Lamy disrupted my groove

[Reconnaissanceman]

I bought a Lamy Safari fine nib as a gift for my sister. I have read much good from others about the pen, and I thought I would ink it a little and test it out. I was very put off by the triangular flats on either side of the nib because it forced me to hold the pen differently than I was used to. My life-long grip was: index finger on the top, thumb to the left and beneath, resting the barrel on my middle finger which also rested with the remaining fingers on the paper. I believe some call this "tripod", and I normally use pens with rounded barrels.

 

The Lamy Safari has a flat on the left and on the right side of the barrel, angled together. Holding the pen the way it wants to be held requires the index on the right flat and the thumb directly across on the other flat and the pen resting on the web between thumb and index finger, the remaining fingers on the writing surface. This unconventional hold was uncomfortable, but as I practiced I noticed that my stroke now pivoted from the forearm in a much more pronounced way than the way I'd been accustomed to.

 

I would love to read commentaries on this, so please chip in.

 

Cheers,

Mike

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Reconnaissanceman said:

Holding the pen the way it wants to be held requires the index on the right flat and the thumb directly across on the other flat and the pen resting on the web between thumb and index finger, the remaining fingers on the writing surface.

All that seems right, except the pen should still be resting on the middle finger:

[inkstainedruth]

Early on I tried someone's Safari and didn't think I could get used to the grip (and even less so on an al-Star, which seemed sharper to me because you could machine aluminum more closely than plastic).  Then someone gave me a Jinhao 599, a knockoff version of a Safari or al-Star, in a gift swap a few years ago.  

And now?  Three Safaris (Dark Lilac SE, Violet SE, and a used French Blue from 2005).  Plus two al-Stars (Vibrant Pink SE and this year's Azure SE), and a Ruthenium LX.  

But now you've got me thinking about how I do hold them.  And will have to both think about it and hold the pens to see what I actually do.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

 

[arcfide]

There is "orthodox" and then there is "ORTHODOX". 

 

The European countries, and Germany in particular, developed unique and relatively independent handwriting techniques that warrant some distinction from those in the US. In particular, Germany and the UK and France have all retained historical connections to either Textualis Quadratis, Italic, or Roundhand penmanship of one form or another. All of the modern versions of which can readily be written using the middle finger on the bottom of the pen, and the thumb and forefinger at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions, relatively speaking. This is an excellent style for stub nibs and also for Italic penmanship. It is *also* the grip that eventually became standard after Zaner-bloser basically dominated the handwriting of the U.S. school system. So, when the tripod grip is spoken about today, the Lamy Safari is the "orthodox" position. 

 

However, the US also has an independent tradition that didn't necessarily migrate to Europe. That is the Spencerian and Palmer method traditions. In those traditions, the hold of the pen was highly contended and one of the major elements of the systems taught. Both Spencerian, and by extension, the Palmer adaptation, focused on the index finger in the 12 to 1 o'clock position and the thumb and middle finger at 7 and 5 o'clock. In these systems, you tended to expect the wrist to not sit on the paper too much, and the nails of the ring and pinky fingers were often used as the canonical base for stabilizing the grip. This was to facilitate greater arm movement in the hand and less wrist motion. It is not as easy to use a Safari if you intend to stick to that method of holding the pen. 

 

However, most modern systems of writing permit your palm to rest on the paper and the wrist to have more motion. And in such systems, the Safari orthodox tripod grip is quite good. Most European methods of writing I have seen that are even remotely modern all promote this style, and certainly by the time the Safari was introduced in the 80's. I believe only pointed pen Roundhand might have differed in this. 

 

At any rate, the end result is that there is some carryover from people in the US who will hold their pens that way and have been taught that this is the "traditional method." And they're mostly right, but in terms of what is normally consider a formal orthodox tripod grip today, and which pen companies model their ergonomic pens after to aid that grip in pens for children such as the Safari, the 10 and 2 position of the thumb and forefinger is considered more orthodox and "correct". 

 

Of course, nothing stops you from using the Safari in a different hold, and actually, even though it feels a little strange at first, there is nothing really bad about holding the pen unconventionally. It is light and easy to hold, so you don't need to do anything crazy with the pen hold. 

[Anne-Sophie]

 

 

I pretty much hold my pen like LizEF but, more horizontally, so that the pen is resting on the webbing between the thumb and index finger, so I don't grip the pen, just lightly hold it, it just rest there while I write. 

[austollie]

I did much of my schooling in Germany and learned to write with a fountain pen.  The way I got taught to hold a pen is as in LizEF's photo.  In fact the German student pens of the late 1980s (e.g. the updated Pelikano Model 6) often marked the areas with different textures (that also prevented slipping) where each finger was meant to go.

 

The grip profile of the Lamy Safari is perfect for me, although I can understand that if one is used to holding a pen differently, the triangular Safari grip profile would be annoying.

[Arkanabar]

When I saw the title, this immediately came to mind:

Bo Bo Olsen consistently recommends the forefinger up over the orthodox tripod, as it enforces a more relaxed grip.  I use tripod, but still can't stand the facets on the Safari and like models.  But while I will caution people that the Safari et alii may not be fore them, I won't tell them "Never get such an abomination!"  There are a lot of people who love the Safari, and it's possible that your sister would be one of you.

[kealani]

The Lamy Safari is a poor fit for my long fingers and personal writing preference (thicker barrels). I tried it, a lot, then gave it away. The same thing happened with the taper on the Lamy 2000. Just a poor fit for me personally. Great for others. Just not for me.

 

Pen's are like trying to find shoes that fit. Some are merely okay, some are terrible, some are just right.

 

k

[BaronWulfraed]

On 7/27/2021 at 10:32 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Early on I tried someone's Safari and didn't think I could get used to the grip (and even less so on an al-Star, which seemed sharper to me because you could machine aluminum more closely than plastic).  Then someone

All my Al-Stars have the same section as a Safari (the difference is that one uses a removable spacer -- take the spacer off and the section fits the other).

 

I've never seen an Al-Star with an aluminum (machined) section.

[Anne-Sophie]

On 9/7/2021 at 6:05 PM, BaronWulfraed said:

All my Al-Stars have the same section as a Safari (the difference is that one uses a removable spacer -- take the spacer off and the section fits the other).

 

I've never seen an Al-Star with an aluminum (machined) section.

 

The early Al-Star used harder plastic for their sections or their sections angles were less polished than the Safaris/Vistas'.

 

There is no longer a difference between the Safari, Vista and Al-Star section, all very smooth.