If you haven't tried a fountain pen, do; they're the most comfortable writing implements I know, precisely because they need the least force to make a line. A g

If you haven't tried a fountain pen, do; they're the most comfortable writing implements I know, precisely because they need the least force to make a line. A good pen needs only the weight of the pen itself; you're not really pushing at all, just steering. That lets most of your hand and wrist muscles stay fairly relaxed, and keeps fatigue to a minimum. If you do decide to try one, start with an inexpensive steel-nibbed model like a Pilot Metropolitan. Transitioning from pencils and ball pens involves some unlearning, as you adjust your hand posture and develop a feel for how little force is required. It takes a while, and depending on how hard a hand you have to start, a gold nib may not hold up. We missed a trick when we stopped teaching kids to write with fountain pens, but the lack is easily remedied in later life with a bit of interest and diligence. Fair warning, though: you may find them so comfortable to use for long periods that you develop a writer's bump like mine!