Flex Nib Styles

[wvbeetlebug]

I voted Copperplate, but I love the curliness of Spencerian.

[offscott]

I don't understand, what is the difference?

[Maria]

Dear Members of The Fountain Pen Network;

 

Personally speaking, purely my observations and opinions; writng styles can give a person the foundation of forming 'handwriting' skills but, the person creates their own style once out of the school room and into daily life.

 

As some have gathered, I love history and currently researching American Civil War history, to which my focus of late, has been on the Batallion of US Marines that marched from Washington, DC to the battlefields of First Bull Run/Manassas. It would be the first total land deployed force of US Marines in the American Civil War, they were raw recruits and little training.

 

The Commandant of the US Marine Corps, having considered my request, had the USMC archivist send me a Xerox copy of the Muster Roll of August 1861; 147 years ago. Unfortunately, the Xerox copy is extremely awful and the muster roll book has been reduced when copied and out of alignment. But, my intent is to offer a glimpse into the handwriting of the military in that period.

 

It is my assumption, that this roll call/roll/muster is written with a steel nib.

 

Perhaps, too often we, in general, can be intimidated by the elegant flourishes of the written style in its most lofty places, such as certificates, invitations and formal occasions. Every day writing though, may give some hope to those who are frustrated because they lack the ruffles and flourishes of their chosen style.

 

The attached file is copyrighted.

 

Respectfully,

Maria

 

 

[solitaire]

Thanks for sharing that document, Maria,

That's beautiful. I can imagine that the original is breathtaking.

 

These old written documents live and breathe.

 

My aspiration is to write a good italic - so maybe I shouldn't be in this flex nib conversation - but get a great kick from all of these different writing styles.

And I love flex nibs too.

 

Solitaire

 

[caliken]

I don't understand, what is the difference?

Welcome to FPN, offscott

 

This is a huge subject, as Copperplate Style script and Spencerian lettering are totally different from each other. The only thing in common, is that they are both written with pointed nibs which flex open on downstrokes, when a little pressure is applied.

Engrosser's script is the drawn version of the style of lettering originally known as English Roundhand. Copperplate is the written form.

 

If you go here You'll find all the information you need.

 

Good luck!

 

caliken

Edited August 31, 2008 by caliken

[caliken]

This is an interesting document, Maria - thanks for posting.

 

 

Edited August 31, 2008 by caliken

[Achim]

I like Spencerian (though if I could write Copperplate, I'd be quite happy as well).

That's why I spent the last hour exercising on this sheet of paper - inspired by ToughHouseRooks post earlier today.

Two typos (that I could find :embarrassed_smile: ), oh well ... concentration lacks after midnight ...

 

http://www.achims.de/Penmanship/Invictus_full.png

 

Best, Achim.

 

 

[Maria]

Dear Achim;

 

Niccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccce

 

Respectfully,

Maria

 

 

I like Spencerian (though if I could write Copperplate, I'd be quite happy as well).

That's why I spent the last hour exercising on this sheet of paper - inspired by ToughHouseRooks post earlier today.

Two typos (that I could find :embarrassed_smile: ), oh well ... concentration lacks after midnight ...

 

http://www.achims.de/Penmanship/Invictus_full.png

 

Best, Achim.

 

[katim]

Well done, Achim - that's a nice piece of work!

[caliken]

 

Very nice work, Achim.

 

These days, the emphasis on handwriting practice and development, seems to be mostly on Italic. It is quite refreshing to find someone swimming against the tide as it were, producing interesting and individual Spencerian handwriting!

 

.........now you're going to tell me that your normal handwriting is Italic!!

 

caliken

Edited November 20, 2008 by caliken

[Achim]

Very nice work, Achim.

 

These days, the emphasis on handwriting practice and development, seems to be mostly on Italic. It is quite refreshing to find someone swimming against the tide as it were, producing interesting and individual Spencerian handwriting!

 

.........now you're going to tell me that your normal handwriting is Italic!!

 

caliken

 

Thank you for the nice comments, also to katim and Maria!

Looking at old documents I find it embarrassing that every banker in the 19th century could write more beautiful than me when I'm trying to give my best , and in slow-motion at that ...

 

Videos like yours, caliken, and other master calligraphers on youtube reawakened my interest for a nice handwriting. It never was Italic for me - more of a mixture of different styles, but it's extremely difficult for me to write without a slant (I measured it recently and I use about 45° in my informal script).

 

In this thread you may find examples of my usual, fast cacography :

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry807318

 

Best, Achim.

 

[Maria]

Dear Achim,

 

If you really want to get frustrated-- Take a look at this link of handwriting samples, from the collection in Pennsylvania (USA).

 

http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1229

 

:ltcapd:

 

Respectfully,

Maria

 

 

 

Very nice work, Achim.

 

These days, the emphasis on handwriting practice and development, seems to be mostly on Italic. It is quite refreshing to find someone swimming against the tide as it were, producing interesting and individual Spencerian handwriting!

 

.........now you're going to tell me that your normal handwriting is Italic!!

 

caliken

 

Thank you for the nice comments, also to katim and Maria!

Looking at old documents I find it embarrassing that every banker in the 19th century could write more beautiful than me when I'm trying to give my best , and in slow-motion at that ...

 

Videos like yours, caliken, and other master calligraphers on youtube reawakened my interest for a nice handwriting. It never was Italic for me - more of a mixture of different styles, but it's extremely difficult for me to write without a slant (I measured it recently and I use about 45° in my informal script).

 

In this thread you may find examples of my usual, fast cacography :

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry807318

 

Best, Achim.

 

[Achim]

Dear Achim,

 

If you really want to get frustrated-- Take a look at this link of handwriting samples, from the collection in Pennsylvania (USA).

 

No, not frustrated, but envious - seems they had some writing gene then that got lost on the way to the computer era.

 

Note to myself: try exercising 2 hours a day instead of half an hour from now on

 

Best regards, Achim.

 

 

[Doctor H]

Crud.

I want to re-vote.

XD

 

Just saw the examples of Spencerian and it's beautiful

*_________*

[jbbreau]

To me, Copperplate looks more feminine and Spencerian more masculine.

 

Spencerian seems to have more dramatic changes in thick & thin line variations.

 

-Hana

 

I felt the opposite way, Spencerian looks subtler, gentler, more delicate, more feminine and copperplate, IMO looks really rigid and masculine...

Fun to see how people react differently to the same thing.

[Randal6393]

But that is the fun of Batarde (or Secretary). It can be adapted to a hand that is reasonably legible to a modern writer and still retains the flavor of the "Olde English" hand. Jacquie Severn (sp?) has a book, 23 Alphabets, that shows modern versions of several adapted hands. NOTE: I am recalling a book that is not in my library any longer. Thus, author and title may not be totally accurate.

 

I have been playing with a flex italic nib for a while, but I haven't really had any good exemplars to follow that make use of both attributes.

 

I have been thinking of finding some exemplars and learning secretary script because I think it would fit a flex italic quite well. It would be rather an impractical activity though because it isn't exactly the most legible of handwriting to the uninitiated, and it fell out of favour in the early 19th century.

 

[Pensee]

Picked 'own style' since I'm working on a kind of "Art Nouveau" script & trying to improve penmanship in general.

 

Believe I'm getting much better at flex since I took a dip nib & attached it to an eye-dropper.

 

It was really distracting to have to stop & dip all the time! Now I can do exercises in 'Palmer' & 'Champion's' books & really concentrate.

 

--Bruce

 

 

[J0rdan]

With all due respect to Miss Copperplate, I voted Spencerian. It's easier on the eyes and I've got a suitably light touch.

 

That said, I have seen some Copperplate examples around that I'd prefer to look at, such as Rosemary Copperplate (below).

 

http://calligraphyfonts.com/shop/images/fonts/copperplateMain.gif

[image from Rosemary Hall Calligraphy]

Edited January 28, 2009 by J0rdan

[calliej]

ooh yes i really like that rosemary copperplate

 

i love semi-flex nibs..... and use them with my own script as i dont have the discipline or patience to create perfect copperplate or spencerian

[DetlevCM]

I'm currently on the lookout for a flex nib and have a small pen shop helping me (Hope he finds something)

 

Apart from that - I went rummaging in my "stuff" and found a cheapo nib, the kind that needs an inkwell, that can be flexed (its very scratchy though, and more flex would be nice, but it does the job) - I have played around with it and use my own style.

 

At points it'll possibly resemble Copperplate - but overal, its my own style.

 

This cheap piece of metal makes me want a fountainpen with a flex nib all the more