Best type of handwriting

[jlopez123]

Hi I`m new to the fountain pen world, i was just wondering what is the recommended type of handwriting to use with fountain pens?

[Bold2013]

I do a modified cursive with printing to maximize speed. Basically after using a pen for long enough I subconsciously change my writting to optimize speed, style, and line variation. So basically the pen teaches me how it likes to write. (But can be influenced by paper ink)

[Robert]

Whatever is (a) legible and (b) comfortable for your hand.

[Sammyo]

Wow, that's a tough one... I change my handwriting to suit the pen I am using.

If I am using an italic, stub, oblique or broad nib I use a kind of semi-cursive, semi-printed italic style.

If I use a flexible, fine or medium nib I change to a more "standard" cursive style (still with slightly italic leanings).

To be honest, try and find a sample you like and get the nib to suit the style you want to emulate... then write a lot and slowly adapt and change to your own style ;)

[gbryal]

I re-learned whatever Palmer/Zaner-Bloser/D'Nealian mashup I learned in elementary school by copying exemplars from the internet.

[Inxoy]

Wholly based on circumstances.
Notes: plain jane print
Letters: elementary school cursive (whatever that was).

I started to use fountain pens exclusively last fall and the most interesting thing is my handwriting has improved SIGNIFICANTLY. I always could write legibly but letters would be inconsistent up or down on a line, letter size changes mid word, letter spacing all over the place and just generally embarrassing looking. I don't know if I feel my words now have a greater purpose and elegance and therefore I take the time to write better or if the fact the pressure applied to write is different and so my hand relaxed and results just followed.

[View from the Loft]

Whatever is (a) legible and (b) comfortable for your hand.

This.

[Anne]

Just because you are writing with a fountain pen, don't think you Have to force yourself to write a certain way.
It may be fun to research different styles of writing and practicing the ones you find look nice, but Forcing yourself to write in another style does not sound fun.
Nor do I think it is necessary. Enjoy the pen and Enjoy your writing.

[gbryal]

A lot of people new to fountain pens associate them exclusively to calligraphy, and that's often what people ask me when they learn I am into fountain pens "Oh, do you do calligraphy?"
Partially because of the kits that have several calligraphy nibs and use a cartridge fountain pen, and partially because a lot of people don't quite know the difference between dip pens and fountain pens.

So, you don't have to do calligraphy or do anything differently than you have ever done. On the other hand, if you are coming from ballpoints, you might find the more even lines you get now inspire you to try something new. As you come across photos of people's writing on the board you will find every kind of writing. I prefer writing in cursive. I am not sure if my correspondents prefer READING my cursive :).

[Morgaine]

I do not have the patience to do calligraphy, so I just use a joined up handwriting style. It has morphed a little bit to make it a little more legible as some of my correspondents are not native English speakers/writers but I suspect my old primary school headmistress would not be impressed (she was quite strict and every little error would be underlined).

[Kaputnik]

Whatever feels right to you. To me, a smooth writing fountain pen seems to "want" to use some form of cursive, but it doesn't have to be copperplate or Spencerian. For what it's worth, I still use the public school cursive I learned in the 1960s, modified in the usual ways by increasing age and eccentricity.

I actually used ballpoints most of my life before trying a fountain pen some five or six years ago. I did not find that I had to modify my basic handwriting significantly, but I did find that it developed a bit more flair when I became accustomed to using a smooth fountain pen nib. And it now seems to me that, when I do go back to a ballpoint temporarily, it retains some of that more elegant style. Could be kidding myself.

Of course, using nibs designed to create line variation, such as italics or flex nibs, may tempt you to learn some more specialized form of writing.

[Mister5]

Whatever you feel gives you the most pleasure. There's no sense in trying to force yourself into something that you just plain hate.

My experience: For what its worth for years (before I used fountain pens regularly) I exclusively printed. But after a month or so with fountain pens I switched over to my awful cursive that I learned in elementary school and have continued to use that when I use fountain pens. Some of this I think stems from certain pens being hard-starts... if the ink is already flowing in a word then its less of a problem to continue the inkflow in cursive, whereas print is constant stop and start... more prone to hard-start issues.

When I pick up a ballpoint, however, I print. I think Brian Goulet on one of his Q&A videos said he does the same: fountain pens - cursive, ball point - print.

[FredRydr]

...what is the recommended type of handwriting to use with fountain pens?

Ask your question here: http://theflourishforum.com/forum/

Fred

[DPWilkens]

You can write however you want with a fountain pen. Some nibs are better suited to certain writing styles: Esterbrook made a whole product line based on nibs for certain specialized purposes such as Griggs Shorthand. I find italic nibs better for printing and most other nibs better for cursive myself. I will suggest though that the cursive handwriting most typical of the 19th century is the "native" style of modern fountain pens. The nib shape is derived from steel dip-nib pens, and those were developed when steel became cheap in the 1850s and on to replace hand cut goose quills, which had been the dominant writing tool for centuries. In the broadest sense, some sort of flowing script like a version of cursive is better written with fountain pens than say, the linear style of the era when scribes used styluses and wax tablets, or reeds and clay tablets. Oddly enough, when studying Chinese I found that fountain pens are excellent at replicating the effect of a traditional horsehair brush and writing Chinese characters.

[titrisol]

Whatever feels comfortable.... I have used FP since 3rd grade in school so a Palmer mashup is my style
My main issue is slow my hands down to write legibly ;)

[inklord]

Whatever feels comfortable makes sense. I write 'code cursive'. It's based on the cursive I learned in grade school in Germany, modified by an overall degradation of my attention to what I do, so that now nobody can read it other than myself and my wife - hence 'code'. Actually, most times only my wife can read it. Most kids have forgotten that you can write on something without a screen anyways :).

[Laurie]

I just use the cursive handwriting I also learnt at school in the 1950's. I had to attend lectures during my later years and had to take notes. I found that you had to write very fast to keep up. My handwriting got a bit scrappy when I wrote fast and I now naturally write much faster than when at school and I tend to badly form some letters.
You may read on this forum about some older fountain pens that have flexy nibs with which you can make your handwriting very attractive with changes in the width of the line. If you are interested in experimenting with flex than I recommend you follow the advice that I was given a few years ago from Jon Szanto. That advice was to buy a few nibs and buy or make a pen holder. You can go to the Flourish forum (see previous post and hyperlink provided by Fred) which will give you some clues. Also you can google nibs and find where to buy them. There is also a few youtubes on how to make the pen holders.

I undertook some free lessons on the Flourish forum, bought a couple of books and learnt "copperplate" or what is called in the USA "roundhand" The gathering of various nibs and pen holders and practising a new handwriting is very infectious and I am sure you will get a lot of pleasure. Most of the nibs are fairly cheap although there are a few rare nibs that you can pay a lot of money for. You will see there are some suggested nibs for learning. There are some very flexy nibs like the Gillott 303 and many many others. After using these old flex nibs you will get to understand how to use flex in your handwriting. I dont think you would ever find a fountain pen that can give the flex that these old nibs have. Also if you over flex and damage the nib you can replace it cheaply. If you buy an older fountain pen with a flexy nib and damage it it would be much more expensive to find a replacement. I even make my own walnut ink which is made from the ground shell of a walnut.

I have attached a photo of my self made pen holders with nibs and some copperplate exercises I did

28279

[Laurie]

I omitted to give you a word of warning. Dont try to flex with your fountain pens unless you know the nib and have some experience. You can easily damage the nib if you apply too much pleasure. Also you will see the second last pen holder above. I buy some cheap paint brush packs from the dollar shop and I use the thicker ones to make my pen holders. Makes it very cheap.