Why fountain pens and cursive work together

There’s a reason many people who pick up a fountain pen eventually fall in love with cursive handwriting—each complements the other in a way modern tools (hmmm maybe the Apple Pencil can) just can’t replicate.

🖋️ The perfect partnership

Fountain pens and cursive writing evolved together historically, creating a natural symbiosis. The flowing nature of cursive script works harmoniously with how fountain pens dispense ink. This partnership creates an experience that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing—something I discovered when I switched from ballpoints to my first Lamy Safari.

💧 Effortless flow across the page

Fountain pens are engineered to glide across paper with minimal resistance. The continuous strokes of cursive writing match this fluid ink delivery system perfectly. Unlike printing, where you constantly lift your pen, cursive allows the nib to maintain contact with the paper, taking advantage of the fountain pen’s natural ink flow.

• Less stopping and starting means smoother writing
• Capillary action pulls ink consistently from the reservoir
• Nibs glide rather than drag across the paper
• Cursive’s connected letters maximize this flowing movement

✍️ Reduced pressure, better control

Unlike ballpoint pens that require downward pressure to activate their ink-rolling mechanism, fountain pens need only the lightest touch. This makes cursive—with its continuous strokes and flowing connections—much easier on the hand and wrist.

For long writing sessions, this difference becomes crucial. Many writers with hand fatigue or early signs of repetitive strain find that switching to a fountain pen for cursive writing significantly reduces discomfort.

📈 Line variation that brings writing to life

One of the most satisfying aspects of cursive writing is the natural variation in line thickness. Fountain pen nibs—especially flex, italic, stub, or soft gold variants—emphasize these thick and thin lines, giving your writing distinctive character that’s impossible to achieve with ballpoints or gel pens.

This variation happens naturally as you:

• Apply slightly different pressure on downstrokes versus upstrokes
• Change writing angle through curves and loops
• Create flourishes and connections between letters

Something like the Pilot Custom 912 with FA nib brings this quality to life, creating dynamic line variation that makes even grocery lists look elegant.

Want to improve (or learn) cursive?

If you want to learn basic cursive penmanship, I recommend starting with a book targeted for kids (just like how we watch kids shows to learn another language, perhaps). I found a highly-rated one that you’d might want to check out.

To further improve, The Art of Cursive Penmanship is a popular book in the community. You can get a copy of this on Amazon!

Remember that consistency is key—even 10 minutes of daily practice can lead to significant improvement over time.