Drippy Musings
10 Pens & Writing posts. Handwriting, thank-you notes, cursive's history and why modern books are not called classics: the writing side of the writing instrument.
At one time it seemed as if people identified classic literature almost as soon as it was published. Yet it doesn’t seem as if any book since the 1970s has received that designation. Why is that? What do you think should be considered a classic from the past 50ish years?
Sending a thank you note after a job interview is an excellent way to help yourself get ahead in this world. It can be difficult to stand out in the job market, but one great way to get a little extra attention is to send a hand-written thank you note after you have an interview.…
Glitter spells death for fountain pens! Writing good Christmas cards is easy once you accept the “glitter-death principle.” Glitter truly looks great on a lot of cards, but it also gets in your nib and destroys the perfection of your tipping material, suddenly rendering your favorite pen scratchy and irregular. Break out the green ink…
Now that veteran vendors and rookie pen collectors are breaking the ice, let’s lend some veteran assistance to the rookies navigating their first pen shows. Your first pen show is bound to be an overwhelming affair. There will be tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of vintage and modern pens. You will find…
See the difference a 1.5mm Lamy nib can make for your handwriting? Not only do the letters take on more distinctive shapes, the ink, itself, provides shadows and highlights on every letter. It is far more interesting than a boring old fine-point nib. It should be noted that my handwriting is terrible. Some of my…
Since letters have been invented, people have looked for ways to write them more swiftly. Scribes writing on clay tablets developed a more fluid form of writing that served as an early cursive in Mesopotamia. The cursive writing we recognize today started developing in Europe the 16th century. Connecting letters with loops and tails seemed…
As we ponder the start of a new school year, did you know most schools are no longer teaching children how to write in cursive? This fact first came to my attention by friends, who are parents, telling me their kids aren’t learning cursive. Recent documentaries that address the phenomenon have also been brought to…
Journals come in all shapes and sizes. The trick is to find one you like and just keep plugging away at it. Before you know it, you will have preserved many incredible memories and events. Looking for a great new use for your vintage pens or luxury writers? Have you ever tried keeping a journal…
The key to every good love letter is making it as personal as you can. Don’t be intimidated by writing. Savor the joy it will bring. Okay, so now that you have a spiffy pen for writing love letters, how do you go about using it? Writing a good love letter is an art form,…
Sheaffer’s early nibs of the 1920s featured heart-shaped breather holes. Who says fountain pens aren’t romantic. It’s true. Fountain pens write better love letters. As St. Valentine’s Day approaches, it is important to let those you love know how you feel. You don’t need to buy a diamond mine or hire pilots with a knack…
