Writing At A Near 90 Degree Angle

[xwingrox]

I started making my own note paper (Cornell style) and writing on a clipboard, usually in a classroom setting. I found that my writing position in class is drastically different than when I am writing at my desk at home. I find myself writing at a near 90 degree angle when using my clipboard, which causes my Sailor 1911(M) and Pilot VP (M) to frequently skip, railroad, and dry out. Interestingly enough, I've had better luck with my TWSBI (XF). Anyone else have this experience?

[seoulseeker]

As long as my pens are in a position where they can put ink down, the line is essentially the same - no variation or discrepancies. That said, some of them have wider "sweet spots" that they can write on - but all can write properly at a 90 degree angle.

 

Maybe they need to be adjusted..?

[mikkolopez]

a complete 90deg (the pen is perpendicular to the paper) is kinda difficult for me, assuming that the ink will flow continuously and the nib won't be deformed from too much flex.

 

i find that I have an almost 45deg angle when i write. Their is some flex but very small and the ink flow and nib line is smooth.

[Uncle Red]

xwingrox look for a pen with a fude nib, Sailor calls them a zoom. Held nearly perpendicular to the paper they write a fine line, the line gets broader as you lower the pen 'til it's nearly parallel to the paper.

[Bo Bo Olson]

seoulseeker

No.

 

A fountain pen is designed to float on a puddle of ink, when you have the pen stepping on the ice at a high angle like the toes of a figure skate, it don't skate.

 

You are holding a fountain pen like a ball point/roller/gel pen, in front of your first knuckle.

 

The fountain pen should be behind the first knuckle at @ 45....or 40 or 35 degrees in the web of your thumb.

 

Look up 'Tripod'.

 

I prefer the 'forefinger up method'.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

This was interesting to me because it had never even occurred to me to try a fountain pen at 90°. I tried it with my Sheaffer school pen, and found that it did lay down ink smoothly. What an unnatural writing position, though. I've seen people do this with ballpoints, but my hand would cramp up if I tried that for very long.

[Ernst Bitterman]

The grind on most points is done with a view to making something like a 45 degree angle the expected one. At 90, the smooth part of the point is off the paper, and the weight of the pen is driving down on the point to exaggerate the imperfections in the paper. Any given pen MIGHT write like that, but it won't like it.

 

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/drawptch.jpg

Edited January 11, 2012 by Ernst Bitterman

[AmateurAficionado]

Forgive my ignorance, but when you say 90^o to the paper, are you referring to perpendicular to the writing surface, or perpendicular to a particular edge of the paper?

[Uncle Red]

The writing surface.

[seoulseeker]

seoulseeker

No.

 

A fountain pen is designed to float on a puddle of ink, when you have the pen stepping on the ice at a high angle like the toes of a figure skate, it don't skate.

 

You are holding a fountain pen like a ball point/roller/gel pen, in front of your first knuckle.

 

The fountain pen should be behind the first knuckle at @ 45....or 40 or 35 degrees in the web of your thumb.

 

Look up 'Tripod'.

 

I prefer the 'forefinger up method'.

 

Was this really necessary? I never said that I write in a 90 degree angle, that would be extremely uncomfortable (I don't even write that way with my rollerballs). I said that my pens are capable of it without railroading, nothing more.

Edited January 12, 2012 by seoulseeker

[Phormula]

The grind on most points is done with a view to making something like a 45 degree angle the expected one. At 90, the smooth part of the point is off the paper, and the weight of the pen is driving down on the point to exaggerate the imperfections in the paper. Any given pen MIGHT write like that, but it won't like it.

 

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/drawptch.jpg

 

Thanks

[eric47]

Anyone else have this experience?

 

Look at the tipping material with a loupe. There's probably a difference in how they're tipped and/or the amount of material that explains the difference in writing experience with the pens in (near) "flagpole position".

 

Some nibs these days have much more tipping material, which runs around the tip and on top of the nib. That's much more forgiving to writing in (near) flagpole position, which is often typical with users who've used (exclusively) ballpoints and rollers.

Edited January 12, 2012 by eric47

[Bo Bo Olson]

seoulseeker

I thought so, other wise I'd not written it.

There are very many noobies who do not know how to hold a fountain pen, and I do wish them the full pleasure of writing with a fountain pen.

 

Perhaps in Japan like in Germany fountain pens are still used in schools, so you know this.

 

xwingrox talked about the problems he had holding it wrong (sometimes). It is common for folks coming in from ball point, roller ball and gel pens.

 

I like forefinger up in it eliminates the 'death grip' and the 'Crab Pinch'. I learned that variant of a tripod here on this com. It took me two minutes.

[professionaldilettante]

EXACTLY. Why do you think many of us cringe when someone asks to borrow our pens? They use it at 90 deg. like a regular ball point, get frustrated that no ink is coming out, and proceed to smash that nib trying to get ink out like you'd do for a ball point. Change your grip, and you find that fountain pens write smoother too. I know I've tried with my Pilot Fermo, writes smooth as silk normally, but at 90 deg, it's like writing on sand paper.

 

seoulseeker

No.

 

A fountain pen is designed to float on a puddle of ink, when you have the pen stepping on the ice at a high angle like the toes of a figure skate, it don't skate.

 

You are holding a fountain pen like a ball point/roller/gel pen, in front of your first knuckle.

 

The fountain pen should be behind the first knuckle at @ 45....or 40 or 35 degrees in the web of your thumb.

 

Look up 'Tripod'.

 

I prefer the 'forefinger up method'.

[professionaldilettante]

seoulseeker

No.

 

A fountain pen is designed to float on a puddle of ink, when you have the pen stepping on the ice at a high angle like the toes of a figure skate, it don't skate.

 

You are holding a fountain pen like a ball point/roller/gel pen, in front of your first knuckle.

 

The fountain pen should be behind the first knuckle at @ 45....or 40 or 35 degrees in the web of your thumb.

 

Look up 'Tripod'.

 

I prefer the 'forefinger up method'.

 

Was this really necessary? I never said that I write in a 90 degree angle, that would be extremely uncomfortable (I don't even write that way with my rollerballs). I said that my pens are capable of it without railroading, nothing more.

Yes. Yes it was.