Green varigated lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Lapis lacquer with GT 14K M nib
Cross Century II (3)
Black/Gold art deco with 18K B nib reground to cursive italic
Platinum plated "Art deco" edition 18K F nib
Chrome B steel nib reground to cursive italic
Cross Tennis Hall of Fame limited edition, sterling silver with 18K M nib
vintage Esterbrook J red with #2314B steel nib
Montblanc Meisterstuck 146 Burgundy resin with GT 14K OBB nib
Montblanc "A Dumas" writers limited edition with 18K M nib
2 vintage Montblancs (1960's?) black resin with 14K nibs (M&F)
Vintage Parker 45 red resin with steel M nib
Shaeffer Balance II (2)
Millenium Edition dark blue varigated resin with GT 18K M nib
Light blue varigated resin with GT 18K F trim
Shaeffer levenger "seas" edition blue resin with GT 14K B nib reground to cursive italic
Shaeffer Prelude bronze lacquer with GT M steel nib
Sailor 1911M Red resin with GT 14K Music nib
Waterman Philias black resin with GT M steel nib
Regards
John
Welcome to FPN, John. I'll not forget my teenage grandaughter saying to me just last week," Papa, you have really pretty handwriting for a man. Most men don't have nice writing." At least I know she cares for something I can do. She's at that stage in life where she knows much more than all the adults around her do. You are among friends here. Do post more and let us see some of your writing.
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