Holding a pen oddly.
Holding a pen oddly.
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davhill

Original Poster:

5,263 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Stemming from the knife 'n' fork thread...

I often notice people (left or right -handed) holding their pen/ pencil in away that seems distinctly kack- handed to me.

I hold a pen with the barrel resting in the groove between my 1st and 2nd finger. My thumb holds it in the groove so the cap end/shaft of the barrel sits against knuckle 1.

Some hold the implement between thumb and forefinger, folding pinkies 2, 3 & 4 in. It's how I might hold a tiny paintbrush for fine work.

How about you?

PS, my hand writing's practically indecipherable, I could've been a doctor.

ZOLLAR

19,920 posts

203 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
davhill said:
Stemming from the knife 'n' fork thread...

I often notice people (left or right -handed) holding their pen/ pencil in away that seems distinctly kack- handed to me.

I hold a pen with the barrel resting in the groove between my 1st and 2nd finger. My thumb holds it in the groove so the cap end/shaft of the barrel sits against knuckle 1.

Some hold the implement between thumb and forefinger, folding pinkies 2, 3 & 4 in. It's how I might hold a tiny paintbrush for fine work.

How about you?

PS, my hand writing's practically indecipherable, I could've been a doctor.
I hold it the same as you, my writing also looks like a spider has fallen in an ink well and ran across the paper.
Perhaps we're the ones holding it wrong? hehe

I blame my poor handwriting on years of dictation in Comprehensive then an immediate lack of use over the last 14 years, I mostly use computers these days.
I have considered a writing course.

davhill

Original Poster:

5,263 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
ZOLLAR said:
I hold it the same as you, my writing also looks like a spider has fallen in an ink well and ran across the paper.
Perhaps we're the ones holding it wrong? hehe

I blame my poor handwriting on years of dictation in Comprehensive then an immediate lack of use over the last 14 years, I mostly use computers these days.
I have considered a writing course.
I have very crabbed handwriting that is a bit spiky - I often struggle to decipher it myself! Most of the problem lies in trying to write too quickly.

Around millennium time a I had to take five, three - hour exams for my OU Masters (psych). There was no option other than to use block caps. In the end, I got a seg on knuckle 2, not to mention writer's cramp. Still, I passed it and the foundation and BSC hons before it.

I use block caps in my diary too, as well as on notes, shopping lists. Heaven knows what'd happen if I didn't. Will a cat eat fish food?

Robbo 27

4,303 posts

129 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
If you want to improve your handwriting get yourself a fountain pen and just practice, ideally an older pen with a bit of flex to the nib but almost anything will do.


Laurel Green

31,225 posts

262 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Robbo 27 said:
If you want to improve your handwriting get yourself a fountain pen and just practice, ideally an older pen with a bit of flex to the nib but almost anything will do.
Agree! Biros ball type pens are the bane to good pen craftsmanship IMO - when inkpot disappeared so did my penmanship.

That's my excuse and am sticking to it.


Philplop

378 posts

204 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
I hold mine wrong. I grip it between my thumb and first finger tips, with the rest of my fingers curled underneath,and rest the barrel halfway up my middle finger. Probably can't picture that from reading it though.

My teacher noticed I held it wrong but said my handwriting was beautiful so she didn't think it was worth trying to get me to change it.

People holding their cutlery wrong really winds me up though. Maybe I'm a hypocrite. Haha.

nicanary

11,381 posts

176 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
Robbo 27 said:
If you want to improve your handwriting get yourself a fountain pen and just practice, ideally an older pen with a bit of flex to the nib but almost anything will do.
Agree! Biros ball type pens are the bane to good pen craftsmanship IMO - when inkpot disappeared so did my penmanship.

That's my excuse and am sticking to it.
My first job after leaving school (1969) was in the Trust division of one of the major banks. There was no computer system and all ledgers were hand-written and the adding-machine was one of those hand-crank things. BIROS WERE TABOO. Every record was written in fountain pen - it took hours each day to write up the daily ledgers. The manager (still called "sir" in those days), had two dip-in inkwells on his desk, one medium blue, the other red. All letters were individually signed.

We had to know how to hold a pen. It was drummed into you at primary school. If you got it wrong, you got rapped on the knuckles. Wouldn't be allowed today- poor little mites, wrap them in cotton wool.

The Vambo

7,748 posts

171 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Philplop said:
I hold mine wrong. I grip it between my thumb and first finger tips, with the rest of my fingers curled underneath,and rest the barrel halfway up my middle finger.
Yep.

Philplop said:
my handwriting was beautiful
Nope laugh

Hieroglyphics or block capitals sadly.

Robbo 27

4,303 posts

129 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
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I have bought, sold, collected and repaired pens for many years, my handwriting is terrible with a biro but good with a proper pen, I have seen so many pen holding styles, almost take the view that it doesnt matter.

The most impressive was someone who held a pen in each hand and wrote different words at the same time.

Allanv

3,540 posts

216 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
davhill said:
Stemming from the knife 'n' fork thread...

I often notice people (left or right -handed) holding their pen/ pencil in away that seems distinctly kack- handed to me.

I hold a pen with the barrel resting in the groove between my 1st and 2nd finger. My thumb holds it in the groove so the cap end/shaft of the barrel sits against knuckle 1.

Some hold the implement between thumb and forefinger, folding pinkies 2, 3 & 4 in. It's how I might hold a tiny paintbrush for fine work.

How about you?

PS, my hand writing's practically indecipherable, I could've been a doctor.
Sorry I am trying to work out what you mean so forgive me.

This is how as a lefty I hold a pen.



And my hand writing is very good, I do not smear pages or write right to left. I also do not change the mouse buttons around even being a lefty as left is left and right is right.

zarjaz1991

6,896 posts

153 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
nicanary said:
We had to know how to hold a pen. It was drummed into you at primary school. If you got it wrong, you got rapped on the knuckles. Wouldn't be allowed today- poor little mites, wrap them in cotton wool.
Damn right too. I've never liked the idea of grown adults hitting small children with a piece of wood. Call me old fashioned.

davhill

Original Poster:

5,263 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Allanv said:
Sorry I am trying to work out what you mean so forgive me.

This is how as a lefty I hold a pen.



And my hand writing is very good, I do not smear pages or write right to left. I also do not change the mouse buttons around even being a lefty as left is left and right is right.
The piccy is of the thimb/forefinger grip - just imagine the other fingers curled in more and the pn barrel resting along the forefinger. Then you'll get the idea.

I can't write using this grip - I've tried!


Edited by davhill on Saturday 16th July 17:57

motco

17,654 posts

276 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
Robbo 27 said:
If you want to improve your handwriting get yourself a fountain pen and just practice, ideally an older pen with a bit of flex to the nib but almost anything will do.
Agree! Biros ball type pens are the bane to good pen craftsmanship IMO - when inkpot disappeared so did my penmanship.

That's my excuse and am sticking to it.
Just like when I first had a calculator my mental arithmetic vanished!

davhill

Original Poster:

5,263 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Robbo 27 said:
...

The most impressive was someone who held a pen in each hand and wrote different words at the same time.
Apparently, the Bronte brother (Branwell) could do this. This despite being a piss artist and high on laudanum.

Allanv

3,540 posts

216 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
davhill said:
Allanv said:
Sorry I am trying to work out what you mean so forgive me.

This is how as a lefty I hold a pen.



And my hand writing is very good, I do not smear pages or write right to left. I also do not change the mouse buttons around even being a lefty as left is left and right is right.
The piccy is of the thimb/forefinger grip - just imagine the other fingers curled in more and the pn barrel resting along the forefinger. Then you'll get the idea.

I can't write using this grip - I've tried!


Edited by davhill on Saturday 16th July 17:57
So is my preferred position what you would call kack handed? Would you mind posting a picture as I still am unsure what you mean.

To be fair if it is comfortable and you can read what you write then does it matter? If your preferred approach means you are like a spider on speed then maybe you need to change.

davhill

Original Poster:

5,263 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
Allanv said:
So is my preferred position what you would call kack handed? Would you mind posting a picture as I still am unsure what you mean.

To be fair if it is comfortable and you can read what you write then does it matter? If your preferred approach means you are like a spider on speed then maybe you need to change.
I write like this...


...but can't write like this (clicky & invert).
[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/M98zy8Rv.jpg[/ipmg]

To be fair, I'm neater with a fountain pen...and if I concentrate on going slowly.

bexVN

14,698 posts

241 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
I am left handed. I had to learn at a young age how to write without smudging my work (some lefties write 'upside down') I ended up developing quite an odd grip, I have tried to alter it as if I do a lot of writing I end up with a callus on my middle finger. My Mum also tried to correct it to no avail, she cannot stand watching me write!!



Some Gump

13,018 posts

216 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
^you're a scientist. It's expected that you write like a retard =)

surveyor

18,705 posts

214 months

Saturday 16th July 2016
quotequote all
bexVN said:
I am left handed. I had to learn at a young age how to write without smudging my work (some lefties write 'upside down') I ended up developing quite an odd grip, I have tried to alter it as if I do a lot of writing I end up with a callus on my middle finger. My Mum also tried to correct it to no avail, she cannot stand watching me write!!


Snap.. Teachers tried to correct it, but were baffled when dealing with the resultant smudges...