pen hold suggestion

[caliken]

From time to time, there are discussions concerning hand position, finger writing, tension, fatigue/cramp when writing for long periods etc. and various remedies and suggestions are put forward.

 

I don't petend, in any way, to have found a magical solution, but I can honestly say that, since modifying my hand postion many years ago, I have never suffered from fatigue/cramp when writing for long periods and I remember that there was an immediate improvement in the quality of my writing.

 

This is much simpler to explain in photo form, hence the two illoustrations.

 

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd289/caliken_2007/penholds.jpg

 

The first is a fairly common pen hold with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger gripping the pen which is held at about 45 degrees to the paper.

 

If the thumb, forefinger and middle finger are all extended to an extent, as in the second photo, this automatically has three effects :-

 

1) The strength of grip is lessened which eases tension, improves control and eliminates fatigue.

 

2) The pen to paper angle is lowered, which can help ink flow (and enables upstrokes more easily with a flexible nib).

 

3) There is naturally less finger movement and more writing with the hand, which can produce smoother results.

 

If your hand position is similar to (1) give it a try. It is easy to do and, in my experience, can have immediate, beneficial results.

 

caliken

[Lozzic]

I agree , I used to write like 1 and get terrible cramp, then I changed to 2 when I got in to pens and I had no problems at all, though I don't use either of those grips any more. I think poor handwriting teaching these days and the habits people fall in to have forced them to slip in to the grip style in picture 1.

 

Good post!

[Renzhe]

Hmm...I'm about halfway between the two. Thanks.

[pmsalty]

Very interesting......when I started writing with FP's I shifted my hand into the second position because that seemed to be the only way I could write without my pens skipping. Then after a little while it became musch more comfortable. Being left-handed it also helped improve my handwriting.

This method of holing a pen is also the way I was taught back in scholl when drawing pen and ink sketches. I would encourage those who use a ball-point writing style to modify it similar to what caliken shows.

P<S

[nuntym]

I agree , I used to write like 1 and get terrible cramp, then I changed to 2 when I got in to pens and I had no problems at all, though I don't use either of those grips any more. I think poor handwriting teaching these days and the habits people fall in to have forced them to slip in to the grip style in picture 1.

 

Good post!

So what's your pen grip now, Lozzic, if it's OK to ask? ^__^

[Lozzic]

I agree , I used to write like 1 and get terrible cramp, then I changed to 2 when I got in to pens and I had no problems at all, though I don't use either of those grips any more. I think poor handwriting teaching these days and the habits people fall in to have forced them to slip in to the grip style in picture 1.

 

Good post!

So what's your pen grip now, Lozzic, if it's OK to ask? ^__^

 

Of course it is OK to ask :roflmho:

 

For Calligraphy (using dip pens) which is slow I do use a grip similar to that shown by Caliken but for handwriting with fountain pens I try to use the grip recommended by A. N. Palmer as I am attempting (with difficulty ) to teach myself Palmer's style of business writing. Palmer's grip is more upright, like a fist with all the knuckles parallel to the writing surface. There should be examples and explanations in this PDF document http://www.iampeth.com/books/ADOBE_PDFs/Pa...thod%201935.pdf I would not personally recommend it for slow or printed handwriting or Calligraphy but then again I have not really tried that so I don't know. I just have the feeling it is more suited to fast cursive e.g. business writing; it is restrictive in terms of finger movement.

 

[nuntym]

Of course it is OK to ask :roflmho:

 

For Calligraphy (using dip pens) which is slow I do use a grip similar to that shown by Caliken but for handwriting with fountain pens I try to use the grip recommended by A. N. Palmer as I am attempting (with difficulty ) to teach myself Palmer's style of business writing. Palmer's grip is more upright, like a fist with all the knuckles parallel to the writing surface. There should be examples and explanations in this PDF document http://www.iampeth.com/books/ADOBE_PDFs/Pa...thod%201935.pdf I would not personally recommend it for slow or printed handwriting or Calligraphy but then again I have not really tried that so I don't know. I just have the feeling it is more suited to fast cursive e.g. business writing; it is restrictive in terms of finger movement.

 

EGADS! Just looked at the book, and it reads like a manual on torture! I mean, look at those poor little kids, not one of them smiling in any picture or drawing.

 

Good luck learning that Lozzic

[DrV]

Of course it is OK to ask :roflmho:

 

For Calligraphy (using dip pens) which is slow I do use a grip similar to that shown by Caliken but for handwriting with fountain pens I try to use the grip recommended by A. N. Palmer as I am attempting (with difficulty ) to teach myself Palmer's style of business writing. Palmer's grip is more upright, like a fist with all the knuckles parallel to the writing surface. There should be examples and explanations in this PDF document http://www.iampeth.com/books/ADOBE_PDFs/Pa...thod%201935.pdf I would not personally recommend it for slow or printed handwriting or Calligraphy but then again I have not really tried that so I don't know. I just have the feeling it is more suited to fast cursive e.g. business writing; it is restrictive in terms of finger movement.

 

EGADS! Just looked at the book, and it reads like a manual on torture! I mean, look at those poor little kids, not one of them smiling in any picture or drawing.

 

Good luck learning that Lozzic

 

I think the grips of Caliken and Palmer are nearly identical. Both demonstrate resting the pen just below the first knuckle of the middle finger ("MF") and using the fore finger ("FF") and thumb to steady the pens motion. Caliken seems to have his FF and thumb directly opposed, whereas for Palmer the FF is nearer the tip of the pen. Using either grip requires more wrist and arm movement rather than finger movement, which results in improved penmanship and smoothness.

 

I have used this grip all my life and was taught to write this way in school, but with ball points it has led to a callus just below the first knuckle of the MF. This is probably due to the amount of force a ball point requires to dispense ink. I used to do calligraphy, as a child, using this grip and it was quite fluid and smooth. Now that I am considering taking up a fountain pen again and use gel and rollerball pens, this grip makes it easy to write.

 

For anyone looking for inexpensive fountain pens to try out before committing to buying a nice pen, I highly recommend checking out jetpens.com. They have a great selection of inexpensive FP in fine and medium nib widths. I have ordered the Pilot Varsity (medium nib), Pilot Vpen (fine nib), Pilot Petit1 (fine nib?), and Platinum Preppy Pen (extra fine nib). For me the nib on the Varsity lays down a line that is a little too wide and wet, and on low quality paper and index cards feathers quite a bit.

[holgalee]

Does anyone know how I can contact Caliken? TIA.

[aditya.shevade]

^^ Send a PM?

 

Nice post Ken but the second style actually makes my writing horrible and almost illegible. It seems like I don't have a control on the pen anymore. Don't know why. Could a smaller sized pen (my hands are big) be the reason?

[holgalee]

I think his PM is disabled and I can't find an email address on his website.

[caliken]

I think his PM is disabled and I can't find an email address on his website.

Sorry, I've enabled my contact via the board.

 

caliken

[caliken]

^^ Send a PM?

 

Nice post Ken but the second style actually makes my writing horrible and almost illegible. It seems like I don't have a control on the pen anymore. Don't know why. Could a smaller sized pen (my hands are big) be the reason?

Please don't worry about it - it's just a suggestion which may not work for everyone. It's a means of relaxing the hand and avoiding tension which destroys good writing, but it sounds as if it's relaxing your hand too much! Try experimenting with various degrees of change until you've regained control of the pen. There's no right and wrong, here. It's just a case of finding what works for you, physically.

 

Good luck

 

caliken

[KateGladstone]

Does anyone know how I can contact Caliken? TIA.

 

 

He has a web-site here .

Edited August 2, 2010 by KateGladstone

[whitelily]

I´m trying to work on the tripod pen hold, because currently I´m holding my pen with three fingers, in stead of two, like the picture shows. Does anyone else hold their pen like I do? I´m left handed, and I find it hard to "stabilise" the pen when I only "hold" it with two fingers on top. I guess it is a matter of practise, practise, practise:).

 

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz231/desk1234_album/IMAG0459.jpg

(tried to take a pic where you can see what I mean)

[caliken]

This looks pretty good, to me.

 

One suggestion - trying moving your thumb and forefinger slightly clockwise (for a left-hander) so that your thumb is a little more to the side of the pen and your forefinger towards the top. This may feel a bit more stable. However, you must expect it to feel a little strange for a while. I do believe that it's worth persisting with this hold which can make writing a more pleasurable, effortless experience.

 

caliken

Edited August 3, 2010 by caliken

[holgalee]

Hi Caliken, I'm still not able to PM you. I I like the photos which you posted for proper hand positioning. I'm wondering if I can post them on my blog/? If so, may I also invert the photos so that left-handers can benefit too? It's not easy to find good photos of the 'proper' right-handed grip, and nearly impossible to find any for left-handers like me.

 

I'll of course acknowledge you and will make a link to your site. Do let me know what you think. Thanks!

[caliken]

Hi Caliken, I'm still not able to PM you. I I like the photos which you posted for proper hand positioning. I'm wondering if I can post them on my blog/? If so, may I also invert the photos so that left-handers can benefit too? It's not easy to find good photos of the 'proper' right-handed grip, and nearly impossible to find any for left-handers like me.

 

I'll of course acknowledge you and will make a link to your site. Do let me know what you think. Thanks!

I'll check out the PM position - it should be OK now.

 

Please go ahead with your blog - and your idea of reversing the photos is a good one.

 

caliken

[whitelily]

I appreciate your helpful comment, Caliken. I will try it out!

[brunico]

Curious! I've always had an extended grip as in figure 2, but I've never felt comfortable with my fingers in that position, because it puts pressure on my little finger. So I grip with my thumb, middle finger and ring finger, and my index finger just rests on top, further up the barrel and touching my thumb, though I can sense it doing some of the work.

 

It's a light grip, but as well as comfort I've always felt it gave me more precise control than the three-digit grip with last two fingers trailing.

 

It must be an odd grip, because I can't find a Google image for it. In fact, until now I'd never even thought about it. But it works for me, and it's never tired me.