teaching a left handed carver

[Dan S]

Hey there,
A co-worker of mine wants to learn to carve. I've been working with her but she is a leftie. I'm having a bit of trouble showing her how to hold the knife. It's become such a habit with me that I don't really think about what I do anymore. Has anyone seen a video on using a carving knife for southpaws?

Thank you,
Dan

[Paul_Guraedy]

Dan, I suspect that it is more an individual thing than it is that she is left handed. I like to start beginners with a piece that allows them to keep two hands on the tool. This gives them more control over where the cutting edge is going.

I sometimes hold my tools in the left hand to get to where I want and hold them the same as I do with my right hand. You might have more luck explaining the cut that you want her to do, stop, S curve, etc., watch her attempt the cut and see if any difficulty is due to the way she holds the tool. You will probably find that it is more a problem of cutting too deep, too much pressure, etc.

[Jim Arnold]

As a left handed carved who teaches right handed carvers, I agree with what Paul said. Explain the type of cut you're looking for, what its purpose is, how to control the tool, and watch to determine the results. I'm not ambi, but I will also show how to make the cuts with my right hand, and sometimes I DO have to stop for a sec and think about how a rightie would do it. Once you get over the basic cuts, she will start to develop her own style and 'touch' and make her own adjustments as she gains more carving experience. Good for you that you're taking the time to show someone how to do this stuff!!!

Cheers,

Jim

[Clifford_Parker]

I am lucky enough to be an ambidexterous "lefty" but usually just show the basic stop, push, slicing, and paring cuts and explain how they work and show what they should look like.

[Terry Vance]

Try having the person sit directly in front of you. Face to face, then you will be carving lefthanded- at least to them. All they need to do is what you do.

[papasar]

Yah yah pick on the southpaws like we were strange or physically challenged.
What next lefty jokes? Where are the PC police when you need them.
You guess it I'm a lefty. Never had a problem following righty teachers, and I've had a few. I have been using tools since I was about 6 yrs old and I holding them has always come naturally. I do have to stop and think when trying to match one side of face to the other. Think most people start out this way.
Bill K.

[carver33]

I'm a southpaw also, and the only problem I have teaching "righties" is how to use the opposite thumb as a pivot point when making a pushing cut. The fellow I learned from never talked about how to hold the knife, only how to make different types of cuts.

Unfortunately, I believe that a very few people are not dexterous at all, and no amount of teaching will turn them into carvers, or anything else that requires manual dexterity for that matter.

[Dan S]

Thanks for the tips. I think she will do fine. She seems pretty coordinated. It's funny that Bill Akin discussed that issue about using the opposite thumb as a pivot point. That is the exact problem I've been having. What seems simple and natural is dang difficult to teach.
Her hands are a lot smaller than mine. I'm going to have her use a knife with a smaller handle and we'll see how that works.
Oh, and Bill C. I would never pick on lefties... it's too much fun watching them write...

Take care,
Dan

[carver33]

Originally Posted by Dan S

Oh, and Bill C. I would never pick on lefties... it's too much fun watching them write...

Dan

Hey, the way I see it is that there are right handed and then there are correct handed people.