Scribblerians

BW is now mastering the art of penmanship over at his blog and I am just green with envy.

One is tempted to scoff at guys our age re-learning skills we had in elementary school but consider: there are no errors in that scribble that I can see. There are no strike throughs and repeats, no ink blorts, or any of the other typical problems I encounter with fountain pens. BW is doing alright and if he keeps it up he'll be off to the races in short order. He writes in a clear manly hand whereas I have been told by the ignoratti that I write like a woman. :(

 

Are my GIFs working on your computer? On mine

some of 'em get stalled and won't work...

I hope this comes through because

it shows how effortless it is - for

a master.

This is a calligrapher's pen that ya gotta dip in the ink and constantly clean. I could never get them to work either. My grandmother used to be able to do stuff like that with perfectly executed flourishes on all her correspondence.

I used to have passable penmanship skills but years of work and neglect kinda left them rotting on the vine, HAR HAR HAR! A guy like me can't have fine pens. I don't even get on well with ball points. In the summer the fuggin things explode in my pocket and in winter they freeze. By rights I should be making notes in my daytimer in Crayola - but have found the ultimate solution for the man who needs to write in adverse conditions:

 

Behold: The Staedtler Drafting Pencil.

These things are built hell for stout, feature a 2mm pencil lead, and that

push button thingy at the top pulls out and works like a sharpener.

I've been on these for the last 22 years. I've never broken one - but I've lost several. (In point of fact a few were stolen by unscrupulous customers for the most part). They aren't cheap, I think they go for about 20 bucks at Staples. They are the most durable writing instruments I have ever come across - and I highly recommend them to men like myself that don't get along with pens.