Your right-handed friends can enjoy the smooth fluidity of the ink without worrying that their hands will smudge and smear it as they write. But you? It’s hard to find a pen that won’t punish you for using it. Inky hands aren’t a good look. So, does this mean you’re doomed to write only with pencils? Thank heavens, no. More than one genius out there designed pens for left-handed writers. Read on to learn more about the 12 best pens for lefties in 2021.
12 of the Best Pens for Lefties
To make it easier, we’ve grouped the following lefty pens into separate types: Look through all the options or jump to the type of pen that interests you most.
Fast Drying Pens for Left-Handed People
Any left-hander knows that when you’re writing left-handed with an ink pen, the position of your hand tends to drag the ink if it doesn’t dry quickly enough. And no one loves ink smudges — not on the page and not on your writing hand. But with the following fast-drying ink pens, your pages can be smudge-free as you write. Choose the tip that serves your purposes and your tastes, and scribble away.
Uni-Ball Jetstream Ballpoint Bold Point Pens
Available in either blue or black fast-drying ink, this pen delivers smooth, clean writing — no skips and no smudges, making it ideal for left-handed writers. The embossed grip and stainless steel accents make this pen look as stylish and attractive as it is user-friendly. The uni Super Ink even protects against water, fading, and fraud.
Zebra Sarasa Retractable Gel Ink Pens, Fine Point
The proven fastest-drying Rapid Ink technology in this pen allows ink to dry in seconds to prevent smears and smudges. The ink flows smoothly and consistently, and the soft, latex-free, rubberized grip makes writing with this retractable as comfortable as it is easy. The pocket clip makes this pen quick and easy to store and access. The design and fast-drying ink make it ideal for journals, planners, legal pads, invitations, and almost any paper surface.
BIC Gel-ocity Quick Dry Retractable Gel Pen
The BIC Gel-ocity’s fast-drying ink prevents smudges and smears as it flows smoothly, leaving minimal (if any) ink residue on your hand. The soft, full-grip barrel makes this medium point (0.7mm) pen easy to write with and is ideal for long writing projects. It comes in black, blue, red, and fashion-colored ink. And at under $10 for a 12-pack, the price is hard to argue with.
Maped Visio Left Handed Ballpoint Pen Set
This pen’s contoured barrel is designed for a left-handed grip. The hooked neck and off-center tip allows left-handers to see what they’re writing clearly and keeps the fingers further away from the tip, reducing the risk of smudging The soft-touch triangular grip area with the finger and thumb indentations encourages a correct left-handed writing grip. And the fast-drying non-smudge ink flows smoothly for fluid, skip-free writing.
Fountain Pens for Lefties
Who says left-handed writers can’t use fancy fountain pens? True, they can be a challenge to use if the ink doesn’t dry quickly or the nib scratches as you write. But the following fountain pens were made with lefties in mind. And none of them sacrificed style.
LAMY Safari Left-Hander Fountain Pen
This fountain pen comes with a polished steel nib available in extra fine (EF), fine (F), medium (M), broad (B), and left-handed (LH). The left-handed nib glides across the page with no scratchiness, and the indents in the barrel help the writer keep the nib at the right angle for smudge-free writing. The pen ships from Germany and arrives in a presentation case.
Pelikan Pelikano Jr. Fountain Pen
This fountain pen comes in a modern design in a cool blue, with an anti-roll cap and barrel to keep the pen in place. The stainless steel medium nib is designed specifically for left-handed writers, and the rubber grip makes writing more comfortable. This pen is meant for the smaller hands of primary school students just learning to write with a fountain pen, but it’s also comfortable for larger hands. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the Pelikan #4001 refill cartridges are easy to replace.
Schneider Ceod Shiny Fountain Pen
With a shiny, black barrel and an ergonomic grip, the Ceod Shiny fountain pen is suitable for right- and left-hand writers. The stainless steel nib with iridium grain on the medium stroke delivers a smooth, clean stream of ink. The beautiful metallic look makes it suitable for both adults and teenagers. And the sturdy metal clip on the cap makes it easy to store and access.
Erasable Pens for Lefties
Sometimes, an erasable pen can be a lifesaver. And these are a step-up from the Paper-Mate erasables some of us used in school. For one, they work well for both left- and right-handed writers. For another, they write smoothly and without smudging. These may be the best pens for writing your everyday content.
Pilot V-Pen Erasable Ink Fountain Pen
These pens have a medium tip with 0.58mm line width and a viewer window so you can see how much ink is left. The rounded nib is ideal for left-handers. It glides smoothly across the page without any scratchiness, and the ink doesn’t blot or drip. It comes in a variety of fast-drying fashion ink colors, including green, violet, and light blue, as well as the standard black, red, and blue. A liquid ink eraser is the best way to make use of the erasability feature.
Schneider Breeze Rollerball Pen
With an ergonomic barrel made of recycled plastic, the Schneider Breeze Rollerball is the first to have been awarded the “Blue Angel” environmental award. This is an ideal replacement for the classic, disposable fountain pen for beginners. The handle is ideal for both left-handed and right-handed users, as well as large or small hands. The ink dries quickly and remains smudge proof even when highlighted. The royal blue ink can be erased with a standard ink eraser. The pen is refillable with the Schneider Universal 852 Rollerball Cartridges. They come in pairs, and one of them can be stored in the barrel until you need it.
Calligraphy Pens for Left-Handers
Left-handed calligraphy fans rejoice! Reviewers for the following pens remarked on how they’d almost given up on finding a calligraphy pen that worked for them — until they found the ones listed here. Give one of them a try, and see if it doesn’t change the way you feel about calligraphy pens.
Speedball Left-Handed Set
This calligraphy pen set is designed for left-handed artists, allowing the ink to flow more smoothly for them than a typical calligraphy pen. Included with the pen holder are six nibs and an instruction booklet with helpful tips on lettering and drawing methods. Use India ink for the best results.
Manuscript Left-Handed Scribe Calligraphy Pen
This left-handed calligraphy set comes with three nibs (1.5mm, 2.3mm, and 2.7mm) and a pen holder with a stylish, black, contoured barrel. The pen writes smoothly for left-handers without skipping or smudging, making it ideal for newbie calligraphers or anyone frustrated with pens designed for right-handed users.
Speedball LC Left Handed Pen
These left-handed calligraphy pens feature three ink reservoirs for increased ink capacity. The set includes 5 LC series nibs, one 513EF nib for fine-line scriptwriting, a classic Speedball pen holder and a new, detailed calligraphy instruction sheet. Designed for left-handed users, this set is a must for Old English, Roman, and Italic text alphabets. Did you find the best pen for lefties to meet your needs? 41 Of The Best Journaling Ideas To De-Stress And Feel Happy 60 Of The Best Hobbies Of All Time For Men 26 Simple Ways to Make Your Life More Exciting If you’re a left-handed writer who appreciates a smooth flow of ink, without scratchiness, smudges, and drips, I hope this post helped you find at least one pen (or set of pens) worth trying today. Now you know there isn’t just one best pen for lefties. Much depends on what you need it for — and on your personal style. Like most living creatures, we have a thing for aesthetics. Nothing to be ashamed of. Whether your next writing project is a story, a shopping list, a greeting card, or something else, may your pens never fail you when you need them most.
