The Tripod (or Triangular) Pen Hold

[pe2dave]

Does using this method of holding the pen ever give anyone a callus-y bump on their fingers? I guess probably the middle one near the first joint from the finger tip. I remember in elementary school some of my classmates had these bumps on their fingers and I thought it might have something to do with the way they held their pens/pencils.

 

As a newbie to this hold, no. But then I am (trying hard) to hold it lightly, as suggested. I'm just getting to the stage where a pen falls into my hand fairly naturally at this position (yes it does happen even after ... lots of years of other holds).

 

I've had to 'smooth' out a couple of nibs which were a bit catchy at such a steep angle,

but for me it's 9/10

 

Dave

[wykeite]

An initial look at the photos and I thought that's the way I do it. Second look said similar, but I hold the pen further up the section. I tried holding the pen nearer the nib as Ken does and what a difference in consistency of spacing and height, the only drawback is that I don't find it comfortable--yet. I picked up a ballpoint and started to write and found that I use one much as I should use a real pen, so there shouldn't be too many problems .

 

Thanks Caliken for yet another great subject :clap1: .

Edited October 8, 2010 by wykeite

[countrydirt]

I was just struck by a phenomenon I have noticed. I am a public school teacher. Fully 95% of my high school students use a quad hold on their pen or pencil! Fully 50% of their writing is nearly illegible and has not seemed to progress beyond 3rd grade painful printing. I cannot expect much quality work with handwritten assignments, but am pleased with the quality of work when assignments are "typed" into a word processor. Hmmm.

 

I was taught to write by the meanest old public school teacher who held a drumstick and would rap the back of your hand if you did not hold the pencil "right". It was the tripod hold demonstrated so aptly by caliken. This would have been around 1971 or 2 in rural Colorado. I am certain that we were taught some sort of Spencerian or roundhand joined up writing in 2nd or 3rd grade and were expected to use that handwriting until well into high school. It was not until I took a shop class and learned drafting that I began printing in all caps - which was really called "lettering" and that I adopted because of legibility concerns. I can still letter a sketch just like an engineer or hack draftsman!

 

But I never lost the tripod hold and even if my cursive scrawl became pretty illegible when rushed, one could still find the letter forms. My current students don't even know the letter forms! I write comments on papers in careful cursive and then spend much time sitting with many students explaining what each word in the written comments is. I have found that italic is readable to them, so I'm afraid that I must abandon cursive as my "business" hand. Maybe I ought to learn the true business hand....

[pe2dave]

 

I was taught to write by the meanest old public school teacher who held a drumstick and would rap the back of your hand if you did not hold the pencil "right". It was the tripod hold demonstrated so aptly by caliken. This would have been around 1971 or 2 in rural Colorado. I am certain that we were taught some sort of Spencerian or roundhand joined up writing in 2nd or 3rd grade and were expected to use that handwriting until well into high school. It was not until I took a shop class and learned drafting that I began printing in all caps - which was really called "lettering" and that I adopted because of legibility concerns. I can still letter a sketch just like an engineer or hack draftsman!

 

But I never lost the tripod hold and even if my cursive scrawl became pretty illegible when rushed, one could still find the letter forms. My current students don't even know the letter forms! I write comments on papers in careful cursive and then spend much time sitting with many students explaining what each word in the written comments is. I have found that italic is readable to them, so I'm afraid that I must abandon cursive as my "business" hand. Maybe I ought to learn the true business hand....

 

Shows that (despite the means?) some of the old methods do work. I'd not heard of the 'quad' hold, but I can imagine - 3 fingers and thumb tightly

gripping the pen, making the fist near rigid? Is that it. Often makes me cringe.

 

Your 'draughtsmans' lettering I have always been quite jelous of, generally it is such a neat hand and as you say, so legible.

 

How to take youngsters back to learning how to write? No space in the curriculum? Yet they go to Uni with the same hand, using the keyboard

as an excuse. I'm less forgiving of a new graduate that can't spell, can't string a sentence together. Perhaps I'm just a grumpy old man.

 

Dave

[streeton]

For what its worth I hold the pen in the Classic manner described by Caliken but I genuinely believe you have to find what suits you best within your own finger/wrist structure. When I was young I had golf lessons from a Pro and he gave me the classic V grip to use. I couldn't swing the club at all and the more he tried the more my slice went 2 fairways wide. I reverted to my strong grip with my right hand well under the grip and I was happy again.

[SnowLeopard]

I must be doing something wrong...." I don't have any problem with a Safari or Vanishing Point. My grip looks to be like the two pictures in this thread. Perhaps, my index finger has a tad....more "flex" to it and the pen's barrel is dead center on the phalangeal - metacarpal joint. I can write for days with no ill effects. My hold is very light. My every day "hand" has been characterized, by some, as " beautiful". I've been using f-p's, exclusively, since the first grade. So...?? it all about? Can't u old dogs learn new tricks? ...LOL. I'm willing to bet, with some practice, everyone could improve their ability to hold these two issues properly and realize a better hand in the bargain. I've seen some really interesting chicken scribble by more than a view ink reviewers. Some of the threads throngs write " what a nice handwriting" in praise of the most contorted scrawl I've ever had the pleasure to decipher. I loves the "54th". ...I mean the folks here at FPN. Sorry 4 the "Glory" reference Denzel. The FPN is a never ending source of enjoyment, entertainment and self exploration. Tx.

Edited October 12, 2010 by SnowLeopard

[Bo Bo Olson]

First, I have to thank Caliken, that in about a year ago he had his way to grasp a pen, over in Writing Instruments.

 

It took me about two full minutes to learn it. For a while I switched between the death grip and his version of the tripod. Eventually I noticed out side the American P-75, I gasped my pen similar to Caliken's way, almost all the time.

 

 

One of the most important parts IMO is that the pen no longer rests or is pressed into the root of the middle finger's fingernail, like in the death grip. There will be no callus or indentation that was normal with a ball point.

 

Compared to the 'death grip', the pen has moved down the middle finger's first joint a 1/3 an inch or a centimeter. That makes a big difference; when one is not pressing the pen into the flesh and where it 'hurts' at nail root; and letting the pen rest where there is enough flesh..

 

 

 

However, I post my pens, and the pens have more back weight. I altered the grip Caliken showed, with out knowing it.

 

I call his way the 'short' forefinger way, and what I use the 'long' finger way. I like the pen in the web of my thumb. Where exactly in the web of my thumb the pen is, depends on the weight of the pen.

 

My heaviest back weighted pen is my MB 234 1/2, it sits as deep in the web of my thumb as it goes. Other lighter pens sit higher, but with in the web of the thumb.

I do not force a pen into a particular place in the web of my thumb.

 

Using one of my longer barreled light pens, a Geha 725 Goldschwing (Gold Wing) is long enough for me to use un-posted, ends up where Caliken has his pen.

When I post that pen, it drops one pen's width deeper into the web of my thumb.

 

My forefinger is a bit flatter or 'longer' along the pen, and my thumb is further up the barrel of the pen, so the thumb, where the nail leaves the flesh of the thumb, is very close to or at the crease of the first joint of the forefinger.

 

Ghost Plane's "Drop the pen into the webbing between thumb and forefinger, then grip the pen above the threads on the section, and you'll have an idea how I hold a pen for maximum mileage all day, everyday."

 

That is the way I hold mine also...I am just bringing up the position of my thumb on the barrel that is a bit higher because of posting the pen than the way Caliken holds an un-posted pen.

 

 

Ernst Bitterman’s picture's in post 19, is @ "my" ‘long finger’ way to hold the pen. It is very similar to where the thumb nail is, to the crease of the first joint.

 

I post my pens, two even from pure stubbornness, because the cap clicks on so nicely, like my Cross Townsend, or my Lamy Persona. Perhaps had either even a regular flex nib, I might use them, and use them un-posted.

Having the Lamy nearer, it's weighty enough that even un-posted it ends up in the web of my thumb. Posted, it ends up in the deepest part of the web of my thumb.

 

How ever I don't use them at all.

I don't have to press through carbon paper and, have better pens than nails.

 

How exactly you grasp your pen comes IMO from if it is posted or not, and if you need the exactness of calligraphy.

[JimB]

Drop the pen into the webbing between thumb and forefinger, then grip the pen above the threads on the section, and you'll have an idea how I hold a pen for maximum mileage all day, everyday.

 

Just tried that, dropping the pen into the "webbing" and immediately my handwriting improved, and I was more relaxed. What a great, simple tip.

 

Thank you!

[ac12]

I hate to resurrect an old thread but I am CONFUSED.

 

I hold my pen in the tripod method pointing finger at 130 and thumb at 1030, and hand resting on the 2nd segment of my little finger.

I've held the pen like this for as long as I can remember.

 

But the Spencerian instructions and illustration from Firo above say to hold the pen with the pointing finger at about 1200 and the thumb at about 730, with the hand resting on the nails of the little and ring fingers. I can see where the Spencerian hold gives less friction in the paper with your nails rather than the side of the finger as I hold the pen. Until I read this thread, I never thought about a different rotation to holding the pen.

 

The Lamy Safari and Joy won't work with the Spencerian hold, as the flats are setup for the tripod grip.

Do you change holds as Wendy does based on the pen?