Curiosity: Does Anyone Use Spencerian As Their Handwriting?

[Feanaaro]

I'm trying to teach myself Spencerian, which judging from what one can finds around the internet, today is used largely as a form of ornate calligraphy, rather than as a regular hand which, if I understood correctly, it is what it originally was meant to be.

So I was wondering, does anyone here use Spencerian, or some variation around it, as their regular handwriting? 'Cause that is the point were I would like to get, if I manage to.

[smk]

You are correct about the origins of Spencerian. It was introduced as a handwriting system by P.R. Spencer and made popular by his sons. The more ornate version of it, called Ornamental Penmanship, with lots of shading and fancy majuscules developed during the golden age of penmanship in America. At the same time, a simpler version of Spencerian developed without any shading and minor changes to some letters called Business Penmanship - this was meant for use in offices before the advent of the typewriter.

 

People do use it for writing letters. I received a letter just today from Brian Walker with some lovely Spencerian :-)

 

- Salman

[Feanaaro]

The writing examples I can find online under the name of "Business Penmanship", though, seem "different" not just "less ornate" than spencerian. For example, the small "p" has a closed loop (which I find ugly) compared to the more classical look of the Spencerian "p". Also the slant seems much less pronounced.

[D B Holtz]

I have been using Spencerian as my everyday handwriting for about five years now. I just use a regular pen, no shading, so I guess it is technically "monoline" Spencerian, but I use the standard letter forms--Business Writing did not appeal to me.

 

I like it, and when I hand someone a note I often get comments on my handwriting, but that may be more of a comment on the general rarity of cursive writing than on anything I am doing. I encourage you to learn and use it.

 

DB

[smk]

The writing examples I can find online under the name of "Business Penmanship", though, seem "different" not just "less ornate" than spencerian. For example, the small "p" has a closed loop (which I find ugly) compared to the more classical look of the Spencerian "p". Also the slant seems much less pronounced.

 

Yup - that 'p' is the one that gets most noticed :-)

 

Business Writing was taught at the same slant as Spencerian (52 deg) but the examples from masters vary a bit. It is considered o.k. to deviate from the slant as long as it is consistent.

 

S.

[Feanaaro]

I have been using Spencerian as my everyday handwriting for about five years now. I just use a regular pen, no shading, so I guess it is technically "monoline" Spencerian, but I use the standard letter forms--Business Writing did not appeal to me.

 

I like it, and when I hand someone a note I often get comments on my handwriting, but that may be more of a comment on the general rarity of cursive writing than on anything I am doing. I encourage you to learn and use it.

 

DB

 

I'm trying... in actual writing I still cannot manage to keep it consistent, I tend to slip into my "regular" handwriting, which is closer to a(n ugly version of) a classical roundhand, for that is what I was taught in school. Maybe it's more difficult to keep two cursive hands distinct than to learn cursive for the first time.

[frankb3]

I have been using Spencerian as my everyday handwriting for about five years now. I just use a regular pen, no shading, so I guess it is technically "monoline" Spencerian, but I use the standard letter forms--Business Writing did not appeal to me.

 

I like it, and when I hand someone a note I often get comments on my handwriting, but that may be more of a comment on the general rarity of cursive writing than on anything I am doing. I encourage you to learn and use it.

 

DB

Can the average person read Spencerian? How about posting a sample of your writing. Thx.

[Rednaxela]

I have adopted Business Penmanship as my regular handwriting. Agree it has some strange letterforms, but I must say they have grown in me over time. Love to do the closed p now.

[D B Holtz]

frankb3 -

 

Here is my "everyday" handwriting. The details:

 

Professional Sugar Cane paper from Office Depot

 

Lines 1&2: Pilot Metropolitan M / Diamine Prussian Blue

 

Lines 3&4: TWSBI 530 M / IroIroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun

 

Line 5: Staedtler Mars Lumograph HB

 

Line 6: Palomino Blackwing

 

Line 7: Not really everyday, Nikko G nib and Yasutomo Sumi ink

 

 

 

Can the average person read Spencerian? This is not a fair test, since everyone on FPN is (clearly!) way above average.

 

DB