The only real answer I have about hurting my hand is if you do it right it won't hurt. It also has to do with where the back of your hands are placed. The back of the left hand is placed on the inside of your left knee. I place the handle on the inside of the right knee and break flakes with my legs. Yes' you should work with Shannon "sawfiler" it is worth your time for sure. Everything I do changes week to week as I learning, so next week I will have a better way to do or think about working the stone. But keep watching people working stones and keep asking questions because it helped me a lot. Now that I kinda understand thinning the hard work of control and perfection begins and I have no idea how long that will take. Find your way to twin oaks and work with the pros you will learn a lot in a short time frame.