how to write with fountain pens
 

Hey,

Now that I'm in college, I decided to buy a couple fountain pens [actually Pilot V-Ball's] and have grown infatuated with them :icare: It's great when writing tons of notes of not having to press down for the ink to come out and a lot less stress on my hand. However, when I write, the ink bleds severely enough to go onto the other side, making any writing on the other side of the page illegible. I know I could simply use a new sheet of paper every time I took notes, but that seems a bit wasteful. Also, my handwriting overall comes out more poorly when using them, and is nearly illegible for even me to read [unlike my bic pens].
Is there a proper way/technique of holding/using a fountain pen ? Does anyone have any recommendations for which one[s] to use ? I've seen some are very expensive, at least $20+ for a single pen. Is it really worth it to spend that much on a pen ? [I'm thinking possibly yes, since I already spend so much on my tuition....]

Any college grads or writers care to share their experiences with the techniques of the fountain pens and how to write with them properly, without the bleeding and with easy reading.

Catcha back on the flipside,
will.

i use the "gel roller" pens...still ball point, but with a much more liquid ink so it runs with very little pressure...with the micro tip, they can be pretty neat, too.

my 2 cents...

Waterman Pens and Mont Blanc pens (which are absolutely beautiful writing implements - -they make my handwriting look good ) run into the 100's and even 1000's of dollars... For a Pen!!! But the weight of the pen and they are well balanced - a bic or cheap pen just feels wrong in the hand...

Unfortuntaely, I've noticed that you end up pressing just as hard with a fountain pen in order to achieve high legibility. I love 'em, but being both light to use and legible do not go hand in hand..

If you're speaking of the type of pen you refill from a jar of ink-most paper today is too flimsy to write on with those types. Parchment and onionskin papers are more meant for them. The ink is watery compared to cheap Bic pens, so it gets absorbed. A light touch is all you need, but I'd blame the paper you use more than anything. Just my 2c.

Agreed on the paper being at fault. I use the same pens (not really a fountain pen I don't think, my favorites being the reletivly cheap uni-ball vision elites) but most paper is way to thin. If you buy halfway decent notebooks, and take a little bit of care though, most of the ink stays on the right side of the paper. If the paper looks/feels more pourous and rough, its definatly going to go clear through. I use college ruled 5-star notebooks and have minimal problems.

The marbled composition books though... Forget it.

:( I'm left handed... can't use those fancy pens since the inks don't dry fast enough for the side of my hand to pass over as I write. Same thing happend when the "eraseable pens" came out...

I can't live without my Parker. Actually, I can't write notes without it. My handwriting is so terrible that even gel rollers cause legibility problems. The only way I can get smooth writing is with ink.

I'd say that the paper's at fault here. I don't know how you organise your notes but bog - standard writing paper is going to make a hell of a mess with ink.
Cheap printer paper, on the other hand, is still thick enough to work with ink. The downside is that it's not ruled or margined.
Take a look at what other people are using. I seem to be the only person in my row in lectures who bothers with ink, and my pads are correspondingly thicker. I go through about a hundred sheets a week, so it can be expensive, but when it comes to transcribing and revision, my eyes thank me. Just pick a combination that works, bearing in mind that comfort and legibility comes first.

notebook wise, I go with the five-star college ruled notebooks. They're the only notebooks that actually last [in terms of the binding and cover] and seem to work well overall..

I noticed quite a few kids take notes on large legal pads - like these http://www.bettymills.com/store/imag...t/FTOP4279.JPG

Thanks for the advice.
cya,
will.

Always pull a pen, never push it. This is especially true for fancy-smanchy pens and art pens.

How about useing a blotter and blotting paper?

When I started college I also used a nice fountain pen I got for high school graduation. In my second quarter while studying for a major exam I butterfingered a glass of water onto my notebook. The ink bled and my notes were useless. The next day I switched to trusty No. 2s. No. 2s are much cheaper and you can spill shit all over your notes with little worry. Just my $.02 brought to you by the iron maiden of experience.

Do you mean #2 pencils ?

While I hold fondness for my ti-rog's [Ticonderoga's - best pencil I've used, bar none], I've encountered that residue forms on the pages and makes it much more difficult to read the writing.
Otherwise, I use them when I can.

Catcha back on the flipside,
keyshawn

Clavus, I don't see that working for "lefties".

Anyone else remember Jerry Lewis's great improv. telephone call (~1963) on the Steve Allen Show partly concerning Ticonderoga pencils?