Off hand becomes primary, precision cutting

[Cliff Stamp]

On a regular basis I do heavy cutting with my left hand, mainly to prepare in case I need to. Recently I jabbed my right index finger decently well, took a half an hour of direct pressure before it stopped bleeding. During the first day mobility was low, I could not flex or strain it much at all. This is two days later :



Three days and I have pretty much full mobility but I will wait a little longer before trying heavy impacts and such. I did a lot of precision cutting with my left hand, not as much because I had to, it was still more productive to use my right in a partial grip, but to do it.

To no surprise it was very difficult, try using a knife for precision work like cleaning a fish, detailed wood carving/splitting and see how much less productive/efficient you are with your off hand. It certainly made me realize I had more work to do.

It is also a fairly powerful way to judge the cutting/handling ability because the raw strength of your dominant hand can often compensate for poor knife efficiency.

-Cliff

 

[Vivi]

When I broke my right wrist skateboarding I was in a similar situation. Heavy impacts were out, but I could manage with whittling or some foodprep. I used my left hand with my knives more and it made me think of the situation in a survival sense. Not too unlikely you could damage your dominant hand out in the field, so it's good to be prepared for such a thing.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Very good point, Cliff, and one you have made before (in less graphic circumstaces ).

A survival situation might very well include reduction in "normal" physical capacity due to injury - or other causes like hunger and thirst.

 

[Boats]

Ha, ha, ha. (Not laughing at your injury Cliff, ouch, just the notion raised).

I love it when you dextrous individuals get a taste of the "wrong" side of the tracks.

As a life-long southpaw, having been forced by circumstance to use countless implements and gizmos designed by and for right handers, from scissors, to cheese graters, pencil sharpeners, to butter knives, to hand powered grinders, to chop saws, to shotguns and bolt rifles, I have little difficulty going to the "off" hand.

I have been going to it for a lifetime out of convenience, so doing so by necessity is no larger problem. I whittle, draw cut, push cut and chop with my right hand all of the time. When I limb a tree, for instance, I don't move myself around too much, as I can readily switch from left to right depending on the angle of the branch I wish to remove.

It only takes practice, of a kind most righties are never forced to develop. I appreciate your developing a taste for the untamed side of your body though. Good luck.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Another comemnt from the "sinister" side.

 

[Boats]

We lefties take our schadenfreude at the "plights" of the right handed where and when we find it.

 

[ohoisin]

being an ambi it don't matter much to me.

 

[Vivi]

This kind of reminds me of skateboarding. There is one way that feels natural for every person to skate, either right shoulder leading or vice versa. Once you develop enough skill, you can start riding it with the other shoulder leading and re-learning all your tricks with your feet set up the opposite way. It's called skating switch. It's tough, but a fun and interesting challenge.

 

[guyfalks]

I have three thoughts on this matter.

1. I have used these with impressive success in similar situation.
http://www.seal-on.com/index.asp

2. I have bought a package of these, but unfortunately (or fortunately, what am I thinking) have not had a chance to use it.
http://www.biolife.com/

3. Has anybody used any gloves, etc. similar to these? After slicing up a pair of kevlar gloves (on purpose, I was not wearing them) I never gave them another thought, but they may have some value.
http://www.woodcarvers.com/begkit.htm

 

[Cliff Stamp]

being an ambi it don't matter much to me.

Many techniques are inherently two handed, try peeling a potato with one hand, tension cutting saplings with a small knife, batoning, using a small shovel, and even just packing your gear and getting dressed. The above cut isn't serious enough to impact use severely but it isn't an improbable senario in general.

A survival situation might very well include reduction in "normal" physical capacity due to injury - or other causes like hunger and thirst.

Yes in general skill starts to degrade and then there is the heightened physical level which can come with high stress. I think in general any rating of "survival" equipment should evaluate use in such conditions, simulated obviously.

1. I have used these with impressive success in similar situation.

Stopping the blood isn't the main concern for me as direct pressure usually does that. My main focus is on getting the cut to take strain as quick as possible and resist tearing back open when you accidently stress it. I have tried glue and steri-strips and similar and they work but not nearly the same as stitches. The above cut was fully functional four days later and the stitches were out.

Has anybody used any gloves, etc. similar to these?

I wear a silver talon under a rawhide glove when doing chopping comparisons to protect from cuts in glances.

-Cliff

 

[kel_aa]

Is a silver talon of those ornate fantasy/gothic jointed finger armour?

 

[Thomas Linton]

Cliff, we had a Scout in our Troop with only one functional arm. he was pretty good at tension cutting saplings by producing the bend with a foot. 'Course, he had lots of practice in one-handing things. This suggests that one might practice using the "weak" hand just in case, as I believe you suggested.

 

[Boats]

Silver Talon glove--it's knife resistant.

 

[kel_aa]

Okay, lol. I thought it was something like this:

I was thinking those must be some big gloves to fit over them.

Of course you can increase your eye-gouging capabilities if a bear sneaks up on you dramatically with this:

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Cliff, we had a Scout in our Troop with only one functional arm. he was pretty good at tension cutting saplings by producing the bend with a foot.

It is fairly humbling to meet someone with such a perspective especially when you reflect on how hard it was when you were last disabled which in comparison seems lame. An illustration of just how will/determination can overcome physical ability/tools. One thing which I have been thinking about is how in such situations the ideal tools tend to change. Not just from two handed to one handed axes and such, but even knives and how valuable a saw, especially the light weight ones become. Lots of things besides knives of course, try using a standard ferro rod with one hand. Imagination/determination is again key but such experimentation may force an evaluation reflection.

Is a silver talon of those ornate fantasy/gothic jointed finger armour?

No, I save the bling for clubbing.

-Cliff

 

[Kevin the grey]

Step away from the sharp pointy things . L:O:L
That looks like one that could have been worse so I guess you got off easy .
Last time I got stitches the anesthetic needle hurt worse than the cut . The dopctor caused nerve damage with the needle fumbling around .

I,m glad you got off relatively easy . I hope it didn,t back you up too much . We miss your posts .

 

[Thomas Linton]

Cliff, he passed the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, in part, by making fire with a bow and drill. How did he hold the "thunderbird"? With his chin, using his neckerchief as a pad.

He always carried a folding prunning saw in his camping gear (Swedish, with a wood handle and a blued blade) and outdid most other Scouts in reducing wood to lengths.

Liked Spyderco knives.

Scouting was good for him, but he was even better for the other Scouts.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

That looks like one that could have been worse so I guess you got off easy .

In general, the worst cut I got was a few years back when I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing (always a good idea) and raked a knife across the tips of the fingers of my left hand while limbing a small sapling. I split the fingers vertically, which was the lucky part as otherwise the tips would have come clean off and that would have not been fun.

Scouting was good for him, but he was even better for the other Scouts.

I would imagine so. One of my cousins basically has only the use of one arm due to a birth defect which gave it a severly limited range of motion, played several sports and in general had little effect on his functinality.

-Cliff