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Alright, I've got a search challenge related to several practical limitations. I'm a hook handed lefty that has been using ef to med nib fountain pens for everything, but I've recently run into a problem where I can't find notebooks that fit my needs. The following preferences for the notebook are in order of relative necessity. The notebook has to be bound, glued, or otherwise spiral free (because spirals are murder). It has to be either grid or dot graph. Preferably 3 mm-4 mm I'm not opposed to it being a nonstandard graph such as isometric graph, because, why not. I have to be able to fit a regular set of lectures in it. e.g. it needs to hold approx 100 pages of notes and have fp friendly paper. I want it to be somewhere between B5 and A5 although a little bigger or smaller isn't a deal breaker. I prefer it to be a simple cover... nothing too fancy: simple softback or hardback are fine.I usually can find something that meets 2 of these specifications at once, but rarely can I find something that meets 3-4 of them, and I have yet to have found something that meets all 5. I would be deeply impressed if someone found something that met all of these things. May your bandwidth be wide, Alexander O.

Howdy, So I did a quick search of the forum but wasn't able to readily find something akin to what I wanted to know. I went to school in NSW (Australia) in the 90's, where they were teaching a very basic linked style (I don't recall the name off hand) and didn't spend much time with me personally because I'm left handed and also my teacher during the years spent learning penmanship disliked me and spent no time with me at all (At one point, she yelled at me and berated me in front of the whole class for not knowing how to spell my last name, Brodhurst-Hill, despite being 6 and only recently taken up the name). I've basically had to cobble together my own style of (terrible) handwriting and I'm starting to really hate it. I can write quickly enough, but the terrible mess sometimes is barely even readable by me without a bit of effort, a few months down the line (thankfully, the samples I provided are at least readable. These are what I would consider a good day for my writing). I've just started an IT Diploma course where I'll be having to take a LOT of notes BY HAND. I was getting hand cramps with ballpoints in earlier courses and tried out an FP from a friend and noticed I was able to write for longer + loved the experience. So I did a bunch of research and bought a bunch of pens (Imperial IV Touchdown fine/med is on the way, I have a Parker 51 Aero with 14k fine nib atm, a fine Platinum Preppy and an EF Hero 616 which is going to my brother) and suddenly I have some kind of illness... Must have more pens... I've done some basic (an hour or two) searching around the internet and forums to try and find something that's more dedicated towards south-paws which includes some kind of structured learning + printable sheets for practice and drills, but I keep finding fragments of nothing much. I'm not really THAT fussed about what the style is, as long as it's "easy" to learn and it is catered (at least partly) towards lefties. I started reading the Palmers method, but that seems to be more designed around having a desk and sitting in the correct position, where normally I have a desk that is too high, or (in class) I have to turn 90 / 180 degrees to see the board + there are keyboards in the way. To say that I usually write in somewhat cramped conditions is an understatement Even if I got the lecture tables, they're designed around right handers and leave no room for my arm to rest using palmers. Is there anything a fellow leftie out there has used to improve their handwriting, preferably speedy and readable first and foremost, that isn't a bunch of cobbled together tidbits from across the web? I know there's plenty of free content for righties, but struggling to find stuff that's free for lefties Attached are two quick snaps of my handwriting ON A GOOD DAY from an earlier course. I didn't have any samples of a bad day on hand, but imagine a smaller and tighter together version of this: http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/WirlWind494/20140109_133152.jpg This (top) is a short burst of writing, stays pretty readable thankfully. The issue is more like below when taking a lot of notes quickly. It tends to fall apart. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/WirlWind494/20140109_133248.jpg And for those wondering, that 2nd one is for an assessment for the Cert 3 - Network Admin course. Had to keep written notes on every step required to reinstall windows XP. God, that class was boring XD

I just got my first fountain pen (Visionnaire Noir [yes, I am aware of the controversy]) which I wanted because I had taken to hand writing letters. Having the pen, I want to tackle my handwriting. My current is an abysmal print (chicken scratch), and I would like to develop a respectable cursive. I currently I do not even know how to produce all of the cursive capitals. My goal from this endeavor is to be able to pick up "any old pen" (ballpoint, gel, standard-nib fountain) and be able to write a nice cursive for "everyday" writing. I intend all my practicing to be with a fountain pen. I just do not want spend a lot of time learning to write nicely but require a special pen (flex nib, oblique holder, etc.) to be able to do it. I considered just acquiring some primary school cursive guide sheets and figuring it out; however, I am thinking that formal resources on how to write and try to learn a 'proper' method would give give better results. I know it will be slower and more work; though, as I understand it, side-writing is the worst configuration for left-handed FP so the effort is likely worthwhile. I am willing to put in the effort of relearning how to hold a pen so long as the method had clear instructions how to do it. I would even be willing to change writing hands if that is strongly recommended. Switching hands would not be high on my priorities (I like being recognized as a lefty), but I am ambidextrous so switching to right-handed writing would not be too great of sin. I write exclusively with my left because a primary school teacher needed me to not switch hands to be able to teach me how to hold my pencil properly [with a little grip thingy added to the pencil]. Before I properly did research, I picked up Platt Rogers Spencer's Spencerian Penmanship (Theory Book & Copybooks) thinking I would just work through that. I now realize that would best be done with a flex nib but I would prefer not to buy a new pen right now to get a flex nib. If it is a a strong recommendation I would. (I figure Spencerian would still look nice written without a flex nib once learned.) Ideally I would be looking for a recommended resource that I could work through. I spent a good portion of the day looking through posts and linked resources, but there end up being a lot of options. A common message was "do what works for you" and there are "ways to make it work." If I am going to try to learn a new writing form I would prefer proven guidance on something that works; or at least a good list of pros and cons so I can make an informed decision. Much of what I was finding just recognizes "different" options with the choice having been natural then adapted to work. The Spencerian book has instructions on how to orient the paper, and hold the pen, but only for right-handed use. I am looking for any advice or wisdom the community has. Your input will be greatly appreciated. ___ What I currently have for this undertaking: Visionnaire Noir Pen, Medium Round Standard NibVisionnaire Noir Black Ink (not especially saturated, seems to dry fairly quickly) Mohawk Strathmore Writing 24lb, Wove, Natural White Paper Spencerian Penmanship (Theory Book plus five copybooks) by Platt Rogers Spencer