The Ultimate Left-Handed Pen
May 15th, 2007 @ 10:00 am | Filed under Rant, What Was I On?
One of the most annoying aspects of being left-handed is the simple act of writing with a pen. You see, the pen - and more specifically the ball point pen - has a fatal flaw. They were designed by right-handed people. Let me explain with a picture and some arrows:
As you can see from the picture, I’m writing from left to right and I’m left-handed. The problem is that a ball point pen is designed to allow ink to flow out of the nib while it’s being moved across a page. This principle works well if you’re right handed since you spent 99% of your time with the nib facing away from the direction of travel. But write left-handed and most of the time is spent with the nib pushing directly into the paper itself, preventing the free-flow of ink to the page. Write a paragraph or two and the ball point pen will often dry up, you’ll need to scribble a bit and you’ll be able to carry on.
It’s like stroking a cat. If you stroke it from head to tail (and it’s a friendly cat) it will most likely purr and be nice to you since that’s the direction its fur grows. Stroke it from tail to head on the other hand and - unless it’s one of those mad cats that likes it - the moggie will look at you in a particularly unimpressed fashion before hissing at you / biting you / scratching you / walking away and ignoring you for a while / hissing at you then biting you / hissing at you, biting you then scratching you and so on…
Don’t even get me started on fountain pens. I don’t care what you say, it is physically impossible to write with a fountain pen when you’re left-handed unless you adopt some wrist-straining style of holding a pen. But the risk of arthritis in later life makes it a non-option for me. There are myriad other types of pen that have their own particular problems but there is one that turns out - completely by accident - to be the ultimate left-handed pen.
I am talking about the amazing fisher space pen. The incredible technological advances in the modern world are truly remarkable and none more so than the space pen. It was designed so that astronauts - whose pencils had broken and were stranded without a pencil sharpener in space - were still able to write shopping lists in a zero gravity situation. (At least, that’s what I’m assuming the design goals were).
I could explain to you exactly how it works by quoting the instructions but you wouldn’t understand it - I surely don’t - it’s just far too advanced for our human brains! But the bottom line is that the ink cartridge is pressurised so that even if you try writing upside down, or underwater, or… eh… upside down and under water, the ink will still flow. And of course, if you just happen to be left-handed writing from left-to-right (or right-handed writing right-to-left) then you’ll be thrilled to discover that the space pen won’t dry up on you mid-sentence! I bought one on impulse a few years ago and discovered this left-handed miracle and meant to spread the word but I’ve been too busy finishing all those sentences I’d half-written when the ink had dried up.
Even better, you don’t have to be left-handed to own one! Apparently (as you can see in the picture at right - click for the full version) if you dress like the Village People, then you can own one too!
[As an aside, the people who designed this brochure have the best job in the world. Imagine you've been given the brief along the lines of: "We want this flyer to show tough, rugged people that normal Joe's aspire to doing tough, rugged things with their space pens. Oh, and if you can make it a bit camp too then even better!". Must have been a real laugh.]
But on a more serious note (and being left-handed is a serious business), if you’re left handed and you’ve been left frustrated and let-down by pens in the past, then your choice is clear. You can either use a frikin’ pencil or buy a space pen! If you go for the latter (the right choice) then be prepared for other left-handed people demanding to know how you can keep writing paragraph after paragraph without pausing for breath. Just point them at this article and I’m sure they’ll make the right choice too!
30 Comments on “The Ultimate Left-Handed Pen”
May 15th, 2007 at 12:40
Surely the flaw is not with the pen (which has no directional bias), but with the culture that has decided that text should be written from left to right. Presumably most writers of arabic (right-to-left) language are left-handed? Or learn to type?
May 15th, 2007 at 12:49
Yes, I think you’re right. A right-handed culture seems to be at the root of the problem. Such discrimination shouldn’t be allowed - we should write top to bottom!
May 15th, 2007 at 13:01
Do you want to know what else is the problem with being left handed??
We smear everything we write (particularly pencil)
so no matter how neat our handwriting is (which most of the time it’s not for left handed people) the page is still messy!
And as an added bonus left handed people die earlier (check out Wikipedia)
Clearly I need to invest in this pen!
May 15th, 2007 at 13:08
Ah yes, that’s rather annoying too! Fortunately the space pen’s ink dries very fast so you may not get the smearing problem. If you buy one let me know how you get on!
Left handers die earlier?! Eek! Is this a good time to mention that I’m actually ambidextrous?!
May 16th, 2007 at 08:18
Cor, I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous… :p
May 16th, 2007 at 12:52
As a handwriting improvement specialist, I taught myself to write left-handed in order to help lefty clients. This may entitle me to post on the matters mentioned …
/1/ the Arab world has a VERY strong taboo against left-handedness - e.g., Saudi Arabia actually has and enforces a law against using the left hand in public. (Some terrorist-watchers think this law and the related social attitudes may have contributed to warping the mind of Saudi native Osama bin Laden, a known left-hander seen shooting with a left-handed rifle in surveillance footage.) So … how do all thosa Arab right-handers write right-to-left? Simple: they use a paper-position that makes this possible and easy.
/2/ Certain paper-positions also help left-to-right left-handed writers (who mirror-reverse the situation of right-hand-writing Arabs). I know quite a few fluently writing left-handers who use ballpoints and even fountain-pens: one lefty fountain-pen junkie even has a web-site on the subject. (I forget its URL, but would suggest Googling “left handed” and “fountain pen” and “writing.”)
Also check my web-site (below) for lefty info/resources such as the excellent book/CD-ROM series LEFT HAND WRITING SKILLS by Christopher Marshall. If you order it, please state that I referred you.
Kate Gladstone
Handwriting Repair
http://www.learn.to/handwrite
May 16th, 2007 at 13:28
Ian: Ha ha!
Kate: That’s interesting, I’ll have a look (particularly with reference to fountain pens). I have noticed over the years that a lot of lefties have been taught a poor way to hold a pen[cil] and as a result have terrible writing - I’m lucky in that I have fairly neat handwriting (well, I like to think so), but then my mother was left-handed so learning from her probably helped. Thanks for the info!
May 16th, 2007 at 14:54
I’m left handed and use fountain pens exclusively.There is no better pen for writing. It’s the most comfortable writing experience I’ve ever had and I know a number of lefties who feel the same way.
May 16th, 2007 at 14:59
Really? But if you’re writing left-handed, the pen will spend a lot of its time moving from lower left to upper right which surely can’t work with a fountain pen. Do you have some way of holding it that stops this movement? Unless it’s just me and the way that I write that’s wrong!
June 12th, 2007 at 01:49
Lots of lefties prefer fountain pens because they write much more smoothly. Your problem is that fountain pens are designed to be used at a particular angle. Try a ball-point or kugel (German for ball) nib which is usable at most angles. There are also nibs that are angled in various ways, but it’s kind of hard to guess which one of those you could use. If you can, find a specialty shop that will let you try out angled nibs.
June 13th, 2007 at 16:24
That’s interesting Christine, I didn’t realise there were different options for fountain pen nibs - I just gave up on them years ago at school. I’m still sticking with my space pen for now though!
September 4th, 2007 at 23:35
Hello leftys,
My 20 year old son is a lefty and has just revealed to me that his pens are always drying up when he writes.
He does not have any special pens, just pens.
I thought I would google “left handed pens”, and came up with this blog.
Thank you all for your comment sharing. I will now head to the market to purchase one of those space pens.
Thanks.
February 1st, 2008 at 20:25
I purchased one of the space pens.
I’m lefthanded too, and find that the ink doesn’t dry quickly enough, leaving smears. Perhaps it’s the medium point and the fine would work. I don’t know. But I’m returning the pen.
February 1st, 2008 at 20:31
Ah, that’s a shame Kevin. I guess it depends how you’ve been taught to hold a pen. Whereas smearing the ink has never been a problem for me (you can see the angle I hold the pen at the top of the page), I know of quite a few other lefties that have been taught to hold their pen in an almost fist-like position which greatly increases the chances of smearing.
March 18th, 2008 at 14:23
ah i m a lefty to, when i was younger my writing was unrecognizable, my mum had to battle to get me one to one tuition in school. this help me to learn how to write correctly. i feel it is sad how so many left handed people have a problem with there writing as theres not much to the strategy, just knowing how to position your paper and how to hold your pen helps you to write as fluently as a right handed and without and smudges on you page. However i was young when i was shown how to right it may not be as easy for an older person, getting into the habit of writing differently
if you Google how to write left handed there is information on there to show you how. also Google left handed shop and you will find a shop that sells all sorts of things for people that are left handed
March 18th, 2008 at 14:43
Looking at a left handed shop I didn’t realise there were so many things that could be converted to be left handed. Sure, left-handed potato peelers and such like I’ve come across before but a left-handed wall clock that goes anti-clockwise (apparently the natural direction for lefties) is a bit OTT for me!
March 31st, 2008 at 20:37
I turn the paper or keyboard or whatever I am writing on or typing on and that usually helps, though I do remember having more than a few teachers amazed at writing at what is sometimes almost a 90 degree angle. But it works most of the time (except when it comes to spiral or three ring binders or notebooks and things like that) so i stay with what works…for me at least that is…
April 4th, 2008 at 00:16
About spiral books - they work fine (yes, i’m a lefty), just turn them upside down and backwards so the spiraled side is on the right. This will of course confuse anyone who opens your notebook, but this prevents the spiral from digging into your arm.
April 4th, 2008 at 00:18
Ha ha, good idea! And would definitely stop any right-handed person from stealing your spiral bound notebook!
May 25th, 2008 at 14:16
Fisher space pen sells refills that will fit most brands of pens. I am a “lefty” and I’ve put Fisher pressurised refills in my Parker, Cross, etc. pens. Fisher refills are available on internet at Fisher, Writers edge , and other websites.
July 15th, 2008 at 17:52
hello everyone im a lefty and so is my daughter, could not get on with the pens out, my daughter use to hold her pen in a fist and always came home with ink up the side of her hand,so we challenge our selves as parents to find a solution to her problem,we came up with the swan neck pen, we have spend time getting this to the market as we dont have a large international company behind us, you can veiw the pen on the internet just type in swan neck pen. i hope this is of some use to you people kind regards heather.
August 12th, 2008 at 19:09
Hello,
I just found this website yesterday while trying to shop for left handed college writing supplies. It is awesome! It not only has pens that have the mechanics of the nibs and balls suited for left handed people, but true left handed scissors and pencil sharpeners that have the blades the other way so it is easier for a left handed person to use.
http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk
August 12th, 2008 at 20:00
I’ve never really thought of standard pens being a problem — certainly I’ve had the smear problem. I’ve done a bit of calligraphy in the past, and was even able to use fountain pens without too much of a problem (other than smearing). I had always thought that most of the ancient Hebrews must have been left handed, as Hebrew is written right-to-left: however, I found it that this was due to the fact that the language was originally sculpted onto stone tablets (by righties, of course).
My favorite pen is a ball point — the Bic Accountant Fine pt. I don’t think Bic makes them anymore; a year or so ago, I ordered a box on eBay. I’ve never used the space pen, but I did have an early experience with erasable pens (do they make them anymore?) — talk about smearing!
Now, of course, I type 99% of the writing I do (I’m a technical writer), so pens are less important to me than they used to be.
August 22nd, 2008 at 09:54
I do agree with the idea but I also hate how the ink smudges on the side of the your hand when your writing. If only there were an invention to fix this problem.
September 3rd, 2008 at 18:32
I have to disagree with your premise. There are plenty of fountain pens that work well for left-handers. I know: I’m left-handed and I’ve used pens like the Sailor Professional Gear, just to name one example. A forgiving nib will work wonders, especially if it’s a sizable one.
September 5th, 2008 at 17:58
The Fisher space pen website has many pens to chose from - is there a particular one that is better for lefties than others?
September 5th, 2008 at 19:02
Hi Liz! I just bought the classic black space pen - I think it’s called a ‘bullet pen’. The magic is really in the ink cartridge rather than the pen itself so as long as it’s pressurised you’re fine!
September 5th, 2008 at 19:06
Thanks, John - I’m looking forward to trying it out. Have been searching a long time for the “right” pen. Cheers.
October 26th, 2008 at 22:39
I love this site. I am a 40 year old leftie who uses a fountain pen. I have very large hands for a woman (size 11 ring size) and need a sizable pen. Now, I am a leftie that turns paper 90 degrees to the right. I write from top to bottom. Therefore, I don’t experience the smudging. I am now using the Laban Mento fountain pen for size. It is lighter than I would prefer, but I haven’t found a fountain pen that is heavy enough for my liking. But I LIKE THIS PEN! Very nice. I use a medium nib. I use it for everyday writing with no fatigue at the end of the day. If anyone can recommend a sizeable pen that’s a little heavier, let me know.
November 6th, 2008 at 20:39
I came across the Yoropens today. I’m going to try one out and see how it works…. It is off set and not only should I be able to see what I am writing, but my hand won’t run across the wet ink either!! They have them on left handed sites and at office depot.