When President Barack Obama visited Westminster Abbey in June this year, he used a fountain pen to sign the Guest Book. And although we were not privy to what went on at the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton when the two families linked by the marriage retreated for the signing of the register, I would hazard a guess that the signing was done with fountain pens.

So are fountain pens the best pens to use? And are they recommended to help to improve handwriting?

Fountain pens are really good for slowing down writing, and allowing us time to think about what we want to get down on paper. As well as this, they often help us to consider the letter-forms as we are writing, and enable us to take more time and care over their formation. There can be real joy also in using a fountain pen on good quality paper, with that magical feeling of a real match between writing surface and writing implement. There is also something rather satisfying, in some ways, about the rituals of washing out a fountain pen and refilling it with ink, even if it is just replacing the ink cartridge. And they are a gift to aunts and uncles, godparents and grandparents who want to mark special birthdays or occasions with something of value, which will last and usually be appreciated.

However, and this is a big however, they are not suitable for everyone, and I would certainly never recommend that fountain pens are a must for all.

First, there are those children who have only to take the top off a fountain pen to get covered in ink. That ink is then transferred to their hands, shirt, tie, blazer, trousers, legs, and exercise books. (And I have chosen ‘trousers’ rather than ‘trousers or skirts’ because it is so often boys who get into this state.) I feel that it is unfair to insist on such pens for children who have this uncanny knack of ink transference, and I feel sad for them in that they can never look on their work with pleasure when it is covered with ink smudges.

Secondly, fountain pens are not always suitable for left-handers. Depending on their hand position, any writing they do with wet ink may be immediately smudged. Of course, they may adopt an ‘over the top’ hand position to overcome this, a hand position used by the left-handed Prince William (was it because he used a fountain pen early on when writing?), but this can lead to pain as the strain on the bent wrist can be considerable.

And thirdly, life is so hectic and rushed now, that the advantage of slow writing (similar to slow food), and having to nurse a fountain pen into making marks is not always an advantage. Because the pens use liquid ink fed into the pen nib tip, which dries out when not in use, they need some working on to get the ink to flow if not used continuously.

So what pens would be recommended? Rather than blanket approval for this one type of pen invented in the nineteenth century, and thereby dismissing the many advances in writing implements since then, I would suggest that children are encouraged to try a variety of pens to determine which suits them and their handwriting best.

There are very good ‘handwriting’ pens available now, which emulate fountain pens, but use a gel-type ink, which is more manageable for those inky boys.

Ball point pens, too, are very much better than they used to be, and the ink used now tends to be less smudgy.

Fibre tips and even technical drawing pens may suit others – the latter being my pen of choice.

The thickness of the barrel of the pen may make a difference for grip; not all children, with their small hands, like to write with a thick pen or pencil, some prefer a much narrower writing implement.

It is also worth taking time over the selection of pen if there is a choice of nib or tip size. Some writers prefer pens which make quite a chunky mark, my own preference is for a very narrow pen tip, resulting in writing that some have called a ‘spider’s squiggle’.

While considering the physical aspects of writing, it is worth looking at paper position. Prince William may have adopted his ‘over the top’ hand position to avoid smudges from his fountain pen, or it may have been because sheets of paper were always put on his desk straight and upright. If you have not tried it before, and are not left-handed, just for a moment put a pen into your left-hand and adopt a normal right-handed grip, with a piece of paper placed with the top edge horizontal, and check whether you can see your writing as you would normally when you write with your right hand. Most people cannot, and so left-handers have to move their bodies or their heads to allow for this. However, if you try this exercise again, and the sheet of paper is angled so that left-hand corner is higher than the right, you will note straightaway that you will be able to see your writing easily, and do not have to twist your hand or body. And the opposite paper position works for right-handers. It is very easy to remember – left corner higher for left-handers, and right corner higher for right-handers.

Serried ranks of neat tables and chairs in classrooms look wonderful for designers and visitors, but they are not always good for children. It has gone too far in many schools to point out the back problems that can ensue by making children work all day on flat, rather than sloping, surfaces (although there may be a few schools which still use the old wooden desks with a sloping hinged lid – well done!). But it is worth emphasising that children in year groups are not identical sizes. Taller children may have to sit sideways as the space between chair and table is insufficient for their legs to fit under, with resultant pain as their bodies are in a twisted position all day. Small children may feel as though they are in an Alice in Wonderland world before drinking the ‘growing’ potion, as they have to lift their shoulders to stretch to reach the writing surface, and, in so doing, of course, create all sorts of muscular aches and pains with the tension. In an ideal world, everyone should be able to sit comfortably on a chair, with their feet firmly flat on the floor, and the writing surface just slightly above bent elbow height.

Lighting, too, should be considered. As a calligrapher, I am very aware of this, as it is essential to have good lighting to see the letter-forms clearly. The light source needs to come from the right for left-handers and from the left for right-handers, so that the hand does not create a shadow.

Now it may not be possible in schools to take in these last two aspects of the physical considerations of writing, but this could be looked at in the home. Parents could note whether their children are able to sit comfortably on the chair they have for their homework with feet flat on the ground and able to reach their table or desk easily. It is also not too difficult perhaps to provide a lamp, and position it on the appropriate
side so that doing homework or writing for pleasure does not cause possible eyestrain. Parents could, perhaps, also provide a selection of relatively inexpensive pens so that a choice can be made as to the one best suited.

Handwriting, and certainly good handwriting as in that of the finalists for the National Schools' Handwriting Competition, can be challenging enough to achieve . It is a good idea to try to ensure that the physical conditions do not add to that challenge.

Patricia Lovett
June 2011