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Thread: Pens for lefties?

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    Default Pens for lefties?

    I'm trying to expand the fountain pen usage here in my school, the problem is there are a bunch of lefties. What pens/ink are good for the lefties?

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    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    I've always just used normal pens and normal ink.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    I'm left-handed and have been using fountain pens since 1965. I use anything a RH user would. We don't get as many "complete beginners" here as on the Reddit fp sub, but if you go to this link you can read a stickied post I wrote up with hints for new LH people. This was put up because I kept typing the same stuff every few days. It contains links to a number of online resources in addition to my own tips and recommendations. .
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    Jon,

    Are left-handed inks reasonably priced?

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    Sailor Kenshin (October 30th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sailor Kenshin View Post
    I've always just used normal pens and normal ink.
    This. I've been using what we called straight pens (aka dip pens) and fountain pens since the early 1940s. I didn't know there was supposed to be a problem for left-handers until I began using online FP message boards. In school I just tried to do what the other kids were doing. It worked.

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    Jon Szanto (October 29th, 2019)

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Jon,

    Are left-handed inks reasonably priced?
    Uh... um, ok, I'm going to treat that as a serious question.

    To the best of my knowledge, any LH inks I've heard about we're sold as the same as the rest of their brand's general lines. The only ones that I've ever been aware that were marketed in such a way were Noodler's "Bernanke" inks, based on the fact that Benjamin Bernanke, one-time Chairman of the Federal Reserve, was left-handed (he also made them bulletproof, IIRC). Anything else has simply been sold as "Fast-Drying", such as a few from Private Reserve, and I don't think there was any price difference between those and the 'regular' formula.

    I just wish someone had had the brains to put reverse threads on the screw caps. That would have been really fun.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    manoeuver (October 30th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    Thanks for the info. I'm a RH writer, so I never paid much attention to LH writers, esp with fountain pens. I want to share the love of fountain pens with others (younger people) but have run into the left hand question quite a bit. I really appreciate the info on the ink too.

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    Sailor Kenshin (October 30th, 2019)

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    Member alexgalexg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    I am a lefty. As others stated I never used any specific pen. Maybe just be sure the grip doesn't contort your fingers into a position that is only ideal for right handed writers? Id say stick to faster dry time inks but I think the risk of smudging ink is basically equal for left and right handed people

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    Senior Member Mags's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pens for lefties?

    Like others here the fountain pen or pen used for a left handed person is identical to the ones used for right handed folks. Now us gifted right brainers do find we are more effective with fast drying inks and we will use a blotter page to help avoiding smudging early on learning cursive writing. The beloved way we choose to hold our hand and to slant the paper has far more to do with our being able to mirror a right handed cursive persons work complete with the forward sloping slant of our letters in the 45 degree range.

    The natural tendency for young lefties is actually a 45 degree rear to the left of the page natural slope. Back in 1977 that slope yielded public ridicule and the odd ruler ironically brought to bare on my knuckles. Thanks to some patience from my parent and slanting the paper with a hooker style to write I can lay down wet inks favour a Broad or double Broad nib versus an extra fine one and while not calligraphy almost everyone will say I have nice penmanship which still falls so far short of the handwritten notes of my parents generation that were born in the later 40s and raised and educated in the 50-60’s.

    Pelikan and Lamy as the low cost pen suppliers sell a left handed nib for their pens. Frankly cant hurt but not worth any extra money I learned using a $5 Sheaffer school pen that took cartridges and had the transparent barrel and a steel nib.


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