I love how you say being a left handed FP user is some kind of witchcraft! I’m a left handed side writing and I use a standard nib with no real issues, except perhaps a bit of smudging from time to time. I’ve always thought LH nibs were a bit of a gimmick, seeing this I’m certainly prepared to change my mind. Thanks and best wishes from Tassie
EDITED: Thank you! You've answered something that was bugging me. You've also prompted me to take a closer look. I am a leftie underwriter. I use Lamy Al-Stars quite a bit (Four in a range of colours for laying out annotated analyses). The left handed nibs are more commonly smoother out of the box for me, but the mediums can be just as good and the LH's can be scratchy. One of the issues with Lame nibs is that there is quite a bit of variation in writing width and smoothness / scratchiness within a particular size if nib. The scratchy ones tame down quickly with some ten rolling figure of eights drawn on on mylar film, first with a 1mu and then a 0.5mu. Finishing with some good quality cardboard. Using a x15 loop and looking at 4 LH nibs and 4M nibs: The grind was consistent to LH or M. There is no oblique grind on the LH nibs as you had supposed. The difference between the nibs is seen as follows: Hold the nib horizontally at eye level. Looking at the side. Imagine the iridium(?) writing tip as a water droplet hanging down from the nib. The LH nibs have the forward lower edge of the 'ball' slightly more flattened. That is if you imagine pushing the pen along the paper in the direction of the tip, then that area is slightly flattened, or the curve eased. There are no differences looking at the tips dead on. e,g, pointing the tip straight at ones eye. So, you are definitely right. What they call a LH nib is really a nib for LH over-writers who are doing quite a bit of pushing. Which is why I feel little difference between it and a M nib, as I am underwriter. That is my elbow hangs by my side and the paper is not quite square to my body. Well I hope this is helpful to someone. Thank you for the great, and thought provoking video.
This was interesting, Mick! I'm an overwriter and I bought a Safari with a regular nib several years ago. I wasn't terribly impressed and have not used it much. But I got curious when the nibs appeared in the US, and bought another to try out. You're right, I can't see any difference in the tip at all without using a magnifier or loupe. Even with one, the difference is barely detectable. But the darn thing does feel smoother to me than my older, conventional Safari nib.
Thanks. This was very interesting. Lamy certainly is a smooth writer at a reasonable price. I appreciate your taking the time to address how left handed people can experience using a fountain pen differently from right handed folks. I enjoy your videos.
As a left overwriter, I do enjoy the LH Lamy nib, but for my style of writing, replacing an M with a F or EF has a more positive effect than the LH. What also appears to work well for me is the PVD coated Lamy nib, or the 1.1 mm.
Thanks for the video. It's really interesting. I'm a left-handed under writer. I never really thought much about using a left-handed nib. I have no problems with the nibs I do have on my fountain pens. I never considered writing with a fountain pen as a leftie, to be anything mysterious. Since I'm an under writer, I don't drag my hand through my writing. :)
Thank you. I wanted to try another nib choosing between extra fine and left handed. As I’m an under writer I think the extra fine will give me a different experience. So this video was helpful.
Incredibly interesting and helpful video. Only thing I didn’t get to see is what your hand looked like after 😂. My big question with fountain pens is if the age old lefty problem of ink all over ourselves is worse with these kinds of pens or if it’s about the same.
I’m a left-handed overwriter and my smoothest nibs are from PenBBS. They call their standard nibs “Round Fine” (RF) and “Round Medium” (RM) - and they hit the paper beautifully from any angle.
Great video and long overdue! We need more writing technique videos for left handers, I find it can be tricky to imitate the fluid Spencerian cursive with my handwriting because of the angle and how much I have to extend the pen when writing cursive. I switch with underhand but my nearest and most fluid writing is by overhand, although my arm cramps easier. Your handwriting Mick did look quite fluid when you wrote overhand too. Thanks for the nib explanations and please do more left hander videos! :D
Thanks for this! I'm super new to fountain pens and have been thinking about this a lot. My issue is that I'm not really a predominately overwrite or underwriter or side writer - I tend to do whatever I need to do to keep my hand away from the ink, depending on where I am on the page. I guess if I HAD to pick one I did the most, it would be side writing, but that's probably just because of writing in small notebooks and journals, where my hand can align with the text off of the page and still reach the majority of the line width with the pen. But, I'm glad there's not much of a difference between the left-handed nibs and the regular nibs.
great video. i’m a sort of combo overhand and sidewriter so you’ve sold me on getting the lamy left handed nib. could feel that scratch of the right handed nib in my soul during the overhanded portion 😖
My, how times have changed! I learned to write in the early sixties in school, am left handed, and spent hours 'training' to become what is now called an 'underwriter'. I am so grateful to my teachers, saving me from a lifetime of contortionist movements just to put pen to paper. Consequently, I've been owning and using FP's since the sixties, still consider mine more as tools than toys. Favorite FP? I bought a Lamy 2000 in 1973 as a freshman in college, still own that pen with an EF nib. Never tried fooling with a left handed nib, but I abhor medium-to-broad nibs. But, thanks so much for the explanation!
thanks so much! Depending on where on the page i am, and how im sitting, and size of notebook or paper, i find myself switching between overhanded and underwriting. so this was very informative! :) 😁
The LH nib actually does come standard on the Safari, Vista, Nexx and abc... But mostly in countries where stores order them for school supplies. Pelikan makes one, too, for their school-quality lineup, but that one, afaik, always has to be ordered in unless (maybe) the pen has an ergonomic grip molded to a left hand. Those nibs are about 30% less than Lamy nibs, though. Same is true for the A nib.
Great informative video. I'm a fountain n00b, a southpaw - and a recent Lemy user. Exactly what I suspected in that since I'm an 'underwriter', no real need to switch out for the LH nib...
Really excellent video. I’m a RH, but I can turn and modify my pen position to utilize a LH oblique and provides a different writing experience. Thanks for this video.
I'm a lefty underwriter, and the only fountain pen I've ever had any trouble with is the Lamy 2000. But that pen is notorious for its relatively small sweet spot, so...
Great video! Hi from LH FP user in Sydney. I am a side writer and find the Lamy LH nib actually forces me into a slight overhand posture for smoothnes, especially on the fixed orientation of triangle grip on the Safari! What other nibs do you like?
I decided to be an idiot and purchase my first fountain pen after avoiding them for decades. It's a clear acrylic, Lamy Safari. It obviously came with a RH nib, so I'll have to change it. I'm a mechanical pencil user, because a pencil lead offers much needed resistance that improves my writing. When I use a ballpoint pen, it's slippery and writes "too fast", so I lose control, resulting in poorly formed characters. I'm hoping a fountain pen, will allow me to write in ink, whilst giving me the same paper resistance as pencil. As for smudging, I'm not the least bit concerned about it, per se, as I regard it as part of my writing. The only bugbear is the mess these bloody things make and getting the ink on my hands. I underwrite with the paper tilted around 40 to 45 degrees to the right and have a pronounced back slant. That goes some way to mitigating smudging, but if it doesn't, well, that's just tough. It is what it is, as a left handed writer.
I am a leftie underwriter. That LH nib is basically a Medium and is buttery smooth for me. But it’s not what I use daily. I use EF to F nibs. Not because I’m afraid I will smudge, but because my handwriting is small.
Thanks for this example... I'm left handed and in use a standard nib doesn't bother me as I don't press down and apply any real pressure. My nib simply glides over the page. Maybe I'll try one just for kicks. I'm also an underwriter so I wouldn't really benefit.
Hi. Interesting review. I don't have any Lamys, but I have just bought a Jinhao 80, and purchased a Lamy Left Hand nib to go with it. I was curious (and it was cheap!). I am an underwriting Left Hander, but I do find problems with nibs trying to dig into the page, so I'm hoping this will help. I also have left handed Rolatip nibs for my Osmiroid 75, which are somewhat different.
I am left handed and do use Lamy left handed pens. Yes the nibs are brilliant but the stock the nibs are attached to are brilliant as stop slipping cause by others pens which is as important as the nibs itself.
I'm a left handed overwriter who is trying to adapt to side writing. Would you say one of these would work even though I'm an overwriter? Edit: Whoops, I just got to that part of the video!
Hi! Thank you so much for this video! I’m also a lefty & I’m getting interested in trying out fountain pens. Before your video I was thinking that I wouldn’t be able to write with regular nibs, but now after seeing your video I’m a bit relieved since I mostly write with pens with a smaller nib. I’m a side writer I think (I guess I am since I’m having problems with smudging sometimes? 😅) & because of that I might be successful with a fountain pen with either an extra fine or fine nib that’s not the left handed version? ☺️
For spencerian calligraphy or Palmer cursive, being a lefty is an advantage b/c you naturally position at the angle (applies to underhand writers who push up). it cracked me up seeing righties have to use an offset penholder :)
Interesting observation and I don't know if it is a factor. But your writing is very upright and sloping only appears in your overhead sample. So I wonder if sloped writing as side writing if different?
I take the philosophy of using "standard" writing implements. Using LH offset pens means you are then setting limitations on yourself. Thanks for your informative video. Much appreciated.
The grip on the Safari is pretty unforgiving if you don't use a traditional hand position. Have you tried using any of the other Lamy pens that don't use the triangular grip. The Studio or the Aion perhaps? These LH nibs will work on these pens too.
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I love how you say being a left handed FP user is some kind of witchcraft! I’m a left handed side writing and I use a standard nib with no real issues, except perhaps a bit of smudging from time to time. I’ve always thought LH nibs were a bit of a gimmick, seeing this I’m certainly prepared to change my mind. Thanks and best wishes from Tassie
EDITED: Thank you! You've answered something that was bugging me. You've also prompted me to take a closer look.
I am a leftie underwriter. I use Lamy Al-Stars quite a bit (Four in a range of colours for laying out annotated analyses). The left handed nibs are more commonly smoother out of the box for me, but the mediums can be just as good and the LH's can be scratchy.
One of the issues with Lame nibs is that there is quite a bit of variation in writing width and smoothness / scratchiness within a particular size if nib. The scratchy ones tame down quickly with some ten rolling figure of eights drawn on on mylar film, first with a 1mu and then a 0.5mu. Finishing with some good quality cardboard.
Using a x15 loop and looking at 4 LH nibs and 4M nibs:
The grind was consistent to LH or M.
There is no oblique grind on the LH nibs as you had supposed.
The difference between the nibs is seen as follows: Hold the nib horizontally at eye level. Looking at the side. Imagine the iridium(?) writing tip as a water droplet hanging down from the nib. The LH nibs have the forward lower edge of the 'ball' slightly more flattened. That is if you imagine pushing the pen along the paper in the direction of the tip, then that area is slightly flattened, or the curve eased. There are no differences looking at the tips dead on. e,g, pointing the tip straight at ones eye.
So, you are definitely right. What they call a LH nib is really a nib for LH over-writers who are doing quite a bit of pushing. Which is why I feel little difference between it and a M nib, as I am underwriter. That is my elbow hangs by my side and the paper is not quite square to my body.
Well I hope this is helpful to someone. Thank you for the great, and thought provoking video.
This was interesting, Mick! I'm an overwriter and I bought a Safari with a regular nib several years ago. I wasn't terribly impressed and have not used it much. But I got curious when the nibs appeared in the US, and bought another to try out.
You're right, I can't see any difference in the tip at all without using a magnifier or loupe. Even with one, the difference is barely detectable. But the darn thing does feel smoother to me than my older, conventional Safari nib.
Thanks. This was very interesting. Lamy certainly is a smooth writer at a reasonable price. I appreciate your taking the time to address how left handed people can experience using a fountain pen differently from right handed folks. I enjoy your videos.
As a left overwriter, I do enjoy the LH Lamy nib, but for my style of writing, replacing an M with a F or EF has a more positive effect than the LH. What also appears to work well for me is the PVD coated Lamy nib, or the 1.1 mm.
are you a side writer, or an above the line writer? I write from the side and sometimes above, and am considering a LH nib as opposed to a fine or EF
Thanks for the video. It's really interesting. I'm a left-handed under writer. I never really thought much about using a left-handed nib. I have no problems with the nibs I do have on my fountain pens. I never considered writing with a fountain pen as a leftie, to be anything mysterious. Since I'm an under writer, I don't drag my hand through my writing. :)
Thank you. I wanted to try another nib choosing between extra fine and left handed. As I’m an under writer I think the extra fine will give me a different experience. So this video was helpful.
Incredibly interesting and helpful video. Only thing I didn’t get to see is what your hand looked like after 😂. My big question with fountain pens is if the age old lefty problem of ink all over ourselves is worse with these kinds of pens or if it’s about the same.
The Lamy A nib was a game changer for me! It smudges less ! Still some smudges but far less.
I’m a left-handed overwriter and my smoothest nibs are from PenBBS. They call their standard nibs “Round Fine” (RF) and “Round Medium” (RM) - and they hit the paper beautifully from any angle.
Interesting!
Great video and long overdue! We need more writing technique videos for left handers, I find it can be tricky to imitate the fluid Spencerian cursive with my handwriting because of the angle and how much I have to extend the pen when writing cursive.
I switch with underhand but my nearest and most fluid writing is by overhand, although my arm cramps easier. Your handwriting Mick did look quite fluid when you wrote overhand too.
Thanks for the nib explanations and please do more left hander videos! :D
Fantastic video, really informative. Exactly what I was looking for.
I now own a lime green Lamy Safari (LH nib)!
Thanks for this! I'm super new to fountain pens and have been thinking about this a lot. My issue is that I'm not really a predominately overwrite or underwriter or side writer - I tend to do whatever I need to do to keep my hand away from the ink, depending on where I am on the page. I guess if I HAD to pick one I did the most, it would be side writing, but that's probably just because of writing in small notebooks and journals, where my hand can align with the text off of the page and still reach the majority of the line width with the pen. But, I'm glad there's not much of a difference between the left-handed nibs and the regular nibs.
overhand writer who is just starting out here - noticed an immediate difference. felt like butter compared to any other pen.
Does it smudge easily? I write with my hand dragging over the writing
Fascinating. Thanks for the explanation, Michael.
great video. i’m a sort of combo overhand and sidewriter so you’ve sold me on getting the lamy left handed nib. could feel that scratch of the right handed nib in my soul during the overhanded portion 😖
My, how times have changed! I learned to write in the early sixties in school, am left handed, and spent hours 'training' to become what is now called an 'underwriter'. I am so grateful to my teachers, saving me from a lifetime of contortionist movements just to put pen to paper. Consequently, I've been owning and using FP's since the sixties, still consider mine more as tools than toys. Favorite FP? I bought a Lamy 2000 in 1973 as a freshman in college, still own that pen with an EF nib. Never tried fooling with a left handed nib, but I abhor medium-to-broad nibs. But, thanks so much for the explanation!
thanks so much! Depending on where on the page i am, and how im sitting, and size of notebook or paper, i find myself switching between overhanded and underwriting. so this was very informative! :) 😁
The LH nib actually does come standard on the Safari, Vista, Nexx and abc... But mostly in countries where stores order them for school supplies. Pelikan makes one, too, for their school-quality lineup, but that one, afaik, always has to be ordered in unless (maybe) the pen has an ergonomic grip molded to a left hand. Those nibs are about 30% less than Lamy nibs, though. Same is true for the A nib.
Thank you. I was just about to purchase a Lamy and this advice is helpful to me as a lefty.
Thanks for this review - I'm an overwritter and really struggled to find a pen that works for me.
Great informative video. I'm a fountain n00b, a southpaw - and a recent Lemy user. Exactly what I suspected in that since I'm an 'underwriter', no real need to switch out for the LH nib...
Really excellent video. I’m a RH, but I can turn and modify my pen position to utilize a LH oblique and provides a different writing experience. Thanks for this video.
This is great Mick!! I’m a lefty and definitely agree with you. I need this LH nib! Thank you for the introduction 👏🏽
I'm a lefty underwriter, and the only fountain pen I've ever had any trouble with is the Lamy 2000. But that pen is notorious for its relatively small sweet spot, so...
interesting, ppl always tell me the 2000 is a sweet writing pen.
Great video! Hi from LH FP user in Sydney. I am a side writer and find the Lamy LH nib actually forces me into a slight overhand posture for smoothnes, especially on the fixed orientation of triangle grip on the Safari! What other nibs do you like?
I decided to be an idiot and purchase my first fountain pen after avoiding them for decades. It's a clear acrylic, Lamy Safari. It obviously came with a RH nib, so I'll have to change it. I'm a mechanical pencil user, because a pencil lead offers much needed resistance that improves my writing.
When I use a ballpoint pen, it's slippery and writes "too fast", so I lose control, resulting in poorly formed characters. I'm hoping a fountain pen, will allow me to write in ink, whilst giving me the same paper resistance as pencil.
As for smudging, I'm not the least bit concerned about it, per se, as I regard it as part of my writing. The only bugbear is the mess these bloody things make and getting the ink on my hands.
I underwrite with the paper tilted around 40 to 45 degrees to the right and have a pronounced back slant. That goes some way to mitigating smudging, but if it doesn't, well, that's just tough. It is what it is, as a left handed writer.
Very well explained, Mick.
I am a leftie underwriter. That LH nib is basically a Medium and is buttery smooth for me. But it’s not what I use daily. I use EF to F nibs. Not because I’m afraid I will smudge, but because my handwriting is small.
Thanks for this example... I'm left handed and in use a standard nib doesn't bother me as I don't press down and apply any real pressure. My nib simply glides over the page. Maybe I'll try one just for kicks.
I'm also an underwriter so I wouldn't really benefit.
Hi. Interesting review. I don't have any Lamys, but I have just bought a Jinhao 80, and purchased a Lamy Left Hand nib to go with it. I was curious (and it was cheap!). I am an underwriting Left Hander, but I do find problems with nibs trying to dig into the page, so I'm hoping this will help. I also have left handed Rolatip nibs for my Osmiroid 75, which are somewhat different.
I am left handed and do use Lamy left handed pens. Yes the nibs are brilliant but the stock the nibs are attached to are brilliant as stop slipping cause by others pens which is as important as the nibs itself.
Hi thanks for the good explanation. I have the lh nib but to be honest i never write with my lamy because for me it scratsches to much. Greetings Kim
I'm a left handed overwriter who is trying to adapt to side writing. Would you say one of these would work even though I'm an overwriter?
Edit: Whoops, I just got to that part of the video!
Hi! Thank you so much for this video! I’m also a lefty & I’m getting interested in trying out fountain pens. Before your video I was thinking that I wouldn’t be able to write with regular nibs, but now after seeing your video I’m a bit relieved since I mostly write with pens with a smaller nib. I’m a side writer I think (I guess I am since I’m having problems with smudging sometimes? 😅) & because of that I might be successful with a fountain pen with either an extra fine or fine nib that’s not the left handed version? ☺️
Great demo !!
Very interesting and clear.
For spencerian calligraphy or Palmer cursive, being a lefty is an advantage b/c you naturally position at the angle (applies to underhand writers who push up). it cracked me up seeing righties have to use an offset penholder :)
Will it smudge? I drag my hand across the paper
Interesting observation and I don't know if it is a factor. But your writing is very upright and sloping only appears in your overhead sample. So I wonder if sloped writing as side writing if different?
I take the philosophy of using "standard" writing implements. Using LH offset pens means you are then setting limitations on yourself. Thanks for your informative video. Much appreciated.
They all sound very rough on paper. Is that normal ?
Angel your paper, so it is in line with your arm it’s a better angle!
As a left handed overwriter, I can't use a lami safari. It's not the nib that is the problem but the grip on the section!!!
The grip on the Safari is pretty unforgiving if you don't use a traditional hand position. Have you tried using any of the other Lamy pens that don't use the triangular grip. The Studio or the Aion perhaps? These LH nibs will work on these pens too.
I don't understand. I'm a left handed overwriter and I have no problems with the Safari. What do you mean by the grip on the section?