Using right handed knives in left hand?

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AfterDark

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Apr 9, 2007
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Any left handers on this forum that regularly use a right handed knife? Do you prefer to use an ambidextrous model or just use a regular right handed knife in your left hand? Why or why not?

If you use a right handed knife in your left hand, does the clip get in your way since it's on the wrong side? Do you just ditch the clip? Or does the clip not get in your way? Are liner locks ambidextrous for opening? What about closing? What makes a knife truly ambidextrous? I know the axis locks are ambi as are the spyderco lockbacks. What makes these ambidextrous? Thanks.
 
It irritates me when companies refuse to make their pocket clips reversible. I often carry a righty clipped to my leftside pants pocket. I think most lefties like me have gotten used to opening and closing right-handed linerlocks and framelocks with their left hand.
While not a huge fan of Spyderco or Benchmade, they do have an great understanding for making their products versatle in this area.
 
I've never had a huge problem as far as locks are concerned, I know some southpaws like me worry about right handed frame locks, but I never had an issue with them. Some right handed frame and liner-locks will only have one thumbstud that isn't reversible though.

For me it's pocket clips. For years I put up with non-reversible pocket clips, but today there are to many good choices that are reversible.

The Benchmade Axis locks are some of the best truly ambidextrous knives out there, they are not a case of a right-handed design that was then modified to add left-handed usability, but were fully ambidextrous from the start.
 
I am severely left handed but I always carry my knives clipped to my right pocket because I hate dragging my knuckles across the knife when accessing my keys. After a while it actually feels odd to open the knife left handed. As for locks I always choose knives that have flush or recessed liners.
 
The knife I got was tip down right handed. I made it tip up left handed. Drilled holes on a drill press, tapped the holes, and screwed in the clip. Works excellent.
 
Has anyone made a list of southpaw knives and ambidextrous knives? I like them and find them useful.
 
I think it has to do with marketability. I do a bunch of business on Evil-bay. I got a deal on a bunch of Galco holsters to re-sell earlier this year. The right handed holsters moved out almost immediately, but the lefties just sit there. For all the talk of people wanting left handed equipment, there just isn't that much of a market for it.
 
Retread said:
For all the talk of people wanting left handed equipment, there just isn't that much of a market for it.
Click to expand...

For sure, figure the small percent of the general population that are lefty, then remove from them the ones who aren't into equipment like that, and it's going to be a smaller market.
 
If it's right-handed tip-down, it'll usually work just fine in my left front pocket. I carry a lot of Kershaw liner and framelocks that way. Ambidextrous tip-up pocketclip options are my favorite, regardless of lock type, because they let so many people share in the same fun.

Locks I've found to be most ambidextrous (and I haven't tried every lock) are:

Arc Lock
Axis Lock
Back-Lock (and mid-lock and front-lock)
Ball-Bearing Lock
Compression Lock (slightly more lefty-friendly and my all-time favorite)
Phantom Lock
Studlock
Toggle Lock

Liners and framelocks work fine, too, but they take a small learning curve.
 
I'm a lefty aand I've somehow gotten so used to carrying in my right pocket that it feels odd to carry in my left.
I carry in my right , open with my right hand and then trasnfer the knife to my left hand. :D
 
I'm not a lefty, but go with ambi- type folders. I was out in the mountains once where I injured my dominate right hand, so had to set up camp before nightfall (& quickly dropping temps) with my left hand. In survival situations where you may be injured, cold, emotionally stressed, etc - - - its good to put as many things in your favor as possible. - - -
 
I am left-handed. My preferred configuration is hole or dual stud, right-handed clip, tip down in left pocket. It is no trouble at all to reverse your hand to draw and open, and as a bonus it is optimally positioned for right-handed cross-draw access.

In fact, if I were right-handed I would want a left-handed tip down clip carried in the right pocket, for the same reasons.
 
I'm left handed and I couldn't adapt to right handed knives and I gave it a good try. Many years ago there were a few companies that put out left hand liner locks, Kershaw with the random task and Benchmade with the AFCK. Both were discontinued. Now I go custom or stick with CR for a dedicated left hand frame lock. I'm real grateful to CRK for making left hand knives, it gives me a chance to enjoy and use a very well made (and relatively widely available in left hand models) folder without compromise.:thumbup::cool:
 
I am somewhat ambidextrous, as I write and eat left handed but do most everything else better right handed. While I prefer to carry most of my knives righty, especially those with a nice rounded clip like a wire clip, some knives that I make tough cuts with that have less ergonomic clips I carry lefty with the clip switched over to lefty. For instance, my Manix is always carried lefty, as I learned my right hand feels much better without the clip digging into my palm when taking massive chunks out of a 2"X3" without gloves. More ambidextrous locks like back locks are much appreciated on those knives that I do carry lefty.

Mike
 
I too am a lefty, pocket knives I carry right handed due to the clipsor if it is a sak or unlce henry (usa) left pocket; unless it is a fixed blade and most have a R/H sheath,I buy ambidextrous sheaths (spec-ops style or kydex) or a big selling point is if it already has a ambidextrous sheath with it. like my BF NWA knife I got to choose the sheath to be made left handed and that was key factor to me as well as a great knife
 
Its not ideal but I haven't had a problem using my liner-lock folders as a lefty.
 
I find it easier to use right hand liner and framelocks with the left hand.

I am mostly ambidextrous, but carry a one hand folder (or most sheath knives)
on the left so as not to interfere with my gun hand.
 
I'm like several of the others, I am left handed but like to carry my knife clipped in my right pocket. I like AO flippers, like Leeks, because they can be easily opened with either hand. If I were to use a knife offensively I would use it in my right hand. For most uses such as slicing, chopping or whittling. I use it left handed. For paring, I use the knife right handed. Weird, I know. I carry my knives tip down, mostly because thats the way they come. When I carry an Emerson wave, I carry it, obviously, tip up.
 
Strong lefty, but have long ago accepted that I live in a right-handed world. I can't use left-handed scissors to save my life.

My true pocket knives, it doesn't make a bit of difference, The larger folders with clips, I prefer the ones with large holes for opening one-handed. I carry clipped inside the left pocket and have the roll-over/open motion down so it's second nature. My shorter fixed blades all have custom lefty sheaths, but my big camp knife has a righty only because I haven't yet made a new sheath. I'm kinda starting to like having it on the right since the few times I actually carry it, I already have a short fixed blade on the left...

J-
 
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