It is never fun being left handed. It is messy when you're a child; it is frustrating when you're an adult; and it just plain hurts when you're two hours in, and trying to keep up with your fellow classmates--of whom all are right handed.
As a college student I saw my left handedness as a badge of honor; through careful practice and hundreds of man hours, I was able to write, leaving my hands mostly ink free, and--most importantly--a page that looked like a righty did it.
I went from chicken scratch to high art in just under two years, when most people spend their lives making a mess out of thousands of fallen trees.
But my victory came with a price. In order to leave my page clean, I was force to write about the page, which meant that I would have to arch my wrist and cock my elbow so that my wrist was parallel with the top of the page. It hurt. It hurt something fierce.
That was when I did some research. Isn't the internet grand? That is when I found M.K Holder whose techniques for lefties was invaluable to me.
I also found my good friend the fountain pen.
For those of you who have never use one--right or left handed--let me assure you now: there is no better experience with writing than when you use a fountain pen.
Their design has been pretty consistent since the early 1900s. The most major changes has been to materials and the advent of the ink cartridge. Gold was cheaper back in the day and was used ad nauseum for its pliability. Rest assured, new fountain pens with steel and iridium are just as awesome--if not more reliable--than their predecessors.
And though they are more expensive than a traditional BIC or Uni ball, there is no denying the ease in which they write. Also, you don't have to throw it away when you're done. Just buy more ink.
In the next few articles, I'll probably be going on about a few of my personal pens, as well as some more famous models.
Until then...
--From Elliott at the Kitchen Table with ink on his fingers.
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