Left Handed Calligraphy

[tycho]

I'm a left-handed over-writer and I've recently been playing with a Sheaffer calligraphy pen with a stub nib. I noticed that when I write with the pen at the angle I normally hold the pen, I simply get all thick lines. However, when I change the angle of the pen and hold it at a slightly uncomfortable angle, I get a better variation in the line thickness, and my writing looks more like what I aim for. Is there a certain optimal angle for calligraphy? Do people usually hold the pen at the same angle all the time?

 

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Spitzner]

You might want to look for a calligraphy pen made for left-handers. Sheaffer made one during the old (and better) No Nonsense days -- I have such a set (found on Ebay) in my NN collection. Look around. If you really want one, I could be tempted to sell it.

 

Pam

[tycho]

You might want to look for a calligraphy pen made for left-handers. Sheaffer made one during the old (and better) No Nonsense days -- I have such a set (found on Ebay) in my NN collection. Look around. If you really want one, I could be tempted to sell it.

 

Pam

What's the difference between a lefty and righty calligraphy pen?

[Spitzner]

It's a little difficult to tell, since the set I have is sealed NIB, but it looks like the nibs are oblique.

 

P.

[finrind]

with stub nib the key to variation is the angle with which the "stub" of the nib is placed with respect to the line on which you're writing. This angle should be 45 to 85 (depending on what style you're writing with).

For a lefty it might be difficult to achieve the required angle with a regular stub. A lefthanded pen will have the tip cup at a different angle making it easier. Speedball has lefthanded stubs, however, I find it unusable because their nibs aren't smooth enough and since lefties have to "push" the pen rather than pull it (e.g., while doing italic), it simply scratches the paper.

What worked for me is Pilot Parallel pen - though I have to adjust to the right-handed cut of the nib, I have the advantage of a very smooth nib.

 

hope this helps