Need advice from the left handed people

[Dreams]

How do you cut your soap? I can do alot of things right handed but this,this got me....I have the basic soap cutters in picture and trying to make straight cut...wow.. none of my bars weight the same I was told to get..

. But,some reviews I've read ,say still don't cut straight. Have you used? I would like a multi cutter ,not reasonable right now.. Thank you for advice. Now how many right handed people read this? Have advice also..thank you

 

[TheGecko]

I only know a few people who can cut perfectly straight bars of soap...I’m not one of them. It’s why I got a cheese slicer and modified it and then lucked out and got a gently used Bud’s Single.

 

[AliOop]

Buy an inexpensive cheese slicer and and turn it around so that you are cutting away from yourself. I’ve seen left-handed YouTubers do this, and it seems to work well. I have this one for single cuts, and I like it.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

I'm a lefty and have been very happy with this cutter. I can easily swing the arm down with my right hand, while my left hand does the guiding of the loaf.

I started with one like in your pic, and while my bars were uneven, I don't think it had anything to do with handedness.

 

[Aromasuzie]

Yay, I can now use my left handness as an excuse as to why my cutting is so crappy!!! I thought I was the only one

 

[earlene]

I am right handed, but I don't think that is the reason why a particular style of soap cutting tool doesn't produce a straight cut. I have not used that particular one, but something quite similar - a router box and a straight cutter (not the crinkle cutter) and the problem was the amount of space in the slots themselves. There was too much room in those slots for the straight edge cutter to move around. That's what made the soaps wonky in shape, slanted or whatever.

If the reviews say the users are not getting straight cuts, it's probably because the slots aren't tight enough for the blade, allowing too much wobble.

I tried a cheese cutter and it was poorly made, so I returned it and bought one like JoyfulSudz pictured. I got my first uniformly cut soaps using that one.

 

[DeeAnna]

Lefty here. I agree with Earlene. The only type of cutter that is harder for a lefty to use is a blade with a bevel on only one side, such as a serrated knife.

If your cutter does not have any bevel (such as a bench scraper or wire cutter) or if it has a bevel on both sides of the blade (such as a regular knife), a lefty has exactly the same chance as a righty of making a clean cut. If you're using these types of cutters and getting poor results, I'm afraid your handedness isn't the reason.

A big reason why you cannot make parallel, even cuts is the cutter you're using isn't designed to be accurate enough for the job.

Most "miter box" type cutters (first photo) have slots that are too wide so the cutter doesn't slice down consistently. If there are multiple slots (as shown in the first photo), the slots may not be perfectly spaced. Even 0.5 mm variation will make a distinct difference in the weights of the bars. Also the blades used for these cutters can deflect and bend slightly, especially if your soap is firm, giving a wavy or slanted cut.

Most cheese cutters I've seen simply aren't designed to cut accurate slices. The wire isn't tight enough, the hinge is sloppy and rather weak, and there is no fence nor "stop" to guide the soap properly. A soap wire cutter (Joyful's photo) is far better.

Bear in mind the thickness of the soap will also affect the final weight, even if you try to get the top of the loaf perfectly flat. So even if you are able to cut perfectly parallel, even slices of soap, there will always be some variation in weight.

 

[JuLeeRenee]

My hubby is left handed so when I see something for a left handed person I try to pay attention. With that said, I believe I saw a left handed single bar soap cutter somewhere on Etsy last year. Really wished I remembered from who though.

 

[TheGecko]

the problem was the amount of space in the slots themselves

You have to pick a side of the slot and run the blade of the cutter down that edge. And you want to start cutting at the open end of box.

 

[Dreams]

Buy an inexpensive cheese slicer and and turn it around so that you are cutting away from yourself. I’ve seen left-handed YouTubers do this, and it seems to work well. I have this one for single cuts, and I like it.

Thought about that also, but was going to be looking over my arm to cut..will have to look into seen this

 

[Dreams]

I'm a lefty and have been very happy with this cutter. I can easily swing the arm down with my right hand, while my left hand does the guiding of the loaf.

I started with one like in your pic, and while my bars were uneven, I don't think it had anything to do with handedness.
View attachment 57756

That's nice,I'll have to look up and price..thank you

 

[Dreams]

Yay, I can now use my left handness as an excuse as to why my cutting is so crappy!!! I thought I was the only one

Yep..I can do everything else right handed, including writing, almost as good.. but can't seem to look over cutter and cut straight down

 

[Dreams]

I only know a few people who can cut perfectly straight bars of soap...I’m not one of them. It’s why I got a cheese slicer and modified it and then lucked out and got a gently used Bud’s Single.

That's a good idea..that's awesome find

 

[Dreams]

I am right handed, but I don't think that is the reason why a particular style of soap cutting tool doesn't produce a straight cut. I have not used that particular one, but something quite similar - a router box and a straight cutter (not the crinkle cutter) and the problem was the amount of space in the slots themselves. There was too much room in those slots for the straight edge cutter to move around. That's what made the soaps wonky in shape, slanted or whatever.

If the reviews say the users are not getting straight cuts, it's probably because the slots aren't tight enough for the blade, allowing too much wobble.

I tried a cheese cutter and it was poorly made, so I returned it and bought one like JoyfulSudz pictured. I got my first uniformly cut soaps using that one.

Thank you..seen the extra space and thought would cause uneveness..this looks alittle better maybe? Going to price joyfulsudz cutter also

 

[Dreams]

Lefty here. I agree with Earlene. The only type of cutter that is harder for a lefty to use is a blade with a bevel on only one side, such as a serrated knife.

If your cutter does not have any bevel (such as a bench scraper or wire cutter) or if it has a bevel on both sides of the blade (such as a regular knife), a lefty has exactly the same chance as a righty of making a clean cut. If you're using these types of cutters and getting poor results, I'm afraid your handedness isn't the reason.

A big reason why you cannot make parallel, even cuts is the cutter you're using isn't designed to be accurate enough for the job.

Most "miter box" type cutters (first photo) have slots that are too wide so the cutter doesn't slice down consistently. If there are multiple slots (as shown in the first photo), the slots may not be perfectly spaced. Even 0.5 mm variation will make a distinct difference in the weights of the bars. Also the blades used for these cutters can deflect and bend slightly, especially if your soap is firm, giving a wavy or slanted cut.

Most cheese cutters I've seen simply aren't designed to cut accurate slices. The wire isn't tight enough, the hinge is sloppy and rather weak, and there is no fence nor "stop" to guide the soap properly. A soap wire cutter (Joyful's photo) is far better.

Bear in mind the thickness of the soap will also affect the final weight, even if you try to get the top of the loaf perfectly flat. So even if you are able to cut perfectly parallel, even slices of soap, there will always be some variation in weight.

Cool so I can blame it on my tool and not me,I like that, just kidding I know I'm the problem also.I have a hard time looking over cutter to make sure straight line to cut then pushing down straight..it's irritating but glad to know when I do get a wire cutter that they still won't weigh the same but,will be a straighter cut,I hope

 

[Dreams]

My hubby is left handed so when I see something for a left handed person I try to pay attention. With that said, I believe I saw a left handed single bar soap cutter somewhere on Etsy last year. Really wished I remembered from who though.

Going to go look on Etsy ..thank you..When I lived in Vegas in the early 90's they had a store that took up the whole length of a block and it was called the left handed store.It had some great stuff in it but don't think it's there anymore... Great job looking out for the lefty hubby

 

[AliOop]

Thought about that also, but was going to be looking over my arm to cut..will have to look into seen this

Yes, I use that exact model for the rare times that I have to do single cuts. Otherwise, I use my slab splitter to cut slabs into loaves. I use my multi-bar cutter to cut all my loaves (whether straight out of a loaf mold or split from slabs).

I previously had a larger single-bar cutter like the one pictured by @JoyfulSudz. I did like it very much, but I wanted a multi-bar cutter, and there wasn't room for both in my soap cabinets. They are both fairly bulky items that take up a lot of storage space.

Once I bought the multi-bar cutter and slab splitter, I rarely needed to make single cuts any more. So, I sold the single-bar cutter and bought the cheese slicer. It takes up so much less room, and it cuts just fine for those few times I need to make a single cut for a certain design style (or to shave off a crooked top). However, if I didn't have my multi-bar butter, I'd want a nicer single-bar version like I had before.

Maybe that's TMI in response to your question, but it's good to consider all those things - your soaping style, amount of storage, and of course, budget - before spending the $$$. And like the others said, you may not need a lefty version at all, since cutting soap is a two-handed job no matter which way the slicer slices.

 

[cerelife]

Fellow lefty

 

[F_Drip]

Workshop Heritage has a single wire left handed soap cutter in 3 sizes. I got mine from there and it is absolutely perfect. Also, I try to get all my tools in the left handed orientation because I am a lefty through and through so when I buy tools on Etsy, I inquire with the seller if I can get mine left handed. They usually almost always can do it easy at no extra charge. I am a very happy left handed soaper

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Lefty here. I agree with Earlene. The only type of cutter that is harder for a lefty to use is a blade with a bevel on only one side, such as a serrated knife. ...ff

Lefty here too! This is such an excellent post it deserves 2 thumbs up!