Hi, I have a Sheaffer Legacy with stub nib, very nice indeed. I'm left handed but write without a "crab hand" so normally the pen is vertical in the same plane as the paper, that is to say up and down. I have tried turning the pen to about 45deg in my hand and find it provides a really nice itallic style. I do have to hold the pen more upright to stop the nib catching once turned and have to turn my hand outwards slightly. Is this a more correct use of the nib ?. Either way I find I have to get the nib perfectly flat (no corners digging in) to stop any catching on the paper. What is more interesting is that my writing style becomes more free flowing with the latter style.
Comments from all of you welcome.

As an add-on to above I have also noted that my wrist is not "cocked" when using my latest efforts and my hand is now also at 45deg to the vertical of the paper and therefore this allows me to use arm and shoulder more, this must be why my writing seems to flow more and feels much easier. I have been consciously trying to avoid "finger writing" and this new method certainly seems to help. Have I been all this time :doh:

Hi Gary,

I have been trying to picture the way you write for myself, but I just don't get it I think, apart from the nib perfectly flat not catching the paper. Essentially, what I understand from the latter, is that you make sure the flattened part of the tip nib makes full contact with the paper, it is not upturned either a little left or right. That is the correct way to have it make contact with the paper, because not only prevents this catching in th epaper, but it also guarantees the widest line possible in vertical, i.e., up and down strokes if you hold the pen at right angles to the top of the paper, moving from top to bottom, and the narrowest when making horizontal strokes, i.e., while still holding the pen perpendicular to the top of the paper, moving the pen from left to right.

I hope I made myself reasonably clear here .

Warm regards, Wim

Wim, sort of. If I hold the pen so the nib would be alligned with say lined paper the horizontal stoke would be the thinest and down stroke the widest. What I have tried is to hold the nib at 45deg so as the widest line would be from top right to bottom left of the paper (left handed of course). This gives me much more variance and a better looking slightly itallic style. By doing this I have un crooked my wrist (it was flexed backwards opposite to crabbed) so it is basically in line with my forearm although I do now have to move my whole arm more to the left to do so whereas before my albow was tucked in a little. Clear as mud ?.

Seems to be the way to go Gary. Anyway, if it feels more fluid and easier for you, then it has to be right

Hi Gary,

Wrist in line with you arm, that doesn't sound like mud to me , it sounds right (or left if you like ). I do get a clear picture now, and it is right indeed, to me anyway. It is the way I write myself, starting position, but then right handed. And most of the time, my forearm is angled as well, especially when holding it in front of me.

Warm regards, Wim

Thanks Wim, It feels comfortable and as Denis stated if it feels right then it must be.
BTW do you want to snail ?.

Gary, sounds like you do indeed have a peculiar way of gripping the pen - and it sounds like exactly the same way that I do . Thought I was just an oddball - now there is at least one more .

Hi Southpaw,

tsssk, tssk, admitting to being an oddball, I didn't expect that from you . And next telling someone else he is one too. We can't have that here, ye know



Warm regards, Wim

Southpaw, I don't feel so lonely now What's to say we are the only two correct holders of pens and everyone else is well....different

I like the way you think, Gary

Hey Wim, we use FP's so according to those that don't, we're all oddballs aren't we ?

Hey, Gary,

I reckon most people think I am an oddball whether I use fountain pens or not...
Ummm, you caught me here, admitting to being an oddball too

I carry my nickname with pride...

Warm regards, Wim

Wim,

You come from the land of french fries with mayonaise, so it can't be all that bad.

I like your nickname, doesn't sound derogatory at all, it sounds sort of normal-ish. A bit like the "flying dutchman" etc...Now if it was "cloggypen" or something, that would be different.

Take care and regards

Gary

or "nibgrinder" :ph34r: