Are There Benefits To A Back-Weighted Pen?

[hmj]

With respect to center of balance (and all other things being equal), do you prefer a back-weighted pen? Either, in general or in any specific writing/nib/pen instance.

 

If so, in your opinion, what could be some "benefits” or reasons to prefer using a back-weighted pen?

Edited August 13, 2016 by hmj

[praxim]

No, which is why I do not post except for one small, light pen, so I am no help for your "If so" part.

[ac12]

NO

Balance of the pen for me is critical for comfort.

If the pen feels tail heavy, I don't post it.

If a pen is tail heavy, I have to grip the pen harder to keep the nib on the paper. And I don't like to do that.

 

I personally see no benefit to having a tail heavy pen.

[Buzz_130]

Tail heavy is not balanced. It's tail heavy. If you need to use the muscles of your fingers to stabilize the pen for balance, you'll increase fatigue over time. Balance, diameter, and weight are critical components of a fine writing instrument.

 

Buzz

[TSherbs]

such naysayers!

 

yes, there is

 

I have a nerve-sensitive area toward the tip of one of my fingers where I hold pens (I have to handwrite a lot every day for my job--teaching), and a back-weighted pen relieves some of the pressure there and makes me able to use the pen for longer stretches of time. I try different holds, etc, but the easiest relief is a back-weighted balance.

 

I doubt that there is such a thing as a perfectly weighted pen (center, in other words) and so every pen has a slightly forward or slightly backward balance point. I prefer back. This also naturally takes some of the pressure off of the nib, which I appreciate because I tend to over-grip the pen anyway (a long-life habit of mine from struggling to write neatly and being forced to write in cursive with pencils on terrible paper).

 

you say tomayto, I say tomahto

[PaganArcher]

I find there is for me. I'm still recovering from the "death grip" that plagues me from my ballpoint days. Having a tail heavy pen helps pull the nib away from the page so I end up with a lighter touch.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I post standard and medium-large pens, in then they have balance...are not tail heavy like a posted Large pen (outside the thin long Snorkel....which really shocked me when by accident, I laid it next to a Large Safari and found them both to be the same length....but the Snorkel had to be extremely well balanced it was going up against the P-51 and the Estie among others.)

 

I had read comments about the brass piston fitting of MB's making it back heavy. I got this 'ugly' MB in a live auction lot....I did not have Lambrou's book then, so did not know the standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe made in '52-54 only, for those who did not like the MB Sheaffer New Balance clones the 146-9 based on the top of the pre-war 139...it does have a Masterpiece clip too. It grew on me, and I was 'noobie' ignorant to think that pen 'ugly'...besides which it has a great semi-flex KOB nib and is very well balanced. It was I had no idea of the classy '30's MB pens.

I did notice it was 'slightly' back heavy. (I do like the balance of the medium-large '50-60's MB 146 more than the Large 146. It takes me minutes to get use to the Large 146, and the better balanced medium-long 146 is just grab and go.

 

Back when I only had @ 20 pens, I did a pen test to see which were the best balanced....something I'd never even try with 60 + pens.

I found for me, that slightly back weighted standard sized MB 234 1/2, P-75 and the thin medium-large Geha 725 had perfect balance.(I'm sure I must have 20 top five balanced pens by now. In I chase vintage; there for well balanced pen....and cheap too. )

 

It I think comes down to do you let the pen rest where it wishes or not. My 234 1/2 rests comfortably at 40 degrees at the start of the web of my thumb along with the Geha 725, the light P-75 seems to like resting at 45 degrees just after the big index joint.

I do have heavier or longer pens that are comfortable resting in the pit of the web of the thumb at 35 degrees.

If I were to insist all my pens be held at only 45 degrees, I'd have a lot of pens that were not "well" balanced.

A pen should rest where it wishes and not be firmly grasped in the first place and defiantly not forced at 45 degrees no matter what.

 

And that is not counting some nib geometry is a bit lower than others, so not only the length and weight of a pen determines where it should be held but the angle of the nib grind.

I have a CI Lamy Persona....defiantly not posted, that I'd like to rest at 40 degrees but seems to like 45 degrees so slightly more than 40 degrees.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[Pickwick]

I'm wondering whether a pen balance problem is where it is actually held. I notice on YouTube the fountain pen reviewer S.B.R.E Brown always hold his pens close to the nib, and if nowadays this is a general tendency then the balance of a given pen could prove a problem. I was taught to hold a pen about a third of the length of a pen from the nib, giving better control and in most cases might counter the balance of a posted pen.

[ENewton]

I agree that preferences are probably affected by where and how one holds the pen. Like Pickwick, I hold my pen about a third of the length of the pen from the nib. Because I write for hours every day and don't want to risk hand or finger fatigue, I prefer to let the weight of a pen rest back on my hand and to use my fingers essentially to steer. Therefore, I prefer a pen with some heft and will post as necessary to achieve that.

[tinta]

Because I'm often dealing with involuntary tremors in my writing hand, a back-weighted pen would prove a disadvantage. Any time that I've written with a posted or a long barrelled pen, I ended up with less hand control & more fatigue.

[LuckyKate]

I have arthritis at the base of my thumb, so a back heavy pen becomes painful after a few lines. I like light, well-balanced pens that are a bit long, tapered, and have thick barrels (Nakaya Naka-ai, F.C. 66)

[flipper_gv]

I love my m1000 because it is more back heavy which I think gives better control while writing since the pen is really well anchored on the web between my thumb and index. Also, the pen doesn't require pressure at all to write (as it should) so it's not like I need the front weight to put the pressure necessary.

 

My Lamy 2000 is more front heavy and I really dislike it if it's not posted.

[ac12]

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I'm wondering whether a pen balance problem is where it is actually held. I notice on YouTube the fountain pen reviewer S.B.R.E Brown always hold his pens close to the nib, and if nowadays this is a general tendency then the balance of a given pen could prove a problem. I was taught to hold a pen about a third of the length of a pen from the nib, giving better control and in most cases might counter the balance of a posted pen.

 

You touched on an interesting point.

 

If you look at most/many pens, the flared section/grip is right next to the nib, and thus close to the tip of the nib. This is how Stephen Brown holds his pen. I think this is how I held my FP before, with the logic that that must be where you are supposed to hold the pen, on the grip next to the flare.

 

But now, I hold the pen with my fingers about 3.5cm from the tip and my thumb about 5cm back, +/- depending on the pen. This is MUCH farther back, and in some cases (Parker Vacumatic and Pelikan 140) I am holding the body of the pen, not the section. As a result, I am holding a thicker part of the pen than the grip/section.

[Bo Bo Olson]

 

Pickwick...very good point.

 

[TSherbs]

Bo Bo, a very thorough reply. Well-put.

[Lam1]

I don't know if there are any benefits, but I prefer back heavy pens because they sit very well in my hand due to the way I hold the pen when writing. They make writing effortless for me.

 

I also agree with others that a "well balanced pen" is dependent on the person that holds it. Thus, "for me" a "well balanced pen" is a back heavy one.

[Noihvo]