The Pen may be mightier than the sword, but it brought a knife to a gun fight.
The art and practice of writing by hand has been under siege for quite a while. The first shot came from Johannes Guttenberg in 1450 with his printing press, but the battle really started around 1885 when typewriters became commonplace. The handwriting culture countered with the ballpoint pen and things seemed to settle into an amicable detente for a few decades, that is until the personal computer reignited the conflict. Soon to follow these machines was the carpet bombing we all now know as email, texting, voice-to-type and ultimately AI. The world’s basic common practice of handwriting might not ever recover from this new technology, but that doesn’t mean it is without value.
Is Handwriting a thing of the past?
For some reason, when I think of handwriting, I think of my father. Maybe it is because his version of a non–cursive, gothic script was so quirky and spoke to his background. He was a mechanical engineer whose carefully rehearsed writing had to adapt to move much faster in the practice of law. The result was easily legible, and 100% uniquely him.
He had a “fancy” pen, and I knew it wasn’t a toy as I was told that more than once. And although I only used it a few times under his watchful eye, I fondly remember as a child visiting him at his law office and watching him pull it out of his shirt pocket to make a quick note on a legal pad in his own distinctive handwriting. The fountain pen scratched across the yellow paper with fine lines of black ink, and no matter what it said, it always seemed important.
That same fountain pen resurfaced a few years ago while I was packing up my father’s things after his passing and I was grateful that it had not been lost. Busy with arrangements as we were, it went back into a box and was packed away. That is until a few months ago. While gradually going through all my Dad’s keepsakes, I found it again in one of the last of the plastic tubs full of his things. I tried writing something, but nothing came out. Fearing that maybe it had become damaged and my father had retired it only to forget about it as the years progressed, I became determined to bring it back to service. After some research, I discovered that the fountain pen is a Montblanc Meisterstuck No. 149 and I wasn't going to have to travel to the ends of the earth to find the last repairman with the knowledge to fix it. Instead, my Google search revealed that not only was there a Montblanc brick and mortar location in Houston that still sold the very pen I was holding, but there was also a store solely dedicated to the art and culture of writing with fountain pens, Dromgools.com They were a wealth of knowledge, and the staff at both locations provided all the information I needed about my pen and how to bring it back to life. This "pen quest" also introduced me to a world I never knew existed.
The Montblanc Meisterstuck No. 149
Whether my Dad’s pen was gifted to him by a client, or he purchased it to celebrate a trial win, it is a pen with an illustrious history that has been in production for over 100 years. Much has been written about Montblanc’s No. 149 so I won’t expand on it here, but should you be interested, here is a great article on the pen’s history from Word and Wound.
Fortunately, my Meisterstuck pen only needed a cleaning and a nib adjustment to bring it back to life. And as I was now eager to start writing with a fountain pen, I now realized I was getting ready to step into a world that I didn’t know existed.
Pen Lovers and Nibmeisters
Fountain pen culture is a multifaceted, worldwide passion. There are conventions, collectors, enthusiasts, and communities all surrounding the generous appreciation of these writing instruments. These enthusiasts celebrate the craftsmanship, history, or just the sensory pleasure of fountain pens.
With my fully serviced Meisterstuck and my new knowledge of pen culture, I purchased a bottle of Mystery Black ink, watched a few YouTube videos on how to fill it up and sat down to write the fanciest, most important feeling grocery list ever.
Fountain pens do write differently, and I get it now. You don’t have to press down like you do with a ballpoint pen and even my chicken scratch handwriting has a weighty, formal look to it. It’s been a few weeks since the Meisterstuck has been back in service, and I find myself taking a lot more notes in meetings than I used to and even writing just for the sake of writing. It just “feels” better than any pen I've ever held, and there is what I can only describe as an ASMR quality to it that is a little bit addictive. I highly recommend trying fountain pens, but I also realize that maybe it's just that I'm focusing on the act of writing by hand that I had been missing ever since my typing skills reached 50 words a minute.
The Benefits of Handwriting
It turns out the act of writing, with or without a fancy pen, has some scientifically proven benefits. There is no shortage of scientific research from different organizations touting the benefits of putting pen to paper. Here are just a few.
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"Handwriting Shows Unexpected Benefits Over Typing" by Psychiatrist.com This piece presents findings that writing by hand enhances learning and memory, highlighting the more elaborate brain connectivity patterns associated with handwriting.
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"Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning" by Scientific American This article discusses research indicating that handwriting engages the brain more deeply than typing, enhancing memory retention and learning.
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"Why Writing by Hand Beats Typing for Thinking and Learning" by NPR This piece explores studies showing that handwriting stimulates brain activity in ways typing cannot, suggesting benefits for learning and cognitive development.
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"Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Your Brain" by Psychology Today This article examines research linking handwriting to increased brain connectivity, which is associated with improved learning and memory.
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"Why Writing by Hand Is Still the Best Way to Retain Information" by Stack Overflow Blog This piece argues that handwriting remains superior for information retention, aiding reading comprehension, creativity, and memory.
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"The Benefits of Handwriting: 10 Amazing Truths about Writing by Hand" by Epica This article delves into various benefits of handwriting, including its role in self-reflection and therapeutic practices.
It should be noted that you don't need a vintage or expensive fountain pen to get started with your writing. There are pencils and pens of all shapes and sizes anywhere you look, and if you would like to try fountain pens there are some really good pens with excellent nibs (the part that writes) for under forty dollars. If you are looking for some additional literature on writing, Harris County Public Library also has a number of sources listed below.
The Art of Cursive Handwriting
The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting
A Beginner's Guide to Modern Calligraphy and Brush Pen Lettering
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