Left handed ?

W

Wood & Steel

Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Messages
123
Hi to all. I'm brand new on the forum & also relatively new to EDC.
I've got an issue I'd like to address & one that places severe limitation on my ability to enjoy the many flavours in the EDC kitchen, so to speak.
Considering the vast number of us in the "Club South Paw", WHY are the knives we would choose to purchase NOT produced, stocked, & readily available in L.H.carry? Is this not a relevant business consideration? Surely there isn't a big changeover involved in the manufacture. CRK for instance has NO up-charge for L.H. I can think of at least a dozen knives I'd buy if they were available in LHC. How are the rest of you left handers dealing with this oversight (or slight)?
Thanks in advance for your input & carry a bandaid. ;)
B.
 
Well, I deal by getting stuff that is usable with either hand. Things like the axis lock or ball bearing lock are really good for that. Liner locks don't bother me too much. Lockbacks work okay with either hand, although they are personally not my favorite. As for finding a fixed blade with a sheath for a lefty, it is not fun. lol
 
^ Thanks for that. Yeah, I bought a Spyderco Native 5 lockback that I just love as it is truly ambidextrous. My Sebenza 21 L.H. is a different ballgame. What a pleasure it is to hold & manipulate after having to adjust to right handed tools all my life. MY point is, I guess, why should I HAVE to adjust in today's marketplace.. There are just too many of us that are always at a disadvantage.
B.
 
Wood & Steel said:
Hi to all. I'm brand new on the forum & also relatively new to EDC.
I've got an issue I'd like to address & one that places severe limitation on my ability to enjoy the many flavours in the EDC kitchen, so to speak.
Considering the vast number of us in the "Club South Paw", WHY are the knives we would choose to purchase NOT produced, stocked, & readily available in L.H.carry? Is this not a relevant business consideration? Surely there isn't a big changeover involved in the manufacture. CRK for instance has NO up-charge for L.H. I can think of at least a dozen knives I'd buy if they were available in LHC. How are the rest of you left handers dealing with this oversight (or slight)?
Thanks in advance for your input & carry a bandaid. ;)
B.
Click to expand...

Offhand, maybe because it would double inventory without doubling sales. The last I heard, "Club South Paw" was still less than one third of the total population. Two possible solutions:

1) Have a lot of left-handed children. Eventually, you'll be in the majority, and everything will be geared toward you.

2) Start up your own production company, manufacturing and selling exclusively left-handed products. If there is really as much demand as you think, you'll get rich.

(Yes, this is my warped sense of humor. Welcome to the forum!)
 
Thanks for the welcome brother. Thanks for the humour too.
As far as I know, CRK have a process whereby all they have to do is decide, at the time of cutting the handle slabs, to make it R. or L. handed. This means that they only have to make enough L.H. stock to cover their sales (or personal order) projections. No biggy.
B.
 
I got annoyed with designers and a lack of left handed pocket clips/sheaths. Thus I started making my own sheaths and learned to drill and tap whatever material came my way. (Ti is still a work in progress)
 
Make sure to pick up a left handed Spyderco Military while you still can. I just picked up a second one because they just got discontinued.

Getting my first left handed knife - a left handed Sebenza - was a revelation. After that, it has been very difficult to bring myself to buy a right handed knife that I would reasonably carry around. Other than a few sprint run Military's (an XHP and an M390) I'm holding out for left handed knives.

Compression locks can kind of be okay for lefties, so if you want "super steels" the sprint run Para2's might be something to consider.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Make sure to pick up a left handed Spyderco Military while you still can. I just picked up a second one because they just got discontinued.

Getting my first left handed knife - a left handed Sebenza - was a revelation. After that, it has been very difficult to bring myself to buy a right handed knife that I would reasonably carry around. Other than a few sprint run Military's (an XHP and an M390) I'm holding out for left handed knives.

Compression locks can kind of be okay for lefties, so if you want "super steels" the sprint run Para2's might be something to consider.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input. I have a feeling CRK are going to be glad to fill any gaps that others won't be accommodating. Problem is that is STILL a compromise to my enjoyment of the menu.
I too have made custom sheaths & mods to many tools, which is a very satisfying acquired skill.
B.
BTW: I've enjoyed reading your posts in other areas.
 
Thanks for the kind words, and welcome to Bladeforums! It's good to see another lefty in here.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Make sure to pick up a left handed Spyderco Military while you still can. I just picked up a second one because they just got discontinued.....
Click to expand...
Wonder what the reasoning is for that. Some of their other L.H'd knives have also been toasted in the past. There must be a L.H. interest in at least the more popular models. As I see it, makers could assess the L.H.demand based on this early production popularity. I could live with that. Just not complete disregard like it seems to be. That says to me that we lefties just don't rate. Not sure how this sits but I'm lookin' for answers. I wanna spend some coin! (I mean build a rotation :D )
B.
 
I agree with what some have already mentioned, I use features like Benchmade's AXIS-Lock, or ust a standard lockback as opposed to liner locks and the like. Pocket clips, most knives can be switched to either side, the ones that can't, I don't buy.

And yeah, fixed blades can be a pain, but my favorite maker, Bark River, and my favorite stocking dealer (PM me and I'll tell you who they are), are happy to make and send me left-handed sheaths. Also, most knives using Kydex are setup to be ambidextrous.

I actually carry my EDC in my right pocket though, because my phone goes in my left pocket. I just switch hands when I pull the knife out. But I keep my multi-tool on my left side belt.

Anyway, I just make do like I always have being left-handed in a right-handed world. I believe the ratio of left to right is probably very, very low which is why most makers don't worry with it much.

By the way, what more fitting post than a lefty for my 1,000th post!
 
Congrats on #1000 Sulaco! I must have known you would be dropping by for the "large". LOL
Yeah, I've got a Cold Steel Master Hunter (the old Carbon V model) w/ that ambi Kydex sheath you mentioned. Good deal. As I said earlier, I'm pretty new to deploying folders so I hope I can manage to find a few "other-hand" beauties in the "right-handed world" you referred to. My L/H Sebenza 21 is such a rush that I'm going to be hard pressed to change brands now. :)
Thanks brother.
B.
 
I feel your pain. So many times I was sold on a knife only to realize it was not ambi. A case in point would be the AG Russel Acies II. Loved it, then realized it's not tapped for lefties. I do have a LH Insingo and I like it.
 
I'm a lefty. I find myself being fairly ambidextrous with knives depending on what I'm doing. The big exception is sharpening, must use my left hand to hold the knife for that. Personally, even though I can use a knife with either hand I only buy ambidextrous anyways because I switch around from day to day and sometimes I loan stuff out.

I don't buy and don't own any frame locks or liner locks and I don't feel like I'm missing out. I think locks like the caged ball/axis/compression are better by being more accessible to a wider number of people and also not putting your fingers in the path of the blade.
 
Most lefties would agree, we are not treated equally.

1. I can finally own a Browning BAR. But I cannot buy a Full Browning Saffari with a steel receiver (the real one?), it must be made of Aluminum, gee thank you Browning.

2. With Traditional Archery, you can own any bow a right handed shooter can. But it will be available in only one draw weight, 5# less than the full draw weight available for righties.

The list goes on. I agree with Yablanowitz, and I am personally very happy to know there are plenty of left handed knife guys out there.
 
Lefty here. I'm always banging on Spyderco to come out with LH models.

Since you're new and I care, here's the skinny - you're tee teeing up a rope.
 
I guess that 65 years has just taught me to "Deal with it".

Most of my knives are pretty easy to open left handed, but only the Spyderco Manix XL is easy to close with it's ball bearing lock. I just had to get used to it.

Cynic2701; I had a Left Handed Spyderco Military in my purchase cart several times, but wound up getting the Right Handed version. The knife is too big for my pocket and the right handed pocket clip is actually left handed when worn on the belt.
 
I am left-handed, and find that there are many knives out there that work just fine for me. All I really need is an ample cut-out on the lock side and an ambi stud or a hole. My two EDC's are very good in this regard, with the LionSteel SR1 being the best. The other is the Swamp Rat Rat Trap. I also carry Spyderco Natives and a small Bladetech Mouse that are no problem to use left-handed at all.

On the larger knives I prefer tip-down carry and a right-handed clip, carried in my left pocket. This arrangement is easily accessible by either hand.

The smaller knives are not clipped to my pocket, so clip orientation is irrelevant. I remove the clips from my Natives.

In short, for me left-handedness is a big deal in some things, such as shotguns, but not so much in knives.
 
Thanks Mike for the mention of the SR1. Watched a couple video reviews of it. It's almost like a folding Hunter style knife. Innovative features also. But for me it's a tad hefty for EDC. I wish I could get a Spydy Techno in LHC. Similar in form but for my needs, more of an ideal size for a utility EDC. Thanks again brother.
B.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top