Dip Pen Nib Recommendations For Lefty

[TheFountainPenOfYouth]

I am a lefty and I can write okay with ordinary nibs but sometimes they are a bit scratchy. Anyone have recommendations for dip pen nibs?

[Studio97]

In my experience as a lefty, dip nibs that come to a sharp point tend to grab paper. The ink line gets messy. It also depends on the angle you hold the nib handle. Using the right paper for the nib is a trial and error exercise.

Hunt manuscript round point no. 65 may work for you. It's very vintage.

Any tip slightly turned up, any tip rounded, any tip which is a stub usually works best for me as a lefty. I also had to be careful not to overload the nib with ink or end up with a small pool of it on the paper. Spencerian falcon stub no. 34 vintage might be good. It is with dip nibs that I wish I were right handed.

 

I consider a vintage nib to be circa 1800s

To about 1930. Most of my collection is 1800s to early 1900s approximately.

Edited September 8, 2019 by Studio97

[Bo Bo Olson]

It is said that a righty has to use an oblique nib holder to get what lefty (underwriter) gets normally using a regular dip pen.

[P25B]

It is said that a righty has to use an oblique nib holder to get what lefty (underwriter) gets normally using a regular dip pen.

That I believe is correct, but the righty will still be dragging along the page nice and smoothly, rather than the lefty who will be pushing that spikey, needle sharp, jumpy flex nib up lightly to the next downstroke, which is not always great either because, for some reason I am trying to work out, the nib on the down stroke does not come down in line with the cursive lean angle, but slightly to the right of it and therefore the flex is not shown as well as it should... if that makes sense... practise, practise - I know...

[Studio97]

That I believe is correct, but the righty will still be dragging along the page nice and smoothly, rather than the lefty who will be pushing that spikey, needle sharp, jumpy flex nib up lightly to the next downstroke, which is not always great either because, for some reason I am trying to work out, the nib on the down stroke does not come down in line with the cursive lean angle, but slightly to the right of it and therefore the flex is not shown as well as it should... if that makes sense... practise, practise - I know...

Exactly...pushing a sharp nib across the paper is exactly why I recommended a turned up tip, rounded tip and stubs. Stubs can create a thin line and then a wide line writing in cursive. It can look pretty good.

[AAAndrew]

Stub dip nibs. A little info.

 

https://thesteelpen.com/2018/02/05/stub-pens/

[Inky.Fingers]

For lefty under writer, and the paper is held square to the writer, then the push and pull would be the same for a right with an oblique. Righty paper are held at 15 degrees CCW or more depending on the preference.

 

So yeah! Learn to write the correct way and you have all the advantages

[sidthecat]

I have accumulated an absurd number of old gold dip nibs, and they're usually sympathetic to the left-handed writer if they haven't been damaged.