Is this tosh?

[Neil Lawton]

I don't make many fountain pens but have a few made up as examples for people to see what's available.
I was asked to show some postable pens to someone who wanted to buy one to give as a retirement present. She picked out a Baron in Walnut but was horrified when she unscrewed the cap to find it was a fountain pen!
"Could I remake it as a roller ball" she says?
"Why" says I?
"Because he's left handed, and left handed people can't use a fountain pen"!

Never heard that before, is there any reason why this should be?

 

[mickleuk]

I'm left handed, and many years ago was bought a Parker with a left handed nib. It does actually feel better to write with rather than an ordinary run of the mill nib.

 

[flexi]

Hi Neil i make quite a few fountain pens and just lately i have been making some for a lefty...its a real can of worms...yes they can use a fountain pen, it depends on there nib presentation and whether they write overhand, underhand, push or pull.
I am getting hooked, it gets quite involved:wink::wink:

 

[Grump]

They can bloody well learn to write right handed init?
Left handed writing is the devils work and will be punished.
Seriously though the only issue is that of smudging the ink as they write, a rollerball can also smudge.
Therefore the answer you seek yes a load of tosh.
One can either write or not regardless of which hand they use.

 

[Buckeye]

It all comes down to the lefty my daughter is left handed and uses a fountain pen without problem, if you do a google search there are sites that show different styles of handling for the lefty. I have heard of left-handed nibs, but I am not sure they are any different to the normal nib except they may have been tuned to better suit a lefty.

Peter

 

[wm460]

Never heard of that before, but google is my friend.

Left Handed Writers and Fountain Pens

 

[Buckeye]

Never heard of that before, but google is my friend.

Left Handed Writers and Fountain Pens

That a good site that shows the different ways leftys write, it might be worth printing it out so that prospective buyers can change their writing style.

Peter

 

[paulm]

Several people won't buy fountain pens because they're lefties. My wife is a leftie and 100 years ago would have been burned at the stake for being a witch... They were so wise in the olden days

 

[Bill Mooney]

I'm a leftie & have write either overhand or underhand. A right handed person pulls a pen when writing whereas a leftie pushes a pen unless he/she writes either underhand or overhand thus pulling the pen. This avoids digging the nib into the paper & stops smudges.

 

[wm460]

Several people won't buy fountain pens because they're lefties. My wife is a leftie and 100 years ago would have been burned at the stake for being a witch... They were so wise in the olden days

 

[Penpal]

Thanks Mark for the reference its a ripper covers a lot of styles for left handers, very revealing. As a kid I do remember left handers using blotting paper under their writing hand or frequent use of it.

My observation is so many indeed these days how many world leaders write with the left hand invariably signing off historic documents using fountain pens many articles have been written on leaders habits and differences.

Peter.

 

[Penpal]

Several people won't buy fountain pens because they're lefties. My wife is a leftie and 100 years ago would have been burned at the stake for being a witch... They were so wise in the olden days

Trust your insurance is on maximum mate.

Peter.

 

[chas_41_uk]

This has been an interesting and informative thread