In Search Of Paper For A Lefty

[Evernessince]

I've tried quite a few varieties of paper but can't seem to find one that works well enough for a left handed writer. I hold the pen very close to the nib, so quick dry time is pretty important. I really like using pilot iroshizuku ink and I'd really rather just focus on paper right now (although if you do have an intense color fast drying ink, I would like to read about that).

 

What I find is that expensive paper has a higher dry time, so much so that it's impossible to write on with any pen except my Pilot Vanishing point. Cheaper paper (not the cheapest) like mead has very good dry time but has horrid streaking from the ink spreading.

 

My question is, is there paper that's good for fountain pens and has quick dry times? For what I've found, this idea seems contradictory.

 

Thank you everyone for your help and please note that, no I don't want to use blotting paper, tilt the paper on an angle, or adjust my writing style (which is pretty odd given I'm a Octopus grip side-writer).

[musicman123]

For an ink to dry, one of these two things must happen: it must either get absorbed into the paper or it must evaporate. In most cases, both happen at once. However, the difference is which one happens more.

 

For cheap absorbent papers like Mead, the ink gets directly absorbed straight into the paper. This will cause spreading (known as feathering) and bleed. Think of a tissue paper being put into some water. Notice how quickly the water gets into the paper by spreading out and going through.

 

Now, the ink could also be absorbed less and spend time evaporating. This is what happens on more expensive, coated papers like Rhodia, Clairfontaine, and Tomoe River. The ink does not get absorbed into the paper and sits on the top waiting for evaporation. Thus, you get longer dry times but a much finer line.

 

Now, since you want the best of both worlds, you may need to seek out a less coated paper. I may recommend ones like HammerMill Laser paper which is a middle-class paper. Other than that, you will almost always face a trade off between dry time and the ink feathering.

 

You said you would prefer to stick with Iroshizuku inks, but I also recommend branching out into other brands. You may want to look into some Noodler's fast drying inks as well as Private Reserve. Both are very reputable companies that make inks equally as nice. Check them out and get a sample if you can! You will be pleasantly surprised!

 

I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect paper!

 

P.S. - I am a lefty and use HP 32lb Premium Laser for almost all writing.

[fly_us]

For the paper, the only think i could suggest is Black 'n Red notebooks. It doesn't give magical result, but it handles wet writer fairly well. Dry faster than on Rhodia, and does not leave much feather. But don't expect much, ink likes Iroshizuku need time to dry.

 

For the ink, besides Private Reserve, i also suggest you might want to try J.Herbin. To me, their inks are drier than Iroshizuku but the color is not less impressive.

[Rose Nibs]

Fine nibs, modest flowing feeds, dry inks and Double A copy paper serve this left-handed over-writer pretty well. I prefer less saturated inks, Noodlers and Private Reserve can be a bit smudgy. Anything but a fine nib will result in show through, though.

[sidthecat]

I scrapped several bottles of Mont Blanc Mystery Black because of the ridiculous drying times.

 

These days I'm mostly using Iroshizuku Yama-guri and a personal blend of PR DC Supershow Electric Blue and CS Tavy. The odd bit of Diamine Oxblood, too. Apica notebooks have a lovely smooth surface that seems to dry pretty quickly. The big thing for me is vintage flex. Give it a try if you get the chance.

[FountainPages]

As a Lefty, it's not so much the paper as the nib and the ink. Many of my pens write very wet with Noodlers bullet proof inks. I love Apica though it takes a while to dry.

[beanbag]

The best paper I have found that is fast dry and low feathering is Apica paper from the Figurora notebooks. A close but slight step down is some of the other Japanese papers in notebooks like Kokuyo Campus, Maruman, Apica Wizard, etc. Note that these all will absorb a small to medium amount of ink quickly, but if you have a very wet or flex writer, then ink will pool up for a little while.

 

Another fast-absorbing paper is the HP 32 lb laser printer paper. However, the paper has more grain or texture, so the letters will look a little bit fuzzier. I think it can absorb more ink quickly than the above, but it feathers a little bit more as well.

 

The Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers have very long dry times, but also the least feathering.

[Evernessince]

Thanks for all the replies and sorry for the long delay for my response. It has been excruciatingly busy for me as of late.

 

 

For an ink to dry, one of these two things must happen: it must either get absorbed into the paper or it must evaporate. In most cases, both happen at once. However, the difference is which one happens more.

For cheap absorbent papers like Mead, the ink gets directly absorbed straight into the paper. This will cause spreading (known as feathering) and bleed. Think of a tissue paper being put into some water. Notice how quickly the water gets into the paper by spreading out and going through.

Now, the ink could also be absorbed less and spend time evaporating. This is what happens on more expensive, coated papers like Rhodia, Clairfontaine, and Tomoe River. The ink does not get absorbed into the paper and sits on the top waiting for evaporation. Thus, you get longer dry times but a much finer line.

Now, since you want the best of both worlds, you may need to seek out a less coated paper. I may recommend ones like HammerMill Laser paper which is a middle-class paper. Other than that, you will almost always face a trade off between dry time and the ink feathering.

You said you would prefer to stick with Iroshizuku inks, but I also recommend branching out into other brands. You may want to look into some Noodler's fast drying inks as well as Private Reserve. Both are very reputable companies that make inks equally as nice. Check them out and get a sample if you can! You will be pleasantly surprised!

I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect paper!

P.S. - I am a lefty and use HP 32lb Premium Laser for almost all writing.

 

I'll have to give HammerMill a try, as well as Private Reserve.

 

 

I failed to mention this in my first post but I only use Fine or lower. I have a medium Parker Sonnet but I only ever use if for posters or other things I need to see from a distance. Smears on nearly all papers for me.

 

 

For the paper, the only think i could suggest is Black 'n Red notebooks. It doesn't give magical result, but it handles wet writer fairly well. Dry faster than on Rhodia, and does not leave much feather. But don't expect much, ink likes Iroshizuku need time to dry.

 

For the ink, besides Private Reserve, i also suggest you might want to try J.Herbin. To me, their inks are drier than Iroshizuku but the color is not less impressive.

 

I was going to get a Black 'n Red but decided to get the Rhodia first. I'll make sure it's on my growing list of papers to try. Private Reserve is a noted quick drying ink, so I'm probably going to pick up a bottle just to see it in action. Question about the J.Herbin, not many reviews on amazon, how is the flow? A few of my pens can be a bit picky about ink, like my namiki falcon.

 

 

Fine nibs, modest flowing feeds, dry inks and Double A copy paper serve this left-handed over-writer pretty well. I prefer less saturated inks, Noodlers and Private Reserve can be a bit smudgy. Anything but a fine nib will result in show through, though.

 

The problem I have with copy paper is that I cannot align my characters correctly. I need some sort of guide when I'm either practicing larger fonts or smaller ones. I wish more brands had Dot Grid, it's awesome for most purposes.

 

 

I scrapped several bottles of Mont Blanc Mystery Black because of the ridiculous drying times.

 

These days I'm mostly using Iroshizuku Yama-guri and a personal blend of PR DC Supershow Electric Blue and CS Tavy. The odd bit of Diamine Oxblood, too. Apica notebooks have a lovely smooth surface that seems to dry pretty quickly. The big thing for me is vintage flex. Give it a try if you get the chance.

 

Yeah, the closest to Vintage flex I've ever had is the Namiki Falcon, which is debatably semi-flex. It produces amazing results but I'm having certain ink flow issues. After about 10 minutes of writing, ink becomes very hard to apply on the upstroke. I used micro-mesh to help smoothen it out, but the issue still occurs. Perhaps I didn't use the micro-mesh enough.

 

 

As a Lefty, it's not so much the paper as the nib and the ink. Many of my pens write very wet with Noodlers bullet proof inks. I love Apica though it takes a while to dry.

 

Only fine or less for me. I'll have to try out the Apica paper though, 2nd person to recommend it.

 

 

The best paper I have found that is fast dry and low feathering is Apica paper from the Figurora notebooks. A close but slight step down is some of the other Japanese papers in notebooks like Kokuyo Campus, Maruman, Apica Wizard, etc. Note that these all will absorb a small to medium amount of ink quickly, but if you have a very wet or flex writer, then ink will pool up for a little while.

 

Another fast-absorbing paper is the HP 32 lb laser printer paper. However, the paper has more grain or texture, so the letters will look a little bit fuzzier. I think it can absorb more ink quickly than the above, but it feathers a little bit more as well.

 

The Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers have very long dry times, but also the least feathering.

 

I've got Kokuyo Campus paper and the dry times are not bad, although still too long for me to use my fine namiki falcon on. If I ever had to recommend to pen to someone who's lefthanded, it would be the Pilot Vanishing point. Ink drys fast enough for use even on Rhodia with that pen.

[musicman123]

The problem I have with copy paper is that I cannot align my characters correctly. I need some sort of guide when I'm either practicing larger fonts or smaller ones. I wish more brands had Dot Grid, it's awesome for most purposes.

 

Boy do I have something for you!

 

http://incompetech.com/ I use that to print almost any type of ruling, from dot, to college ruled, to isotriangle (don't ask).

[EricaTX]

Thesis paper or legal paper (cotton paper, 20-25lb) works well because it's very absorbent.

 

However, as someone mentioned prior, nib and ink makes a HUGE difference. My Monteverde Jeweleria had a nib that was way to wet for my left-handedness, so I bought a Goulet nib replacement and it's so much better. And of course, quick-drying ink helps a lot.

[ThirdeYe]

If you can still find it, Staples Sustainable Earth/Bagasse was pretty quick drying, but it also handled feathering fairly well.

[fly_us]

For J herbin inks, no need to go to far to get review, there are plenty of them in Ink review section. It is one of the best ink you can fine for fountain pen.

[jmccarty3]

You might try Strathmore 25% cotton paper:

 

http://www.strathmoreartist.com/product-reader/items/500-series-strathmore-writing-pads-envelopes.html

[Evernessince]

Boy do I have something for you!

 

http://incompetech.com/ I use that to print almost any type of ruling, from dot, to college ruled, to isotriangle (don't ask).

 

Wow, thanks for the link. I should be face palming, printing out my own ruling is a very good idea.

 

 

Thesis paper or legal paper (cotton paper, 20-25lb) works well because it's very absorbent.

 

However, as someone mentioned prior, nib and ink makes a HUGE difference. My Monteverde Jeweleria had a nib that was way to wet for my left-handedness, so I bought a Goulet nib replacement and it's so much better. And of course, quick-drying ink helps a lot.

 

Gonna have to try those. I only use fine nibs or smaller, so it's really just a matter of ink choice for me.

 

 

If you can still find it, Staples Sustainable Earth/Bagasse was pretty quick drying, but it also handled feathering fairly well.

 

I've heard about that paper but it's hard to find. I've also heard that it's qualities can change depending on your region.

 

 

You might try Strathmore 25% cotton paper:

 

http://www.strathmoreartist.com/product-reader/items/500-series-strathmore-writing-pads-envelopes.html

 

Interesting cotton mix, gonna have to add it to a growing list.

 

 

With all these suggestions, one of them gotta hit the mark. I'll try them as I have time and post back how they worked. TYVM everyone!

[J85909266]

I recommend using low quality notebook or copy paper for the super fast drying times, and then using inks that resist feathering.

 

Rohrer and Klinger Salix is a pretty neutral blue that doesn't feather on anything and dries fairly quickly on standard paper. Scabiosa by the same brand is similar and dries almost instantly, but it is a less normal color being a brownish purple.

 

The best part is that both inks still shade and look like fountain pen ink on even the worst paper.

 

I can't rely on constantly having access to high quality paper, and I cannot stand feathering and smearing. I've thrown in the towel and embraced these iron gall inks for my daily go to inks. Honestly, I don't really miss my other inks, and they were not nearly as well behaved.

[Baalberithim]

I'm going to give you my super low-tech solution as a fellow lefty, which I discovered here a while ago. Get yourself a pocket memopad/Field Notes sized booklet of a decent paper like Rhodia or Maruman and just tear out one sheet. Rest your hand on that as you write and it should keep you from having much smearing and move with your hand as you write. It's not ideal, but it does the job. I think at the end of the day you need to make a call between what is worth it for you, to make a small change and be able to use whatever ink/paper you like, or to have to use a much smaller selection of inks and papers with no change.

 

Personally I just use Tomoe River for the most part, but as a lefty I find even the best behaved inks can give me a lot of smearing if it's hot enough to sweat at all.

[FountainPages]

Just getting back here, I use only fine and extra fine nibs.

[Evernessince]

I'm going to give you my super low-tech solution as a fellow lefty, which I discovered here a while ago. Get yourself a pocket memopad/Field Notes sized booklet of a decent paper like Rhodia or Maruman and just tear out one sheet. Rest your hand on that as you write and it should keep you from having much smearing and move with your hand as you write. It's not ideal, but it does the job. I think at the end of the day you need to make a call between what is worth it for you, to make a small change and be able to use whatever ink/paper you like, or to have to use a much smaller selection of inks and papers with no change.

 

Personally I just use Tomoe River for the most part, but as a lefty I find even the best behaved inks can give me a lot of smearing if it's hot enough to sweat at all.

 

I think that method will only work for underwriters. I write with my hand parallel to the current line I'm on.

 

 

I recommend using low quality notebook or copy paper for the super fast drying times, and then using inks that resist feathering.

 

Rohrer and Klinger Salix is a pretty neutral blue that doesn't feather on anything and dries fairly quickly on standard paper. Scabiosa by the same brand is similar and dries almost instantly, but it is a less normal color being a brownish purple.

 

The best part is that both inks still shade and look like fountain pen ink on even the worst paper.

 

I can't rely on constantly having access to high quality paper, and I cannot stand feathering and smearing. I've thrown in the towel and embraced these iron gall inks for my daily go to inks. Honestly, I don't really miss my other inks, and they were not nearly as well behaved.

 

Quick drying inks seems to be an area I need to check into. I have some parker quink but did really find it that quick.

[Baalberithim]

It works for me as a sidewriter/hook writer. If you're an underwriter, you don't really need to worry about smearing since the ink stays above your hand. I start on the the side and progressively hook in as I cross the page.

[Evernessince]

Ok guys, just placed an order for some of these things.

 

1 bottle of Rohrer and Klingner Salix

1 Ream of Hammermill 24lb laser paper

1 bottle of J Herbin Black

1 Ream of Strathmore 25lb writing stationary

 

Be testing them out and posting the results.