Preferable Pen Weight

[25_15_3]

20-25g granted that the pen is balanced and an appropriate length

[sandy101]

It's the distribution of the weight that's more important than the weight itself.

 

I've been using the Italix Parson's Essential and an S T Dupont tonight. both are relatively heavy, but the (unposted) weight sits well in my hand.

 

Another favourite is Sailor's (resin) sapporo which is featherlight compared to the other two, and also writes very well.

 

I spent a bit of time looking at the stuff on grip on these pages, and made sure I was using a good one. It took a little practise, but that seems to have helped.

 

Some pens work better posted, others do not.

[Inky.Fingers]

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[Honeybadgers]

I like my thin, narrow pens to be on the heavier side, but I like my bigger, wider pens to be lighter.

[A Smug Dill]

The degree to which I get hand fatigue from writing has more to do with how I'm writing (with a view to producing particular effects or outcomes) than the weight of the pen. My Rotring Initial pen (with a thick metal barrel) is far heavier than my Pilot Custom 74 (with a SF nib) and my Sailor Proske (with a Zoom nib), but I don't find 'normal' writing in English with the Rotring more tiring than with the lighter, plasticky Japanese pens; however, my hand gets tired trying to get line variation out of the latter, but I wouldn't even try to do so from the nail of a Medium nib (which actually writes like a Fine nib) fitted on the Rotring.

[Mech-for-i]

personally I do not care too much for feather weight pen , I like a pen with certain weight to it but more important where the weight distribute. if a light pen would have the right weight where I can feel comfortable then I am all for it too. None the less much oversized pen or over weighted pen usually do not made a comfortable pen.

[Honeybadgers]

The degree to which I get hand fatigue from writing has more to do with how I'm writing (with a view to producing particular effects or outcomes) than the weight of the pen. My Rotring Initial pen (with a thick metal barrel) is far heavier than my Pilot Custom 74 (with a SF nib) and my Sailor Proske (with a Zoom nib), but I don't find 'normal' writing in English with the Rotring more tiring than with the lighter, plasticky Japanese pens; however, my hand gets tired trying to get line variation out of the latter, but I wouldn't even try to do so from the nail of a Medium nib (which actually writes like a Fine nib) fitted on the Rotring.

 

I just this week decided that I now love rotring for some reason and just bought the model with the telescoping section, but the Initial has caught my eye and raises a question that you might be able to answer - how well does the Initial post? I don't mind a back-heavy pen, but I do hate when they get super long or don't post securely. A pen either shouldn't post at all or should post properly, IMO.

 

I just wish the 600 fountain pen wasn't so hysterically expensive. I'd spend about $80-100 for one with a steel nib, the 600 pencil is my favorite pencil ever.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Smug Dill...forefinger up = 0 hand fatigue. One of the reasons I'm glad I switched to it; besides which, is good in wide or narrow, light or heavy pens; because the pen rests on a flat thumb dam, at 08:30 there is no down pressure like in the classic's 10:00 down pressing tripod position.

 

Help! How Do You Hold Your Fountain Pen?

[A Smug Dill]

how well does the Initial post? I don't mind a back-heavy pen, but I do hate when they get super long or don't post securely.

The heft of the fat metal barrel sees to it that the almost equally as hefty cap does not unbalance the pen too much when posted, but I wouldn't trust the cap to sit securely posted over, say, a full page of writing. What isn't robust about the Rotring Initial is the plastic inner seal on the inside of the cap, and I have pushed one permanently out of place before with a rolled up piece of facial tissue (trying to soak up droplets of ink), which ended with me having to send the pen back to Rotring to be repaired. I'm certainly not so gung-ho after that experience about pushing things hard inside the cap, and that includes the tapered round end of the barrel; but, if you don't push hard, then the cap doesn't stay still while capped.

 

I'm much 'happier' writing with the Rotring Initial unposted, both for balance and for my own peace of mind.

[A Smug Dill]

Smug Dill...forefinger up = 0 hand fatigue. One of the reasons I'm glad I switched to it; besides which, is good in wide or narrow, light or heavy pens; because the pen rests on a flat thumb dam, at 08:30 there is no down pressure like in the classic's 10:00 down pressing tripod position.

Sorry, but I don't follow what you're saying there at all, or at least the practicality of it applied to writing intended to produce line variation (with swells) in cursive English writing, or the correct shape of strokes in Chinese kaishu writing, using a pointed pen nib as opposed to a broad-edged nib.

 

I genuinely don't know, and so I'm sincerely asking: Can you produce the stroke width variation shown at the bottom of this post of mine with your forefinger up while holding the pen to write?

[inkstainedruth]

I also have relatively small ("girly") hands. So I prefer lighter weight pens. My heaviest pen is a TWSBI-580 AL (pink) which is pretty much the weight limit for me (I post nearly all my pens). So now, when something comes out, I look and see (if possible) what the weight, capped, is -- and that gives me a good benchmark as to whether it would be too heavy for me. Although I was surprised last month at my local Pelikan Hub -- an M800 size pen was NOT as heavy as I remembered it being; it was still a little fat to be really comfortable for me to use, but I'm now wondering if I've gotten used to heavier pens with the TWSBI having been in use so much last year.

I still prefer lighterweight pens over heavy ones -- especially if I'm going to be doing a lot of writing at one sitting). OTOH, for that purpose I *don't* want really skinny pens either -- so if I have to be taking copious notes or do more writing than in my morning pages journal, I'm not going to be reaching for a Parker Vector or 45, any more than reaching for the TWSBI (a lot of writing with a really skinny pen is going to give me hand cramps, no matter how lightweight it is). For that, it's going to be a lighterweight but medium girth pen: the M200/M400 size Pelikans, the Parker 51s or larger size Vacs, or maybe one of the Noodler's Konrads.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Bo Bo Olson]

A Smug Dill, I can't. But I scribble in Chicken Scratch.

It all depends on what nib you are using.

Italic Calligraphy is one thing.

Spenserian and Copperplate another, and the forefinger up was and is used in such scripts.

If the nib has enough flex; semi-flex/maxi-semi-flex, pressing down with the forefinger on the down stroke will pressure a semi/maxi or superflex into flexing. Not pressing down will not give you much line variation. Again depending on which nib flex you are using.

 

Semi-maxi, is line variation on demand. Semi-flex less than maxi. Semi-flex is more like adding the old fashioned fountain pen flair with out doing anything. One gets a natural flair on the first letter or any other letter one presses on.

Maxi does that easier.

Super flex be that Easy Full Flex or Wet Noodle will give wider tine spread with much less pressure. They tend to be narrower nibs, but one can find wider nibs if one looks.

 

So it all depends on which nib you are using, if one is using the hand fatiguing tripod or the non-fatiguing forefinger up, how flexible is the nib...or if one wants Italic; it will be a nail, in the scripts are so different.

 

Whee, I went back to look at your examples and thought I lost this post.

Look to dip pen nibs for your Chinese script, they flex so much easier than a Wet Noodle which will cost you $$$. Those nibs are affordable. If right handed get an oblique pen holder.

I have medium flex dip pen nibs that make a wet noodle look lame. I have a 99-100-101 Hunt that really make a Wet Noodle look uncooked. Sigh cubed, I'm too lazy to use them.

 

The 'forefinger up' was used by master writing craftsmen of the late 19th century, when Spenserian was a nice show off script. It was never a business script.

So if they could get wide and narrow letters so can you; with practice.

 

For that a business writing system that looks like Palmer but was before ,was used by the stand up clerks at work so it could be easily, and various ways of making a second copy for the records were used.

The guy sitting down...at a desk....the boss might well have used his signature pen to do a fancy name...or those having arrived or in a higher class would write letters to each other in Spenserian...to show off they were educated in that..

Edited October 9, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[TSherbs]

Light pens for me: 15-30 gm.

[ardene]

Most pen out there are designed to be balanced. Weight does not really matter, all pens are usable for protracted lengths of time. I personally prefer medium weight for long writing sessions. Too light or too heavy can tire the wrist if you write at varying writing speeds.

[ac12]

Beside weight and balance is the fit/feel of the pen in my hand. That includes the pens diameter.

I pretty much do not use a pen that is over 13mm in diameter, as it feels uncomfortable. Like trying to write with a kindergarten pencil.

• The Lamy 2000 is just over my size and weight limit for comfortable writing. The similar profile but smaller and lighter Parker 45 is much more comfortable, for ME, to write with.
• I prefer the Parker Lady Duofold to the larger Duofold Senior.
• I prefer the slim Esterbrook LJ to the standard J.