How to Hold a Fountain Pen
Fountain pens were developed more than 100 years ago before pen makers developed the simpler ballpoint pen. Relatively expensive, fountain pens may nonetheless be stylish in appearance and make writing easier. A business or home office desk may have one on display. Although they are still used today, practice may be required to write with one.
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Instructions
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Obtaining the Pen and Paper
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1
Purchase fountain pens at a stationery store such as Office Depot or Office Max. Other retailers like the Fountain Pen Hospital and Avalon Pens also sell these items.
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Buy paper at the same stationery stores listed in Step 1 or also a large department store like Wal-Mart or drugstore like Walgreens, which sells computer paper. You want to use paper that is thicker than spiral notebook paper since the ink may bleed through.
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Before writing, make sure that you have placed the paper on a flat surface. If there are bumps or cavities on the writing surface, the ink tip may go through the paper.
Holding the Pen
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Grasp the fountain pen at about a half inch from its point with your right or left hand, whichever you write with. Hold it between the tip of the thumb and the lower right edge of your middle finger just above the fingernail. The tip of the index finger should rest on the pen, this is called the tripod technique, as mentioned by Anything Left Handed.com.
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Note that often those who are left-handed hold the pen between the thumb and the tips of the rest of the four fingers or use what is called the hook position, as stated by Anything Left Handed. In this position the wrist is curved, increasing the chance that words will be smudged when writing from left to right. If you are left-handed, it may be better to use the tri-pod technique used by right-handed people as this prevents the awkward arm and body angles resulting from other writing positions. You may also use fountain pens designed for left-handed writers which have a specially angled nib or point.
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Hold the pen at about a 45-degree angle, comfortable enough for you to write or sign whatever you need.
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Press the ink tip firmly, but not too firmly on the paper as you write. Gently shake the pen to bring the ink down to its tip if it does not write at first. You may want to practice writing on a unneeded piece of paper to achieve the same results.
Working with a Fountain Pen
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Make a line through a misspelled word or other editorial mistake. Multiple lines may appear messy.
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Put Shout or another stain remover on clothing that has been stained by ink from a fountain pen. Do this immediately so that the stain is less likely to set in.
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Get a fountain-like writing utensil if you find it too difficult to use the real thing. An example of such a pen is the Paper Mate liquid flair porous point pens sold at Office Max. It allows for smooth writing that does not bleed through paper. Also, unlike traditional pens, you can see the ink level as you write.
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