What writing instruments do you use?

[turbo]

When I was in college, I had a few classes with a guy who took notes in block letters. His writing looked odd at first glance, but was quite intelligible. He very often left out vertical lines, so a B would be just the 2 bumps, a P would be a single high bump, an R would be a high bump with a leg to the right, etc. He was pretty fast at taking notes, so he must have been practicing that modified alphabet for a long time.

I took notes in cursive, and he seemed to do as well with his "special" font.

 

[rhody]

Not really. I know a lot of people that write only in cursive, including myself. Writing in regular print is highly illogical especially when trying to write with any kind of speed.

Topher,

Just a guest on my part, you are not from the US, correct ? Everyone my daughter knows either types (texts, echh... on their cell phones) or prints. Cursive is a scarce commodity around here. For that matter everyone I know I work with writes in texts or types exclusively as well.

Rhody...

 

[Topher925]

Topher,

Just a guest on my part, you are not from the US, correct ?

Nope, I'm your typical 100% native born white caucasian male american.

 

[rhody]

Nope, I'm your typical 100% native born white caucasian male american.

Topher,

Wow, you just blew my mind... really you did. Please, don't take that as an insult, more of a complement. I am told cursive is the hardest thing for your brain to visually process, and the fine motor control you use to write it is really good for your brain.

Rhody...

 

[mugaliens]

Except for Mugaliens, there does not appear to be many folks who use cursive any more.
I found this sample of calligraphy online.
I wish I could write half as good as that.
Maybe if I practice for six months it may be possible.

With the right font installed in your word processing program, you can! Lol...

 

[Proton Soup]

Topher,

Wow, you just blew my mind... really you did. Please, don't take that as an insult, more of a complement. I am told cursive is the hardest thing for your brain to visually process, and the fine motor control you use to write it is really good for your brain.

Rhody...

i find your view bizarre. where are you from ?

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Wow,

I never realized PFer's had such specific preferences for their writing instruments.

That gives me hope for a post I am planning on cursive writing might actually become something worthwhile:

For all who have contributed to this thread so far with the exception of: Moonbear: lol


Do any of you folks regularly use cursive, print, or a mixture of both writing styles, or none at all, just banging away at the keyboard on your computer ?

Second, if you use cursive, how much time on average do you use it per day/week, etc...

I know mugaliens has said in another thread that he regularly writes at least three hours a day.

Rhody...

Hi Rhody! Generally, I draught and draw more than write, so this probably doesn't apply to me, but when I do take notes quickly I mostly use cursive writing.

I think I recall that Kurdt's cursive note taking is amazing.

 

[ephedyn]

I'll like to thank everyone for contributing here. I've tried nearly everything and nothing's satisfying. Ballpoints and rollerballs are too liveless. Gel is the only satisfying thing out there, but this accursed place only has my favorite blue-black ink in 0.7mm, and I can never stand broad print. My handwriting has been looking unexpressive ever since I ran out of my favorite pens/inks, so I started to appreciate the nuances of writing.

I didn't want to venture out to use Uni Signo gel which is more slippery and too hard for me to actuate, leaving a mess. I prefer my writing strokes to have say, the velocity profile of a Bell curve, nothing angular or sudden, and definitely no discontinuities (ballpoints).

I considered pencil and lead, which is clearly the most economical - BUT, there's one thing which I can never tolerate about lead: it's glaring under a fluorescent light, I hate reading notes written in lead. Pencil lead is far too reflective. If any of you have done art, you'll know from comparing with charcoal that it is far more reflective than 'proper black', that's why you do shading with charcoal pencils instead.

Oh, I forgot to mention that rapidographs/felt tips actually felt better than gel in terms of smoothness and expressivity, but they drained ink too fast and weren't cost-effective... although I can't say my eventual decision was (read below).

So, simultaneously... I finally decided to become a physics and mathematics double major a few days ago. I decided to celebrate the occasion with something symbolic. And you see, musicians have their 'favorite' instruments. Artists have their finest brushes and paints. I'm kind of romanticizing here, but I felt that I should have a favorite instrument too! I laid down my mind, and bought a fountain pen, with a Pilot dark blue ink, similarly to the one that I love. Redsummers' experience was very helpful, I looked back here to justify my $180 purchase and that sealed the deal. I bought a Sailor 1911M demonstrator, like the one pictured below:

P.S.: I had a bit of post-purchase bias from knowing that Einstein used fountain pens strictly :P

^rhody: I don't have a formal writing style. I suppose it's a modified-notetaking-style with some cursiveness (for example, my pen only leaves the paper twice when writing 'variational principles' - just picking out a random phrase from the paper right next to me, once for the "t" and once for the gap). My level of 'cursiveness' increases with urgency.

Of course not. I use a pencil with an eraser. Don't you ever make mistakes? And then, if it's ok, I transcribe it via some math-writing program to a usb flash drive or disc. Pens are virtually obsolete.

I use cancellations for my mistakes. And that's it. It's actually refreshing to see your mistakes rather than hide them. (I even write in pen on some of my books.) I sometimes even write things like "Yes!" in my book, which really shouldn't be there for brevity.

I've been getting quite a number of praises for my live-TeXing speed, but the only thing that's keep me from 100% live-TeXing is that I can't generate graphs or diagrams with ease. I should probably find some time with MATLAB figuring out everything, or learn how to use a vector graphics program.

The other thing that's actually keeping me from live-TeXing is a sort of social pressure - for one, I don't want to give some of my professors the misunderstanding that I'm surfing facebook in class or something (once or twice I get that 'look' when I'm typing away at my keys), the other is that it's quite... unusual? I mean like, 95% of my classmates in my senior classes use pen and paper - the guy who actually live-TeXes is a graduate student, while exactly 100% of my classmates in my freshman-sophomore level classes are still using college-ruled sheets with pen/pencil.

 

[Pythagorean]

I never use cursive except for in my signature.

 

[rhody]

rhody: I don't have a formal writing style. I suppose it's a modified-notetaking-style with some cursiveness (for example, my pen only leaves the paper twice when writing 'variational principles' - just picking out a random phrase from the paper right next to me, once for the "t" and once for the gap). My level of 'cursiveness' increases with urgency.

ephedyn,

Good luck to you in your double major, and your pen choice, 180$ is pricey. BTW is that your writing in the picture or a sample from the ad ?

Please report back in the event you regularly write cursive with that great pen, and let us know how your english and writing skills are doing, if things get easier/faster with comprehension, writing ability and if you find that your focus improves over time.

Thanks for the response and enjoy that pen, now I need to learn calligraphy, winter project.

Rhody... whose writing form/expression/presentation skills need improving.

 

[rhody]

ephedyn,

Good luck to you in your double major, and your pen choice, 180$ is pricey. BTW is that your writing in the picture or a sample from the ad ?

Please report back in the event you regularly write cursive with that great pen, and let us know how your english and writing skills are doing, if things get easier/faster with comprehension, writing ability and if you find that your focus improves over time.

Thanks for the response and enjoy that pen, now I need to learn calligraphy, winter project.

Rhody... whose writing form/expression/presentation skills need improving.

What ? Rhody quoting himself !

Just wanted to say that I started looking into calligraphy and instruments that promote good writing and presentation. Any suggestions (reasonable dollar wise) are welcomed, it seems like there are only about 4 companies that are recognized as making quality pens, and not all in the US. I would like to try to combine this exercise with the Brain Visual and Auditory training as well, but think it would be biting off more than I could do.

Rhody... I still can't believe I quoted myself... I must be losing it... lol