Penabling a Left-Handed Friend - Q&A Slices
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 มิ.ย. 2024
- Looking to buy a fountain pen for a left-handed friend (or yourself)? Brian and Drew break down their tips for lefty pen shopping in this video! Originally from Episode 23 of The Goulet Pencast.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 The Question
0:18 Drew's suggestions
2:39 Brian's suggestions
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Private Reserve Fast-Dry Ink: www.gouletpens.com/collection...
Leauchtturm Notebooks: www.gouletpens.com/collection...
LAMY Safari: www.gouletpens.com/collection...
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Brian & Rachel Goulet started The Goulet Pen Company in 2009 and you can see the evolution of our mom and pop into a full-blown company through this channel. We run a dedicated online store with fountain pens, ink, paper, and other fine writing accessories. Our goal with this channel is to provide fountain pen fans at all levels of experience with comprehensive product reviews, round ups, and how-to videos to answer all the fountain pen questions you may have. Shop at www.gouletpens.com.
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I'm left handed and trained myself to underwrite and lock my wrist using my forearm to move the pen. Its worth the effort. My handwriting has really improved over the last few months.
Ditto. But not only did my handwriting improve, but using more of my arm muscles allows me to write for hours at a time without much fatigue.
I love my Kaweco Sport Fine Nib, but I’ve found it’s less about the pen and more about the ink.
Lefty approved inks: Pilot Iroshizuku line is my go-to 24/7. I have my Kaweco always inked up with that. It’s amazing on Stalogy, Leuchterm, and even Moleskine paper. Kaweco inks are also amazing. Noodlers Apache Sunset is good but I haven’t tried much else.
I stay away from the shimmer inks because they ALWAYS smear no matter how I hold the pen. Even though they’re so pretty (*cries*).
But I ALWAYS read the reviews on the inks on Goulet Pen’s site, which is why I love them so much. It always is a good indication of the personality of the ink on there. When I find an ink that’s lefty approved, I always leave a review on it.
I'm not a leftie but have you tried the Rohrer & Klingner? I use their Sketch inks (I have Frieda and Emma) to draw and paint and I find them to dry very quickly. Might be a good option too.
Lefty here. I've been using FPs for 40+ years. I've been an "underwriter" my whole life - though I had to fight my elementary school teachers to develop this style (they wanted everyone in the class tilt their paper to the left - which works for righties, but forces lefties to develop an over-writing style. I'd tilt my paper to the right (it seemed logical to me that a lefty would do things opposite a righty), then the teachers would come by my desk and ask me to tilt my paper to the left and an argument would ensue... BTW - as an underwriter, I never had issues with FPs - I have a variety of nibs, but 1.1mm stubs are my favorite.
As a lefty, my first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari with a left-handed nib. I hated it. Then tried TWSBI Eco in both medium and fine nibs and I love them. That said, totally agree the ink and paper probably make the most difference.
As a leftie, I think the biggest issue with nibs is to go for a Medium at least, since left handers sometimes have to push the pen when a RH person draws it. A Fine or Extra Fine will dig in. No doubt about it.
I wasn't able to get into FPs until I migrated to an underwriting position instead of my sidewriting. Before, no ink was dry enough to avoid smudging, but I can now enjoy wet nibs and ink.
I just got my new ink, Writers Blood. I love it!!!! I love the new sticker too! You guys are the best! Thank you so much for everything!!!!!
As a lefty side-writer FP user, I'm going to point in a different direction entirely. It's all about flow for me, and I don't worry about dry times, instead I do the following:
1. Good flowing nib, mostly medium, fine nibs are almost always scratchy to me. And everything Lamy rarely is smooth, even Lefty nibs never worked right for me.
2. Paper, I love rhodia, but you have to buy narrow notebooks, so you just don't really drag your hand into it.
3. Ink for me is mostly Diamine and J. Herbin they have to have good flow.
Actual pen suggestions, Pilot Metropolitan for starting, then upgrade to Faber-Castell Loom. The next big upgrade is to Pilot Vanishing Point, all Medium nibs and buttery smooth! Twsbi mediums and stubs work well for me too.
I recently added a Sailor 1911 Music nib to my collection and I'm still trying to figure out how to make it buttery smooth, struggling a little.
I'm right-handed and have been trying to learn to write left-handed and I've found that I really like the Lamy Studio fine nib.
This is a great video! I'm just getting started...a friend gave me an inexpensive Amazon pen, a bottle of platinum carbon black ink because she knew my goal is to eventually use a thicker nib, fude or something else for those expressive lines, with my watercolors. But to also have one for writing. The cartridges that came with the pen leaked into the barrel and out of the threads, once I put a converter in, no leaks so that's good. But the fine nib seems to write very thick, so probably just a product of a cheaper pen. I'm a lefty who write underhanded, because I'm older and when I was in school you basically got in trouble for being left handed because my letters didn't lean the "correct" way and things. But I can use both hands for pretty much everything, though I mostly just write with my left as it's a bit nicer writing. So I did notice I have to pay attention to how I lean the tip on the nib for smoother writing. But nothing like how hard it is for me to do calligraphy with a brush pen🙄🤬😳
But I'm SUPER excited because a few days ago I made my first order from Goulet because I had just wanted to try some colored ink and had been SO excited to see the samples as money right now for us is pretty nonexistent but I just had to sneak it onto my credit card🙄 but I also saw the Jinhao x750 pen on sale so I grabbed that...and I just got it today!!!!! I wasn't even expecting it until next week, especially this time of year! My husband started to open it to wipe stuff down (we both have some extreme health issues autoimmune for me plus tons more and only 1 lung for him, so we're jut being extra careful for ourselves, no biggie) but as it started to open the box I noticed and said "no, no, no!! I'm so excited about this and its so fun to open something you're so excited about so please let me do it!!" He laughed and of course had no issues, thinks its cute😊 so will be opening that when I feel a bit better later. But one thing I realized I loved is I guess the weight of the pen and how I don't have to put any pressure because I have rheumatoid arthritis and with even a smooth gel pen I still have to squeeze and press...but with the fountain pen, even my cheap Amazon one, it just sits in my hand and I guide it but I can write much longer with it before the pain is too much and that's AMAZING because I love to write letters and cards and in my journal, but normally can't hardly at all. So I can't wait to het into my box and try things out. I am nervous about how to get the ink out of the sample bottles when its low, but maybe when I see them in person I'll know.
But just had to thank you for this video and also thank everyone for all their awesome comments with so many great suggestions that I'm taking notes on to add to my wishlist :) you're all awesome and appreciated!!
Thanks again!!!!
Jade
P.S. sorry this is so long...I'm just excited and then can't stop the babbling...thats a lie, I always babble a lot, but when happy and excited it gets worse...I apologize and also apologize for all the mistakes no doubt throughout as I'm trying to write fast in excitement with hands that are painful and a bit stuck today.😳😊
Turn the paper to a 45 degree angle to your writing will lessen the chance of smearing. Inks are important. I have found Parker Quint, J Herbin, and Pilot inks are quick drying.
I'm right handed and that's how I write
This lefty underwriter's favorite pens are almost all cursive italics (modified Pelikans, Pilot Custom 823, and so on). Just about any quality ink will do, and I prefer papers like Mnemosyne, Leuchterm, Septcoleur, or Tomoe River. I just have to make sure that my ink orders arrive before hard winter freezes everything solid in the mailbox.
As a lefty I wasn't sure if the Lamy Safari was for me so I got the TWSBI ECO with a fine nib and that worked great. Many pen later I finally got a Lamy All Started with a medium nib and really like it.
While I have my share of wet inks, I like water resistant, dryer inks too. One of my favorites is TWSBI Blue Black.
For lefties it's about the ink more than anything. And nothing can be done for a lefty who isn't an underwriter. My guess would be a Metropolitan, X-feather, and a slightly absorbent paper.
I'm a LH underwriter with reverse-slanted writing. I use a Lamy Vista with a RH nib. I have no problem at all with this pen. The Vista triangular grip helps me in my case. My mechanical pencils all have Staedtler triangular-shaped eraser grips on them.
Awesome content and very insightful. I, a devout Southpaw and so proud of this distinction, am an "over-writer." So, yes there a incredible challenges when it comes to writing with "nib" pens. I have been a part of this hobby since sixty grade... and pushing the pen as your hand drags behind is, well, a drag. Especially when some of my favorite inks are Noodler's and such, with stubborn dry times. Well, anyway... as always, Brian and Drew, love you two. Always informative and "entertaining." I love that your content is so poignant. Just seems to be clairvoyant. Really... just always just want I was thinking when the notification hits the display.
Thank you so much for the kind words! - Drew
i have Lamy and am left-handed. works. also do not need to worry about dry time. i was taught the correct way to place paper and hold pencil-no hook-"underhanded" writing. l use fine, extra-fine nib. I learned light touch for normal writing.
Same. I have no issues with my Lamy Safari pens and am an underwriter
I’m a big fan of Leuchtturm paper as a lefty. Dried a lot faster than Rhodia and is great quality. I write a bit hook handed so I don’t have to get instantly drying ink but some are still definitely better than others. I’d say ink and paper is far more important than the pen itself when it comes to lefties. My current favorites are the TWSBI 580 ALR series in fine nib. I use a variety of inks on Leuchtturm really without much issue.
As a lefty I've been using medium nibs (a broad and a stub coming soon) and a very slow drying ink (Diamine Imperial Purple) on a pretty ink resistant paper (Rhodia) and I just learned to write with my hand under what I'm writing. I will say I am a finger writer and should use my arm and shoulder more.
As a lefty I strongly suggest good paper but not super smooth (lechtrum is perfect) with a fine Japanese nib or European extra fine (jovo is my favourite EU ef nib) and herbin ink (there are a ton of colours, dry fast and are really friendly for cleaning etc...)
I’m a lefty who uses all brands of FPs. Prefer Pilot, Visconti, and Sailor
I'm still using my manuscript beginner fountain pen i got when i was 14.
If someone had given me a pen with a triangular grip, I'd never have started using and loving FPs! So I've gotta disagree with Brian there: I tried LAMYs & and Eco-T at a FP show & the grip forced me to angle the nib wrong - I couldn't get it to work at all: so different from my easy success with my Pilot Metropolitan starter pen. However, I agree with him 100% about the difference we lefties have with the push (versus pull) motion in writing. For me, the key is a well-tuned fine nib and quick drying ink; with that, I've been able to move from Moleskine to Leuchturm to Clairefontaine paper successfully. So glad someone is asking this question! :-)
Doesn't Lamy sell a Safari specifically for left-handed users? These inks aren't sold by Goulet. Wordsworth & Black and Dryden Designs, especially the cartridges are very dry. Cartridges in general might be a good choice for new users. I bought a box of assorted colour cartridges when I first got back into fountain pens. It was a great and inexpensive way to try many different colours.
I'm left handed and have just recently gotten into trying to learn calligraphy I'm really trying to figure out what to spend money on in terms of a pen I have a variety of hobbies in which I want to use this for from art and drawing to letters and lettering. I want to be able to do small prints fine prints I like pens like the tombos that go from thin to thick strokes in one pen I have had great difficulty in finding nibs that do that recently I bought a dip pen and then an oblique dip pen and then learned that being left-handed I didn't need the oblique so I have not tried it. I can tell you that as a left-handed person I hate most left-handed tools I hate left-handed scissors I hate left-handed potato peelers I even hate left-handed accessories for guns it might be nice that the shells don't kick out in your face but your left-handed friend will figure it out on their own . Most accessories are adaptations are more trouble than they're worth. Don't hand me a left-handed tool I will figure out how to use it on my own I can't think of one left-handed tool under the sun that I like and people have been buying me that crap since forever. In so far as inks go, because I'm always frustrated when things smear because I didn't notice in time what I was doing I actually really enjoy putting a small square of vellum under my hand when I do things like that or covering part of the page in cling wrap and can roll it back as I need what I think I'm going to start doing at least to give it a try is I'm going to write what I want out above where I'm trying to write it and I think I'm going to try to put it in backwards so that I write from right to left instead of left to right. But don't buy your left-handed friend left-handed tools because well they will show you appreciation most likely they'll secretly hate you for it
Hey.
I've been looking to buy silicon grease for a while, while everyone I watch seem to agree that it's a good idea to have one, noone I've watched/read seemed to explain what kind should I buy. Could you guys extrapolate on that?
Is it ok to just walk into the construction store and buy any random one I find or should I be more selective in which one I pick so that it won't react with the ink in a converter?
Buy pure silicone grease, available at Scuba shops or Goulet pens. Don’t buy silicone caulk!
@@guyphillips3045 scuba shops? like shops with gear for scuba diving? Cause I honestly don't fancy paying 20$ shipping price to Europe, for a little bit of silicon grease xD
Also you'll find that a lot of inks and things don't actually adhere to things like parchment paper which makes not smearing kind of Handy if you have a piece of parchment paper on your hand I use that trick when I'm scrapbooking
As a leftie, the best way to use a fountain pen is teaching myself to write with right hand. I'm an overwriter so i keep rotating my pen in my left and smudge the ink
Guys, What is the best fountain pen for people with RSI? :) Cheers :)
Yes yes yes. The key here is the ink and the paper, not the pen. Lefties need fast drying ink. I'm right handed but I have lots of left-handed friends some of whom use fountain pens.
As someone who is a lefty, I don't like Lamy or that L paper(*spelling*). Irozuku inks work best for me personally
Wow! It was a tricky question to check if you really know anything about pens and hand writing. And you fail.
Lefty here. Just adjust to side or underwriting. No excuses. Learn how to write. I retrained myself.