I accidentally bought a left-handed oblique nib

[katherine]

Well hi. An embarassing story:

 

I've been looking for a flexible nib recently, and I thought finding Mabie Todd pens might be a good idea. So I was browsing around ebay, and got distracted by this:

 

 

Turns out it's more flexible than I expected for an italic nib (scarily so!). I found I was writing at a rather odd angle in order to get it to meet the page correctly... odd, I thought, but I've never used an oblique nib before... until I noticed I was writing vertically, down the page. Sound familiar? Then I realised the nib is left-handed oblique! I'm right-handed - so using this must be how it feels for a left-handed person using a right-handed oblique nib!

 

Now I'm feeling silly for not noticing that when I bought it, because I really like the pen, and the nib feels lovely, but I totally can't use it. I have a very jealous left-handed friend, too, and so as well as feeling silly, I also feel guilty for not giving it to her! She says they're ridiculously hard to find, too. Is that true?

 

I can't get rid of it, because I like it too much. I can't use it. I think I'm also very indecisive, but I'm not sure.

 

Oh oh there's an emoticon for this:

 

Ever wish you'd never seen something in the first place, because your life would be simpler without it!?

 

Kate (who does not want to become a collector of not-in-use pens)

[I am not a number]

A left-foot oblique (like the one above) is generally correct for right-handed people (yes, it does seem a bit strange).

 

From Richard Binder's website...

 

When you write with an oblique, you must change the orientation of the pen in order to make the nib’s flat surface contact the paper. A left-foot oblique, when used by a right-handed person, will be rotated counterclockwise in the writer’s hand so that the nib is facing generally toward the writer’s left rather than diagonally away from the writer. The following photos, arranged to correspond with the nib shapes above, illustrate rotation in the hand; in general, the rotation depicted is

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/photoboris/obliquerotation.jpg

Regardless of whether you are right- or left-handed, you will probably need to experiment to find the best oblique for you. As a general rule, a right-handed person or a left-handed ovewrwriter would use a 15° left-foot oblique or oblique italic to produce cursive or italic writing. A left-handed underwriter would use a 15° right-foot oblique. (A left-handed overwriter positions the pen and paper so that the writing hand passes above the text being written, sliding over text that was written before. An underwriter positions things so that the writing hand passes below the text being written, sliding over clean paper.) Some left-handed underwriters find that they get better results from a 30° left-foot oblique.

 

Manufacturer’ designations of oblique nibs are inconsistent. Some manufacturers call the left-foot oblique shown here a “left oblique” because of its slant while others call it a “right oblique” because it is the type most commonly used by a right-handed writer. And some just call it a plain “oblique,” leaving you to figure out that it’s not the only kind of oblique that exists. This means that you should be careful to ascertain the meaning of “right” and “left” as the terms are applied to the nib you are interested in.

Edited December 20, 2008 by I am not a number

[Bisquitlips]

I have a 1950's tortoise Pelikan with a left oblique that I absolutely love. It makes my handwriting look far better than it really is!

 

It took me a couple of days to master it as I am right handed, but wow what a nib! Congrats and enjoy!

[katherine]

Oh... left-footed obliques are for right-handed people?

Thank you!

 

It feels really strange for me. I'm rotating the pen as illustrated, but my thick lines end up in all the wrong places. Rotating the paper to 45 degrees is a must, else all sorts of chaos happens. Is there some trick to using an oblique nib that I'm missing?

 

Kate

[I am not a number]

On the first Oblique I bought from the Marketplace (see pen of the year thread) I have ended up using it almost at a vertical to the paper, but when I hit the angle just right it glides sumptuously and massively improves my script.

[southpaw]

Oh... left-footed obliques are for right-handed people?

Thank you!

 

It feels really strange for me. I'm rotating the pen as illustrated, but my thick lines end up in all the wrong places. Rotating the paper to 45 degrees is a must, else all sorts of chaos happens. Is there some trick to using an oblique nib that I'm missing?

 

Kate

 

Hi Kate,

 

Realize that there is no hard and fast rule as to who uses what. The proper nib shape for you is the one that works best for you, period. Based on what you've said, it's quite likely that no obliqueness at all would be best for you. As a lefty, I can use left-footed obliques easily, but not right-footed ones, so go figure.

 

If/since you can't use the pen easily, I'd suggest working something out with your friend. Remember, a pen is just a pen, but a friend . . .

 

HTH, Michael

 

[ANM]

The best angle to hold a pen like this is so that the thinnest line is made when you print the left side of an uppercase A and the thickest line forms the other leg. The cross stroke should be thicker than the left side but thinner than the right side.

[Aysedasi]

I'm also a leftie who wrotes with no problem with left oblique nibs.......

[grimakis]

I am going to quote Richard Binder as best as I can from the D.C. Pen Show. "Most people think you use an oblique to attain line variation, but thats not true. You should ONLY have an oblique if that is the angle you naturally hold a

 

pen at. If you want line variation, you should either get a stub or crisp italic."

 

 

 

Thats pretty much what he said.

[KenS]

 

 

Hi Kate,

 

Realize that there is no hard and fast rule as to who uses what. The proper nib shape for you is the one that works best for you, period. Based on what you've said, it's quite likely that no obliqueness at all would be best for you. As a lefty, I can use left-footed obliques easily, but not right-footed ones, so go figure.

 

If/since you can't use the pen easily, I'd suggest working something out with your friend. Remember, a pen is just a pen, but a friend . . .

 

HTH, Michael

 

This sounds like my counterpart talking.

I am right handed and use a right foot oblique; left foot obliques just don't work for me.

Ken.

[FrankB]

Although there suggestions, I also think there are really no set rules on the use of obliques. Use the oblique nib point that suits your writing style. I personally never caught on to obliques and do not use them. I have to use a straight stub or italic. If I had your pen and liked it enough, I would have to send it for retipping to a straight italic.

[Richard]

I am going to quote Richard Binder as best as I can from the D.C. Pen Show...

The continuation of the thought you quoted is that obliques can be either round or italic. Similarly, italics can be neutral, right footed, or left footed. When you decide to buy a nib that will give you line variation, decide first whether you need an oblique. Then decide what kind of italic (stub, cursive, sharpened, or crisp) you need, and combine the obliquity with the italic cut.

[Jersey Diabolo]

Oh... left-footed obliques are for right-handed people?

Thank you!

 

It feels really strange for me. I'm rotating the pen as illustrated, but my thick lines end up in all the wrong places. Rotating the paper to 45 degrees is a must, else all sorts of chaos happens. Is there some trick to using an oblique nib that I'm missing?

 

Kate

 

Hi Kate,

 

Realize that there is no hard and fast rule as to who uses what. The proper nib shape for you is the one that works best for you, period. Based on what you've said, it's quite likely that no obliqueness at all would be best for you...

 

If/since you can't use the pen easily, I'd suggest working something out with your friend. Remember, a pen is just a pen, but a friend . . .

 

HTH, Michael

 

Well said. Live and learn. This is the process most of us go through with FPs - what we like and what we don't. It's surprising to me what I ended up liking too. Work something out with your friend or sell the pen here in the marketplace. There are too many pens out there that, I'm sure, would suit you better.