switching hands for different tasks??

B

beckerhead

Joined
Feb 11, 2005
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I have noticed that when rough whittling and chopping with a knife I use my right hand to hold the knife. But, when skinning, slicing, or fine whittling I hold the knife in my left hand. I also use a hatchet in my left, unless I am limbing, then it's right hand.

Common? Or does Beckerhead have a pivot pin loose?:D:D
 
Hmm... If I tried to use a hatchet in my left hand, I would probably lose a kneecap!

Do you do other things with both hands? Like writing?

I can certainly see how useful it could be.

I have an Aussie friend who is largely ambidextrous. He is naturally left handed (sinister bloke he is alright!) but learned to do most things, including writing, with both hands.

I used to hate fighting him in karate; he was equally lethal with both sides while I was always a little weaker on the left. Edit: that reminds me - that's exactly why I had a front tooth smashed once when fighting him!
 
beckerhead said:
I have noticed that when rough whittling and chopping with a knife I use my right hand to hold the knife. But, when skinning, slicing, or fine whittling I hold the knife in my left hand. I also use a hatchet in my left, unless I am limbing, then it's right hand.

Common? Or does Beckerhead have a pivot pin loose?:D:D
Click to expand...

I'm kinda the same way.
Totally ambidextrous i can do most everything with either hand but have preferences and tend to use left for one thing right for another.
I do more detailed whittling with my right hand and chop with my left.
I shoot long-guns with my right but shoot pistols with left.

I helped a buddy shingle a roof 2 weeks ago and i kept switched the hammer to the opposite hand whenever the busy hand started to get too tired of hammering!

The thing is i know i can even change my preferences just by consciously using the opposite hand-only for a while. then that becomes "normal", lol.

I read one study that said ambidextrous abilities are the result of abnormalities in brain development
:(

I think the guy who wrote that was just jealous, lol.
Actually sometimes thinking about this does make my head hurt...
:D
 
You don't have a pivot pin loose, you're just ambi. It's a great way to be; I also have certain hands I like to do certain tasks...that could be taken wrongly :D. I used to get all kinds of flak from my buddies in the Marine Corps because I shot my rifle right handed and my pistol left. Yet, when it came time for transitioning between the two, I didn't have my rifle get in the way. I'm the same way with my knife or whatever; I just use either hand according to my preference and whichever gets tired first.
 
I see it as more of a partial ambi. not a pure form.
I shoot pistol and rifle lefty.
I throw lefty, bat righty.
I cast with my left, reel right.
I write lefty, and absolutely NOT righty.
Screwdriver right hand, drill left hand.
Handsaw either, chainsaw left hand throttle, unless working real low.

And my drinking glass switches sides all through a meal.
 
Yup I'm pretty messed up too...glad to see I'm not the only one!

write lefty
eat lefty (fork left hand knife right hand)
chainsaw righty
play all sports righty
do fine whittling lefty
chopping righty
shooting righty

basically most fine tasks are handled lefty, while more powerful, rougher tasks are righty. I've even done some practice vitrectomy surgery on digital simulators (i'm only 19, thank god for technology) , and I do it lefty :D
 
This isn't uncommon... even in "die hard righties" who insist they can't do anything with their left, you watch them long enough and you see it happening.

Often, and you can all look to your own examples to see if this is true, you tend to use one hand for fine motor tasks (precision work), and can rely on the other hand for gross motor tasks (carrying loads, holding things steady, etc.).
 
ambidexterous is doing things equally left or right.

I believe ambilateral is doing somethings better left and some better right.
 
I do everything right handed except fighting and one other thing that calls for my right to be on the mouse.
 
I wish I was that talented. my chopping arm is my right. My left is scrawny in comparison.
 
Being right handed I obviously use my right hand consciously. But you will find the left hand is able to complete tasks on it's own as sort of an assistant. For example while driving you shift with the right while the left hand steers without too much effort. I can't perform many tasks with the left...it just seems to do it's own thing....like get cut my the right hand. :mad:
 
beckerhead said:
I see it as more of a partial ambi. not a pure form.
I shoot pistol and rifle lefty.
I throw lefty, bat righty.
I cast with my left, reel right.
I write lefty, and absolutely NOT righty.
Screwdriver right hand, drill left hand.
Handsaw either, chainsaw left hand throttle, unless working real low.

And my drinking glass switches sides all through a meal.
Click to expand...

I do all of the above the same, except I usually do right hand throttle on a chainsaw, they're poorly designed for running lefty. Also throw righty, on the off chance I throw something. (For the observant, that means I don't do all of the above the same... Who'da thunk?)

With a little work, I can do almost any knifework with either hand. Not as good with my right just because I rarely do things that way.
 
Oh yeah, I shoot left too, but by necessity not choice. My right eye's a little buggered up.
 
I'm largely a righty, but am lefty with archery bow (shoot long-gun right), and pretty much all sport sticks/clubs/bats/rackets, etc. that I've tried. Can manage utensils with both, but if a knife is involved, I switch the fork to my left.
 
I've found that I can do most cutting chores except fine work with either hand. For nearly everything else, though, I'm purely right-handed. I do sometimes shoot left-handed, because I'm left-eye-master.
 
I'm not ambi, but I switch hands just so my left hand gets some experience in case the right hand is injured.
 
Just get your dominant arm broken a couple of times, that could help you down the path the path to gaining minor ambidexterousness.

I am minor ambidex I write messy with both hands:p alittle neater w/right one, I am right eye dom, can't wink and keep my left eye open at all :rolleyes:

I can do things with both hands but for fine work like wittling I use my rightfor knife

At work, I work at the countries largest Re-man of drivetrane items, I have found things I can't do hardly at all right handed, one is putting little washers in place in automatic transmissions I build.

splitting, chopping, hammering, either way. hand saw either hand

Chainsaw...Righthand, not against the above person who does this left but it could be dangerous and you could get crossed up....be careful either handed with chainsaws.


but for the love of internet I cannot use the mouse worth crap lefty.

Am I the only dislexic ambidexterous one out here?

I heard of an easy test to check . Fold your hand, like if you pray. which thumb is on top? right or left. what hand do you right with L/R ? Same or different. This is suppose to show some level of dominance or ambidexterity.
just what I have heard,
I write right, but fold my left thumb on top, could be right , could be BS. Pat
 
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I am 100% left thumb on top. And 100% left eye dominant. I did a little "in office" survey, and the "thumb theory" rings true so far.
 
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