Trying to identify a handwriting style...

[MarieElizabeth]

Hello,

     I'm very new to this forum and have just started using/collecting fountain pens.  It is an art that has always fascinated me as I believe my 4th grade teacher used some Palmer handwriting teaching techniques.  I handwrite a lot of thank you notes for an organization I volunteer for and am trying to emulate a particular style of handwriting.  I have given two samples:  one was taken from the 1920 census in California, and I'm guessing the other was around the same era due the similar style.  I am trying to identify the school of handwriting these were from (Spencerian, Palmer, etc.) - my guess is that it's some sort of business Spencerian, but I'd appreciate some opinions from others.

     I would also like to ascertain what sort of fountain pen would have been used at this time, and what modern equivalents would suffice.   I don't understand why fountain pens made today are not like the vintage.

 

Any suggestions would help and I thank you in advance.   Marie

[txomsy]

 

Welcome to FPN!

 

As for the pen, there is not much to choose from nowadays that can make that. Those samples may have been written likely with a dip pen, not a fountain pen. Yet, some fountain pens of yonder had flexible nibs that might produce similar line variation. But, alas, as the ballpoint came and took over, people got used to apply too much pressure to their writing instrument to get the ink flowing and that does not bear well with flexible nibs which demand a light touch for thin lines and may be sprung if too much pressure is applied. The result is that from mid-20th century fountain pens have evolved to have non-flexible, hard nibs that could be used irrespective of pressure.

 

Nowadays, most pens are not capable of that variation. Probably the best choice is the Montblanc 149 or 146 with a flexible calligraphy nib, if you can find one, for they are a limited edition that is on the verge of being withdrawn, and much sought after, its price is high and I would not recommend it for a newcomer as it is expensive and difficult to master.

 

A less flexible option is a Pilot with Falcon (FA) nib. Not so flexible but may do. Price is in the, let's say, medium range.

 

But, for a starter I would rather recommend a pen from Fountain Pen Revolution USA (FPR) with their Ultraflexible extra fine nib. That will not break the bank, they have a wide choice of pens, and will allow you that much (and maybe more) line variation, albeit with more pressure than a good calligraphy nib. IMHO, that is the best choice for a starter.

 

If you do not mind tinkering with a dremmel and disassembling/reassembling pens, the choice of cheap flexible (actually "semi-flex") nibs is larger and you can modify them to tune their flexibility.  I wouldn't got that route if you are starting. Better aim for an FPR ultraflex.

 

Other makers sell "flex" nibs, but they give little variation and require more effort, so their nibs fall more on the "semi-flex" side.

 

If you are really intent on getting a pen with a flexible nib, then your best choice is to get a pen you like and sending it to a reputed nibmeister (an artisan that can grind and tune the nib) for tuning. That will give you the best ratio quality/price. I only have experience with FPnibs.com and they do a great work. I wouldn't go that route either is you are starting. Better reserve it for later, once you know more and know what you want.

 

As an alternative you can try to find a vintage pen with a flexible nib. The problem is ensuring you get one with a flex nib that will satisfy you. Since you normally will buy it online and cannot try it, that is a pit hole that may drain your pocket quickly unless you buy from a reputed seller (at a higher price tag) and even so you may not be happy. For that, I'd rather try to get the Montblanc Calligraphy. But, again, I would not go that route as a newcomer unless having the money and commitment.

 

If you still decide to go for a fully flex pen other than an FPR ultraflex, then I would start practicing with a dip pen, e.g. with Zebra-G nibs, until you get the hang of it, and before you ruin an otherwise valuable pen.

 

 

As for the style. Do not take my word from it, to me it looks like a variant of Spencerian and Engrosser's, Copperplate or "American Cursive". That is no surprise: in the last two centuries, specially 19th, there were many masters proposing their own styles which often were small variants of each other. By the end of the 20th, there was a trend in many places to let students develop their own style (based on classic ones).

 

I think that, if you want to get something similar, you do not need to exactly match it, just learn any of the many variants.

 

A very good book for starters is "Italic and Copperplate Calligraphy: The Basics and beyond", by Eleanor Winters. It is not expensive, it is didactic, sound and will teach you about the two major styles, Italic (where line variation is produced by a blunt nib without requiring conscious effort to control pressure) and Copperplate (where line variation depends on the pressure applied on a fine pointed nib). You just cannot go wrong with that one.

 

[arcfide]

The two examples given look like two different styles. The census document looks to me like a Spencerian or American Cursive style, not quite Palmer, yet, but in that space between in which, as @txomsy points out, there were many competing schools. The lower document looks harder to place, to me, as it feels more roundhand to me than the above. You say that you don't know if they are from the same era or not, and that makes it difficult. I would have placed the other document as being earlier in time than the census document. 

[Mangegrain]

Hello Marie,

 

I think the "letter" sample was written with a dip pen rather than a fountain pen, because of the line thickness amplitude and perceived differences in ink.

 

Fountain pens were complex and expensive back then and their nibs had "iridium" tips so that they would last long.

Because of these ball-shaped tips, even fountain pen nibs with Extra Fine tips would draw lines with a minimum thickness of 0.3 mm.

It takes a - disposable - dip pen nib to trace such hair-fine lines as well as very thick lines.

 

And : some letters seem (well : hard to tell because that's a low-res scan) to be written with less ink on the nib. For example, on line 3, in "opportunity", first 'p' seems very "dry" while the second seems more "wet".

 

Regarding modern fountain pens and flex nibs, like txomsy I feel disappointed. So far, only my FPR Darjeeling with ultraflex nib was able to deliver both a decent amplitude and ink feed without requiring massive pressure.

I also have a couple of vintage fountain pens from the 40's-50's that are good cursive calligraphers.

 

But an actual dip pen is still much better and very, very flexible. They're also dirt cheap and you can try thousands of variants & shapes.

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Mangegrain
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