Fountain pen for a left handed writer

[Necator]

I am looking into expanding my old school habits from DE shaving, so I am thinking about getting myself a nice fountain pen. However, I have one challenge - I am left handed, and have always steered clear of fountain pens for that reason.

Is it possible to buy a fountain pen that is suited for a left handed writer ? Does any of the esteemed members of this forum use a fountain pen with their left hand ?

Henrik

[Suzuki]

I've used FPs as my primary writing tools for almost a decade.

Never any issues.

The only things to keep in mind - especially if you're the type of leftie who drags their hand across their writing (i.e., if you write with pencil, does the side of your hand get covered in lead/graphite?) is to use a pen that doesn't put down too wet a line (so fine or narrower medium nibs tend to be best for every day use) and use decent paper (low gloss) so the ink doesn't pool on the surface.

If you still end up smudging your ink, look for a quick drying ink - I think Noodlers makes some.

As for pens, anything decent will do - I have lower end pens (Waterman Phileas, Lamy Safari) and more expensive pens (Waterman Carene, Pelikan 800) and they all work just fine for this southpaw.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

Hope this helps.

[kwk285]

I am a lefty. From past posts here, I am trying some Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. I haven't had any problems. Like the previous post said there might be a problem if you drag your hand.

[norman931]

Have any of you lefties tried the Pelikano with left-handed nib? I'm a righty, but I'm curious as to how well it works, and what the difference is.

Norm

[SMG]

No such thing as a left handed fountain pen nib. All the ones that are out there are just marketing vehicles. I have been using fountain pens for years, repairing them for a couple of years and grinding nibs for about a year. I am also a lefty.

I can pick up and use nearly every fountain pen nib grind out there with little effort. The issue is tuning your pen, ink, paper equation to make it work for you.

I personally use fast drying inks, Private Reserve American Blue and Sailor Jentle Blue as well as some others. I prefer Rhodia and Clairfontaine paper, Whitelines is good but dries slowly. Moleskeine (sp??) is also nice, but can be really picky with inks. Tends to bleed and feather like crazy with wet inks.

I really like an Arabic Italic nib, takes some getting used to, but will give a lefty a really nice looking line. Think of it as a sideways stub. You get thick verticals and thin horizontal lines as a lefty when the pen is held normally.

Cheers,
Sean

[ouch]

Pen??? I can't even find a pencil suitable for a leftie.

[Wil]

Pen??? I can't even find a pencil suitable for a leftie.

There are pens available for lefties- however if you do have the tendency to drag while writing..... probably better to look at inks as well-

[ScottS]

There are pens available for lefties- however if you do have the tendency to drag while writing..... probably better to look at inks as well-

I thought the clip would be on the back of the pen instead of the front.

[KingSlug]

I am left-handed but was taught to write by the nuns and to only write with the right hand, something about the devil. But in high school with those small desks sometimes I found it advantageous to write with the left hand. I really think writing with the left hand and a fountain pen is just about a bit of training.

My method is a bit off though, I write from right to left with my left hand and left to right with the right hand. I really don't know how I do it, I just see the sentences and paragraphs and write in reverse; my wife thinks writting in reverse is the sign of the devil, but she and my 2yo are lefties too.

KingSlug

[Daves]

I'm a lefty and I also also use FPs. I have tried a lot of differrent FPs, Mont Blancs, Pelikan, and Watermans. My favorite are Watermans. I used to live in France and you could buy these very inexpensive FPs made of plastic with a steel nib. For me they worked fabulously. These days, I have those pens but I have a Waterman that cost me $400.00 when I bought it 10 years ago. I use it everyday and I love it. One of the major reasons I prefer Watermans is that they have a narrow strong nib. I just seem to write better with it.

I agree with one of the above who mentioned Claire Fontaine paper. This paper is truly extraordinary because it is such a fine quality paper that is intended for students. The lines on the paper resemble the grid lines used to practice caligraphy. With my Waterman and Claire Fontaine paper I can do wonders.

In the United States it is hard to find good quality paper to use with a FP. Most of it is very poor quality and is designed only for ball points.

If you don't want to spend much money but want a good pen try a Lamy Safari. It uses a cartridge and nibs are interchangeable. I find I can do a good job of writing with these. Currently I have one with a narrow regular nib and one with a narrow italic nib.

Hope that helps

[Rayman]

I am a left handed overwriter. (As an overwriter, I write with my hand above the writing line. The hand of an underwriter passes below the text being written). I love to write with fountain pens. I agree with SMG that, although there are pens that are marketed as "left handed pens," there really is no such thing as a left handed pen. The pens which are marketed as such usually have oblique nibs, which means the nibs are slanted to the right or left. Oblique nibs can help if you tend to rotate your pen to the right or left, but that applies to both right and left handed people. The writing hand of an overwriter passes over the previous written line. If the ink is still wet, it gets smeared. Pens which are marketed as "left handed pens" do not prevent smearing. If smearing is the problem you wish to avoid, the best solution is to be aware of the factors which promote fast drying of the ink. First of all, the narrower the nib the quicker the ink will dry, because the narrower nibs lay down less ink. Thus, ink will dry quicker if you are using fine or extra-fine nibs, as opposed to medium or broad nibs. Secondly, certain papers promote faster drying. I love Clairefontaine paper, because it is so smooth, and writing on that paper is very crisp. Nonetheless, it is not the fastest drying paper. There are lower quality and less expensive papers (such as Cambridge writing pads) which promote faster drying, without also promoting bleeding or feathering. Finally, some inks dry faster than others. For example, Swisher Pens in the U.S. sells it own brand of inks (I like Swisher North Sea Blue) which are specifically designed to dry quickly on high quality papers such as Clairefontaine and Rhodia. Those inks also dry quickly on less expensive papers such Cambridge writing pads. Other inks which I've found to have acceptable drying times (though not as quick-drying as Swisher inks) include Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue and Sheaffer Skrip Jet Black, but there are many others. On the other hand, there are other inks (such as Private Reserve Tanzanite or Sherwood Green) which take forever to dry.

I hope this helps.

[masonjarjar]

My handwriting is attrocious. I can't even imagine getting to the point where my handwriting would be worthy of something nicer than a dime store pen. How do you guys do it? Is it something you learned as a child? Not only do I get frustrated with the quality of my writing, I also get frustrated because my hand can't keep up with my brain. Doing any writing for more than a few lines literally makes me tired. Again, I don't know how you guys do it.

-Mason

[Rayman]

My handwriting is attrocious. I can't even imagine getting to the point where my handwriting would be worthy of something nicer than a dime store pen. How do you guys do it? Is it something you learned as a child? Not only do I get frustrated with the quality of my writing, I also get frustrated because my hand can't keep up with my brain. Doing any writing for more than a few lines literally makes me tired. Again, I don't know how you guys do it.

-Mason

My handwriting degenerated over the years for many reasons, primarily from nonuse (dictation and use of word processors) and pure carelessness. This year I decided that I wanted to improve my handwriting and start using a fountain pen. I started by collecting online examples of handwriting I admired (some of them famous, but most not famous), figuring out what I liked and what I didn't like (I decided that I liked a clear, straight-forward style with as few loops and frills as possible), and the rest was practice, practice, practice. After many months, my signature and handwriting has finally improved to the point that I actually like it (comparing my old signature with my new one is quite shocking). Apart from my signature, and writing brief notes to people, I can't say that I use handwriting for many practical purposes. In the relatively near future, however, I hope to start using handwriting for letters and a journal. I must say, however, that I enjoy writing, particularly with a fountain pen or a nice roller ball. I find it to be very relaxing to practice my writing in the evening (usually writing various memorable quotes from poets, philosophers, etc.). The use of high quality paper, and the wide variety of ink colors available for fountain pens, make it even more fun. It's the closest I get to an artistic activity.

[matt_curran]

What a great move to using fountain pens I've used them for about 8 years and will never go back to ballpints. I am also a left handed writer and never have had an issue with the nibs (only smudging ink when I'm not careful). I use Pelikan, Dupont, Waterman, and an old Mont Blanc. I hope you enjoy your new writing experience.

Matt

[masonjarjar]

My handwriting degenerated over the years for many reasons, primarily from nonuse (dictation and use of word processors) and pure carelessness. This year I decided that I wanted to improve my handwriting and start using a fountain pen. I started by collecting online examples of handwriting I admired (some of them famous, but most not famous), figuring out what I liked and what I didn't like (I decided that I liked a clear, straight-forward style with as few loops and frills as possible), and the rest was practice, practice, practice. After many months, my signature and handwriting has finally improved to the point that I actually like it (comparing my old signature with my new one is quite shocking). Apart from my signature, and writing brief notes to people, I can't say that I use handwriting for many practical purposes. In the relatively near future, however, I hope to start using handwriting for letters and a journal. I must say, however, that I enjoy writing, particularly with a fountain pen or a nice roller ball. I find it to be very relaxing to practice my writing in the evening (usually writing various memorable quotes from poets, philosophers, etc.). The use of high quality paper, and the wide variety of ink colors available for fountain pens, make it even more fun. It's the closest I get to an artistic activity.

Very interesting, thank you for your response. I think years (nearly two decades actually) of typing papers, online chatting, message boards have pretty much taken my ability to write in a legible manner. Last year I started writing in a journal, but most of that is pretty much unreadable to anyone but myself. As I said, I do like "expressing" my thoughts, but I find that expressing through handwriting to be very tiring. I did find that I did better when I took my time. Maybe a nice pen would help.

-Mason

[Finnigan]

I found this that you may wish to read, in case you haven't already.

http://www.nibs.com/Left-hand%20writers.htm

[masonjarjar]

Man, I am such a hooker..

[ouch]

Man, I am such a hooker..

Luckilly, that's too risque to qualify for a custom title.


So, as a complete pen novice, what would you recommend as a first choice for a know-nothing lefty?

[Rufus]

I found this that you may wish to read, in case you haven't already.

http://www.nibs.com/Left-hand%20writers.htm

Ditto, John Mottishaw (nibs.com/Classic Fountain Pens) is one of the premier nibmeisters in North America. You can't get a more authoratative source.

[masonjarjar]

Luckilly, that's too risque to qualify for a custom title.


So, as a complete pen novice, what would you recommend as a first choice for a know-nothing lefty?

Obviously, I'm just walking around with my bic-in-my-hand..