Everything Lefties thread

South paw draw

South paw draw

Yep.....I'm a idiot.
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
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Figured as a new member and fellow lefty I would start a thread for us lefties to discuss left handed knives, show photos of our left handed knives. Discuss closing Techniques of right handed knives with our left hands. Mods done tonight handed knives to make them more left handed friendly. Knife companies we would like to see make left handed knivesvor left handed carry. Basically anything and everything left handed.

And to our right handed brothers and sisters you are welcome to come and post we just ask that you let us know you do not share in our struggles.

Thank you for hanging out.
 
Five knives as a lefty are totally a lefty knife only know. Both the benchmades are left handed carry only and the Dozier is a lock back no problem. All great options.
 
I’m a lefty, but have always carried in my right front pocket. Probably just because early on, that was all that was available. I’ve tried moving to the left front, but it’s just not comfortable for me. Being a lefty, in a right handed world, I’ve just naturally adapted to things like this, becoming quite ambidextrous, as I’m sure most of you, my fellow lefties, have done as well.

Now fixed blades on the other hand.... I hate that they all come standard with a right handed sheath. At least pocket knives quite often have reversible clips. I generally use a knife in my left, and sheaths are ALWAYS backwards for me.
 
Fellow lefty here. When I started out with knives it was a Buck squire my grandad gave to me. No problem at all for a lefty. I was young and wasn’t fully in to knives just yet. I carried it but when at work I’d still use a Stanley utility knife. Just one of them things were you should just always have a pocket knife on you as a man. A guy I worked with, who later became one of my best friends, carried and used a modern Buck. Vantage maybe. Long story short he got a Benchmade for Christmas and i got into knives pretty heavy then. My first “real knife” purchase, to me anyway was a mini griptilian. I researched, read, and lurked this forum, YouTube, you name it studying knives. I had a few Chinese Kershaws before then so I wasn’t completely oblivious to the knife world. Mini grip arrived and the axis lock was definitely lefty friendly. Fast forward again as I’m getting into knives more and branching out from BM, along comes Zero tolerance and their framelock flippers. Swap the pocket clip to the show side to make it lefty friendly. Some times I’d carry it right pocket and right clip. Would open left handed and close right handed. Closing took a bit of practice. At times I’d close it right handed. For left handed close I’d take my thumb and pull the lock bar over. Didn’t know any different so I was ok with it.
Then comes along spyderco with the ball bearing lock on the Manix and the compression on pm2. No problems at all. I actually prefer a right handed compression lock in my left Hand compared to a left handed lock. Fast forward again I bought my grail knife. A Chris Reeve Large Sebenza 21. Ended up with a righty first. Traded it off and got a large lefty. Was in love.
After that I stopped carrying anything that wasn’t fully ambidextrous or dedicated lefty. Then my love for crk took off and I haven’t looked back. They are not the perfect knife but they are the perfect knife for me. Makes you feel good to have a dedicated left handed knife
 
I wrote an instructional book for left-handed people (as well as right handed). Over half my students were left-handed, and it was difficult to teach them certain things. (This is the type of book found in college libraries, so it's a serious/professional subject.)

A couple of things based my experience:
  • Left-handed people had adapted to right-handed instructions and tools.
  • Not all left-handed people were better using their left hands when it came to using a knife for detailed work (in the microns). Some had more precision and control with the right hand, even though they wrote and did most things left-handed.
  • The left-handed people I met were often confused as to which way to do certain parts of the process I teach--due to a lot of right-handed instruction and tools.
  • I don't think there is a large market for left-handed merchandise, even though it may be necessary.

Conclusion: I would not change my decision to write and illustrate a book for left-handed people, I just don't know how many companies would see the business sense in doing this.
 
annr said:
I wrote an instructional book for left-handed people (as well as right handed). Over half my students were left-handed, and it was difficult to teach them certain things. (This is the type of book found in college libraries, so it's a serious/professional subject.)

A couple of things based my experience:
  • Left-handed people had adapted to right-handed instructions and tools.
  • Not all left-handed people were better using their left hands when it came to using a knife for detailed work (in the microns). Some had more precision and control with the right hand, even though they wrote and did most things left-handed.
  • The left-handed people I met were often confused as to which way to do certain parts of the process I teach--due to a lot of right-handed instruction and tools.
  • I don't think there is a large market for left-handed merchandise, even though it may be necessary.

Conclusion: I would not change my decision to write and illustrate a book for left-handed people, I just don't know how many companies would see the business sense in doing this.
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That’s Interesting for sure. I have become ambidextrous in a lot of things in life out of necessity basically. Especially in My line of work, tons of situations come up to have to use either hand. I’ll get in binds, strains, hands full, multi tasking, or in a pinch and you use whichever hand is free or closer to do the task at hand. You learn to make it work and it becomes second nature. Kind of a sink or swim scenario. Now also with all that I am still dominant in my left hand in most situations. Almost all of our tools are ambidextrous tho. I can’t think of too many that aren’t
 
So when it comes to buying a left handed only knife, not ambidextrous but truly left handed model. annr annr I think your correct in part. But in 2019, with 80% or more of the knives being made via auto-cad I don't see why most if not all the knives makers couldn't offer a left handed model. Right now if you are left handed and wanted to give one a try without spending a few hundred dollars you have a few choices.

Kiser ( I'll look up the model but its apx $200)
Syderco (PM $200,pm2 $140)
Benchmade ( several models $90 and up)

The benchmade axis lock is probably the best ambidextrous link on the market imho. And fornleft handed only the pm2 is the cheapest entry level.

I was like DcDavis. I bought a CRK large 21 and liked it alot. Wanted to get one in a left handed model so I sold the righty but at the time couldn't find a left handed model and just didn't follow threw. I now have two.
I like to pull out my left handed pm2 and hand it to my right haned buddies and have them open and close it. Its funny to watch them struggle with the compression lock.

What I have noticed is more and more companies are starting to either make a left handed carry or at least one of there models in a left handed version. Kiser has a thread asking what lefties would like to see of there's in a left handed version. I believe they have 3 models right now.

I like my new hinderer left handed Tactical writing device. I will drop a photo below
 
Dcdavis said:
That’s Interesting for sure. I have become ambidextrous in a lot of things in life out of necessity basically. Especially in My line of work, tons of situations come up to have to use either hand. I’ll get in binds, strains, hands full, multi tasking, or in a pinch and you use whichever hand is free or closer to do the task at hand. You learn to make it work and it becomes second nature. Kind of a sink or swim scenario. Now also with all that I am still dominant in my left hand in most situations. Almost all of our tools are ambidextrous tho. I can’t think of too many that aren’t
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It's an interesting question to me, and there are so many "brain-based" theories.

One tool that comes to mind is the chisel-ground knife. The bevel would need to be on the opposite side for the left/right handed person for the knife to work in my application.

I got in the habit of assessing all my students by asking them to do different tasks. I would observe how they instinctually approached a problem, and much to my surprise I recommended doing things right-handed to some left-handed people and the other way round.

In my case, I do some things left-handed. (I think some of this has to do with not knowing better, or in my case, I think I was taught by a left-handed person!)
 
Fixed blade sheaths!
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How many of you have been into a lefties store? There's one in Orlando Florida. I bought a pair of scissors there for like $25. Worth the money. Scissors are one of them things that if you didn't know they existed and never used them before it would never matter but once you do its really hard to go back.
 
annr said:
It's an interesting question to me, and there are so many "brain-based" theories.

One tool that comes to mind is the chisel-ground knife. The bevel would need to be on the opposite side for the left/right handed person for the knife to work in my application.

I got in the habit of assessing all my students by asking them to do different tasks. I would observe how they instinctually approached a problem, and much to my surprise I recommended doing things right-handed to some left-handed people and the other way round.

In my case, I do some things left-handed. (I think some of this has to do with not knowing better, or in my case, I think I was taught by a left-handed person!)
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That’s funny you said that about chisel grind. Just today I had my wife’s Benchmade triage. 916 is the number I believe. It’s basically a rescue knife with a gut hook, blunt tip, half serrated and a blunt tip if she ever had to cut seatbelt or a anything off the kids the blunt tip wouldn't stab them. It sits in an emergency bag in her truck. I have my own bag in my truck. Ambidextrous axis lock as well. But back on topic it has a chisel grind blade. And in my opinion that grind is set for left handed. It will work both ways but just for me it’s better lefty. I haven’t done any research or extensive use with chisel grind knives so I’m sure there’s a reason for the way they are ground.
 
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Dcdavis said:
That’s funny you said that about chisel grind. Just today I had my wife’s Benchmade triage. 917 is the number I believe. It’s basically a rescue knife with a gut hook, blunt tip, half serrated and a blunt tip if she ever had to cut seatbelt or a anything off the kids the blunt tip wouldn't stab them. It sits in an emergency bag in her truck. I have my own bag in my truck. Ambidextrous axis lock as well. But back on topic it has a chisel grind blade. And in my opinion that grind is set for left handed. It will work both ways but just for me it’s better lefty. I haven’t done any research or extensive use with chisel grind knives so I’m sure there’s a reason for the way they are ground.
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When you use the chisel grind, which side is the bevel on—let’s say when you are pointing the tip away from you(edge down), toward the wall in front of you (blade perpendicular to your front chest wall)?
 
annr said:
When you use the chisel grind, which side is the bevel on—let’s say when you are pointing the tip away from you(edge down), toward the wall in front of you (blade perpendicular to your front chest wall)?
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The bevel would be on the left. It’s the 916 not 917
 
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