How slow should I write

[pentopaper]

We all know that one of the benefits of fountain pens is that they can improve our hand writing by forcing us to write slower. I was wondering though, how slowly do you write? What I'm really wondering is this: does slow hand writing reduce the number of skips that a fountain pen has? The slower the better?

[Randal6393]

Depends on the pen. But, I write as swiftly with most of my pens as with a rollerball or ballpen. The real reason I use a fountain pen is gain the benefit of the italic writing hand.

 

Writing slowly is fine for a finished draft that is to be neat and "look its best". But my hand acquires character when it is written at normal speed -- the slight irregularities of my style show up and say, "This is written by a real human, not a machine.". I won't slow down or redo my work when sending my daughter a letter. But I might slow down and focus a bit more when addressing the envelope.

 

Luck,

 

[Daosus]

The other reason a fountain pen may improve your handwriting is because it requires no pressure. I only bring this up because I've found I actually write faster with a fountain pen.

 

PS - Your pen shouldn't really be skipping.

[nolagraph]

I tend to write only slightly slower with a fountain pen than I did with a ballpoint, and that's just because I like to concentrate on my handwriting more now. You can write as fast or as slowly as you want, but I've found that if I write too fast my letters blur together and if I write too slowly my lines stop being smooth and become rather jittery. So for the most part it's my handwriting that controls the speed with which I write, and I haven't found any fountain pen to be a limiting factor.

[Possum Hill]

We all know that one of the benefits of fountain pens is that they can improve our hand writing by forcing us to write slower. I was wondering though, how slowly do you write? What I'm really wondering is this: does slow hand writing reduce the number of skips that a fountain pen has? The slower the better?

I find my own experience is that I can write faster with a fountain pen. If the ink flow can't keep up, the pen needs to be adjusted or replaced.

 

There's an upper limit on speed where legibility becomes unacceptable, but I find that it's easier to maintain legibility with the FP because it takes less effort overall to write.

[Kushana]

I seem to write faster with a fountain pen, too. (This, and abbreviation, can lead to unfortunate -- or perhaps brilliant? -- moments in my idea notebook: "Apocalypse" or "Apocryphon"? "Paul" or "Palut"? "Gospel" or "Gnosis"?)

 

I probably should write slower but new ideas are fleeting and there's nothing worse than only catching half of one.

 

-Kushana

[vermillionpart4]

Yup! I write more quickly as well.

[ANM]

I am with the others. I write just as quickly with a fountain pen as i would with any other writing instrument. If the pen does not keep up, it needs help, not me.

[Pippin60]

I write much faster with a fountain pen. Yet it still helps me to write better. I do use roller balls, but now if I use a ball point I feel like I'm pushing a shovel. :ltcapd:

[HDoug]

In terms of maximum velocity, the writing implement doesn't seem to matter much. Ballpoint, rollerball, pencil, or fountain pen. But nothing rewards slow writing like a fountain pen. Sounds weird, but sometimes I write really slowly just for the fun of it.

 

Doug

[piembi]

I am with the others. I write just as quickly with a fountain pen as i would with any other writing instrument. If the pen does not keep up, it needs help, not me.

 

I can second this. FP is even faster with the bonus of increased legibility.

[lapis]

Okay, here is a real answer which will conk out any and/or all real MB freaks but I'm not afraid any more. Sock it to me, baby!

 

{A} With any of my Sheaffer, Pelikan, Parker, or Waterman pens, I can write as fast or as slow as I want, and I see no difference, apart from the real readability of the text.

 

{B} BUT, using my brand new MB 146 at any speed of writing, it still skips a lot, even if only in the first word or letter of a sentence, so that , immediately after opening the darn thing, I just press a lot on the damn nib, in the attempt that that won't happen in the first place.

 

SO! I said it.

 

Mike

[Possum Hill]

In terms of maximum velocity, the writing implement doesn't seem to matter much. Ballpoint, rollerball, pencil, or fountain pen. But nothing rewards slow writing like a fountain pen. Sounds weird, but sometimes I write really slowly just for the fun of it.

 

Doug

Oh yes! Something like a short note inside a card - it's so pleasant to linger over it.

[FrankB]

Your FP should not be skipping at any speed. That sounds like a mechanical issue that should be addressed.

 

I have two completely separate answers to the "how slow" part of your question. I find that I can write quite fast with EF or F nibs. The free flow of ink and effortles writing allow me to write very quickly if I want. When I slow down, I often find it hard to form my letters. My hand writing tends to look like scrawl with the finer nibs.

 

With M, B, BB or italic nibs, I can write very slowly, forming my letters more competently, and my handwriting looks radically better. The wider nibs give me more nib surface to write on, I have a better feel for the paper, and I even enjoy the writing process more. For this reason, I prefer the wider nibs.

 

So the size of the nib might influence how quickly - or slowly - you can write.

[lapis]

Frank, I have nothing to add.

 

DITTO plus AMEN!

 

Mike

[PAKMAN]

Fountain Pens do help me write slower and better. The only time this isn't true is when the ink / pen /paper combination bleeds and runs when you slow down.

[Shangas]

How...slow?

 

Hah!

 

If anything, when I use a fountain pen, my handwriting speeds up!

[DavidM1]

I write faster with a fountain pen. When I started using them I actually revised my use of cursive writing and I'm now much quicker with a fountain pen than when I used ball points etc, mainly because my style of writing changed.

 

I think you should write just a little slower than you think so that it all still makes sense...

[freznow]

When I write slow with a fountain pen I worry about the ink all coming out and bleeding through. I write fast, and it is more legible with a fountain pen than otherwise.

[DrPJM1]

I write at my normal speed then increase or decrease ink flow to my preference.