Question for other lefties

T

thombrogan

Joined
Nov 16, 2002
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To those lefties who use a knife right-handed, how many of you use it for detailed cutting and how easy was it for you to adjust?

I just tried wood-carving with my right hand this evening and I was just as untalented with my right hand as I am with my left. That got me thinking that, if I can learn to perform detailed cutting with my right hand, a whole selection of folders will have become available to me.

For the record, I am differentiating detailed cutting from using a knife for martial arts or self-defense purposes. There are some really cool Atwood, Greco, Spyderco, Buck/Mayo, and William Henry folders out there that look intriguing and anytime a Seb or Mnandi is sold at a steal of a price, it's a righty.

Many thanks,

Thom
 
Thom> I'm an odd one for this. I was born left, forced right(damn school, didn't give me a choice until grade 6 or 7), re-learned left(highschool was put to a good use), and finally got to the point that I can write left handed.

Fully ambi. Right hand is still what I'd call my dominant, as I tend to use it more, but I have no problem doing detailed tasks with either hand. Left hand is just a bit slower as I've had a few more years of using my right pretty much exclusivly.

Still trying to get a good leftie knife. Think I'll switch my fixed blade carry to left, and get my hand trained for that(muscle memory will take about a month to be natural).

I've been sizing my carry down. Now carrying a slipjoint in right pocket instead of a clipped. Still have multi and fixed on right at the moment though. And if I can get my fixed over to left, I can get rid of my left pocket carry, getting a SE for neck to replace my PE SS Dragonfly.

Can theoretically get my carry down to 4.

edit: had to change a word
edit: oops, sorry 'bout that dann
 
Benchmade and Spyderco are great sources of ambidextrous folders and the Benchmade's old and new Nimravus and Nimravus Cub sheaths are ambidextrous (the old ones take more work, but they're eventually ambidextrous). Why not get yourself a 140HS M2 Nimravus or a Temperance?
 
Have the fb05 on me right now, my fb03(with custom sheath from eric "normark", fully ambi) is down on the shelf...

takes about 3min to change the sheath over to left.
 
I'm a lefty, but about the only thing that my right appendage is good for, is to have a place to wear my wristwatch, and to help tie my shoes.:D.
 
As far as cutting, and hammering, sawing etc. I am prett ambi. When I first got out of high school, I got a job as a meat cutter. I wanted to use my left hand, but the other guys couldn't show me how to break down the big chunks of meat "backwards" so I had to learn with my right. Now I carry my knife on the right side and my gun on the left.
 
I will have to go with the other lefties here. For detailed cutting, I am pretty much equal on both sides. Most if the knives I own are abidextrous. 1 Boye Prophet Companion, 1 Benchmade Axis, 1 CRKT Apache w/ dual thumb studs, 1 Kershaw Random Task (I have an odd calous on the back of my left index finger from opening it). If I need the extra control that my left hand provides for very fine tasks, I just switch hands. There isnt usually a time constraint for fine cutting (carving and such).
 
is so I don't walk lopsided. I can shift gears, open doors and turn on lights with it but not much more. I'm very left handed. My EDC tends to reflect that. Slip joints for the office I can hold in my left and pull the nail nick with my right index finger. Spyderco Rescue for tougher jobs.

Frank
 
Ambi for detail and defense.

Either works as well but I tend to go rightie more often with the knives if using one at a time.

I find the double stick work makes quick muscle memory for anyone who doesn't use both now.

Double knives, mirror imaging both sides at once or seperately will bring your weak hand up to speed pretty quick.

Brownie
 
Thom,
I'd have to describe myself as handedness-confused. I have a right master eye, shoot rifle, shotgun and target pistol right handed, but shoot combat lefty because I am willing to trade a slight decrease in accuracy for a major increase in speed. Never have gotten the hang of using a scissors righty, lefty was always easier, even before I discovered they actually made scissors for southpaws. Usually write righty, but have always been able to do it with either hand. Favored the right because at one time I had nicer looking handwriting righty, it has now degenerated with age to the point where they both look about equally disreputable. As far as knives go, have always gravitated to lefty when using X-Acto knives or wood carving, carve meat about equally well with either hand, favor the left for chopping and dicing. When eating I either keep the knife in my left hand and use the fork and spoon with my right, or visa-versa, because I can and I'm too darn lazy to keep switching hands. If I use a knife to sharpen a pencil, the knife is going to be in my left hand. Carry my EDC in my left pocket, since I consider it a tool and not a weapon, carry my hunting knife on left hip for same reason, but if I were carrying a knife for personal defense, would carry it for right hand use as I'd want to keep my left free for "other things". Personally, when condsidering folders, I don't consider it a problem if a knife is more difficult to close lefty, as long as it is equally easy to open one handed with either hand but I does annoy me when manufacturers set up an otherwise ambi knife to favor one hand (like a lockback with a right hand only thumbstud).

Finally, just want to say that I agree with your thought that keeping as many options as possible open is always a good idea.
 
When I started school I was much more left. once I discovered that the lefties sit in the corner with the dull,green handled scissors, next to the paste eaters. I started to use the sharp scissors right handed. I write left, play guitar right. It breaks down to details go left, strength tasks go right. (I think the left hand gets the hard work on guitar). I shoot right but I think this was an evolution away from ejecting cartridges( I was a young 1911 shooter,thanks dad.)
When it comes to cutlery this holds true, I can use my right for anything but when fine cutting comes up, I go left.
For a very long time my edc knives were either lockbacks or SAK's which, I hate to admit, I didn't think about very much. I think I just accepted that I was Left handed and adapted to what was available.

I have started to have framelocks made left handed, but still carry some production right handed knives (these are all linerlocks). I have become a fan of Axis locks as they do a good job either way. I rarely carry a fixed blade but, when I do it goes right side unless I'm carrying a gun and then it is left.
The more I think about this the more confused I am. It's wonder I'm not a mass of scar tissue.
 
I would recommend the CRK Mnandi or small Sebenza. Pricey? Yes but they are very good knives with excellent backup ala Bridget. I like to support those companies that will make left hand knives.:) :cool: ;) :p
 
Thanks guys!

Guess I'll try a few righties in the future (I shoot, play guitar, and use scissors right handed and am ambi for baston y daga drills, so maybe I'm just scaring myself) and just support the companies that support me in the meantime.

Thanks again!
 
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