I am also left handed and for years have steered away from fountain pens for the same reason you stated. I remember learning cursive writing at school (yes it was a while ago but not as long as you might think) using a cartridge pen and my Mum would curse when my left hand/arm would be covered in ink at the end of each day!!!

I went to a pen shop earlier this year with the intention of buying a great pen for my principle GTD writing tool and mentioned to the owner that I would love a fountain pen but being left handed .... He told me not to worry and recommended a good 'starter' fountain pen - Lamy Safari Vista, its relatively inexpensive but still writes beautifully. He told me that it is the ink that is important particularly for us lefties!! He recommended a bottled ink called Aurora that is quick drying. I have been using the pen and ink for about 5 months now and the only time I get ink on me is when I am refilling the pen (and that is only a tiny bit - and I am getting better). PS the Vista version is clear so I can see where the ink is down to (helps while I am getting used to the 'capacity' of the pen)

The other thing to consider with a fountain pen is the nib. They actually make left handed nibs!!! I tend to write with my hand held 'normally' ie similar to a right hander, so my hand does not 'hook' over the line I am writing. As such a left handed nib was not for me - it 'scratched' on the page. So I bought one that allowed me to write as I do normally - it feels more like a ballpoint but with the end result of a fountain pen.

If you are interested in a fountain pen I would suggest a visit to a pen shop and ask to try one (with the various nibs), you might be surprised by the outome.

Hope this helps

Kim

I am left handed, and I use fountain pens almost exclusively. Kim has covered it very well here! If you're interested, there are also plenty of helpful people (many lefties too) over at fountainpennetwork.com who can offer suggestions. Personally, I usually use either an extra fine Lamy Al-Star or a fine Levenger's True Writer, both of which I found to not leave ink on my hand. I've never found the size of either to be an issue, and I keep one in my pocket often. For a gel pen, I'd strongly recommend a Pilot G-2. The compact version is very small yet easy to write with, and the ink dries quickly.

I feel your pain. Back in elementary school when we were required to use pencils, the side of my hand was permanently covered with graphite. For a cheap, disposable optioon, the Uniball Jetstream pens work pretty well. I keep a journal in a Moleskine and, while it's not completely streak-free, it does a better job than any other pen I've used.

I write left-handed too, however I've never had this smearing problem you guys describe. Maybe I hold the pen higher up the barrel and at a lower angle than most? There are probably other factors too that involve my writing posture, wrist, arm, shoulder, hips...maybe even finger length!

Right now I am writing on lined refill paper and I count 4 blank lines of clearance between the ink on the page and the closest part of my hand that is touching the page which is the highest joint of my 4th finger. I tried to write in a way that would cause my hand to smear over the writing but it was too painful to move both my writing and my hand onto the same line on the page!

Hi.
Thanks for the answers. Keep them rolling in.

I tested the Pilot G2 (ink roller pen) today.
1.) You can make annoying noises with the plastic clip :)
2.) It's cheap enough: I wouldn't like to put an expensive fountain pen in my trouser pocket together with a set of keys. I'm not worried if a G2 gets a scratch.
3.) Nice to handle. Good grip. Easy to use with one hand. Fast action. No taking the top off before writing.
4.) Smearing. I got quite some ink on the outside of the tip after having made some hasty notes. I noticed a few spots on my hand. Would annoy me in the long run.
5.) Good to read: Contrast is much better then with ordinary ball point or pencil.
6.) Possibility of disaster: Anyone ever realized that their Pilot G2 had accidently been pressed in their trouser pocket? Is it easy to clean?

Conclusion:
Nice writing but leaves my hand stained.

Any suggestions are welcome.

=================
I also like writing with Stabilo Point 88 (fine 0,4) felt tip pens.
(Don't know if they're available outside of Germany. If not: google)
I tend to mess those up rather fast.

Hi again.
@akr95:
I LIKE the vista. Looks kool. And functional.
You lucky Aurora ink user.
This ink doesn't dry in the pen when the pen is without the cap for a few minutes?

Just checked my email and I received an answer from the Lamy Quality Control Department in Germany.
They do not know of any ink that might be quick drying enough for lefties.

And another thing:
The safari seems to be a bit bulky. (At least the cap.)
Is a mobile D.I.Y. Safari an option?
Cut off the last inch of the pen.
Makes a bit of the cartridge stick out as an indicator for when it is empty.

Who dares this first?

I don't have the ink bottle here today but will have a look tonight when I get home and send you the details of the one I use. No the ink doesn't dry with the cap off.

I guess the cap is bulky but I have become used to it. I'm not aware of a smaller version. MY suggestion would be to visit a good (decent size) pen shop and try a few out and talk to the salesperson (preferably someone that knows and cares about good pens - you should be able to find someone in a specialty pen shop).

Kim

I used a Pilot G2 for years before finding fountain pens and never had a single problem. I still keep several in my bag. I've never had problems with carrying one around in my pocket. If you're using the 07 tip, you might want to try the finer 05 tip to cut down on the smearing and leaking. This might be a defect with the pen itself; I've never had a smear issue except when writing in a Moleskine.

I'm a lefty using a G-2. I like it pretty well, but it does not come out of clothing easily! The black does gradually fade out to a faint tan - after some 15 washes!

I used a disposable fountain pen called a Fontaine for years, which had a quick-dry ink. But the nib was stiff, The last few I had had burrs on them and wrote poorly. I think they are still available in office catalogs still, but I haven't seen them in stores lately.

Because graphite at least washes off hands and out of clothes, I often surrender to pencil. I know you didn't necessarily want pencil ideas, but ... I have had some luck with a colored-lead Pentel A13T - the metallic 1.3mm lead looks very nice and does not smear on my hand or paper. It does seem to snap when applying pressure. I go through lots of refills.

Emkay

I do everything but sign receipts in pencil, normally with a Papermate PhD (pen, pencil, stylus). Probably misses all the aesthetic qualities of finer instruments, but it works for me.

As far as emk's lead breakage, you may need to find a different hardness for the lead. If you can live with boring black, it looks like there's four different hardnesses for the 1.3mm leads. HB would be your standard #2 pencil lead, H would be a harder #3, B would be a softer #1, and 2B should be so soft as to be almost chewy.