How I write without hand pain by using a 1 dollar pen

Quick note before you continue reading

This blog contains:

My beginnings as a child

Tripod

This image showcases a "tripod grip." Notice the middle finger going under the pen. This grip was forced onto me from a family member who could not stop yelling at me. This was quickly short lived as it felt too uncomfortable to write.

What I later adopt

Quadpoint

This is a "quad-point grip" where four tips of the fingers are gripping the tool. Notice the index finger flexing inwards, that's showcases additional force being applied to the pen.

I would use this grip throughout elementary to high school.

The pain

For the longest time, I would just do a lot of artwork. Which means sketching. This activity would dominate most of my life and I haven't had the chance to return to writing.

Around the start of 2023, I got back into reading text only books (rather than graphic novels,) the book was filled with so much information that I had to get a notebook and start writing down notes.

Within 10 to 20 minutes, my hand started to feel pain. I was at utter confusion. I was confused because I don't have any hand pain when it comes to sketching. But writing, it hurts. Some would call it "death grips" but I cannot find solid information about it. Either way, I had to stop and investigate on why my hand is hurting.

Starting fresh

I would buy a cheap sketch book and a bunch of cheap pens. It was time to experiment. I ended up adopting the same grip I would use for sketching artworks.

sketching

writing

I ended up using the same pen I was already writing which is the Pentel RSVP. A pack of two that cost less than 1 dollar. The other cheap pens I tried was gel and it did not meet my new requirement which I'm going to call "gentle writing."

The goal is to write with little amount of pressure. Just like how I sketch with little amount of pressure, the pen is handled differently compared to the classic "tripod grip."

tripoint

This is the "tri-point grip." Notice the middle finger is no longer under the pen.

tripoint2

And from this angle you can tell I am holding it as light as a feather. Like what most painters would do with their brushes.

For the experimentation, I open my sketchbook, turn to a blank page, and start writing the pangram "the quick brown fox" over and over again. I would adjust my seating posture, try using my arm to write rather than hand only, and mess with the angle of the pen. And it's not just the angle, I also adjust the position of my grip, the placement of the fingers could be close to the tip or far away from the tip.

After the week of experimentation was over, I went back to writing notes for the book and it was clear that my hand pain is no more. It is interesting to see the before and after, it was thick lines back then but now it's all thin lines. As long it's readable, that is all what matters in the end.

Some will find it crazy but I tired to keep practicing holding the pen gently on my hand whenever I walk. It's like I'm holding a cigarette but instead it's a ballpoint pen. Mind you this was a short lived experiment, I don't know if this method goes a good job of reinforcing a habit of holding a pen gently rather than hard.

My question: Is there such thing as a correct way of holding a writing tool?

Honestly, I don't think there is ever a correct way of holding a writing tool. It'll depend from person to person.

The "tri-pod grip" puts me in a locked position and hurts my palms (lower part of my hand.) "Quad-point grip" for me is the same problem but the worst part is an unnecessary amount of force and pressure from my hand, like I'm in pure rage. And yes, I'll admit, I was angry at that time.

I think the reason why "tri-point grip" worked for me is because the fingers are not curled too much and the lower part part of the hand is open just a bit more.

The arm? It depends. There are times I'll use my arm to move but sometimes I don't.

Seriously this puts me in an odd position where I finally learned that the standard "tri-pod grip" is just ... not that important.

I'm fortunate to have years of experience sketching because otherwise it would of taken me more additional time to figure out what is going on.

But yeah. It's just a matter of experimenting. I cannot imagine left handed users struggling right now.

Beyond the 1 dollar pen

pens

Look, I really recommend the Pentel RSVP but if you are interested in other pens I'm showcasing, then fine.

I'll provide my results from writing light AKA gently on the paper and then hard on the paper as well.

The paper is Bloc Color by Rhodia N 16, 90 g.

ballpoint

Ballpoint:

Besides the Pentel pen, you might ask me if getting the bigger pens with nice grips is the way to go. My answer? Maybe? ... If you know you going back to awful habits of gripping the pen hard, sure. But I also want to advocate on practicing with an affordable pen due to how lightweight is it. I don't blame you if you want to keep it as a backup just in case things go wrong.

The grip on the Bic Atlantis is soft and squishy and awhile Pilot Dr.Grip RT is hard because it has two layers of grip. Perhaps those two layers is meant to counter the pressure from the fingers pushing in too hard?

low-vis

Low-Viscosity:

Unpopular opinion, I really do not like most of the low-viscosity pens expect one. I've tried Pilot, Zebra, Pentel, and of course, Uni.

The Uni Jetstream is very popular and I get it. The issue I have with the pen is how it bleeds onto the paper too quickly. If I were to write the letter "O" multiple times, the starting point where I write will create a blob and the afterward it'll be a smooth line.

The only pens I love in this category, is the Parker Jotters. They write uniformly, and they behave more like a ballpoint pen rather than a gel pen. Making it rather easy for anyone to pick up and write straight away. That's not to say gel pens are difficult to write, it's just most people have experience with ballpoints than other pens out there.

Another thing I love to point out for Parker Jotters is how excellent the body of the pen is. It's very skinny that it allows the user to experiment on holding the pen in different positions. The weight is good too, I prefer plastic body because it allows me to grip better.

pressure

Pressure:

Pressure pens are awesome and I know most people love the legacy from anything that is Space Pen. Trust me, I own way too many Rite in the Rain pens and multiple Space Pens, both manufactured by Fisher. If I ever had to use them, it's more for work, outdoors, and emergencies.

What about writing for long periods? Well ... as you can see from the image, Space Pens are not going to be the ideal solution. But Tombow? Somehow they managed to create a pen that seems to work no matter how light I go onto the paper, it's like magic! The trade-off is that it writes very thin if the user writes gently on the paper.

By the way, if you are not familiar with pressure pens, they are designed to write in harsh conditions and even upside down. Can even write underwater as much that sounds crazy.

fountain

Fountain:

I want to like fountain pens. When I started with Platinum Preppy (Fine nib), I was not impressed from the start. But as time passes on, I had to revisit the pen because I needed to know if I just handling it wrong.

When it comes to using fountain pens for the first time, it's the same as picking up a new musical instrument. I think the issue for me was how I was angling it incorrectly. However I finally found a pen that made me happy and learned a critical point.

The Pelikan Twist is awesome and made learn that it isn't just the angle of the nib but also the nib size as well. I was writing with fine nibs for a long time on and off but the medium nib (and board) allowed me to have the smooth writing experience I'd ever imagined.

Okay awhile Preppy Medium provides smooth writing to the point it has little to no feedback sound, Pelikan Twist does provide that bit of "toothing" sound but both really writes smooth.

Granted the problem with fountain pens is that they do not write well on normal or cheap paper. It's a lot worse here in USA. From what I learned from certain users on Reddit, Pelikan's ink is somewhat okay on cheap paper but your mileage may vary.

Gel pens?

I don't like any of them. They don't work for me because they keep skipping whenever I'm trying to write gently. I guess I'll never understand why they are popular.

Rollerball pens?

Now that's what my family uses for a long time. Even I still use it for my calendar now-a-days. If I remember, they use a combination of Pilot Precise and Uni Vision, they are excellent.

The reason why I don't use them is because they bleed too much onto the paper. My fingers could accidentally smudge the writing.

Basically I'd use them for niche reasons.

Let's keep it simple here

I highly recommend the Pentel RSVP. It's a good starting point. Keep this in mind:

Don't give up. Keep practicing. There is no need to worry about putting your hand in constant pain.