[Skullring]

Originally Posted by shandy

Thank you Joji! I have a suggestion to try. Go to your nearest Lamy store and get your self a Safari with an italic nib, either 1.1 or 1.5 and have a go with that.
The nib on a fountain pen is so important and this is the cheapest way to experiment!

With a good nib my handwriting improves, with a stiff fine nib it ends up looking like I am writing with a ball point

I really encourage folks who are starting out or who think their handwriting is not up to snuff to try a broad nib or one with a stub or italic. it makes a huge difference. Also, slow up when writing with a fountain pen. One of the beautiful things about writing with one is that it makes you think about the writing process. It is difficult at first, especially if you are used to writing non cursive and with a roller ball or ball point but it is worth the practice.

I have written with fountain pens since the age of seven. I used to think and try to write 3 paragraphs ahead of what was meant to be going on the paper. A fountain pen made me slow down and I saw an almost immediate improvement in my writing. My teacher made me use a broad nib as well for the reasons I gave above! Hope that helps!

Thanks for the advice on the Safari Italic. I will order one and give it a try.