Hold Chopsticks like a Pen

Last Updated on July 8, 2021 by Staff

Countless videos and blogs on “how to use chopsticks” recommend that users learn to hold the top chopstick like a pen. That is a sound advice. We teach the same in Learn to Use Chopsticks as well.

But what does “hold it like a pen” mean, exactly? Does everyone actually know the right way to hold a pen? What if there are as many alternative pen grips, as there are alternative chopstick grips? And, is there a “standard pen grip”, like there is a standard chopstick grip?

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Featured banner - Standard Grip - user19 - comparing pen grip to chopstick grip - lesserweevils_JvRk8DY_155149 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – Standard Grip*

Are pen grips and chopstick grips correlated?

If you learned a non-standard pen grip as a child, will that influence the type of chopstick grip you adopt later?

We don’t have answers to this question, nor to some of the questions stated earlier. You won’t find answers elsewhere either. Researchers have not explored these questions. They haven’t even come to reckon with the reality of the richness of chopstick grip types, yet.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Standard Grip - Modeluser - upper side view - IMG_7391_IMG_8515 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – Standard Grip

Here we attempt to collect and analyze pictures of folks using pens and chopsticks. It is just a starting point. We collect pictures from folks where the same person uses a pen and then chopsticks. By acquiring and analyzing these pictures, we can start to look for patterns including correlations. We will thus establish some basic facts for further research.

Wisdom from chopstick wrappers

Instructions on how-to-use-chopsticks abound. You can find them on most chopstick wrappers for disposable chopsticks. As we have recounted in Vulcan Grip and Righthand Rule, these instructions are accompanied by horribly-inaccurate drawings. But in many cases, succinct written instructions include the phrase “hold it as you hold a pencil”. We applaud this recommendation.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - hold it like a pen - cropped - FromCorridorVid - chopsticks — Chopstick wrapper instructions: hold it as you hold a pencil

We like it so much that we have incorporated it into our article on Learn to Use Chopsticks. Below is one of the video clips showing the first step of the learning process. Step 1 is to hold the top chopstick like a pen. The end result is a three-finger maneuver that we call the “tripod hold”.

Chopsticks - Learning the standard grip finger posture 1a - top chopstick placement - IMG_7435 640x353 10fps — Initial placement of top chopstick, as if holding a pen using the tripod hold

Who said this is the right pen grip?

Unlike the sad, unresearched field of chopstick grips, the best way to hold a pen has been well-documented online, as well as in books. This website, for instance, documents both the tripod grip and the quadropod grip for holding a pen. The same tripod grip is illustrated in the 1923 treatise on penmanship by Caswell, shown below.

Tripod hold on a pen - The railroad fist or the Caswell system - Railroadfistorca00casw_0022_Wikimedia — **Caswellian Grip** (left) and **Spencerian Grip** (right) (Source)

The book showed two closely-related variants of the tripod grip. For reasons that will be explained later, we will call the above left posture the Caswellian Grip, and the above right posture the Spencerian Grip.

It turns out that the same tripod grip is exactly how the top chopstick is manipulated by the same three fingers: the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Featured banner - Standard Grip - user19 - comparing pen grip to chopstick grip - lesserweevils_JvRk8DY_154111 — Comparing Spencerian pen grip to Standard chopstick grip *

We call the alternating motion of three fingers moving the top chopstick between the closed posture and the open posture, the planetary gear train twirling of chopsticks. Following video illustrates this alternating motion.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - Twirling the top chopstick - Snapping air with max wide-open angle, while the bottom chopstick is held immobile by the left hand - IMG_3620 — Twirling the top chopstick using planetary gear train principles

Alternative ways to grip a pen

There are as many ways to grip a pen as there are for holding chopsticks. Two pictures below show the same person using two different pen grips. On the left is an alternative grip where the index finger is over-flattened, to the point where the finger hurts. This grip was acquired in childhood. On the right is a tripod grip with a curved index finger that this person adopted in adulthood.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Alternative pen grip - Flattened Index Finger vs Tripod Grip - user19 - upper rear view - lesserweevils_154155_161308 — Alternative pen grip with flattened index finger (left) vs. with curved index finger (right) *

For reasons that will be explained later, we will call the above left posture the Modern Grip. The above right posture is another example of the Spencerian Grip.

Two more common pen grips are shown below. They are very similar. Both grips forgo the use of the tip segment of the thumb. Only the base of the thumb is used to grip the pen. The person on the left wields chopsticks with the Idling Thumb grip. The person on the right wields chopsticks with the Scissorhand grip. These resemble the pen grip that some people call the lateral tripod grip. See these research drawings and pictures. We will call it the Lateral Grip here.

It is worth pointing out that Idling Thumb is named precisely after the tip of the thumb that eschews any responsibilities in maneuvering the top chopstick. This characteristic of chopstick wielding appears to be correlated to how the same person wields a pen (above left).

Similarly, Scissorhand inherits the same idling thumb, because it is derived indirectly from Idling Thumb. This relationship is visually described in the family tree of alternative grips. Again, this disuse of the thumb appears to translate to the pen grip as well (above right).

All four variants mentioned so far are tripod grips. But they do not all operate using the same finger dynamics. Only the Spencerian and the Caswellian variants enable a writer to freely twirl the pen using the planetary gear train principle. The Modern and the Lateral variants lock the pen in a firm grip, allowing it very little freedom of movement.

Standard Grip users

In general, people who twirl chopsticks using Standard Grip also hold pens using the tripod grip. More specifically they tend to adopt either the Spencerian variant, or the Caswellian variant. This is an empirical observation based on anecdotal evidences, and is subject to revisions as we collect more data. Following pictures illustrate various views of the same Standard Grip.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks-Banner - Views-Standard Grip - Modeluser - using marcosticks - IMG_8518-to-IMG_8523 — Different views of the standard chopstick grip

Following are views of the same user holding a pen using the Caswellian Grip. Take note of overall similarities between the chopstick grip (above) and the pen grip (below).

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks-Banner - Views-Standard Grip - Modeluser - using a pen - IMG_7391-to-7404-n-8618 — Different views of the tripod pen grip – Caswellian variant

That being said, there are some minor differences between the chopstick grip and the pen grip. For instance, in holding a pen, the thumb does not need to extended completely flat, in a Caswellian thumb pose, as described in details in Caswellian Thumb and Chopsticks, and in Count-to-4. This is because there isn’t a second pen for the thumb to secure, as is the case with chopsticks.

Pictures below illustrate how a different Standard Grip user holds a chopstick like a pen (left), versus how the same user wield chopsticks (center and right). The thumb in the pen grip (left) is positioned opposite the index finger. This is slightly different from the standard chopstick grip (center and right), where the thumb is positioned further aft.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Standard Grip - User20 - upper side view - IMG_8487-IMG_8493-IMG_8494 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Caswellian Grip** vs. **Standard Grip**

Here are similar views of yet another Standard Grip user. The picture on the left shows the Spencerian Grip. Note the slight change in the position of the thumb, with respect to the positions of the index finger and the middle finger. The thumb is located further aft, compared to these other fingers. The pen grip of this user is visually closer to the standard chopstick grip, except that the thumb is bent, instead of being extended flat, in a Caswellian thumb pose.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Featured banner - Standard Grip - user19 - comparing pen grip to chopstick grips - open n closed - lesserweevils_JvRk8DY_155149 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Spencerian Grip** vs. **Standard Grip**

Two traditional pen grips

Two variants of traditional pen grips exist. They were popular for writing cursives using fountain pens. They are both examples of tripod grips. The Caswell treatise shows both variants. Unlike some variants such as the Modern Grip, these traditional grips demand that writers rest the rear of the pen on the base of the index finger. This is exactly how the Standard Grip works as well, when it comes to wielding chopsticks.

Tripod hold on a pen - The railroad fist or the Caswell system - Railroadfistorca00casw_0022_Wikimedia - annotated base of index finger where the pen rests — Caswellian and Spencerian have the pen rest on the base of the index finger

These two variants are slightly different. The variant on the left has writers turn their wrist, with the palm facing down. This allows the index finger to exert downward forces on the pen. The variant on the right has the hand turned such that it can sit on the flesh of the pinky. These distinctions are not important to chopstick wielding. For the sake of this article, we ignore these differences.

Instead, we want to use these two variants to show two ways the thumb may be positioned. We have marked out the contour of the thumb in these two pictures (below), to highlight their differences.

For the sake of our discussion, we term the first variant the Caswellian Grip, shown below. The purlicue is stretched taut, by the base of the index finger and the base of the thumb. This allows the tip of the thumb to reach forward and meet with the tip of the index finger. We name it after the author of the book.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Variants of tripod pen grip - 1 Caswellian grip - from Caswell system - Railroadfistorca00casw_0022_Wikimedia-IMG_8618 — Variant 1 of the traditional pen grip – the **Caswellian Grip**

We term the second variant the Spencerian Grip, shown below right. This is where the base of the thumb raises up, bringing itself closer to the base of the index finger. The tip of the thumb is raised in the process, distancing itself from the tip of the index finger. A different way of raising the tip of the thumb is shown below left. Instead of raising the base of the thumb, the first joint of the thumb is bent instead.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Variants of tripod pen grip - 2 Spencerian grip - from Caswell system - Railroadfistorca00casw_0022_Wikimedia_lesserweevils_155149 — Variant 2 of the tripod pen grip – the **Spencerian Grip**

It doesn’t matter whether one uses Caswellian Grip or Spencerian Grip. The both work well. People usually adopt whichever grip better accommodate their anatomy and habit.

For the curious who want to dive further into the rabbit hole, see this, this, this, this, this, and this on pen grips.

The Modern Grip

It seems that schools now teach a different pen grip. We call this the Modern Grip. It is still a tripod grip, in that the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger securely hold the pen. It is generally known as the Dynamic Tripod penhold. But this grip has the pen rest on the purlicue, the web between the index finger and the thumb. This seemingly small detail has grave implications for finger dynamics. Firstly, the planetary gear-like rolling of the pen cannot be done. Secondly, this grip invites writers to over-flatten the index finger, as shown below.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Single - Chicken Claws grip - Modeluser-matching pen grip - upper side view - IMG_7412 - annotated — **Modern Grip** rests the pen on the purlicue

It is undesirable for the index finger to over-extend, shown again below. This reduces the flexibility of finger movements. It thus negatively affects writing dexterity. The same is true of chopstick twirling. Never over-extend the index finger.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Standard Grip - user19 - matching pen grip - flattened index finger - upper rear view-lesserweevils_154155-scaled — Over-flattening of **Modern Grip**

Four common pen grips

Here is a summary of the four common pen grips we have discussed so far. They are shown below. From left to right, we have Spencerian Grip, Caswellian Grip, Modern Grip, and Lateral Grip.

It seems reasonable to consider Modern Grip as a cross between Caswellian Grip and Lateral Grip. After all, Modern Grip shares the thumb posture of Caswellian Grip, and the pen-resting-on-purlicue posture of Lateral Grip.

Idling Thumb and its child grips

The rest of this article will be dedicated to examination of correlation or lack thereof, between pen grips and chopstick grips. We will focus on chopstick grips that derive from the Idling Thumb grip, for this discussion.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Child grips of Idling Thumb - branches within the family tree - FRD — Idling Thumb’s child grips

Idling Thumb users

The picture below to the left shows one Idling Thumb user holding a pen using the Lateral Grip. Notice similarities between pen grip and chopstick grip. In both cases, the thumb loiters. The tip of the thumb is not used to manipulate the pen nor the top chopstick. Also note how the index finger is over-extended. This reduces overall dexterity.

As we repeatedly underscore in our articles on various alternative grips, users do not always have just one chopstick grip in their repertoire. A user may switch to different variants of a grip, or to a related grip, as situations call for.

Following pictures show that an Idling Thumb user adopted two different pen grips only minutes apart, when prompted to demonstrate pen-holding grips using a chopstick. The user showed the Modern Grip at first (left). Later the user subconsciously switched back to their usual Lateral Grip (center).

Chicken Claws users

Following picture (left) captures how a Chicken Claws chopstick user holds a pen using the Modern Grip. We expected that the user would use the Lateral Grip for the pen, as Chicken Claws derives from Idling Thumb. But in reality, this user wields the Modern Grip instead.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Chicken Claws grip - Modeluser - pen vs marcosticks - upper front view - IMG_7424_IMG_6882_IMG_6885 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Modern Grip** vs. Chicken Claws

We suspect that the discrepancy between pen grip and chopstick grip is influenced by childhood exposure to the Modern Grip at school.

Modern Grip vs Caswellian Grip

Now seems like a good time to compare Modern Grip to Caswellian Grip. Following are views of the same user holding a pen using the Modern Grip. In these views, the index finger is shown to be over-extended past the flat posture. The index finger actually curves in as the user applies pressure to hold the pen. As discussed earlier, Modern Grip rests the pen on the purlicue.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Banner - Views - Chicken Claws grip - Modeluser - using a pen - IMG_7412 to IMG_7424 and IMG_8535 — Different views of **Modern Grip**, a tripod pen grip

Compare above pictures to following views of a different user holding a pen using the Caswellian Grip. In all views, the index finger is shown to retain a convex shape. This allows the user to exercise fine muscle controls, resulting in enhanced dexterity. In fact, both tip and center segments of the index finger hug the pen. It is impossible for the writer to over-extend the index finger using this grip. By hugging the pen, the index finger turns the pen into an extension of itself. This is why the rear end of the pen naturally rests on the base of the index finger.

Dangling Stick users

Pictures below illustrate how a Dangling Stick user holds a chopstick like a pen (left), versus how the same user wields chopsticks (center and right). Just like the case with Chicken Claws discussed earlier, we expected the Dangling Stick user to have adopted the Lateral Grip. But instead we find that this user has also adopted the Modern Grip. In this case, no over-extension is observed.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Dangling Stick grip - User18 - pen vs marcosticks - upper side n side views - IMG_8498_IMG_8506_IMG_8507 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Modern Grip** vs. Dangling Stick

Fork grips vs. Chopstick grips

Here we take a detour to explore how people grip forks. Shown below to the left and in the center are views of a person holding a fork. This is very similar to the Quadropod Grip mentioned earlier, for pen grips. This same person wields the Dangling Stick when it comes to using chopsticks.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Dangling Stick grip - User9 - fork vs marcosticks - upper side view - IMG_8435-IMG_8439-IMG_7855 — Comparing fork grip to chopstick grip – **Quadropod Grip** vs. Dangling Stick

On the other hand, some people do use the same grip for fork and for chopsticks. Shown below are views of a person applying to forks (left) the same Dino Claws grip they use for chopsticks (right). This fork/pen grip looks like a cross between Quadropod Grip and Lateral Grip. We’ll call it the Lateral Quadropod Grip.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Dino Claws grip - User11 - fork vs marcosticks - side view - IMG_8433_IMG_3737 — Comparing fork grip to chopstick grip – **Lateral Quadropod Grip** vs. Dino Claws

Shown below are another perspective showing the same fork grip and chopstick grip. The index finger is clearly not used. Perhaps calling it “quad” anything is not quite correct, after all. There are only three contact points in use: the thumb base, the middle finger, and the ring finger.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Dino Claws grip - User11 - fork vs marcosticks - upper rear view - IMG_8432_IMG_3737 — Index finger is unused for gripping fork and chopsticks

Scissorhand Grip users

Here is another example where correlation holds between pen grips and chopstick grips. Shown below to the left is a picture of a person holding a pen using a variant of the Lateral Grip. The thumb has been moved towards the tip of the pen, compared to the prototypical Lateral Grip posture. The same person wields chopsticks with the Scissorhand Grip. Both pen grip and chopstick grip share the same disuse of the thumb tip, as well as the same flattened index finger, for applying force.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Scissorhand Grip - User12-mirrored - pen vs marcosticks - side view - IMG_8534_IMG_8511_IMG_8512 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip –**Lateral Grip** vs. Scissorhand Grip

When prompted to hold a chopstick as if holding a pen, this person takes up the same pen grip (below left). The three pictures to the right show the same person forcing open the top chopstick, using a flattened index finger.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Scissorhand Grip - User12-mirrored - stick as pen vs marcosticks - side view - IMG_8508-IMG_8510 to IMG_8512 — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Lateral Grip** vs. **Scissorhand Grip**

This concludes our discussion on grips that derive from Idling Thumb. Now we tie a few lose ends before we end this article.

Count-to-4 users

Here is a rarer pen grip. It is yet another example confirming the correlation between pen grips and chopstick grips. The same person wields a pen (below left) using exactly the same finger posture and dynamics as they wield chopsticks (below center and right). We call this chopstick grip the Count-to-4 grip. It has a Vulcan variant called Count-to-kehkuh.

Marcosticks - Pen n chopsticks - Comparison - Count-to-4 Grip - User17 - pen vs marcosticks-u_sudakifiss — Comparing pen grip to chopstick grip – **Bipod Caswellian Grip** vs. Count-to-4 Grip *

Unlike Scissorhand, Dino Claws, Dangling Stick and Chicken Claws discussed earlier, this grip is unrelated to Idling Thumb. Count-to-4 is a direct descendant of Standard Grip. And this direct relationship shows on the corresponding pen grip as well. The only difference between this pen grip and Caswellian Grip is the disuse of the index finger. We call it the Bipod Caswellian Grip.

Conclusions

At this point, we can’t draw definitive conclusions about anything. We can only say that there appears to be a correlation between pen grips and chopstick grips. Wherever the correlation fails to hold, it seems that the Modern Grip taught in schools influences how a user wields a pen.

More data need to be collected. We’ll report back.

2021-03 updates: penholds

By chance we found a great source of both textual information and visual information on pen holding grips. It is Selin, Ann-Sofie. (2003). Pencil grip. A descriptive model and four empirical studies. This paper/book is 127 pages in total. The research analyzed more than 500 observed grips, and classified these based on various factors.

Pencil grip by Selin 2003. Drawing on page 59 by Sofia Flinck - common pen grip types - FIG 10 part 1 - used with permission — 3 of 4 descriptors used in classification. Selin 2003. Drawings by Sofia Flinck

Among many findings described in the book was the cold fact that only 1% of observed grips showed a thumb pose as deployed in the Caswellian grip (aka flattened or hyperextended thumb MP joint). The Caswellian grip is no longer commonly observed in the modern world.

Some of these insights have been incorporated into the Caswellian Thumb and Chopsticks article. This article will in time be revised based on this information as well.

Pencil grip by Selin 2003. Drawing on page 59 by Sofia Flinck - common pen grip types - FIG 10 part 2 - used with permission — Common modern grips. Selin 2003. Drawings by Sofia Flinck

Dr. Selin’s book referenced Sassoon 1993. That lead us to Dr. Rosemary Sassoon’s work, and to her 1993 book, The Art and Science of Handwriting. This book opened yet another door for us. We found her call for research into unconventional penholds resonant. Instead of using research and statistics to eliminating unconventional penholds, or to drive every one to use one “best” penhold, she advocates for deeper understanding of penholds to serve as options for folks who may find them more comforting. She has spent the second half of her life addressing writer’s cramp, with alternative penholds. This is exactly what we shall do, with respect to chopsticking. We address chopstick cramps with both alternative chopstick grips, and with chopstick aids such as Chopstick Buddies and Finger Helpers. Our response to this is captured in The Art and Science of Chopsticking.

2021-05 updates: Lateral chopstick grips

It took us two years of data collection, before we discovered the largest chopstick grip family. In the first two years, we filed away videos we took of odd grips that we could not yet explain. It wasn’t until we amassed enough of these that we finally found common patterns in them. It wasn’t until we gained enough insights about other grips, than we were then able to look at these seemingly one-off grips, and started to articulate how wildly-different variants were actually predicated by our theories such as the three types of chopstick swings.

We are excited to present to you, the large family of Lateral grips.

Marcosticks - User36 - Lateral Turncoat - pos4 compressed payload pose - specimen - rotated - IMG_5003 — Lateral grips

The Lateral family include such colorful members as Lateral Chick, Lateral Squid, and Lateral Gangnam Style, based on the the form taken by the hand, as it pries open chopsticks to extend tips apart, shown below. Despite their varied look at the Open posture, all of these Lateral grips look like the Lateral penhold, when their practitioners clutch the two chopsticks closed, in the Compression posture, as shown above.