<p>You should develop your own style of writing. The most important aspect, is that the hold must be comfortable, especially if you use the pen for long periods of time.</p>
<p>Other aspects to consider, less important: esthetics, quality of the result (i.e. the writing), the coolness factor, the formal-vs-informal setup when you will use it etc.</p>
<hr />
<p>I used fountain pens for more than 20 years. I use them less now, since the computer is quite incompatible with them. I speak from my own experience, as well as the experience of my family and colleagues.</p>
<hr />
<p>I guess that holding the pen from the &quot;neck&quot; will allow you better control, e.g. fast writing. Holding it from farther away from the nib would allow you to fuel your imagination and create fanciful text / drawings.</p>
<p>The size of whatever you write / paint also depends on the position of the hold.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T06:34:32.983Z
Which part is called the neck?
Aquarius_Girl
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T06:47:15.280Z
I do not know if it is actually called "the neck". I see the nib as a head, so whatever is just below / above it, holding it, is the neck. Further from there is the body. I see no hands or legs :)
virolino
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T05:36:33.570Z
2020-08-25T05:36:33.570Z
virolino
<p>Holding a pen is to a large degree a matter of preference. However, the <em>customary</em> position would be neither of the two pictured and both can be tiring.</p>
<p>The first is very close to the nib and will easily get you smudged fingers if you aren’t careful and slip even a bit. A tight grip like that (notice the strongly curved fingers) usually means that the writer’s handwriting is comparatively small and most of the movement comes from the fingers.</p>
<p>The very stretched fingers combined with the grip far at the back of the pen will almost automatically lead to larger handwriting, because small movements are translated into bigger strokes. More of the pen’s movement will come from the wrist.</p>
<p>The customary grip position, that is for example taught to school kids, is easy to see when you look at fountain pens designed for them:</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z9cn2.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></p>
<p>(<a href="https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/de_DE.Store.displayStore.211921./pelikano-fuellhalter-blau" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a>)</p>
<p>Notice the ridged “grip zone” for the index finger and the corresponding soft zone for the thumb.</p>
<p>If you want to find out what a good position for you and your hand could be, start with a very relaxed hand. You will notice that the fingers and thumb will almost automatically fall into something akin to a loose tripod grip when you place your hand sideways on a table or similar. Just slip the pen into position and you’re ready to get started. Minor adjustments will come naturally when you keep writing, but taking the natural position of your hand as baseline will be best to prevent fatigue and cramped fingers and thus give you the best handwriting and the best experience.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-26T15:34:33.580Z
2020-08-26T15:41:54.073Z
2020-08-26T15:41:54.073Z
Stephie
<p>Certain positions are taught in school for holding a pen (not typically a fountain pen or quill in modern times). A variety of grips/positions can be seen in online photos. For example, from <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B01N6N6ZPQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Amazon</a>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/awOFVm.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/awOFVm.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a> <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NRU9Im.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NRU9Im.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>These two pictures show very different positions of holding a fountain pen.</p>
<p>Different grips will provide different control and comfort. This question focuses on just those two objectives. Ignore, for example, specialized grips that left-handed writers sometimes adapt with fountain pens to keep their hands out of the wet ink.</p>
<p>This question also focuses on just fountain pens, since pressure requirements are different from, say, ballpoint pens, pressure affects the ink line, and writing on fountain-pen-friendly paper often provides less feedback than most other types of pens.</p>
<p>Using joints and muscles in a natural way must also play a role. For example, one grip may not be familiar to the writer, but could be learned and is just as easy on the body as a more familiar grip. Another grip might make your hand tired or painful more quickly.</p>
<p>In the absence of injury, disease (like arthritis), or other abnormalities, human hands work pretty much the same (ignoring differences in hand size, finger length, and the like), so it seems logical that certain positions that optimize control and comfort should apply broadly to most writers engaged in normal penmanship (excluding specialized writing like calligraphy), and writing characters in the typical range of handwriting size.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Is there a grip/position for writing with a fountain pen that optimizes control and comfort, and is recognized as being superior to other positions for most users?</p>
</li>
<li><p>A poor position (e.g. comfortable but reduced control, or that leads to pain after prolonged use), may not be immediately obvious as poor. Low quality writing could be attributed to insufficient practice by a new user, or eventual pain might not be attributed to inadequacies of the grip. A new fountain pen user has no basis for comparison. If it is the case that different positions work better for different people, how do I judge whether the position I'm using is less than optimal?</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-24T13:06:32.023Z
There's no right or wrong.  Hold it in any position that feels comfortable and provides control for writing.  You probably wouldn't want to hold it by the nib because you'd get ink on your fingers.  Try different positions and use what works for you.  Everybody is different (which is why you can find pictures of people holding pens in different ways).
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T06:01:17.843Z
Careful with advertisments and commercial pictures. Most of them are stock images done by photographers and models who have no idea how a scene they recreate looks like in real life. There are whole websites dedicated to making fun of stock images of doctors with stethoscopes over their shoulders (although the kind of specialist depictured wouldn't even use a stethoscope), mechanics holding the wrong tools, musicians holding the instrument incorrectly and people awkwardly placing their hand on computer keyboards, looking uncomfortable but sporting the obligatory toothy smile.
Elmy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-27T17:59:52.993Z
Honestly, *both* of those look wrong to me -- I'd go somewhere in the middle :)
Erica
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-27T20:58:28.097Z
I am struggling with this question being closed as opinion-based. It is answerable in two ways (what is usually taught and what fits the natural pattern of a user’s hand and feels comfortable for a good while), which are both not individual opinions but rather objective, although there is a certain variance in how the final choice or habit may look for a certain user, the basic principle should be a pretty universal fit. The asker is putting the focus on the same things - customary approach and how to recognize that something is amiss.
Stephie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-28T00:28:40.223Z
I'm with Stephie on this one.  This is "opinion-based" in the sense that different people can have different opinions on what works best for them, and nobody can know what will work best for someone else.  There are a number of equally correct answers for different people.  However, everyone doesn't know that, and certain positions are taught and there are pictures of other positions.  So this seems like a valid question, which can be factually answered by addressing that there are different positions that will work for different people and (cont'd)
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-28T00:28:46.120Z
it's a matter of preference and what works for you.  If this had attracted people merely spouting their own preference, that would reinforce the idea that the question is opinion based.  But it attracted several decent answers that address the question in a factual way, which supports the view that the question is answerable in a non-opinion-based way.  I'm going to vote to reopen.
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-06T12:14:37.527Z
@fixer1234 I partially agree with your reasoning, but I think some parameters have to be set by the OP before a potential answer actually becomes factual or objective or even generally helpful. Right now, the titular question and both questions in the body - "where to hold a pen while writing?", "what would be considered a proper comfortable way of holding a pen?", and "how do I know I am holding it wrong?" - are way too broad and can only really be answered by the OP.
We also shouldn't judge questions by their answers.
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-06T12:27:11.747Z
@joachim please give an example of a proper title for this question so that I can edit it
Aquarius_Girl
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-07T07:16:17.360Z
I think without describing a reason you think you're holding your pen the wrong way, there is little to solve or comment on. Are photos of people holding their pens differently the only reason you assume you're holding it wrong? And, if so, can you show us how you hold it, and tell us how you  that's impeding your writing?
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-07T08:08:42.533Z
@joachim the problem is if we are accustomed to doing a thing in a particular way for 35 years, we may not know that we are doing it wrong or that is the source of trouble.
Aquarius_Girl
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-07T17:59:33.983Z
@Aquarius_Girl, I took a stab at addressing the closure issues.  Feel free to play with what I did.
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-07T18:05:05.823Z
@Joachim, I added explicit specificity, focus, and context.  Does that solve the closure issues?
fixer1234
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-03T19:55:26.777Z
fwiw - those photos are for advertising not showing proper pen technique.
rebusB
<pens>
Is there a single "best" position for holding a fountain pen while writing?
Aquarius_Girl
# Is there a single "best" position for holding a fountain pen while writing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-24)

Certain positions are taught in school for holding a pen (not typically a fountain pen or quill in modern times). A variety of grips/positions can be seen in online photos. For example, from [Amazon](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B01N6N6ZPQ):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/awOFVm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/awOFVm.png) [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/NRU9Im.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NRU9Im.png)

These two pictures show very different positions of holding a fountain pen.

Different grips will provide different control and comfort. This question focuses on just those two objectives. Ignore, for example, specialized grips that left-handed writers sometimes adapt with fountain pens to keep their hands out of the wet ink.

This question also focuses on just fountain pens, since pressure requirements are different from, say, ballpoint pens, pressure affects the ink line, and writing on fountain-pen-friendly paper often provides less feedback than most other types of pens.

Using joints and muscles in a natural way must also play a role. For example, one grip may not be familiar to the writer, but could be learned and is just as easy on the body as a more familiar grip. Another grip might make your hand tired or painful more quickly.

In the absence of injury, disease (like arthritis), or other abnormalities, human hands work pretty much the same (ignoring differences in hand size, finger length, and the like), so it seems logical that certain positions that optimize control and comfort should apply broadly to most writers engaged in normal penmanship (excluding specialized writing like calligraphy), and writing characters in the typical range of handwriting size.

* Is there a grip/position for writing with a fountain pen that optimizes control and comfort, and is recognized as being superior to other positions for most users?
* A poor position (e.g. comfortable but reduced control, or that leads to pain after prolonged use), may not be immediately obvious as poor. Low quality writing could be attributed to insufficient practice by a new user, or eventual pain might not be attributed to inadequacies of the grip. A new fountain pen user has no basis for comparison. If it is the case that different positions work better for different people, how do I judge whether the position I'm using is less than optimal?

**Tags:** pens

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There's no right or wrong.  Hold it in any position that feels comfortable and provides control for writing.  You probably wouldn't want to hold it by the nib because you'd get ink on your fingers.  Try different positions and use what works for you.  Everybody is different (which is why you can find pictures of people holding pens in different ways).  
> **username_2**: Careful with advertisments and commercial pictures. Most of them are stock images done by photographers and models who have no idea how a scene they recreate looks like in real life. There are whole websites dedicated to making fun of stock images of doctors with stethoscopes over their shoulders (although the kind of specialist depictured wouldn't even use a stethoscope), mechanics holding the wrong tools, musicians holding the instrument incorrectly and people awkwardly placing their hand on computer keyboards, looking uncomfortable but sporting the obligatory toothy smile.  
> **username_3**: Honestly, *both* of those look wrong to me -- I'd go somewhere in the middle :)  
> **username_4**: I am struggling with this question being closed as opinion-based. It is answerable in two ways (what is usually taught and what fits the natural pattern of a user’s hand and feels comfortable for a good while), which are both not individual opinions but rather objective, although there is a certain variance in how the final choice or habit may look for a certain user, the basic principle should be a pretty universal fit. The asker is putting the focus on the same things - customary approach and how to recognize that something is amiss.  
> **username_1**: I'm with username_4 on this one.  This is "opinion-based" in the sense that different people can have different opinions on what works best for them, and nobody can know what will work best for someone else.  There are a number of equally correct answers for different people.  However, everyone doesn't know that, and certain positions are taught and there are pictures of other positions.  So this seems like a valid question, which can be factually answered by addressing that there are different positions that will work for different people and (cont'd)  
> **username_1**: it's a matter of preference and what works for you.  If this had attracted people merely spouting their own preference, that would reinforce the idea that the question is opinion based.  But it attracted several decent answers that address the question in a factual way, which supports the view that the question is answerable in a non-opinion-based way.  I'm going to vote to reopen.  
> **username_5**: @username_1 I partially agree with your reasoning, but I think some parameters have to be set by the OP before a potential answer actually becomes factual or objective or even generally helpful. Right now, the titular question and both questions in the body - "where to hold a pen while writing?", "what would be considered a proper comfortable way of holding a pen?", and "how do I know I am holding it wrong?" - are way too broad and can only really be answered by the OP. We also shouldn't judge questions by their answers.  
> **username_0**: @joachim please give an example of a proper title for this question so that I can edit it  
> **username_5**: I think without describing a reason you think you're holding your pen the wrong way, there is little to solve or comment on. Are photos of people holding their pens differently the only reason you assume you're holding it wrong? And, if so, can you show us how you hold it, and tell us how you  that's impeding your writing?  
> **username_0**: @joachim the problem is if we are accustomed to doing a thing in a particular way for 35 years, we may not know that we are doing it wrong or that is the source of trouble.  
> **username_1**: @username_0, I took a stab at addressing the closure issues.  Feel free to play with what I did.  
> **username_1**: @username_5, I added explicit specificity, focus, and context.  Does that solve the closure issues?  
> **username_6**: fwiw - those photos are for advertising not showing proper pen technique.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-26. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Holding a pen is to a large degree a matter of preference. However, the *customary* position would be neither of the two pictured and both can be tiring.

The first is very close to the nib and will easily get you smudged fingers if you aren’t careful and slip even a bit. A tight grip like that (notice the strongly curved fingers) usually means that the writer’s handwriting is comparatively small and most of the movement comes from the fingers.

The very stretched fingers combined with the grip far at the back of the pen will almost automatically lead to larger handwriting, because small movements are translated into bigger strokes. More of the pen’s movement will come from the wrist.

The customary grip position, that is for example taught to school kids, is easy to see when you look at fountain pens designed for them:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Z9cn2.jpg)

([Source](https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/de_DE.Store.displayStore.211921./pelikano-fuellhalter-blau))

Notice the ridged “grip zone” for the index finger and the corresponding soft zone for the thumb.

If you want to find out what a good position for you and your hand could be, start with a very relaxed hand. You will notice that the fingers and thumb will almost automatically fall into something akin to a loose tripod grip when you place your hand sideways on a table or similar. Just slip the pen into position and you’re ready to get started. Minor adjustments will come naturally when you keep writing, but taking the natural position of your hand as baseline will be best to prevent fatigue and cramped fingers and thus give you the best handwriting and the best experience.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2020-08-25. Score: 3

You should develop your own style of writing. The most important aspect, is that the hold must be comfortable, especially if you use the pen for long periods of time.

Other aspects to consider, less important: esthetics, quality of the result (i.e. the writing), the coolness factor, the formal-vs-informal setup when you will use it etc.

---

I used fountain pens for more than 20 years. I use them less now, since the computer is quite incompatible with them. I speak from my own experience, as well as the experience of my family and colleagues.

---

I guess that holding the pen from the "neck" will allow you better control, e.g. fast writing. Holding it from farther away from the nib would allow you to fuel your imagination and create fanciful text / drawings.

The size of whatever you write / paint also depends on the position of the hold.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Which part is called the neck?  
> **username_7**: I do not know if it is actually called "the neck". I see the nib as a head, so whatever is just below / above it, holding it, is the neck. Further from there is the body. I see no hands or legs :)  

---

