discussion How many of us are left handed ?

[Tim Marlow]

Didn't Leonardo da Vinci write like that?
Pete

He certainly did…but in his case it was deliberate….
https://www.mos.org/leonardo/activities/mirror-writing

 

[Jim R]

That’s exactly the explanation given for my daughter’s mirror writing.

I had one child who did almost perfect mirror writing but over the years there were quite a few who did it to varying degrees.
Some left handers who were in primary school in the 50s and earlier were actually forbidden to write with their left hand. Even when I started teaching in the 70s I remember having a "discussion" with a dining room supervisor because she was trying to insist that a left hander held his knife and fork in the "correct" hands.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I had one child who did almost perfect mirror writing but over the years there were quite a few who did it to varying degrees.
Some left handers who were in primary school in the 50s and earlier were actually forbidden to write with their left hand. Even when I started teaching in the 70s I remember having a "discussion" with a dining room supervisor because she was trying to insist that a left hander held his knife and fork in the "correct" hands.

My Gran was probably like that Jim. She wrote (very badly) right handed but did everything else left handed. It was the only explanation we could think of. Funny thing is, my Mum is also left handed, and would have been at primary school at that time, but writes left handed. That could possibly be due to lack of schooling at the crucial time due to her family regularly moving around Hastings, and then being evacuated before starting school again at secondary level when she got to Salisbury.

 

[outrunner]

I started school in 1952 and no effort was made to make me change but I remember my mother saying that when she was at school they would sometimes force left handers to use the right one.

Andy.

 

[Peter Gillson]

I'm one of the lucky 10% to be left handed. Apparently we have better spacial visualisation which is why (I was told this but have not checked it) that more than 10% of the best tennis players, artists and architects are left handed.

peter

 

[Guest]

I'm one of the lucky 10% to be left handed. Apparently we have better spacial visualisation which is why (I was told this but have not checked it) that more than 10% of the best tennis players, artists and architects are left handed.

peter

Very true Peter , also from what I've read a great deal of architects are also left handed .
Only 9 to 10% of the population are left handed.
There was a time when children show signs of being left-handed were hit at school, I had an uncle who suffered this .

Luckily I was able to use both hands when working , I was taught plastering using both hands , great for doing the opposite corner of the wall . Screw driving became simple and very handy when fitting .Most if not all woodworking machinery is made for the right handed , you just have to adapt .

Shot with the left, but use the mouse with the right , played guitar right handed .

The worst thing for me is scissors, just can't get on with them .
The best thing to me is the ability to visualise something easily and of course draw.

Thanks for all the answers, " spawn of the devil " indeed !

Have a great day .

 

[Andy T]

The worst thing for me is scissors, just can't get on with them .

Scissors, tin snips, that kind of thing for me too. Anything that's designed around the movement / force applied by a right hand really. We tend to force the blades apart, causing issues.

Also power tools! The little safety button for the trigger is invariably hard to operate, and don't get me started on dust extraction ports that aim the debris straight into the face of a left hander, or my strimmer that shoots grass straight at my legs.

/Early morning rant over :smiling5:

 

[Peter Gillson]

Scissors, tin snips, that kind of thing for me too. Anything that's designed around the movement / force applied by a right hand really. We tend to force the blades apart, causing issues.

Also power tools! The little safety button for the trigger is invariably hard to operate, and don't get me started on dust extraction ports that aim the debris straight into the face of a left hander, or my strimmer that shoots grass straight at my legs.

/Early morning rant over :smiling5:

Scissors - easily solved - try this shop: https://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/

I bought some left-handed scissors from them years ago and they do make a real difference.

Some of there stuff is a little gimmicky and somethings I just didn't know. For instance the bevel on a carving knife is on the side which helps to compensate for the natural twisting action of the right -hand - yes they sell left-handed knives!

the most fun item I bought, just for the hell of it was a left handed corkscrew. The screw part has an opposite thread, and it is fun to give to a right-handed person without telling them; they will try to use it as normal the screw will not bite so they will invariably press harder and harder but no matter how hard they push the screw will not bite the cork. The confused look on some faces can be priceless - especially after they have had a drink or two.

https://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/left-handed-t-pattern-corkscrew

Peter

 

[Jim R]

We had left handed scissors for children. They had different coloured handles. Corkscrews and carving knives - us right handers have no idea :smiling:

 

[Guest]

Scissors, tin snips, that kind of thing for me too. Anything that's designed around the movement / force applied by a right hand really. We tend to force the blades apart, causing issues.

Also power tools! The little safety button for the trigger is invariably hard to operate, and don't get me started on dust extraction ports that aim the debris straight into the face of a left hander, or my strimmer that shoots grass straight at my legs.

/Early morning rant over :smiling5:

You need to go here:

 

[outrunner]

Left handed scissors are great because if you are left handed you can not see the cutting edge of the blade on normal scissors. It also took me a long time to learn to use a chainsaw quickly and efficiently when I started in forestry work a long time ago when there were no timber harvesters to do the hard work.

Andy.

 

[Tim Marlow]

You need to go here:

Yes indeedleedoodlee…..

 

[Mini Me]

I'm claiming VICTIM status and am demanding Millions in Reparations for all the abuse, ridicule and hand slapping that was endured at an early age!! Legal Alien or not They owe me!!! :angry:

 

[stillp]

I'm claiming VICTIM status and am demanding Millions in Reparations for all the abuse, ridicule and hand slapping that was endured at an early age!! Legal Alien or not They owe me!!! :angry:

If you're successful then I'll start to identify as a lefty! :tongue-out2:
Pete

 

[minitnkr]

Me too.