Im a lefty new to FP...

[motiva8in]

looking for suggestion from other lefty's on inexpensive starter FP? and suggestion on paper to practice on.
how do other lefty's deal with smuging ink and anyother suggestion I want to improve my handwriting.

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

[Silverbreeze]

Are you a hook writer???

[Sailor Kenshin]

looking for suggestion from other lefty's on inexpensive starter FP? and suggestion on paper to practice on.
how do other lefty's deal with smuging ink and anyother suggestion I want to improve my handwriting.

I weep, curse, and use an old graphic artist trick: carefully place a paper towel over the bit you wrote (to protect from smudging) as you move down the page.

That's if you're a hooker. Other than that, fast-drying ink.

Handwriting improvement: slant, spacing, speed. Pick a 'hand' and stick with it. Watch some inspirational videos. Nibs? Never had a lefthand nib, never needed one.

Welcome aboard.

[motiva8in]

looking for suggestion from other lefty's on inexpensive starter FP? and suggestion on paper to practice on.
how do other lefty's deal with smuging ink and anyother suggestion I want to improve my handwriting.

I weep, curse, and use an old graphic artist trick: carefully place a paper towel over the bit you wrote (to protect from smudging) as you move down the page.

That's if you're a hooker. Other than that, fast-drying ink.

Handwriting improvement: slant, spacing, speed. Pick a 'hand' and stick with it. Watch some inspirational videos. Nibs? Never had a lefthand nib, never needed one.

Welcome aboard.

thanks no im not a hooker writer, so thats good,
what pen do you use?

[southpaw52]

Welcome fellow sinistral. Fountain pens are great for us left handers. I would choose a fine nib to start with. A fine nib will lay down the a drier line. Choose ink that is fast drying, personally I use Diamine. Your paper choice also helps in how fast your ink dries. Personally I use Rhodia Premium and it works well for me.

[KBeezie]

Far as the ink smearing, you can use a fast drying ink and more absorbent or thicker paper (some are advertised specifically for lefties).

Examples:

[Sailor Kenshin]

looking for suggestion from other lefty's on inexpensive starter FP? and suggestion on paper to practice on.
how do other lefty's deal with smuging ink and anyother suggestion I want to improve my handwriting.

I weep, curse, and use an old graphic artist trick: carefully place a paper towel over the bit you wrote (to protect from smudging) as you move down the page.

That's if you're a hooker. Other than that, fast-drying ink.

Handwriting improvement: slant, spacing, speed. Pick a 'hand' and stick with it. Watch some inspirational videos. Nibs? Never had a lefthand nib, never needed one.

Welcome aboard.

thanks no im not a hooker writer, so thats good,
what pen do you use?

It's a long list: Hero, Sailor, Jinhao, Pilot, Platinum, Waterman, Montblanc, Parker, Sheaffer, Rotring, and just a few others, mostly oddities.

[Silverbreeze]

If you aren't a hook hand, lefty nibs may not be worth the cost.

I am an underwriter and have learned how to hold even a Neponset and not smear

Practice and trail and error

Start with Steel nibs

I use Southworth Parchment Specialty Paper, 8.5 x 11 inches, 24 lb, Gray, 500 per Box (974C) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GR9YUY..._UKn3wbHSK7T1E

Type paper a lot

[Hawk]

In school we had loaner Esterbrook pens so I got used to whatever nib there was. Pens, whatever trips my trigger. Paper, whatever is around. I bought a pen tuned for a lefty and one for my wife, a righty; we couldn't tell the difference. I'm either easy to please or numb to what's out there. I smudge my writing at times and am too lazy to use a blotter.

[Dronak]

Not being a lefty, I can't give any first-hand knowledge, but I have come across two articles that might be of interest: Fountain Pen Guide for the Left-Handed Writer and FP101: Fountain Pens for Lefties. I hope this is of some help.

[Mags]

A left foot oblique is useful for Left hand writers. Any fountain pen should work and start with a medium or fine nib. You may enjoy Lamy's left handed nib. I found the faster drying inks all help.

[TooLoose]

I am a lefty and developed the odd habit of turning the paper on which I am writing at an angle. Lately it's 45-degrees, which is a switch from the nearly 90-degrees at which I used to position the paper.

[mgab]

I'm a lefty (hook writer but became a side writer) and you can pretty much use any kind of pen, from an oblique to a crisp italic or any round nib (I prefer broader nibs; (montblanc OBB, kaweco B, Visconti B, Omas B; they tend to be smoother), it doesn't matter, maybe with some of them you will struggle at first but with practice it will get better.
I would say the same about paper, I prefer Rhodia, clairfontaine, Fabriano, leuchtturm, and also I think that stone paper is great even though some inks will not work such as kaweco paradise blue (disappear) or noodler's Apache sunset (it "bleed" to the point were it is illegible)

[Dreck]

As a fellow left-hander, my advice is to learn how to write without dragging your hand across what you've written. Once I learned to write from underneath instead of hooking, I never had to worry about smudging. I do turn my paper at about 45 degrees, use Fine nibs, and use Iron Gall ink. Until the Ranga eyedropper that I ordered back in January arrives, I'm using a Noodler's Konrad for daily writing, a restored German student pen for grading, and an Airmail ED for every once-in-a-while-just-because (until one of my students claims it!)

[Lovementos]

I suggest using fine nibs if you're worried about smearing. I enjoy my Japanese nibs (I love Sailors, in particular). Also, I use quick dry inks, or blotter paper.

[Scrawler]

The fastest drying inks are things like Noodlers Heart of Darkness(black) and Socrates (lavender).

[MrPeeps]

Im a lefty underwriter and dont have any problems with smudging in fact I tend to prefer broader wetter nibs, as long as your fingers rest below the line you shouldnt have any problems

[RudyR]

First:
Stay away from Lamys and any pen that has a similar section design (the section is the part of the pen you hold with your fingers and where the nib is attached to along with the feed). These sections are designed for enhanced writing ability for right handers but it works against a beginner left hander. Later as you learn how to use a pen, you might try to use one if you feel you have to have a Lamy. Other than that, the selection is wide open for using any Fountain pen.

Second:
Stay away from Noodlers Inks or other boutique inks since they have some inks that are either problematic when mixed with other inks or are a real bear to clear out of a pen. Save these for when you have learned more about inks. For now, stay with the safe inks like Waterman, Montblanc, Pelikan or any other ink made by a long term pen Manufacturer. The big nod goes for Waterman inks.

Third:
A great paper to use is HP Premium Laserjet paper. Relatively inexpensive and a proven fountain pen friendly paper. Stay away from any Moleskine products as the paper quality is erratic and iffy (made in China).

[Heck9821]

I am also a lefty and have no problem with smearing. The pinky knuckle of my left hand is the only thing that comes in contact with the paper. The pad of the left hand never comes in contact with the paper. The pen will feel a little scratchy since the angle of the nib is a little more vertical. Use the cardboard back of a note pad to draw vertical and horizontal lines to break in you nib quicker to your hand. Use light pressure when you do this. And of course practice, practice, practice.