Penmanship and technology. An essay.

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vakmere

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Mar 25, 2014
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594
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Has technology ruined the ability to write words and numbers legibly? What good is a pen if you can't write well with it? Why worry about handwriting if you can do everything on a phone or keyboard? Have our kids not been taught penmanship in early years of school because teachers as well as students feel if they can type then why bother to learn how to write legibly? Learn penmanship on your own I guess. Bare minimum requirement would be sign your name – write to10 – and don't worry if anyone can read what you wrote because you will be texting 90% of the time anyway. Debatable.

In 1990 my son, while in grade school, nines looked like sevens, sixes looked like #2 fish hooks, lower case g looked like lower case y, and his penmanship as a whole looked like a cardiogram. I tried to get him to write legibly and of course hit a brick wall. Wasn't having it. His penmanship 25 years later is still inked chicken claws.

I went to Catholic school in the 60's and we all were required to participate in the Palmer Method and had to practice it for ½ hour every day in class. We took pride in what our handwriting looked like. Made me feel better about myself especially during detention when I had to write 100 times "I must behave in class – I must behave in class…." Then we were only allowed to use fountain pens. Nuns had a taboo with ball points or were getting a kickback from the FP industry. Funny though, I always saw the visiting priest with a ballpoint. Wearever or Schaeffer were the only 2 allowed then. Why did we have to do this? Because the teachers want to be able to read all we wrote without wasting time trying to figure out what the hell we wrote. Standardized handwriting I call it. Like a clean pair of dress pants and nice shirt, handwriting should be part of the ensemble. I like when people comment on how nice my penmanship is. I practiced it. We were all given the 'Palmer Pen' and I think that helped with the posture of the fingers and hand.

All this technology is not only affecting the quality of our handwriting, it's hurting our ability to spell as well. 'Talk text', where you speak into the phone, yields more often than not misspelled words and something other than what we spoke in the first place only to have to say it again. All the acronyms like LOL, TTYL, and more are shaping the future of how we communicate. Think about it: When's the last time you got a hand-written letter in your mail box? And how's your cursive looking these days? I have a little envy for those who can print really well and rivals my cursive skills.

Now, for me, I found there are certain requirements when it comes to pens and writing. Ink flow, grip, balance, weight, looks, and price, in that order. If I am to continue to want to write neat, comfortably, and legibly I found, by process of elimination and making lots of different kits with different inks, here is the break down.



Roller balls:

Ink flows way too fast, hard to control the pen, like writing with a syringe unless it's a bold refill. Ink bleeds thru the paper making the flip side no fun to write on. My handwriting looks bad with these. Besides they are top heavy and posting the cap causes an unbalance. On the positive side they are good looking and make nice gifts. I have made several that have a wow factor, very handsome, and are in the curio cabinet as a showpiece. I don't write with them other than one Baron on my desk which has aPilot G2-10 refill and a really nice spalted maple blank.


Ball points:

Although I do like some, I have to apply more pressure on the tip to get the ink to flow, run a drag line to get it started sometimes, extended writing times get a little fatiguing. When using a gel type refill in these it gives me a roller ball feel which is not desirable. Most work places require a ballpoint to be used especially if carbon copies or daily reporting or logs need to be done. The ones I make for me are mostly twist type, have a small trumpet bell at the end that mimics the curve of the index finger and thumb (ala Palmer Pen) and a Monteverdi refill (just my preference). I also like a rubber grip. I favor the Stratus for a click, it fits me, but there are some where the lower end is slippery and no fun after a few minutes.



Fountain pens:

They provide a nice line, minimal drag, good feedback from the paper, and I like a medium to wider grip. My penmanship is better with these. These are my 'go to' at home desk pen writer. A big 'however' is that these are not for people who are in the service industry where the risk of it falling out while crawling thru a ceiling, unloading trucks, having to take it in and out of the pocket 30 time aday and risking damage is desirable. A Jr. Statesman will not work here. Real estate, insurance people, collectors, those closing deals handing a client an Emperor fountain pen to ink the deal, this is where they shine. These are elegance and grace and intimidating to some. I handed a co-worker my Jr. George to checkout, couldn't figure out how to open it. He never had seen one before. That was a hoot.



A ten pack of BIC for $2.99 or something we made, the fact remains penmanship is something that has no real prominence in a lot of places. It's a personal thing, you either have it or you don't. I like to think it matters.


In closing: (think Andy Rooney)

You have to admit, some pens are downright painful to write with for any length of time. In this past year and a half I have made over 400 pens of all types, spent plenty of money on blanks, finishing supplies, kits, shipping, tax, and more just like all of you. What I found is that gaudy gimmick pens are not for me. Pens with flimsy clickers and unattractive embellishments are even more annoying. Companies make their money selling to us and if we ever sell what we make to anyone else doesn't matter as long as they sell what is in their inventory. The variety is vast. The quality also varies accordingly. We will never ever sell what we make to the point that suppliers can't keep up with demand. Is this a bad thing? Not for them. Are they putting importance on design to improve a person's handwriting? Not a chance. We look good in a new car, new suit, new hair style, Rolex watch. Do we really need good penmanship? I think so; it's just another way of looking good.
 
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mark james

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Excellent thoughts! Thank you for putting some effort into this.

I never learned cursive very well. I typically print. But in the past year I have started to use fountain pens, and have been more concerned with penmanship. I have 5-6 and rotate them freely with days that end in "y." But, It's kind of an opposite thought process for me...

Not: I have excellent penmanship, It would be nice to have a complimentary pen of high quality.

But: I have been given/made a beautiful, beautiful pen that I view as a piece of art or a skilled "tool," so I need to be able to use the darn thing in a proper fashion.

Just today, I used a Fountain Pen given to me from Chuck (Dalecamino). It is an Ebonite pen (blank), and I think it is beautiful, and also a gift. Well... I paid a lot of attention to HOW I was writing. I guess what I'm saying is that having that beautiful pen made me be more attentive to my handwriting.

Interesting...
 

Rockytime

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Jun 3, 2014
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1,074
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Arvada, CO 80003
I was in business for 30 years and hired many employees. Resumes with poor penmanship went into file 13 immediately. Sloppy handwriting told me there were other things lacking in the applicant. Job orders that could not be read resulted in errors and a loss of revenue and customers.
 

raar25

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Mar 29, 2011
Messages
770
Location
Glastonbury CT
I am not sure what happens in other school districts but my son in second grade is still required to practice writing. I went to school in the 70s had to learn and practice cursive and print than in high school and college drafting had to practice printing. Yet today my handwriting is still terrible. Without technology, specifically the computer I might not have graduated from college. Writing is not dead but I am not sure how the next generation is going to learn to sign documents since they wont learn script.
 

PenPal

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Nov 29, 2006
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2,708
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Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
I appreciate the remarks you made your efforts to communicate the obvious fact that handwriting is not taught or aquired by most of us for the reasons you gave so well.

My conclusion at age nearly 81 is for me after 30 yrs of making pens I have a distinct preference for Slimlines with Streamline centre bands and you know what the fine line non smudge writing these pens provide is excellent. Hand control you cant blame the pen you adapt.

Well over twenty years ago I bought from the factory an extra 300 brasses and over a hundred refills used to strip the kits as well and put the refills in a jar so I am using sometimes aged refills with scarce a failure.

I have studied through my parenting grandparenting great grandparenting how kids and adults use their pens with my wife and me we now have 65 of us.

Every chance I get at a sales point for pens I watch carefully how Joe or June public approach pens ,opening and using and care.Mr Bic has a lot to be ashamed of by devising the very throw away pen ownership shows we are very casual with pens.

One of my many sons in law grew up in a bark hut in the highlands of New Guinea his handwriting is copperplate been married to our 2nd daughter for going on 40 yrs now in his late 50,s his writing is excellent.

Without digressing I see where you are coming from and appreciate your remarks and often refer to the ancients comments made by the early Greeks/Romans how the people of today in their time were communicating and behaving.

My own first experiences at school were with a slate finished five yrs at High School in 1951.

Kind regards Peter.
 

Pete275

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Jul 26, 2010
Messages
440
Location
Houston, Tx.
Like Tony I too have begun practicing writing in both cursive and printing. This all began for me when I became interested in fountain pens. I guess in my case I've come full circle as I liked fountain pens and the art of writing when I was much younger. Funny thing is now my 21 year old daughter has gotten interested in learning cursive. They weren't really taught that in school.

Wayne
 

TonyL

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Mar 9, 2014
Messages
8,904
Location
Georgia
Like Tony I too have begun practicing writing in both cursive and printing. This all began for me when I became interested in fountain pens. I guess in my case I've come full circle as I liked fountain pens and the art of writing when I was much younger. Funny thing is now my 21 year old daughter has gotten interested in learning cursive. They weren't really taught that in school.

Wayne

Same here...Wayne...I took an interest in FPs and now I can't stop writing cursive (well, I did to type this LOL). I have enough control now to write with an BP, and RB, but still not enough for an FP. But it has served as great motivation. I have to look up the Palmer-method. I learned the "Sister Grace Marie" method (in parochial school). It had something to do with whacking my hands with long, flat, blunt objects....usually from behind me :biggrin:.

Write-on,

Tony
 

bloodhound

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Dec 14, 2014
Messages
191
Location
Acushnet , ma
I am right there with you. I went to school in the south (Alabama). Actually went to one of the last segregated schools. We were taught cursive. Oh and how to tell time. Another one of my pet peeves.

Now I look at the graduating classes now. My girlfriends daughter just finished her first year of college. And will come to me asking, lets say. What does a cursive x look like. Or in the living room we have a real clock. You know with hands. And say what time is it. Ummm the clock is right there. Or even better. I tell her.... "It's 1/4 til 5." And she will promptly say, "I dont know what that means. That really get my goose.

I think to myself. How are you the future leaders of my country. And you cant tell time?
 

oneleggimp

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Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
854
Location
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan 48230 United States o
Has technology ruined the ability to write words and numbers legibly? What good is a pen if you can't write well with it? Why worry about handwriting if you can do everything on a phone or keyboard? Have our kids not been taught penmanship in early years of school because teachers as well as students feel if they can type then why bother to learn how to write legibly? Learn penmanship on your own I guess. Bare minimum requirement would be sign your name – write to10 – and don't worry if anyone can read what you wrote because you will be texting 90% of the time anyway. Debatable.

In 1990 my son, while in grade school, nines looked like sevens, sixes looked like #2 fish hooks, lower case g looked like lower case y, and his penmanship as a whole looked like a cardiogram. I tried to get him to write legibly and of course hit a brick wall. Wasn't having it. His penmanship 25 years later is still inked chicken claws.

I went to Catholic school in the 60's and we all were required to participate in the Palmer Method and had to practice it for ½ hour every day in class. We took pride in what our handwriting looked like. Made me feel better about myself especially during detention when I had to write 100 times "I must behave in class – I must behave in class…." Then we were only allowed to use fountain pens. Nuns had a taboo with ball points or were getting a kickback from the FP industry. Funny though, I always saw the visiting priest with a ballpoint. Wearever or Schaeffer were the only 2 allowed then. Why did we have to do this? Because the teachers want to be able to read all we wrote without wasting time trying to figure out what the hell we wrote. Standardized handwriting I call it. Like a clean pair of dress pants and nice shirt, handwriting should be part of the ensemble. I like when people comment on how nice my penmanship is. I practiced it. We were all given the 'Palmer Pen' and I think that helped with the posture of the fingers and hand.

All this technology is not only affecting the quality of our handwriting, it's hurting our ability to spell as well. 'Talk text', where you speak into the phone, yields more often than not misspelled words and something other than what we spoke in the first place only to have to say it again. All the acronyms like LOL, TTYL, and more are shaping the future of how we communicate. Think about it: When's the last time you got a hand-written letter in your mail box? And how's your cursive looking these days? I have a little envy for those who can print really well and rivals my cursive skills.

Now, for me, I found there are certain requirements when it comes to pens and writing. Ink flow, grip, balance, weight, looks, and price, in that order. If I am to continue to want to write neat, comfortably, and legibly I found, by process of elimination and making lots of different kits with different inks, here is the break down.



Roller balls:

Ink flows way too fast, hard to control the pen, like writing with a syringe unless it's a bold refill. Ink bleeds thru the paper making the flip side no fun to write on. My handwriting looks bad with these. Besides they are top heavy and posting the cap causes an unbalance. On the positive side they are good looking and make nice gifts. I have made several that have a wow factor, very handsome, and are in the curio cabinet as a showpiece. I don't write with them other than one Baron on my desk which has aPilot G2-10 refill and a really nice spalted maple blank.


Ball points:

Although I do like some, I have to apply more pressure on the tip to get the ink to flow, run a drag line to get it started sometimes, extended writing times get a little fatiguing. When using a gel type refill in these it gives me a roller ball feel which is not desirable. Most work places require a ballpoint to be used especially if carbon copies or daily reporting or logs need to be done. The ones I make for me are mostly twist type, have a small trumpet bell at the end that mimics the curve of the index finger and thumb (ala Palmer Pen) and a Monteverdi refill (just my preference). I also like a rubber grip. I favor the Stratus for a click, it fits me, but there are some where the lower end is slippery and no fun after a few minutes.



Fountain pens:

They provide a nice line, minimal drag, good feedback from the paper, and I like a medium to wider grip. My penmanship is better with these. These are my 'go to' at home desk pen writer. A big 'however' is that these are not for people who are in the service industry where the risk of it falling out while crawling thru a ceiling, unloading trucks, having to take it in and out of the pocket 30 time aday and risking damage is desirable. A Jr. Statesman will not work here. Real estate, insurance people, collectors, those closing deals handing a client an Emperor fountain pen to ink the deal, this is where they shine. These are elegance and grace and intimidating to some. I handed a co-worker my Jr. George to checkout, couldn't figure out how to open it. He never had seen one before. That was a hoot.



A ten pack of BIC for $2.99 or something we made, the fact remains penmanship is something that has no real prominence in a lot of places. It's a personal thing, you either have it or you don't. I like to think it matters.


In closing: (think Andy Rooney)

You have to admit, some pens are downright painful to write with for any length of time. In this past year and a half I have made over 400 pens of all types, spent plenty of money on blanks, finishing supplies, kits, shipping, tax, and more just like all of you. What I found is that gaudy gimmick pens are not for me. Pens with flimsy clickers and unattractive embellishments are even more annoying. Companies make their money selling to us and if we ever sell what we make to anyone else doesn't matter as long as they sell what is in their inventory. The variety is vast. The quality also varies accordingly. We will never ever sell what we make to the point that suppliers can't keep up with demand. Is this a bad thing? Not for them. Are they putting importance on design to improve a person's handwriting? Not a chance. We look good in a new car, new suit, new hair style, Rolex watch. Do we really need good penmanship? I think so; it's just another way of looking good.
A lot of schools in our area are no longer teaching "Cursive" (aka "connected writing") to Elementary School kids. Computers are doing this as you state. It's leading to people who can't write read well, construct a proper Englsh sentence or spell words. The dumbing own of America.

I must make an admission- when I was in Elementary School back in the 50's I'd get good grades EXCEPT for "penmanship" where I'd manage a "C" along with a note: "Ernest's handwriting is atrocious". It stayed that way. My wife kidded me that I missed my calling: Instead of a Minister, I should have become a Physician since it seems to be a requirement that you can't read their handwriting :). That all changed in 1998 when I became very sick and was on a "Vent" for over four Months. That meant a "Trach" tube which meant I couldn't talk. I must have used a small forest' worth of paper writing notes to Doctors, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, etc. My penmanship improved materially when communicating with all those Medical types became vital to my well-being. LOL :)
 

terry q

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Jun 2, 2004
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301 E. Court St. Roanoke, Illinois, USA.
I am a retired engineer my formative adult years were spent printing. The last 10 to 15 years of my career everything was done on a computer. I realized at that point people were losing their individuality. I could print for hours with pen or pencil. My print was excellent and I was/am very proud of it. I still practice. I believe it makes my handwriting better.

BTW I don't answer text messages with meaningless abbreviations. Spell complete sentences or call me.
 

bobleibo

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Joined
Mar 15, 2007
Messages
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Location
Utah
Boy, did this strike a nerve for me. My dad made us practice our penmanship regularly and it sure didn't help that his was absolutely textbook. I remember when calculators first came out and our teachers would not allow anyone who could actually afford one to use it because they would never learn how to do mathematics. To this day I can still do basic math in my head faster than most people can on a calculator.....Thank You Mrs. Hafner!
Now, when I ask my kids "Do any of you ever actually pick up the phone and say hello to each other instead of texting" they look at me like I have a third eye.
But, the true reality check is when our kids and grandkids get old(er), they will be making these same comments and observations about their kids and grandkids. I wonder if pens will still exist?
 
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Boy, did this strike a nerve for me. My dad made us practice our penmanship regularly and it sure didn't help that his was absolutely textbook. I remember when calculators first came out and our teachers would not allow anyone who could actually afford one to use it because they would never learn how to do mathematics. To this day I can still do basic math in my head faster than most people can on a calculator.....Thank You Mrs. Hafner!
Now, when I ask my kids "Do any of you ever actually pick up the phone and say hello to each other instead of texting" they look at me like I have a third eye.
But, the true reality check is when our kids and grandkids get old(er), they will be making these same comments and observations about their kids and grandkids. I wonder if pens will still exist?

Boy that also struck a nerve... Like you I had to learn math the same way... no calculators allowed all through high school, but when I entered the work force about 50 years ago after the navy, my first job was as a billing clerk with a company in Dallas... I was assigned a desk, a "calculator" (an old Marchant mechanical machine)... I could do math in my head faster than it could.. all those wheels and dials spinning... but later I went to work for an airlines and got an electronic calculator and used one for the next 40 years... today, I am very slow to add and subtract and not all that good at it anymore... so I keep a calculator handy. I worked with numbers my entire career, but the use of a calculator destroyed my math skills.
 

Cwalker935

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May 18, 2014
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Richmond, Va
Funny, how several of you have started practicing cursive writing. I bought a journal and started making entries in cursive with a fountain pen at the beginning of this year. I learned cursive in school but had forgotten it since I went back to printing in engineering school.
 

Cwalker935

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May 18, 2014
Messages
3,506
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Richmond, Va
As I noted in an earlier comment to this post, I started practicing cursive writing after years of printing. I have not really done much other than write the alphabet over and over. A strange thing happened to me today while taking notes in a meeting. My notes changed from printing to cursive writing mid way through a sentence without any concious thought on my part. Its kind of weird what the mind will do when you are not monitoring it.
 
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