With my ridiculous love for nice pens and notebooks, you'd think I'd write more letters....
Ridiculous amount of money on nice pens
Ridiculous amount of money on nice pens
Consider Writing A Letter, I Mean Snail Mail
- Thread starter mso489
- Start date
It's great this thread was necroed, because it just so happens I got my first fountain pen, a Waterman, about three weeks ago, and I have been working hard on improving my handwriting, writing letters to loved ones, and just generally diving into this whole enterprise in general. It's been a goal of mind for a long time to really engage with this manner of communication, and I had to educate myself a lot on how exactly to do it. I remembered some cursive from school; I imagine I was one of the last groups of students to be taught it and general letter writing/diction in general. But so much was alien to me. How to actually use a fountain pen correctly, using the "right" paper, etc. A friend even gifted me a set used for forming wax seals that I am utterly giddy to use, but the opportunity hasn't arisen to use it just yet.
Anyway, for the old-timers in this thread, let me say something. You'd be amazed at how impactful a hand-written letter can be to us "younger" folk (I'm 35, so not a spring chicken, but you get the idea). You're right that most young folk don't really know much about writing. But they haven't been taught. It's not their fault they don't know anymore than its your fault you don't know how repair a wagon wheel but your grandparents did.
But we are all, especially the younger generations, utterly inundated with spam calls, emails, junk mail, blog posts, social media screeds, advertisements, etc., that amount to nothing, disposable and intangible. But a letter? Something you can hold and keep, written with love by someone you respect? That can mean a lot, especially in a world that values convenience and efficiency to the utterly obsessive degree this one does. Your grandkid may or may not write you back, but they will likely cherish that letter and keep it. My younger sister lives a hour away, and I text and call her regularly. But last week, I wrote her a letter, because she is going through hard times right now and I believed that a written letter would have greater impact. I was right.
Anyway, for the old-timers in this thread, let me say something. You'd be amazed at how impactful a hand-written letter can be to us "younger" folk (I'm 35, so not a spring chicken, but you get the idea). You're right that most young folk don't really know much about writing. But they haven't been taught. It's not their fault they don't know anymore than its your fault you don't know how repair a wagon wheel but your grandparents did.
But we are all, especially the younger generations, utterly inundated with spam calls, emails, junk mail, blog posts, social media screeds, advertisements, etc., that amount to nothing, disposable and intangible. But a letter? Something you can hold and keep, written with love by someone you respect? That can mean a lot, especially in a world that values convenience and efficiency to the utterly obsessive degree this one does. Your grandkid may or may not write you back, but they will likely cherish that letter and keep it. My younger sister lives a hour away, and I text and call her regularly. But last week, I wrote her a letter, because she is going through hard times right now and I believed that a written letter would have greater impact. I was right.
Check out a guy named Michael Sull.
He is Planet Earth's top scholar and practitioner regarding penmanship & related. Was the official White House "formal document" guy for five presidents, travels the world giving workshops and presentations, and is regarded as something of a living god in parts of Asia (especially Japan).
Here's what a simple envelope addressed by him looks like:
He's written a number of instructional books from beginner to advanced.
Here's the starter one:
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Rhodia is wonderful paper, probably the best I've ever used. As far as your project here, all I can say is WOW! One of the coolest things I've seen or heard of in a long time.
What a wonderful setup! I'd love to sit there for a few hours!
Wow, what a wonderful discussion to happen upon! I enjoyed reading all the responses.
I still send letters from time to time (almost always in cursive and with a wax seal on the envelope), and I always send postcards when I travel. I get mixed and sometimes odd responses, but hardly ever a reply (unless it's via text). I have found that most times people will save a letter or a postcard. I know people who have postcards from me from ten years ago still on their fridge.
I personally think it's a mistake to believe you have to have good penmanship in order to write a letter. It doesn't matter what your writing looks like: it just matters that you tried. I believe I've gotten so few replies to my own writing because people think their handwriting isn't good enough. Nonsense.
Email isn't as personal for sure, but I have had many meaningful conversations via email over the years. I don't discount it.
It's also true that young people just haven't been taught these things or been exposed to them in many cases. Many of them would love to participate in meaningful activities but have been given no opportunities to do so. I was in the post office not long ago with my young son, teaching him how to "use" the post office. The man behind the counter commended me for the effort, and added that many young people today don't even know how to address an envelope. They have an "example" envelope at the counter to show them. Insane.
Calligraphy is a serious hobby of mine, and I went through a phase of trying fountain pens and fancy papers. I spent a lot of money and never found a fountain pen I liked, though I did find some good paper. I know the right pen is out there but I got tired of spending money on them. If anyone can recommend a good pen that will have VERY SHARP LINES and a serious chisel-tip I'd love to try one, preferably around the 1.00mm size. I don't care if it's expensive. I've had Lamys and some others I can't remember the names of, and the thing they all had in common was the lines weren't sharp enough. They made for a sloppy writing experience.
I mostly use Fine Point Sharpie pens (not the same as regular Sharpies). I love them and I can get good lines out of them. They are also cheap and readily available. I've studied Tolkien's penmanship a lot over the years and got it down pretty well. I made my own variation on it and people seem to like it pretty well. I sell some of my own work online. Here are some samples:
I still send letters from time to time (almost always in cursive and with a wax seal on the envelope), and I always send postcards when I travel. I get mixed and sometimes odd responses, but hardly ever a reply (unless it's via text). I have found that most times people will save a letter or a postcard. I know people who have postcards from me from ten years ago still on their fridge.
I personally think it's a mistake to believe you have to have good penmanship in order to write a letter. It doesn't matter what your writing looks like: it just matters that you tried. I believe I've gotten so few replies to my own writing because people think their handwriting isn't good enough. Nonsense.
Email isn't as personal for sure, but I have had many meaningful conversations via email over the years. I don't discount it.
It's also true that young people just haven't been taught these things or been exposed to them in many cases. Many of them would love to participate in meaningful activities but have been given no opportunities to do so. I was in the post office not long ago with my young son, teaching him how to "use" the post office. The man behind the counter commended me for the effort, and added that many young people today don't even know how to address an envelope. They have an "example" envelope at the counter to show them. Insane.
Calligraphy is a serious hobby of mine, and I went through a phase of trying fountain pens and fancy papers. I spent a lot of money and never found a fountain pen I liked, though I did find some good paper. I know the right pen is out there but I got tired of spending money on them. If anyone can recommend a good pen that will have VERY SHARP LINES and a serious chisel-tip I'd love to try one, preferably around the 1.00mm size. I don't care if it's expensive. I've had Lamys and some others I can't remember the names of, and the thing they all had in common was the lines weren't sharp enough. They made for a sloppy writing experience.
I mostly use Fine Point Sharpie pens (not the same as regular Sharpies). I love them and I can get good lines out of them. They are also cheap and readily available. I've studied Tolkien's penmanship a lot over the years and got it down pretty well. I made my own variation on it and people seem to like it pretty well. I sell some of my own work online. Here are some samples:
I am a lefty and since I was a little kid I haven't been able to read my own writing. Now that I am going to be 65 next month my writing is even worse. I always admired people who had nice hand writing. My sister made mine look like a 6 year olds. My mother understood as she was a lefty and had lousy writing and my father just thought I was being lazy.
Way ahead of ya: I got this guidebook on cursive handwriting, and it is proving useful. I'll NEVER be able to write as well as he can, but I'm mostly just looking for my handwriting to be consistent, competent, and readable, if not elegant.
I heard a recent interview with Michael Sull. I think it was on the Art of Manliness podcast but I might be wrong about that. He mentioned how it doesn't matter what your writing looks like, just write to someone. That coming from one of the best penman in the world. In that interview he not only talked about his penmanship, but he knows a ton about the history of it all. It was pretty fascinating stuff for me.
This discussion reminds me of something and I'll put it out there for anyone's consideration. I started writing my children letters on their birthdays years ago, sealing them up, and putting them in a box. It began when my oldest boy was about five, but all those who followed him have a letter from me on the day they were born. I guess someday someone will stumble upon them and they'll have some reading to do. I don't remember where I got the idea, and I don't remember what I wrote to them. I was a lot younger when I started, so some of it is probably stuff I'd not say today now that I'm older. But it was a moment in time and I'm hoping there are some gems in there that they will enjoy after I'm gone. Anyway, something you may consider for your children or grandchildren.
This discussion reminds me of something and I'll put it out there for anyone's consideration. I started writing my children letters on their birthdays years ago, sealing them up, and putting them in a box. It began when my oldest boy was about five, but all those who followed him have a letter from me on the day they were born. I guess someday someone will stumble upon them and they'll have some reading to do. I don't remember where I got the idea, and I don't remember what I wrote to them. I was a lot younger when I started, so some of it is probably stuff I'd not say today now that I'm older. But it was a moment in time and I'm hoping there are some gems in there that they will enjoy after I'm gone. Anyway, something you may consider for your children or grandchildren.
I considered starting a thread where we could randomly match people who would be interested in writing and receiving letters but I'm lazy.
I recommend it.
(As an aside, there is some stuff in my quoted passage that I did not actually write - the bit about nurse writing. Not sure how that happened.)
Years ago I tried finding a pen pal deal online but it was mostly for kids, or women, and I didn’t want to take up a correspondence with a female (trouble I don’t need). Your thread idea might be fun.
Same. I often use wax seals myself. Just getting into dip pens though...
Do you keep your crest on the handle of your gandolf staff for dipping in a cauldron of wax?
I'm delighted this thread has had long legs. I write letters regularly. Recently I wrote a short letter to our minister who taught a three-class sermon-writing course which I took for personal edification and wrote three sermons. Since then I wrote a letter to a long-time friend I haven't communicated with in ten years, hoping to hear back, and another to my primary care doctor to sort out an issue.
Usually, I write on a PC and print out the hard copy to mail. I also enjoy handwriting, though results vary. If I'm addled, stressed, or tired, my handwriting can be hard to decipher. If I'm rested and relaxed, I'm have fair script, and I can adjust it to printing if I feel the recipient would find that easier to read.
It is interesting that people who text compulsively all day find it challenging to submit ink to the page. To confound them further, they do not have an envelop or stamp on hand even in the back of a drawer, so letter writing would involve some shopping.
Though I enjoy this chat group (for example), and emails on an almost daily basis, I think letters have a permanence (sometimes) and a sense of commitment that digital exchanges do not. You can print out or save as a document an email, but the common assumption is that these will be deleted by the recipient in fairly short order. Texts almost certainly.
Letters are good. I highly recommend them. It seems quite a few members here agree.
Usually, I write on a PC and print out the hard copy to mail. I also enjoy handwriting, though results vary. If I'm addled, stressed, or tired, my handwriting can be hard to decipher. If I'm rested and relaxed, I'm have fair script, and I can adjust it to printing if I feel the recipient would find that easier to read.
It is interesting that people who text compulsively all day find it challenging to submit ink to the page. To confound them further, they do not have an envelop or stamp on hand even in the back of a drawer, so letter writing would involve some shopping.
Though I enjoy this chat group (for example), and emails on an almost daily basis, I think letters have a permanence (sometimes) and a sense of commitment that digital exchanges do not. You can print out or save as a document an email, but the common assumption is that these will be deleted by the recipient in fairly short order. Texts almost certainly.
Letters are good. I highly recommend them. It seems quite a few members here agree.