[Jim Arnold]

A while back a thread was posted regarding the value of being able to carve with both hands. On average, over 90% of the population IS right-handed, I suspect here at WCI its about 50-50. Despite the efforts of the nuns in grade school (ie. the rulers across the back of my hands), I am still a lefty. Which is YOUR dominant carving hand?

[kitaye]

I'm most definitely right handed. I can grip things with my left hand and have a lot of strength in it but I seem have very little manual dexterity with it. I've even tried to become ambi-dextrous for writing and just can't seem to get it.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

No matter how hard I try, everytime I reach for a carving tool with my left hand it's knocked out of the way by my right one.

Maybe those Nuns were trying to tell you something.....left handed people don't go to heaven??? Don't tell that to my wife!

[K Karver]

There you go again, Lynn, worrying me. I am left-handed. Always have been and may well be in eternity. Or will we be ambidexterous there? My dad was from the old school in Germany where they whacked knuckles, no nuns but didn't they do that a lot back 50 years ago?

John K Karver

[mbevington]

Lefty all my life, but carve mainly with my right.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

John.....If you get there before me just wait at the gate. I'll do the same for you. We'll probably both need each others help convincing St. Peter to let us in!!!

[Just Carving]

Right handed.

[mdallensr]

I'm right-handed but trying to use my left more in carving. I've always done some things left-handed, like swinging an axe, ping-pong paddle, or a baseball bat, but I'm not very dexterous with my right hand, so switching to left-handed carving is a little scary. I'm sure it helps professional carvers by making them more efficient, but I'm never in a hurry to finish a carving so I haven't made the effort to develop the skill.

I have a left-handed daughter and couldn't change her as she grew up. I watched my kids in gymnastics, and found they all have a natural left or right handed preference for cartwheels and other moves. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to that, but it's real and something the instructors check out right away.

BTW, Lynn talked about picking up carving tools, and I've always found handling tools is more dangerous than carving with them. I'll bet 95% of my nicks have come from picking up a tool, passing one from hand-to-hand, or just getting them out or putting them away. I'm going to keep my first aid kit handy if I get serious about carving left-handed. Mike

[Paul_Guraedy]

My right hand is the dominant except for casting fishing lures. When I started fishing, over half a century ago, all of the reels were right hand wind. Many “righties” cast with the right hand, then switched the rod to the left so that they could wind with the right. My Dad did not see any reason for going through all of this. The threat of not going on a fishing trip was far worse than a rap on the knuckles! I got quite proficient with left hand casting and still cannot do anything with a rod in my right hand.

An interesting phenomenon was pointed out when I was in competition shooting. Most of us averaged higher scores on the “weak hand” portion of the course than on the “strong hand” part. It was credited to being aware of the need to pay attention to the basics and doing so…….not taking things for granted as we did with our dominant side.

I have not thought about this from a carving standpoint. But, I try and use both hands as much as possible when using a tool. I do tend to use the right hand for the power portion and the left as a guide. So does this mean the right or the left is dominant?

[Gear Dog]

Another Leftie here!!!
Went to catholic school in the 70's and although I didn't get wacked in the knuckles I was taught to hold the paper the was a rightie would. I also spot lefties everywhere I go. Here in my office of 300 people we have over 20 and in my department there are about 11 of us.
my wife now tries to pount out the lefties on TV before I see them.

Did you know August 13th was Left Handers Day?


Famous Left Handers

Lefties have rights too!!!!