I’ve seen quite a few bloggers investigating the Hebrew or Architect grind for their nibs, which is like a stub rotated 90 degrees. Instead of the thin horizontal lines and thick verticals, I might get the opposite, thick diagonals, or a mixture. Depending on how I’m holding the pen, I may be at 90 or 180 degrees from how a right-handed writer would be holding it - or anywhere in between. The only other issue? Stub and italic nibs don’t give the desired effect. Artillery Sidewriter X1 3D Printer V4 Model with Silent Printing Direct Drive. I guess the secret is that I write with a light touch, on good paper, so I don’t have to worry about nibs digging in. And believe me, I’ve tried every kind of nib - from a sharp-edged Esterbrook relief to a Japanese fine from an extra-broad Music nib to your bog-standard steel medium. I’ve never had an issue with nibs, so I’ve seen no need to buy the special left-handed nibs that companies like Lamy offer. I rest my hand on that when I’m writing, and use it to blot the page before shutting the notebook. A big part of me still says F the right handed stuff. When I concentrate, I can duplicate the proper angles at the ends of horizontals and such. I have run into people who have perfected right-handed style calligraphy with their left hand. But rather than rotate the page, contort my hand or restrict myself only to fast-drying inks, I’ve taken simply to using a sheet of Herbin blotting paper as a page marker. It dosn’t effect kanji writing so much as formal calligraphy. Sure, I end up with an inky hand every now and again, and the occasional smudge, too. But I find underwriting quite uncomfortable over long periods. Underwriting lets me keep my elbow tight in to my body (essential in aeroplane seats and at conferences) and flex the nib on the downstroke as nature intended. (Here writing with Pilot 912 with Falcon nib and KWZ Gummiberry) When I’m in a tight space, or using a flex pen, I adopt an “underwriting” grip (which is nothing to do with insurance). When I’m overwriting, my wrist and hand are so far above the line that I’m actually writing that there’s plenty of time for the ink to dry before I get down to it. (Here writing with Platinum 3776 with music nib and Sailor Kiwa-Guro on Rhodia) Most of the time I’m an “overwriter” - that means I curl or hook my hand way above the line. To be honest, I’ve never had that much of a problem being a left-handed writer, and I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it. Old hands exchanging tips for the fastest-drying inks to avoid smudging. People new to fountain pens asking which pens or inks they should buy because they’re a lefty thinking they need special nibs.
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