The "correct" Way To Hold Left-Handed Tips

[Corona688]

Which left-handed pen-holding style are these actually designed for?

 

http://burningsmell.org/images/i/speedball-lc.jpg

 

I've seen them used many ways, but still aren't sure what way they're actually intended for -- overwriter, underwriter, side-writer, eye-wateringly-up-and-to-the-left-writer, backhanded-writer, severely-tiled-paper-writer, or other?

[Chmara]

My understanding of this problem and explaining how to hold the grip for a lefty lacks several things, one being in the lack of the consistency we lefties demonsrate in our approach to letterforms and pen angles.

 

For me I have decided that for fine calligraphy I must use a mix of techniques to replicate or even come close to the regularity of a righty ability in wrist flexing to change nib angle during a stroke. I have also identified at least five different styles of lefty writing: over, sideways, under, paper adjusted for vertical, and right to left. You could say that for me I am developing an eclectic sixth style of mixed methods.

 

The Speedball nibs and Manuscript nibs all come at a preset angle, which would imply there is an ideal grip and hand position. But, if there is, it is not universal.

 

Several months back after acquiring Pilot Parallel pens I asked a similar question as I saw the one vendor is selling that Pilot system reground for lefties. I also noticed the geometry of the grind would force my wrist into an odd positions. Asking elsewhere in the Nibs forum I was advised that the best answer to setting the proper angle for me would be to grind my own -- preferably using an Arkansas stone AND my own natural grip until I got what I needed from the balde-like nib.

 

I strongly suspect this is good advice and I am in process of using it while working out the practical geometry needed to make this work for my hand.

 

But, do not throw out the old rules completely. Certain techniques are time proven, such as developing your grip to keep the lightest pressure to keep the ink flowing, allowing pen on paper angles come from the wrist and arm rather than trirling the pen in your fingers, and reordering strokes so you drag rather than push the nib, as in Gothic structure letters.

 

Yours is a good question, however, and one that lefty people will continue to ask because the oblique nibs are consistent, while our hand anatomy and writing techniques are not. The choice may be this, if you stick with only commercially manufactured nibs -- either work with the nibs and convolute your grip and wrist to try for consistency trying to overcome discomfort and awkwardness with attention and practice that almost works most of the time, or try to regrind or invent your nibs and grips for your unique style while rrealizing that some things just do not work for a lefty.....

[Corona688]

My understanding of this problem and explaining how to hold the grip for a lefty lacks several things, one being in the lack of the consistency we lefties demonsrate in our approach to letterforms and pen angles.

I agree, and yet -- this tip was designed with something in mind. Without knowing what, the custom angle is arbitrary, pointless, and unhelpful.

[JD-Be]

Yes, the lefthander has a problem. But to deal with this problem opens also some horizons!

Here my favorite writing position:

[Inkling13]

It makes me wonder, as I have seen it on youtube where someone learned to speak backward. His recorded audio actually sounded legit and comprehensible when played in reverse. Now my question is, what if someone figured out their writing spacing, and wrote everything from right to left in reverse? It's certainly a mind-warp, but I don't see why not. I have a money man that does his diagrams and writing upside down so that his clients can read what he's written from across the table. It'd be a rather interesting, if not nearly useless talent, but interesting to see either way.

[JD-Be]

Hey Inkling13, indeed it is not a big problem for a (heavy) lefthander. In fact a righthander writes away from the body, towards the right. So, a lefthander writes towards the left, but inversed. You can obviously read it, holding the paper in front of a mirror, or inversed against the light!

 

[Chmara]

A DaVinci Code plus. But for those who do not own mirrors and are disclectic? Wow.

 

Actually this is a trait I tried emulate and found myself more frustrated than before --- BUT -- parts of it have remained in my brain, including using the backwards slant to my advantage.

 

Thank you for the picture. It brought to mind the problems we lefties face, that, as with DaVinvi does push us to use creativity and higher concentration than many of the righties of the world.

[JD-Be]

56 years ago, when I was 6, I went on 1 september to the primary school for the first time. We had to learn to write with a pencil of course. The teacher didn't allow me to write with my lefthand. That was a standard rule in that period. He hit on my fingers with a ruler! At home I could write everything with my lefthand, but inversed ... so from right to left ..
Until the end of december, 4 months later, I was the only boy in the classroom who was not able to write ... But fortunately, in januar, the ministry of education decided that lefthanders were allowed to use the left hand .. !
Within a few days I could write with my left hand (of course from left to right). Until now, I try to maintain the skills to write inverse.

BTW, I have a Pelikan 250 14C 585 OM for lefthanders. The FP is OK, but I also write with FP's with "normal" nibs.
Indeed, the hand position, paper position and so on, are parameters that influence the way of writing. And everybody is looking for his own best writing position. So, in my opinion FP's for lefthanders are not necessary at all.

 

All the best to the lefthanders! JD

[Corona688]

It's amazing how recent these changes were. One generation later, I was only told I was using the wrong hand once in my life, and that as a joke.

[Corona688]

Which left-handed pen-holding style are these actually designed for?

 

http://burningsmell.org/images/i/speedball-lc.jpg

After much trial and error I believe I have it:

 

http://burningsmell.org/images/i/left-overhand-chisel.jpg

 

They are for left-handed overhand writing style using a straight holder.

 

Evidence? They are built twice as thick as right-handed tips, so intended for pushing rather than pulling. And the angle actually fits when used this way.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Corona688

[JD-Be]

The problem with overhand writing is that your left hand (or anyway, that hand that writes) rests on the paper where you allready have writen. In case of ballpens and pencils, no problem.

But with pens and fountainpens and even rollerballs, if that ink doesn't dry fast enough .... then you have a mass ...

JD (Belgium)