Hand tool dexterity

[ajooter]

I was working on a bow last night and I noticed how I struggle to be able to use tools in my off hand.  Whether it be a rasp or hatchet I'm not very ambidextrous.  Anybody else notice this...or have you been doing this long enough your able to use both hands?

[Joec123able]

I use my right for everything I could never use both.

[sleek]

I use both but not for everything. It takes a conscious effort to start with but after a while gets easier and rewarding. Give it a go.

[JW_Halverson]

On a growth ring that has complicated features, I switch back and forth between my hands when using gouges and scrapers.  My right hand has much more strength, but the left can be more dextrous with certain tasks.

I was ambidextrous as a kid.  I used both hands with utensils and crayons and the like.  When I started first grade, my teacher would hit us with a ruler for using the left hand for anything.  It got so bad, she would tape my left hand to the side of my desk and tell me I would go to hell if I insisted on using the "devil's hand".  Worst of all....this was a public school!

[DC]

I was lucky. My Mom was a teacher in the school that I went to. When I started going home sick same time every day she want and saw my teacher. They determined that my teacher was trying to make me go right handed. Mom pulled rank. I was one of the first kids to go lefty. I do big things right handed. Hit a ball, golf. Detailed stuff I'm a lefty. Chopping wood and  shoveling both hands but I favor left. It's been very handy over the years. Twisting wrists I could usually beat someone with one hand or the other.

PS But I think I'm losing it. I'm planing a bamboo backing and my old arms were getting tired. I tried to switch but it wouldn't work. Use it or loose it

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm 90% righty. My right hand has all the power and finess, the left is mostly used for stabilization and a little extra power when needed. I can't use the left by its self to even use a spoon, when I try to eat lefty I look like an infant.

Kyle

[Badger]

 Almost 100% right handed

[PatM]

Left for finesse, right for strength. I write, use a hammer or small axe  left handed but throw or swing a sledge etc. right handed.
 Oddly I use a slingshot left-handed because of the ease of loading a rock with my more dextrous hand but shoot a bow right handed. Getting an arrow on the string quickly is probably the only thing my right is really coordinated at.

[bow101]

I write lefty and can do some things lefty but right handed. I have batted left and shot hockey pucks left.  Archery right and right eye dominant.   Some archers are righty but left eye dom and v/v.

[Dakota Kid]

I spent quite a while airbrushing for a living. You hold an airbrush with both hands, so my left hand got trained to do lettering and I didn't realize it. I saw one of the other artist showing off to a customer how he could write with both hands, write the same word in two places simultaneously with the left and right, and to my amazement write the same word frontwards with his left while at the same time writing the mirror image with his right hand. I tried it right then and got two out of three on my first try. I still can't do the mirror image thing, he put more effort into that than he led on.

If you left hand feels awkward try using your tools two handed for a while. You don't even need to apply a lot of muscle with your off hand. Your just getting familiar with the motion. 

[alwayslookin]

It's like my left hand don't even connect to my body. I can catch stuff or do things that are instinct with it but try and be precise with my left and you think I was blind.

[Del the cat]

My right provides the control, but I often use the left for power or steadying. Like when inlaying I hold the knife in the right but its supported on the left and the left thumb applies power.
I'm ambiphibious... I can write with either hand under water
Del

[crooketarrow]

  I've built over 100 bows all with hand tools (totally). I had 2 strokes in 06 I had to reteach myself to do everything left handed everything from eating to use of hand tools.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I use both equally if I had to guess. I grab the tool with whatever hand I need to to work a given side, all feels the same to me for the most part. Playing drums helps your brain forget all about lefty/righty stuff.

[Blackcoyote]

I'm a lefty and have adapted to doing most things with both hands... a lot of right handed people "think" they do stuff with both hands until you truly watch them, or they work with a lefty, and will stop in their tracks confused as to why you're doing it different.