As hobbies go, it's not so bad.
My handwriting had become pretty attrocious. It was never really awesome, but after many years of very nearly all of my communication via written word being typed, it had gotten to the point where it was downright embarassing to have to write anything that another human had to read. And, I do that a lot when I run RPGs -- especially Fate, where scene and PC aspects and boosts turn up pretty regularly and need to be out on the table where people can see (and use) them.
I lamented this sorry state on Facebook, and noted that it looked like I needed to actually start practicing penmanship -- on at least a daily basis. ravenbait immediately offered to become a correspondent (using actual ink on actual paper), so that I'd have reason to regularly do fair amounts of writing. This seemed like an excellent idea, so I took her up on it.
The product of a long-time afficionado of pen, ink, and paper, the letter that arrived from 'cross the pond was a thing of genuine beauty -- vivid ink applied to very fine paper by a good pen and a hand long practiced in its use. I began to acquire a small appreciation for letter-writing.
In truth, I've always loved stationery; one of my favorite days of the year when I was a kid was back-to-school shopping, when I'd get a new pencil case, fill it with pens and pencils, and then get a stack of new notebooks, a new lunchbox (which, okay, wasn't stationery, but was still awesome), and a new backpack. Years later, I still loved having a new notebook to write in.
So, I began futzing with pens. Gel pens, fine-tip markers, plain ol' ballpoints, really fancy ballpoints, and (as I was buying pens like a drunken sailor who is inexplicably buying pens) a few Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. And I started writing at least a little at least most days. The gel pens are pretty nice, and if you write a lot and dig ballpoints, I have one word for you: Jetstream. Well, two: Uni-ball Jetstream, because it's easier to find them if you know who makes them.
But the very few times I fiddled with the fountain pens, it looked pretty awful -- blotchy, uneven, and generally nasty. Which is what happens when you write on really cheap paper with most fountain pens, but I wasn't clear on that at the time -- I figured I was just too hamfisted to write with a delicate instrument. Which was a real pity -- if you've got a fountain pen, there are literally hundreds of really magnificent inks available. Deep metallic vermillion, jet black, jewel-bright turquoise. Recently, eafm pointed out that, if I wanted to be able to use a fountain pen, maybe I should just keep writing with one for awhile, and see if I could acclimate to it. This seemed eminently reasonable, so I gave it a more protracted shot.
And, accidentally using slightly better paper, the look of the line on the paper was much-improved. And, once I wasn't distracted by how awful it looked, I noticed that writing with a fountain pen is really pleasant. So, I started looking around for a non-disposable fountain pen. Nothing expensive, but something solid (the Varsity is, from all accounts, a shockingly good pen in terms of nib and ink flow, considering the fact that you get them for about $2 each and are expected to throw them away when they're out of ink). So, by Thursday, I should have in my possession a canary-yellow Lamy Safari. It's a fine nib, though the reviews suggest that a fine Lamy nib is closer to a medium from other companies, and that's what I'm looking for. If I like it, I'm going to start looking for a suitably nifty ink. Maybe Diamine Oxblood.
So, this is the weirdness I'm getting up to this week. How about you?
I lamented this sorry state on Facebook, and noted that it looked like I needed to actually start practicing penmanship -- on at least a daily basis. ravenbait immediately offered to become a correspondent (using actual ink on actual paper), so that I'd have reason to regularly do fair amounts of writing. This seemed like an excellent idea, so I took her up on it.
The product of a long-time afficionado of pen, ink, and paper, the letter that arrived from 'cross the pond was a thing of genuine beauty -- vivid ink applied to very fine paper by a good pen and a hand long practiced in its use. I began to acquire a small appreciation for letter-writing.
In truth, I've always loved stationery; one of my favorite days of the year when I was a kid was back-to-school shopping, when I'd get a new pencil case, fill it with pens and pencils, and then get a stack of new notebooks, a new lunchbox (which, okay, wasn't stationery, but was still awesome), and a new backpack. Years later, I still loved having a new notebook to write in.
So, I began futzing with pens. Gel pens, fine-tip markers, plain ol' ballpoints, really fancy ballpoints, and (as I was buying pens like a drunken sailor who is inexplicably buying pens) a few Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. And I started writing at least a little at least most days. The gel pens are pretty nice, and if you write a lot and dig ballpoints, I have one word for you: Jetstream. Well, two: Uni-ball Jetstream, because it's easier to find them if you know who makes them.
But the very few times I fiddled with the fountain pens, it looked pretty awful -- blotchy, uneven, and generally nasty. Which is what happens when you write on really cheap paper with most fountain pens, but I wasn't clear on that at the time -- I figured I was just too hamfisted to write with a delicate instrument. Which was a real pity -- if you've got a fountain pen, there are literally hundreds of really magnificent inks available. Deep metallic vermillion, jet black, jewel-bright turquoise. Recently, eafm pointed out that, if I wanted to be able to use a fountain pen, maybe I should just keep writing with one for awhile, and see if I could acclimate to it. This seemed eminently reasonable, so I gave it a more protracted shot.
And, accidentally using slightly better paper, the look of the line on the paper was much-improved. And, once I wasn't distracted by how awful it looked, I noticed that writing with a fountain pen is really pleasant. So, I started looking around for a non-disposable fountain pen. Nothing expensive, but something solid (the Varsity is, from all accounts, a shockingly good pen in terms of nib and ink flow, considering the fact that you get them for about $2 each and are expected to throw them away when they're out of ink). So, by Thursday, I should have in my possession a canary-yellow Lamy Safari. It's a fine nib, though the reviews suggest that a fine Lamy nib is closer to a medium from other companies, and that's what I'm looking for. If I like it, I'm going to start looking for a suitably nifty ink. Maybe Diamine Oxblood.
So, this is the weirdness I'm getting up to this week. How about you?