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One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to den

One side effect not discussed here: how the shift to ballpoint pens increased hand strain [0]. Writing with a fountain pen is relatively effortless - not to deny it has several other drawbacks. I imagine this is part of why, as an elementary school student in France, I was required to write with only fountain pens. [0] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballpoint-pens-object-lesson-history-handwriting/402205/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp...

bluedino 6y ago
I always use roller/gel pens, but I have never tried a fountain pen. I cannot use a cheap stick ballpoint pen. My writing looks bad, my hand cramps up, I don’t know why that is.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- WalterBright 6y ago
  The gel pens are my favorite, but I did enjoy using fountain pens in grade school - I just liked the way the result looked.
  - ginko 6y ago
    How anyone can enjoy writing with fountain pens is completely beyond me. They were the bane of my childhood.
    - yoz-y 6y ago
      In my school we had to use a fountain pen up until fourth grade (lefties had an exception). The day I could finally ditch the fountain pen was a happy one indeed. Nowadays I use gel pens, best of both worlds. I definitely agree that ballpoint pens are hard on the wrists.
      - throwaway201101 6y ago
        This is strange to me. When I was in school (1970s/80s in the USA) we used pencils almost exclusively. Rarely, the final draft of an essay might be required in ink (pen type immaterial), or typed, but not below grade 6-ish. I do like the feel of writing with a fountain pen but never used one until I was an adult. I still prefer pencil for note-taking and rough draft writing.
        Symbiote 6y ago
        From my point of view, writing prose in pencil is for little children. Under 8 years old, ish. I also don't see much appeal in fancy, expensive pens. The cheapest ones here are about €5 from a supermarket, so something for €15-20 is usually decent.
    - stordoff 6y ago
      I had to use a (cartridge) fountain pen at school (90s, UK primary school), and they were awful - the nibs were scratchy, and prone to breaking if you pressed even slightly too hard, and they leaked fairly often. A decent fountain pen is a completely different experience. I've mostly switched over to Staedtler Triplus fineliners for general writing - they're much easier on my hands/wrists[1], but retain the convenience of ballpoints. [1] I have a joint disorder, and writing more than a couple of lines with most ballpoints will make my fingers and/or wrists hurt. I can write for 20-30 minutes with the fineliners before they trigger the same issue.
    - pjc50 6y ago
      They're especially annoying for left-handed users.
    - zasz 6y ago
      Fountain pen technology has come a long way! I've never had any problems with leaky pens. You can get some very nice fountain pens for around $20 these days.
      - falcolas 6y ago
        One of my favorite fountain pens is the Pilot Varsity - it’s a disposable fountain pen. Lots of ink combined with one of the best nibs out there, no matter the price. There’s an entire set of users out there dedicated to figuring out ways to refill these so they can re-use the nib. I haven’t had a single one leak on me, either. They go for around $2 each.
        saalweachter 6y ago
        Yeah, in my foreys into fountain pens they were one that "felt good" to write with. Some had tips which snagged when you end up "pushing" as a lefty, but the Varsity was smooth. If you want to feel fancier, the Pilot Metropolitan uses the same nib (in fact, since they don't sell replacements, you end up buying a pack of Varsities if you need to replace the nib).
        sjs7007 6y ago
        This looks pretty interesting. Thanks for the tip!
- hinkley 6y ago
  I find the uniball gel pen substantially easier to write with, so conversely I find all other ball point pens harder to write with. I know in college there were certain pens that hurt to use all day and I quickly got rid of those. Most of my favorite pens at the moment are uniball, or take the same refill size and I’ve converted them. Somewhere I have a collapsing fountain pen but I had to be careful of the type of paper and I let it dry up at some point, got it working again, and forgot about it because I found another collapsing pen I could shoehorn the uniball gel into (by swapping the spring)
chrisseaton 6y ago
Right - ballpoint pens are horrible to write with and your writing will look terrible, but they are useful in an austere environment like a plane or outdoors, especially when they're the pressurised variant.
- wanderingstan 6y ago
  Ballpoint writing doesn't have to look terrible, it's just a different tool from a fountain or dip pen. A few years ago I hit the front page of Reddit with my ballpoint writing: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/969vta/i_practice_alphabets_over_and_over_while_on/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/969vta/i_practice_alp...
GuB-42 6y ago
While in most cases, it is a drawback, it is an advantage when you are making carbon copies. There are forms that require you to use a ballpoint pen for that reason.
criddell 6y ago
What's the difference between the kind of strain you get from pressing harder with a ball point pen and the kind of strain you get from lifting weights in a gym? I guess what I'm really asking is if your body will adapt to the increased hand strain? Is it a short-term problem?
- virtue3 6y ago
  you lift weights along muscle systems designed to handle load. Your wrist/elbows etc are relatively weak. See tennis elbow, etc. The other issue is that you end up writing 4-6hrs a day in school 5days a week, wheras the gym is something like, maybe 20 minutes per muscle group? depending. And that doesn't tend to be more than 3-4x a week. I used to weightlift with a much lighter ex. The one thing I noticed was that even tho I could lift substantially more, our recovery rate was basically the same. So I'd end up with a lot more nagging injuries over time if I didn't properly take care of myself.
  - egypturnash 6y ago
    It also doesn't help that nobody teaches you proper form for holding a pencil. You start a sport, you're gonna be made aware that there are ways to do the sport that immediately hurt, and that there are ways to do it that won't hurt immediately but will fuck you up for sure in the long run, or even the medium run. There are ways to hold a pen or pencil that will fuck you up in the long run for sure, and most people hold one in these ways. I didn't learn proper form until I was in my twenties, via lore passed on from master animators I was working under. I've since seen the same knowledge in places like "old penmanship manuals" but it sure was not a thing I was taught as a kid learning to write. Fountain pens, you kinda have to learn decent form to use. A Bic? You can write with any kind of grip, even one that looks like you tied your fingers in a knot around it.
    - Symbiote 6y ago
      I remember being taught how to hold a pencil correctly when I was 5. When I was about 8/9 we had to use fountain pens. However, I don't think the advice was ever repeated.
redvenom 6y ago
I also write for long periods of time, and use a mechanical pencil with softer lead (2B). It doesn't replace a pen when you need a pen, but if you just want to avoid hand strain, this is another option.
- Maha-pudma 6y ago
  I always use a pencil over a pen when ever I can. I write a lot outdoors and pens don't work in the rain. And there's also the story of pens and pencils in space I like.
  - ajarmst 6y ago
    Sadly, that very entertaining story is certainly apocryphal. Pencils have their own problems. A device that sheds conductive graphite into a weightless environment full of electronics is not necessarily an obvious choice, nor is something made out of dry wood and graphite that needs to be regularly shaved into fine strips for a high-oxygen environment.
    - Maha-pudma 6y ago
      Yeah you're absolutely correct its pretty much fake but I still like the story, just like I like the toothpaste factory story. Essentially keep it simple stupid, don't over engineer, and do your research.
m463 6y ago
My favorite pen is the pentel energel 0.7mm. It will write smooth dark lines just the right thicknes without blobbing or cutting out, and is the most effortless pen to write with. But yes, it does write at a higher angle than a fountain pen. I had a fountain pen years and years ago, and it was something you had to want to use. I can't help but think of it like vinyl records, straight razors and film cameras.
- godelmachine 6y ago
  >>pentel energel 0.7mm. Thanks for mentioning this I am currently on the lookout for new pen to make my standard usage pen. My prime requirement is that it should be 1.0mm, or at a minimal 0.7mm, since I love the thickness. Secondary requirement is that it should be smooth. I bought Baoke gel from Amazon and while I loved it a lot, was greatly disappointed to find it was of Chinese make. Am now searching for something that’s of non-Chinese origin. So far, I have zeroed in on Uni-ball impact 1.0mm gel pen, and am shortlisting their 0.7mm gel pens as well. I would also give uni-ball 1.0mm and 0.7mm ballpoint pens a try as well in case I feel gel pens get used up faster, since always carrying a backup refill can be an inconvenience.Also, TCO with gel pens is always more than ballpoint pens. Does anyone have any suggestions in mind? Please proffer
  - 1996 6y ago
    > greatly disappointed to find it was of Chinese make. May I ask why, as it is not among your requirements? > Am now searching for something that’s of non-Chinese origin Any specific reasons?
    - Shared404 6y ago
      I personally try to avoid things manufactured in China due to ethical objections [0]. I don't expect everyone to do so, but I think it's the right thing to do, where possible. [0] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/03/05/china-moves-uyghur-muslims-into-forced-labor-factories/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/03/05/china-move...
ascar 6y ago
On the other hand, using a fountain pen is incredibly frustrating and exhausting for left-handed people (in a left to right writing system). I had to unnaturally bend my hand above the line I wanted to write so I don't immediately smear the ink. Basically mimiking a right-hand draw position with the left hand while having your hand above the line instead of on the same level. It hurts. We were also forced to use it in German elementary school and I remember very well that my dad went to the dean (successfully) demanding that I am allowed to write with something else and abandon cursive training. Thanks again dad!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- smabie 6y ago
  Gotta learn that mirror script like da vinci
- orthoxerox 6y ago
  I wonder how Arabs managed writing with a fountain pen.
  - ascar 6y ago
    Right-handed Arabic writers have very much the same problems as left-handed latin writers. That Arabic is written left to right seems to come from chisel based writing. > Although it is hard to pinpoint why Arabic is sinistroverse, it has been theorized that before the papermaking process emerged in China, the Arabs used chisels to engrave the ideas and concepts they wished to manifest on stones. Due to its longevity, stone was preferred over leaves, skin, bones and shells. Considering most of the “writers” [and individuals in general] were right-handed, they would use their right hand to hold [and carve with] the chisel and the left hand to hold a hammer. Such direction is more natural because it involves an outward motion and is, therefore, easier to perform from a motor point of view. A left-to-right motion would have been counterintuitive, especially with the risk of personal injury involved.[1] However, as another comment mentioned there are techniques that solve the smearing and awkward hand-position by rotating the paper. I would not be surprised if those are taught more widely for Arabic as 90% instead of 10% of writers face that problem. [1] https://www.pangeanic.com/knowledge_center/arabic-right-to-left/# https://www.pangeanic.com/knowledge_center/arabic-right-to-l...
wdb 6y ago
I prefer writing with fountain pen, you don't get that scratching feeling like you have with a ballpoint.
- BeetleB 6y ago
  High quality ball points are a lot less scratchy than the cheap ones. I've used some that are definitely less scratchy than a fountain pen with a fine nib.
- petre 6y ago
  Do try a rollerball with ink. I also like fountain pens but this one is more convenient.
Brajeshwar 6y ago
School days in the 80s/90s had us writing a lot, with fountain pens. I still own few fountain pens now and I love writing with them at home. My current favorite is Muji's Aluminum Fountain Pen[1] -- a not-so costly but fantastic fountain pen. I can get used to any of fountain pens pretty quickly, even the worst and the cheapest ones. The advantage of growing up using hand-me downs during school, is that you learn tricks. Here is one, for the bad fountain pens, I slant it to "my angle" of writing and sand it (very gently) against either a very fine stone/rock or go a carpenter's shed and sand it against their finest sandpaper. I have been trying to teach my daughter to write more, especially with fountain pens but she seems to not like it so much yet. She does like having few around -- perhaps seeing me line up my pens nicely on my table inspires her. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Muji-2724644690738-MUJI-Aluminum-Fountain/dp/B00MDRZLHA https://www.amazon.com/Muji-2724644690738-MUJI-Aluminum-Foun...
- Sharlin 6y ago
  Huh. I never even realized that in other countries schools might have pupils write with ink pens. Here it’s 100% pencils and has been at least since the early 90s when I started school.
harikb 6y ago
I had a teacher who considered the mess it leaves on the front short pocket as payback for jumping/running around in school grounds - as sort of a sign of lack of discipline. There was also a whole thing about rich vs poor in the classroom - the ones who still struggled with a leaking pen vs the one who always brought the fanciest ones. I went to public school, so I could see this right before my eyes. We did have school uniforms, but the pen and the lunch box were the only ones for the rich kids to show off. Technology aside, the cheap and functional ballpoint pen did change the life in subtle ways for so many kids.
petre 6y ago
There are rollerballs with regular ink now, such as the one I have from Schneider. It does need a refill, but writing with it is efortless, just like with the fountain pen and the writing also looks good because the trail is continuous. I think they have a ceramic ball tip instead of a metal one. I absolutely love them. One can also reuse the cartridges and refill them with regular ink using a syringe if they can be bothered to do so. https://schneiderpen.com/en_us/cartridge-rollerballs/easy-white-m-4004675124777/ https://schneiderpen.com/en_us/cartridge-rollerballs/easy-wh...
stewbrew 6y ago
If that were true, nobody would use pens. I write differently with pens and everything is fine.
zentropia 6y ago
As a left handed for me was awful.
lmilcin 6y ago
I think the problem is only with people who never learned to write with fountain pain in the first place. Fountain pen teaches to not press on the paper and keep correct angle while you write. When you don't need to press the pen you don't need to have a tight grip on it and it allows for relaxed grip. Once you learned to have a tight grip on your writing instrument you transfer it to other instruments. So if you've learned incorrectly with ballpoint pen, you will have hard time figuring out what the fuss about fountain pens is all about. That's why my kid who is currently actively learning writing is writing with fountain pen exclusively until he learns relaxed grip and good posture while writing. I assume then it won't matter much what he is going to write with.

bluedino 6y ago

I always use roller/gel pens, but I have never tried a fountain pen. I cannot use a cheap stick ballpoint pen. My writing looks bad, my hand cramps up, I don’t know why that is.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
WalterBright 6y ago
The gel pens are my favorite, but I did enjoy using fountain pens in grade school - I just liked the way the result looked.
- ginko 6y ago
  How anyone can enjoy writing with fountain pens is completely beyond me. They were the bane of my childhood.
  - yoz-y 6y ago
    In my school we had to use a fountain pen up until fourth grade (lefties had an exception). The day I could finally ditch the fountain pen was a happy one indeed. Nowadays I use gel pens, best of both worlds. I definitely agree that ballpoint pens are hard on the wrists.
    - throwaway201101 6y ago
      This is strange to me. When I was in school (1970s/80s in the USA) we used pencils almost exclusively. Rarely, the final draft of an essay might be required in ink (pen type immaterial), or typed, but not below grade 6-ish. I do like the feel of writing with a fountain pen but never used one until I was an adult. I still prefer pencil for note-taking and rough draft writing.
      - Symbiote 6y ago
        From my point of view, writing prose in pencil is for little children. Under 8 years old, ish. I also don't see much appeal in fancy, expensive pens. The cheapest ones here are about €5 from a supermarket, so something for €15-20 is usually decent.
  - stordoff 6y ago
    I had to use a (cartridge) fountain pen at school (90s, UK primary school), and they were awful - the nibs were scratchy, and prone to breaking if you pressed even slightly too hard, and they leaked fairly often. A decent fountain pen is a completely different experience. I've mostly switched over to Staedtler Triplus fineliners for general writing - they're much easier on my hands/wrists[1], but retain the convenience of ballpoints. [1] I have a joint disorder, and writing more than a couple of lines with most ballpoints will make my fingers and/or wrists hurt. I can write for 20-30 minutes with the fineliners before they trigger the same issue.
  - pjc50 6y ago
    They're especially annoying for left-handed users.
  - zasz 6y ago
    Fountain pen technology has come a long way! I've never had any problems with leaky pens. You can get some very nice fountain pens for around $20 these days.
    - falcolas 6y ago
      One of my favorite fountain pens is the Pilot Varsity - it’s a disposable fountain pen. Lots of ink combined with one of the best nibs out there, no matter the price. There’s an entire set of users out there dedicated to figuring out ways to refill these so they can re-use the nib. I haven’t had a single one leak on me, either. They go for around $2 each.
      - saalweachter 6y ago
        Yeah, in my foreys into fountain pens they were one that "felt good" to write with. Some had tips which snagged when you end up "pushing" as a lefty, but the Varsity was smooth. If you want to feel fancier, the Pilot Metropolitan uses the same nib (in fact, since they don't sell replacements, you end up buying a pack of Varsities if you need to replace the nib).
      - sjs7007 6y ago
        This looks pretty interesting. Thanks for the tip!
hinkley 6y ago
I find the uniball gel pen substantially easier to write with, so conversely I find all other ball point pens harder to write with. I know in college there were certain pens that hurt to use all day and I quickly got rid of those. Most of my favorite pens at the moment are uniball, or take the same refill size and I’ve converted them. Somewhere I have a collapsing fountain pen but I had to be careful of the type of paper and I let it dry up at some point, got it working again, and forgot about it because I found another collapsing pen I could shoehorn the uniball gel into (by swapping the spring)

chrisseaton 6y ago

Right - ballpoint pens are horrible to write with and your writing will look terrible, but they are useful in an austere environment like a plane or outdoors, especially when they're the pressurised variant.

wanderingstan 6y ago
Ballpoint writing doesn't have to look terrible, it's just a different tool from a fountain or dip pen. A few years ago I hit the front page of Reddit with my ballpoint writing: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/969vta/i_practice_alphabets_over_and_over_while_on/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/969vta/i_practice_alp...

GuB-42 6y ago

While in most cases, it is a drawback, it is an advantage when you are making carbon copies. There are forms that require you to use a ballpoint pen for that reason.

criddell 6y ago

What's the difference between the kind of strain you get from pressing harder with a ball point pen and the kind of strain you get from lifting weights in a gym? I guess what I'm really asking is if your body will adapt to the increased hand strain? Is it a short-term problem?

virtue3 6y ago
you lift weights along muscle systems designed to handle load. Your wrist/elbows etc are relatively weak. See tennis elbow, etc. The other issue is that you end up writing 4-6hrs a day in school 5days a week, wheras the gym is something like, maybe 20 minutes per muscle group? depending. And that doesn't tend to be more than 3-4x a week. I used to weightlift with a much lighter ex. The one thing I noticed was that even tho I could lift substantially more, our recovery rate was basically the same. So I'd end up with a lot more nagging injuries over time if I didn't properly take care of myself.
- egypturnash 6y ago
  It also doesn't help that nobody teaches you proper form for holding a pencil. You start a sport, you're gonna be made aware that there are ways to do the sport that immediately hurt, and that there are ways to do it that won't hurt immediately but will fuck you up for sure in the long run, or even the medium run. There are ways to hold a pen or pencil that will fuck you up in the long run for sure, and most people hold one in these ways. I didn't learn proper form until I was in my twenties, via lore passed on from master animators I was working under. I've since seen the same knowledge in places like "old penmanship manuals" but it sure was not a thing I was taught as a kid learning to write. Fountain pens, you kinda have to learn decent form to use. A Bic? You can write with any kind of grip, even one that looks like you tied your fingers in a knot around it.
  - Symbiote 6y ago
    I remember being taught how to hold a pencil correctly when I was 5. When I was about 8/9 we had to use fountain pens. However, I don't think the advice was ever repeated.

redvenom 6y ago

I also write for long periods of time, and use a mechanical pencil with softer lead (2B). It doesn't replace a pen when you need a pen, but if you just want to avoid hand strain, this is another option.

Maha-pudma 6y ago
I always use a pencil over a pen when ever I can. I write a lot outdoors and pens don't work in the rain. And there's also the story of pens and pencils in space I like.
- ajarmst 6y ago
  Sadly, that very entertaining story is certainly apocryphal. Pencils have their own problems. A device that sheds conductive graphite into a weightless environment full of electronics is not necessarily an obvious choice, nor is something made out of dry wood and graphite that needs to be regularly shaved into fine strips for a high-oxygen environment.
  - Maha-pudma 6y ago
    Yeah you're absolutely correct its pretty much fake but I still like the story, just like I like the toothpaste factory story. Essentially keep it simple stupid, don't over engineer, and do your research.

m463 6y ago

My favorite pen is the pentel energel 0.7mm. It will write smooth dark lines just the right thicknes without blobbing or cutting out, and is the most effortless pen to write with. But yes, it does write at a higher angle than a fountain pen. I had a fountain pen years and years ago, and it was something you had to want to use. I can't help but think of it like vinyl records, straight razors and film cameras.

godelmachine 6y ago
>>pentel energel 0.7mm. Thanks for mentioning this I am currently on the lookout for new pen to make my standard usage pen. My prime requirement is that it should be 1.0mm, or at a minimal 0.7mm, since I love the thickness. Secondary requirement is that it should be smooth. I bought Baoke gel from Amazon and while I loved it a lot, was greatly disappointed to find it was of Chinese make. Am now searching for something that’s of non-Chinese origin. So far, I have zeroed in on Uni-ball impact 1.0mm gel pen, and am shortlisting their 0.7mm gel pens as well. I would also give uni-ball 1.0mm and 0.7mm ballpoint pens a try as well in case I feel gel pens get used up faster, since always carrying a backup refill can be an inconvenience.Also, TCO with gel pens is always more than ballpoint pens. Does anyone have any suggestions in mind? Please proffer
- 1996 6y ago
  > greatly disappointed to find it was of Chinese make. May I ask why, as it is not among your requirements? > Am now searching for something that’s of non-Chinese origin Any specific reasons?
  - Shared404 6y ago
    I personally try to avoid things manufactured in China due to ethical objections [0]. I don't expect everyone to do so, but I think it's the right thing to do, where possible. [0] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/03/05/china-moves-uyghur-muslims-into-forced-labor-factories/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/03/05/china-move...

ascar 6y ago

On the other hand, using a fountain pen is incredibly frustrating and exhausting for left-handed people (in a left to right writing system). I had to unnaturally bend my hand above the line I wanted to write so I don't immediately smear the ink. Basically mimiking a right-hand draw position with the left hand while having your hand above the line instead of on the same level. It hurts. We were also forced to use it in German elementary school and I remember very well that my dad went to the dean (successfully) demanding that I am allowed to write with something else and abandon cursive training. Thanks again dad!

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
smabie 6y ago
Gotta learn that mirror script like da vinci
orthoxerox 6y ago
I wonder how Arabs managed writing with a fountain pen.
- ascar 6y ago
  Right-handed Arabic writers have very much the same problems as left-handed latin writers. That Arabic is written left to right seems to come from chisel based writing. > Although it is hard to pinpoint why Arabic is sinistroverse, it has been theorized that before the papermaking process emerged in China, the Arabs used chisels to engrave the ideas and concepts they wished to manifest on stones. Due to its longevity, stone was preferred over leaves, skin, bones and shells. Considering most of the “writers” [and individuals in general] were right-handed, they would use their right hand to hold [and carve with] the chisel and the left hand to hold a hammer. Such direction is more natural because it involves an outward motion and is, therefore, easier to perform from a motor point of view. A left-to-right motion would have been counterintuitive, especially with the risk of personal injury involved.[1] However, as another comment mentioned there are techniques that solve the smearing and awkward hand-position by rotating the paper. I would not be surprised if those are taught more widely for Arabic as 90% instead of 10% of writers face that problem. [1] https://www.pangeanic.com/knowledge_center/arabic-right-to-left/# https://www.pangeanic.com/knowledge_center/arabic-right-to-l...

wdb 6y ago

I prefer writing with fountain pen, you don't get that scratching feeling like you have with a ballpoint.

BeetleB 6y ago
High quality ball points are a lot less scratchy than the cheap ones. I've used some that are definitely less scratchy than a fountain pen with a fine nib.
petre 6y ago
Do try a rollerball with ink. I also like fountain pens but this one is more convenient.

Brajeshwar 6y ago

School days in the 80s/90s had us writing a lot, with fountain pens. I still own few fountain pens now and I love writing with them at home. My current favorite is Muji's Aluminum Fountain Pen[1] -- a not-so costly but fantastic fountain pen. I can get used to any of fountain pens pretty quickly, even the worst and the cheapest ones. The advantage of growing up using hand-me downs during school, is that you learn tricks. Here is one, for the bad fountain pens, I slant it to "my angle" of writing and sand it (very gently) against either a very fine stone/rock or go a carpenter's shed and sand it against their finest sandpaper. I have been trying to teach my daughter to write more, especially with fountain pens but she seems to not like it so much yet. She does like having few around -- perhaps seeing me line up my pens nicely on my table inspires her. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Muji-2724644690738-MUJI-Aluminum-Fountain/dp/B00MDRZLHA https://www.amazon.com/Muji-2724644690738-MUJI-Aluminum-Foun...

Sharlin 6y ago
Huh. I never even realized that in other countries schools might have pupils write with ink pens. Here it’s 100% pencils and has been at least since the early 90s when I started school.

harikb 6y ago

I had a teacher who considered the mess it leaves on the front short pocket as payback for jumping/running around in school grounds - as sort of a sign of lack of discipline. There was also a whole thing about rich vs poor in the classroom - the ones who still struggled with a leaking pen vs the one who always brought the fanciest ones. I went to public school, so I could see this right before my eyes. We did have school uniforms, but the pen and the lunch box were the only ones for the rich kids to show off. Technology aside, the cheap and functional ballpoint pen did change the life in subtle ways for so many kids.

petre 6y ago

There are rollerballs with regular ink now, such as the one I have from Schneider. It does need a refill, but writing with it is efortless, just like with the fountain pen and the writing also looks good because the trail is continuous. I think they have a ceramic ball tip instead of a metal one. I absolutely love them. One can also reuse the cartridges and refill them with regular ink using a syringe if they can be bothered to do so. https://schneiderpen.com/en_us/cartridge-rollerballs/easy-white-m-4004675124777/ https://schneiderpen.com/en_us/cartridge-rollerballs/easy-wh...

stewbrew 6y ago

If that were true, nobody would use pens. I write differently with pens and everything is fine.

zentropia 6y ago

As a left handed for me was awful.

lmilcin 6y ago

I think the problem is only with people who never learned to write with fountain pain in the first place. Fountain pen teaches to not press on the paper and keep correct angle while you write. When you don't need to press the pen you don't need to have a tight grip on it and it allows for relaxed grip. Once you learned to have a tight grip on your writing instrument you transfer it to other instruments. So if you've learned incorrectly with ballpoint pen, you will have hard time figuring out what the fuss about fountain pens is all about. That's why my kid who is currently actively learning writing is writing with fountain pen exclusively until he learns relaxed grip and good posture while writing. I assume then it won't matter much what he is going to write with.