Synergy

[winslo]

Synergy or the lack of. How my hand anatomy is not cross compatible with all pens.

I used various pens over a period of time. I did not use these pens once or twice but but over a period weeks. What I experienced was that no matter the price or design I can write fairly legible and consistent with each.

If you disregard the characteristics such as feedback, inks, nib size etc. every pen to me is usable. I’m not saying I like or do not like these pens, just that I have no issues writing with them. However one pen keeps eluding me. No matter how hard I tried, I cannot get consistent characters in my cursive writing with it.The writing is not bad, but not as good as with other pens. I can’t explain it, my hand won’t do it.

It can’t be the nib because the other pens are writes everywhere from being a nail to a smooth as butter 18k gold nib. It can’t be the barrel design or weight because all the pens I used are different. I could go on. Every pen I tried has their own idiosyncrasies. And every pen I can write well with except one.

Can it be a mental block?

What am I missing? Do I have to write 'differently' with this pen?

—

Pens that I can write fairly decent with:

Platinum Preppy 0.5mm
Platinum Carbon Desk Pen
Wing Sung 699 F
Lamy Safari F
Twsbi Eco M
Twsbi 580 ALR F
vintage Parker 51
Pelikan 805 EF

As you can see all different.

The elusive pen:

Pilot Falcon SF.

[Jon Szanto]

Maybe this is a trick question and I'm overlooking something else, but to me the answer seems obvious: the Pilot is the only pen that does NOT have a stiff nib. The SF designation indicates a "soft" nib, which means it has a bit of flex to it. As such, line width will vary a bit and it will take a bit more control if you want precise and even strokes. Also, if you are a person - using the other, 'stiff' nibs - who writes with a bit of pressure, it is certainly going to show up in the SF, which needs a lighter touch.

If this is already abundantly clear to you, I have no idea what else would make the pen the outlier. Frankly, though, I think it is down to the nib.

[winslo]

I do see that nib flex when writing. Would that little flex be enough to influence my writing? I’ll try your suggestion of an even lighter touch than normal and see where that goes.
Thanks.

[Jon Szanto]

I do see that nib flex when writing. Would that little flex be enough to influence my writing? Thanks.

Oh, absolutely! While not a "true" flex nib, these soft Falcon nibs do lend a fair amount of line variation to one's writing. TBH, most people *seek* this, not finding it a negative. If it seems too much work to control it, you might consider selling that and getting a pen with a stiffer nib. However, while it is a soft nib, you should be able to maintain a fairly consistent line if you just ease up on the pressure - the joy of fountain pens is often found in how effortlessly one can write. Beyond that, maybe you need to *embrace* these variations in your writing - it's a feature, not a bug!

[KBeezie]

I do see that nib flex when writing. Would that little flex be enough to influence my writing? Thanks.

Oh, absolutely! While not a "true" flex nib, these soft Falcon nibs do lend a fair amount of line variation to one's writing. TBH, most people *seek* this, not finding it a negative. If it seems too much work to control it, you might consider selling that and getting a pen with a stiffer nib. However, while it is a soft nib, you should be able to maintain a fairly consistent line if you just ease up on the pressure - the joy of fountain pens is often found in how effortlessly one can write. Beyond that, maybe you need to *embrace* these variations in your writing - it's a feature, not a bug!

And some like myself seek nibs like them (or semi-flex) not for the purpose of flexing but because I like a little springy/bounce feel when doing normal light handed writing rather than the feel of a firm nail. So there may be some very slight line variation with how I use most of my springy/semi nibs, but I'm using it more for the way it feels.

[Chrissy]

Maybe this is a trick question and I'm overlooking something else, but to me the answer seems obvious: the Pilot is the only pen that does NOT have a stiff nib. The SF designation indicates a "soft" nib, which means it has a bit of flex to it. As such, line width will vary a bit and it will take a bit more control if you want precise and even strokes. Also, if you are a person - using the other, 'stiff' nibs - who writes with a bit of pressure, it is certainly going to show up in the SF, which needs a lighter touch.

If this is already abundantly clear to you, I have no idea what else would make the pen the outlier. Frankly, though, I think it is down to the nib.

This.
I had to go and have a look at some images of a Pilot Falcon as I don't know the pen, but was already thinking that the SF designation must mean it would be more flexible than any of the other nibs mentioned. I actually find writing with flexible nibs quite difficult because I'm old and they seem to move about slightly more than stiffer nibs. Even fairly modern Pelikan nibs seem more flexible than other nibs when I write with them.