Hello all,
Being left-handed, I approached the idea of using a fountain pen with some trepidation and must admit to some early smudging. However, I've been able to overcome that issue by back-slanting my writing so my hand is below the written line. A fringe benefit of this tactic has been improved readability; another has been actual compliments on my script! I wish I'd known to do this ages ago. Any other lefty writers out there, and how do you manage to stay tidy?
Southpaw with a Fountain Pen!
Started by mstrpete, Oct 12 2012 04:02 AM
11 replies to this topic
#2
JonSzanto
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Posted 12 October 2012 - 08:24 AM
I'm technically a left-hander (eat, write, shoot pool, iron clothes and paint w/left), but I've spent nearly 50 years in an occupation that focuses on both hands being equal and even. Nonetheless, I've had to deal with ink since a kid, and I've always been an underwriter. Somehow at the early age it seemed the only reasonable way to go from left-to-right on the page without getting all Impressionistic.
Not a lot of writers/users on this board, more collectors and the like, but maybe others will chime in. I could mention a book or two if you like that might be of interest.
Not a lot of writers/users on this board, more collectors and the like, but maybe others will chime in. I could mention a book or two if you like that might be of interest.
#4
JonSzanto
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Posted 12 October 2012 - 07:13 PM
OK!
The first is a general book but has a couple of helpful pages with ideas for left-handed writers. Excellent coverage of the basic use of the pen. Bear in mind it is out of print, but seems to be quite a few copies available (for used books I always go to www.abebooks.com) - "The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting - Cursive and Calligraphic" by Fred Eager.
The other book I purchased last year at the LA Pen show from the nibs.com people (John Mottishaw, et al) and is pretty specific: "Left Handed Calligraphy" by Vance Studley.
Hopefully one or both of those would give you some good advice on general principles. Not that everyone needs to be a flawless Spencerian calligrapher, but it is helpful to see the differing approaches to left-handed fountain pen use. Not impossible, just takes some adjustment.
The first is a general book but has a couple of helpful pages with ideas for left-handed writers. Excellent coverage of the basic use of the pen. Bear in mind it is out of print, but seems to be quite a few copies available (for used books I always go to www.abebooks.com) - "The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting - Cursive and Calligraphic" by Fred Eager.
The other book I purchased last year at the LA Pen show from the nibs.com people (John Mottishaw, et al) and is pretty specific: "Left Handed Calligraphy" by Vance Studley.
Hopefully one or both of those would give you some good advice on general principles. Not that everyone needs to be a flawless Spencerian calligrapher, but it is helpful to see the differing approaches to left-handed fountain pen use. Not impossible, just takes some adjustment.
#6
mstrpete
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Posted 14 October 2012 - 04:45 AM
OK!
The first is a general book but has a couple of helpful pages with ideas for left-handed writers. Excellent coverage of the basic use of the pen. Bear in mind it is out of print, but seems to be quite a few copies available (for used books I always go to www.abebooks.com) - "The Italic Way to Beautiful Handwriting - Cursive and Calligraphic" by Fred Eager.
The other book I purchased last year at the LA Pen show from the nibs.com people (John Mottishaw, et al) and is pretty specific: "Left Handed Calligraphy" by Vance Studley.
Hopefully one or both of those would give you some good advice on general principles. Not that everyone needs to be a flawless Spencerian calligrapher, but it is helpful to see the differing approaches to left-handed fountain pen use. Not impossible, just takes some adjustment.
Thanks for the titles, Jon!
#7
mstrpete
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greenhorn
Posted 14 October 2012 - 04:46 AM
Guess what? I am left handed too!
Greg Minuskin
www.gregminuskin.com
greg@gregminuskin.com
Hooray! Lefties unite! I have heard that all people are born right-handed, but only the truly brilliant are able to overcome it
Do you have any special penmanship tricks?
#10
Hugh
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Posted 16 October 2012 - 07:45 PM
I'll join the left hand writers club, an over writer so I avoid slow drying ink. Strange as it is I paint with either hand ( house not "fine art"), also write with right and just about everything else I'm right handed. Like Jon I learnt with ink at a young age so never an issue.
Regards
Hugh
Regards
Hugh
Hugh Cordingley
#12
Teej47
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Posted 17 October 2012 - 08:01 PM
I'm not left handed, but I am fairly observant. I used to work with a lefty who turned the paper to the right so the top of the page was to his right and the right side of the paper was facing him. Then he wrote from top to bottom, right to left. He actually forms the letters sideways (so Z, for example, looks like N from his perspective). First time I saw it I thought he was writing upside down until I got behind him and looked over his shoulder. It's such an obvous solution I can't believe I've never seen anybody else do that. The guy had great handwriting with nary a backward slant or smudge anywhere.
Tim
Tim
The only sense that's common is nonsense...
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