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Fountain pen

After a child has practised his/her handwriting skills and developed automatic writing with the help of Jumbo GRIP or mechanical pencils, he/she should switch to every learner’s number one writing implement, the fountain pen. As opposed to rollerball pens, children experience some haptic feedback: If the pen is held at an angle which is too low or too steep, fluent writing becomes impossible or the ink flow simply stops. Rollerball pens are either suitable for fifth graders  - and older - who are refining their writing skills once they have developed automatic writing, or for children with motor difficulties who grip a pencil too tightly with cramped fingers. 

 

A good fountain pen for beginners should have the following features:

 
Asymmetric grip zone for right or left hand use
The moulded grip zone should not have three finger depressions, since this could give rise to even more cramps. As to the ergonomic grip zone the following basic principle applies: as much as necessary, as little as possible. The index finger requires a moulded recess, as it needs a predefined position on the barrel to ensure that changes in direction and pressure are immediately implemented. Positioned on the underside of the pen, the middle finger does not need a special recess, but requires a smooth surface for being able to lightly rest underneath the pencil without having to be positioned in a recessed section. The latter could change the position of the wrist, the elbow and the arm and, thus, give rise to hand cramps. Last but not least, the thumb does not require a recessed grip section either, as it is supposed to find its own preferred individual pencil grip position.
A coloured grip zone and a “ridge“ separating the barrel from the nib prevent the fingers from taking a position which is too close to the nib, while ensuring that the pen is held at an angle of ca. 45 degrees. So the nib can move fluidly across the paper, without the fingers covering the tip of the pencil so that visuomotor skills can take control.
The nib must be iridium-tipped to withstand high levels of pressure.
The barrel of the fountain pen should not provide the possibility of extending the pen by putting on the cap to avoid negative leverage and unnecessary muscle strain.
“Integrated” roll-off stoppers
Standard refill cartridges and transparent ink-view window