Left Out - Ep.3: Handwriting & Best Products

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, Lydia. While I am right-handed, I really think that this series is of great benefit.

[@jaggy732]

My husband is a lefty, and he does very well with both a Pilot Metropolitan Extra Fine and his Conklin Nighthawk Extra Fine with Pilot Iroshizuku inks (Kon Peki and Take Sumi are his favorites so far). He's also had great luck with Rohrer and Klingner's iron gall inks (Salix and Scabiosa). The trick for him is an extra fine pen and fast drying ink. Zero issues, and he's a side-writer.

[@leumas75]

Another righty here, thanking you for such awesome content. Also, your segment on paper is EXACTLY the type of helpful info some of us have been goading Señor Goulet to add to the website to complete the golden trifecta of Ink + Nib + Paper. Those simple details about how different brands absorb the same ink at different rates = PERFECTION!! Thanks, Lydia!

[@jillhoward1452]

Thank you very much for this video series! My youngest, at 5-years-old appears to be a lefty for writing so I have been watching for tips to try to guide her in a way that will allow her to avoid future frustrations.

[@shelleyannefogarty9436]

Thank you, Lydia. My daughters are both left-handed​ writers and these videos have helped me understand the problems they have and to know what to purchase for them to help.

[@randy-9842]

Thanks, Lydia. I'm another right-handed writer, but I value and grow because of your lefty recommendations. Besides, who knows if/when I'll run into a real lefty that has an interest in fountain pens and can relate your recommendations and your videos.

[@Lauren-xx7cm]

Lydia, Thanks for doing this series and for the recommendations. It can be really intimidating as a left-hander to make a purchase when you don't know if it will be suitable for your handedness. Now I have some items to add to my Christmas list :-) Thanks again, Lauren K. S.

[@Gouletpens]

Glad our resident leftie was able to help you out! Hope these recommendations work for you. - Colin

[@dbuyandelger]

Wow, I find it interesting that as an overwriter I somehow picked rhodia to go with my lamy to begin with. I guess I knew what I needed all along.

[@TheFantasticBeast]

Thanks Lydia, I appreciated that you have good reasons for all your recommendations, stuff I hadn't even thought of before! I love Robert Oster Black Violet too. I don't know if this would help anyone else, but I really struggle to simultaneously tilt my paper and keep my nib perpendicular to the lines. An over the shoulder video that shows what that style looks like would really help me.

[@barbarawest1205]

I agree. And as an overwriter, I'd just like to point out that I also keep my nib perpendicular to the line I'm writing - except it's upside down! 😉

[@kog1609]

This is great! Excited as I'm for a Sailor pro great on Goulet.

[@radiopoet1330]

I’m a lefty and I love this series. So sorry I am just now finding it. I would love to see you experiment with the inks. I would love you to show more nibs... demonstrate the result with each (some are scratch, some are blotchy, some are just right). Ohhhh.... I wish I’d found this sooner!!

[@jkrause365]

Thank you, Lydia. The ink & paper suggestions were especially helpful. Although I am left handed, I find that my Pilot Metropolitan, Parker 95, and even my old $3.50 Shaeffer work just fine with no smearing or smudging. My Jinhao 450 on the other hand tends to dispense a lot of ink, and even though I am an under writer, I find I need to take care with this last pen.

[@adamsteineke4661]

Lamy nibs all feel scratchy to me as a side writer. I've tried multiple sizes and nothing worked well. Faber-Castell and Pilot Mediums are the smoothest to me, Diamine and Akkerman are my inks of choice, and Rhodia for paper! Thanks again for this series, it's great!

[@iezarex17]

Faber-Castelle nibs is really really smooth compared to pens pricing $200+. It's my holy grail FP. It's nonsense if the FP doesn't write smoothly

[@power4u977]

Try De Atramentis documents inks. They are awesome because they are permanent, quick drying and your pen writes really smooth !!! Try 'em out !!!

[@brentwright2312]

Lefty. Just recently been 'Penabled' by a tender friend of mine. Also just realized the lefty issue this morning as I was watching myself write. Thank you for this series. I'm late to the party but this video series has been fantastic to discover. Thank you, kindly!

[@savagefrieze4675]

Wow, so happy I found this series. I am a leftie who has loved fountain pens for many years. Tend to push, which leads to stabbing the paper and getting hung up or stuck. Paper choices do matter and I’ll take your choices to heart. Right now I’m writing on a lot of inkjet printouts, making notes and such things. I find the angle you’re moving your paper to be the opposite of mine. For some reason, with unlined paper at least, my writing rises higher and higher off the line. Love fine points even extra fine. Favorite pen has been a Shaffer fine 18K gold nib Balance. Can’t write as finely with the Pelican steel nib fine demonstrators I have. Really want to try either Pilot or Sailor fine or extra fine 14k nib. Thanks for the series Fell in love with the Noodler ink color palate years ago (2006-8 I think) so I have a number of demonstrator pens, carry them with me, and people will see me selecting a particular color out of the five or six in my pocket.. great thing about fountain pens is no one ever wants to borrow them!

[@peterhofmann8292]

Thanks Lydia, really appreciate these nuggets of wisdom (the whole series in fact). Good comment on the fast drying inks those have really helped me. Keep up the good work👍👍

[@benwrites7649]

Thanks Lydia. It makes my day whenever you make another video. Keep Em Coming please.

[@allyson_gari]

WONDERFUL!!! Thank you Lydia! i am not left handed but I have friends who are and wanted to use fountain pens or were afraid to use them. I share with them your videos!

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Just discovered these videos. Awesome! I'm a leftie, & was taught to be an under-writer by my father, but school, & one teacher in particular who hated my copperplate hand, ruined my writing. I've recently gone back to under-writing & it works for me. One topic I'd love you to cover are suggested pens for stub & flex writing, for us lefties. Oh, may I share one bit of personal experience? Diamine inks are what I use & I have no issues with drying time. Maybe something people could check out.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

Being an underwriter who typically write with my paper turned as much as 90 degrees I've honestly never run into any problems at all when it comes to writing with fountain pens. I honestly never even thought about it until I saw these videos.

[@ElderHiker]

Thanks a million for your series for left-handers. I am a bottom writer and do not have a problem with smearing the ink, but my 8-year-old, left handed, granddaughter is just learning and I am going to introduce her to fountain pens soon. I have long noted the different styles for left handers: for instance, President Obama is a left-handed, top writer and I always cringed when I saw him signing legislation. It looks so awkward. But, armed with the information you provided, I am going to help her develop good left handed writing "etiquette' right from the start. Thank you again.

[@ElykMuablhats]

Leftie friends, I've been loving Baron Fig paper, works great with almost any ink and nib, great shading, a bit of sheen potential, and dries suprisingly fast, loving it

[@GeorgeENorkus]

Lydia, Thanks for the type of ink suggestion! Being new to fountain pens and a left handed side writer, I just looked for the color I liked. It happens to be a dark green color. The only type I found after a week of hunting was the Pelikan 4001 series ink, so I bought and started using it. I've seen your videos telling me it is great for left handed writers side writers. I guess I lucked out. Thanks again! How would I find out what other ink manufactures make a "dryer" ink?

[@justsomesaltyboi8716]

young fountain pen enthusiast (noob) here. I own a Lamy Safari in charcoal and use the iroshizuku's black ink. takesumi I think is the name of it. the nib is a size fine, and I feel it can be a little bit scratchy for me. I'm a little bit of a weirdo with how I write because I have to tilt the paper pretty far to get good underhand writing going to ensure I get a smooth experience. I've tried writing with a hook to keep my hand or wrist from touching the paper but I still come into some problems. I'm eyeballing Japanese fountain pens because of their smaller nib size standards and thus, decrease the drying time for the ink to prevent smudging. I am though happy for having gotten into the fountain pen world because although it is a small niche of people that are into it, I don't think that people have to be rich to get into fountain pens. it also just feels good to have people see you writing with a fountain pen and look at you in uniquity. I am eyeballing the pilot's vanishing point in hopes of having a smoother fountain pen writing experience. maybe if I get around to it, I could see about the other gold nibbed fountain pens that may come in a black/silver or black/rhodium color with a good ornate nib to sometimes just stop, look, and admire. I am aware that some papers are different as you recommend. I own a notebook that has some inexpensive paper for fountain pens but it takes a little bit for it to dry. not too long but it does take a little bit.

[@rafahendrix100080001]

Nice series!! Can you talk about wear of the nib for left handed users. And the best gold plated fountain pens for us. Write on!!

[@MrLaTEchno]

....good job girl. he,.... heard nothing about Calligraphy. I use a Lamy Joy for this in a over-style specially those stub nibs I control them very well. All others I'm a underwriter Pilot, Lamy xxxx, Conklin,Parker, and some low budget ( 3-7 euro's fountain pens also use them to experiment on change the nib contour's or point)........ Thnxs for your insights, like to see more for us leftiessss Goulet Comp.!...

[@ArtOfDuane]

this series was pretty useful, I have awful handwriting and so I mostly type instead, but I've been using fountain pens to draw. Might try using this advice + what I've learned drawing with them to improve my writing!

[@Vetra_Nyx]

I'm currently using that same purple ink, and I love it. I'm an overwriter and I'm using both Rhodia and Clairefontaine without any issues :3

[@mehtabkandaable]

This is great!! Please keep this video series for us lefties

[@CityKanin]

I totally swear by my Lamy Al Star for leftie writing! :)

[@amtra1778]

Ugh, thank you so much for this! I've been trying to get one of my friends into writing with fountain pens but she's a leftie and the ink often smears and she become discouraged.

[@lynnphoenixquiroz9267]

Thank you for sharing Lydia. I'm a side writing lefty but I'm trying to make myself write slower and neater.

[@alvinscott1331]

Wish I had come across this series sooner. I could only find 3 episodes. Are there more? Are more coming?

[@krysbo1]

Thank You for these videos and representing lefties. I think your'e spot on with all your choices esp. Rhodia for over writers-thats me and I use Rhodia! But I actually prefer the broad nibs and my go to ink is Noodlers X-Feather. Its part of my writing trifecta(TWSBI Vac Mini in B nib for the pen, X-Feather for the ink and Rhodia for the paper.) And thats my 2 cents!

[@patoeme]

hi lidia , Pelikan 4001 violet its a favorite ink for me, dry fast and work good on bad paper.

[@Juiceboxdan72]

Another fast-dryer is Noodler's Rome Burning. This ink may feather and bleed a lot on cheaper paper through.

[@JamesDanforth207]

I find that when I write overhand it looks more like your standard more attractive cursive and that when I write underhand, though it is more “comfortable”/quicker, it looks a lot messier and my letters are much shorter and chunkier.

[@franchm.693]

I'm a side writer and I'm practicing to be an under writer and my hand cramps so bad from gripping the pen too hard. Gotta fix my posture too I guess 😫

[@caits2963]

Great series!! Thank you :)

[@invaderzim1964]

Though I'm a righty, it would be interesting to see how a lefty would do flex writing.

[@horseshoe_nc]

Check our Left Out episode 2. Lydia touches on flex and stub nibs.

[@tabortooth11]

Im a righty but these are still great tips for both lefty and righty!! Thanks!!!

[@rodllewellyn]

Thanks, Lydia! I bet you never thought you'd have a job in which being left-handed is actually an ADVANTAGE, eh?

[@charlotteragan6583]

My grandson is a leftie and he has so much trouble with notebooks. I need to get home one of these to try.

[@gillianbarr6299]

Charlotte Ragan not so specific as to fountain pens, but as a lefty ... I *always* use top-bound notebooks or notepads. When in school I used 3-hole-punched legal pads with a firm back and/or on a clipboard so I could prop my notebook on the left side of the right-handed desk. Then at the end of the day I’d file the pages into subject-specific 3-ring binders.

[@IFW949]

If the problem is with spiral-bound notebooks in particular, using them back to front could be one solution. I always start spiral bound notebooks from the back (and only use the "back" of each page) because I hate having the coil dig into my arm. At home I use nicer paper, but at work I go through tons of notebooks taking notes in meetings/trainings, and I always use them that way.

[@memeoid1]

Is overwriting a habit, or a hardwired preference?

[@jessicacollins8049]

My sister is a lefty and has gorgeous handwriting i cann sign my name with my left hand but am a right hander

[@Ali-in8xi]

Hi Lydia and thank you for this video. My question is unrelated to lefties and issues with smudging. Can you tell me what ink you're using at the 41 seconds mark? Thank you.

[@Gouletpens]

That is the ink that comes in the Pilot Varsity Blue (www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-varsity-fountain-pen-blue?variant=11884758695979 ) - Colin

[@rodllewellyn]

Regarding the TWSBI Eco - would you particularly recommend the -T version (triangular barrel) for lefties? thanks!

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, it's a good option, especially if you have used a LAMY pen. It's not quite as dramatic triangular grip, but does help you line your grip up right when writing. - Colin

[@N.Walter76]

Hi! I am thinking of buying glass pen but i dont know what kind of ink i should use. I was using lamy fountain pens so i have ink from lamy. I was wondering if i could use the same ink or is there a specific ink that i have to use from glass or any dip pens. Also, can you recommend any ink that are thinker(?) than lamy? When i use lamy, i feels a bit watery compared to the parker ink

[@Gouletpens]

Dip pens and glass dip pens are a little different. More familiar with glass dip pens as that's something we sell. Definitely give Noodler's inks (www.gouletpens.com/collections/noodlers-ink ) a try as they are designed to be very saturated so it should work well with it. - Colin

[@gracenelson4799]

Well, here's a curve ball for ya...... I am ambidextrous and switch hands while writing so my hands don't cramp up....what fountain pen do you recommend that is styled in a way that I can use in either hand? ;-)

[@abumpers7834]

I am ambi myself and for me my twsbi eco, vac mini and diamond mini, wing sung 3003 and 3008, and a noodler's nib creeper with a jinhao #2 nib work well for switching hands.

[@felixvisey1171]

._. WHERES QUINK Q IS FOR QUICK ITS A QUICK DRYING INK?!?!