Need advice from the left handed people

[Rsapienza]

Another lefty!! I have one of the left handed single wire cutters from Workshop Heritage, but I began with the one in the OP. I could never get a straight cut, but I don't think it had anything to do with me being left handed. I ended up putting multiple layers of tape on the slots to close up the cutting space (hope that makes sense). It worked, as long as I remembered to hold the other end of the soap loaf to prevent it from moving. I've never been able to cut straight with just a knife. FWIW, I can't draw a straight line to save my life.

 

[Susie]

I am ambidextrous, but left eye dominant, so anything I need to have visual accuracy on, I do left handed. I use a miter box and the "hacksaw with guitar string" type cutter. The secret is to hold the soap against one side of the box and run the cutter down only one side of the slot. Be firm with both holds.

 

[amd]

Former lefty converted to righty by one mean Kindergarten teacher. There were two of us in the class, the boy went back to left handed in first grade, I never did. There's a lot of things I do left handed, cutting soap is not one of them. Now I'm curious if that was part of my problem when I was cutting soap, using the wrong hand... probably not, but I might give it a try next time I have to hand cut soap.

 

[Dreams]

Former lefty converted to righty by one mean Kindergarten teacher. There were two of us in the class, the boy went back to left handed in first grade, I never did. There's a lot of things I do left handed, cutting soap is not one of them. Now I'm curious if that was part of my problem when I was cutting soap, using the wrong hand... probably not, but I might give it a try next time I have to hand cut soap.

I'm getting alittle better at, doesn't look so angled anymore, have a hard time eyeing it up. Waiting for my cheese cutter to come Saturday but had to cut batch today and only 2 are lil obvious, getting better Sorry bout your awful teacher,mine came 3rd grade Mrs Leo she would leave her finger nail imprint on your arm from grabbing so hard

 

[Susie]

I'm getting alittle better at, doesn't look so angled anymore, have a hard time eyeing it up. Waiting for my cheese cutter to come Saturday but had to cut batch today and only 2 are lil obvious, getting better Sorry bout your awful teacher,mine came 3rd grade Mrs Leo she would leave her finger nail imprint on your arm from grabbing so hard

My first grade teacher made me stop using my left hand to write. But I practiced a lot of years at home to write left handed. I stopped after I mastered cursive writing because writing left handed is just so messy.

 

[Dreams]

My first grade teacher made me stop using my left hand to write. But I practiced a lot of years at home to write left handed. I stopped after I mastered cursive writing because writing left handed is just so messy.

I have heard that alot..thank God by the time I made it to school they didn't push it as hard I would of been a even earlier rebel

 

[Quanta]

Former lefty converted to righty by one mean Kindergarten teacher. There were two of us in the class, the boy went back to left handed in first grade, I never did.

My first grade teacher made me stop using my left hand to write. But I practiced a lot of years at home to write left handed. I stopped after I mastered cursive writing because writing left handed is just so messy.

I have heard that alot..thank God by the time I made it to school they didn't push it as hard I would of been a even earlier rebel

The reason teachers used to force right-handedness for writing, is because of the ink used with dip pens that people used to use. The ink took so long to dry that dragging your hand across it as you write would smear and make a mess. I use the same kind of ink and pens for my calligraphy and would find them difficult to use left-handed, although nowadays left-handed pen nibs are available. Only a slow-drying ink works with dip pens.

But ball point pens use a much faster drying ink, so it no longer made a mess to write left handed. However, after those became common, some teachers hung on to the idea of only writing right handed, not understanding why it used to be necessary. I've even heard of teachers lying to the children by telling them that the Bible says it's a sin to be left handed, in an effort to get them to stop writing that way. The Bible obviously never says any such thing, but those are the lengths they went to.

 

[earlene]

Well, didn't children learn to write with chalk on slate?

And when I learned to write it was with a pencil, not a pen.

 

[Quanta]

Well, didn't children learn to write with chalk on slate?

And when I learned to write it was with a pencil, not a pen.

I learned with a pencil as well, but the teachers knew the kids would be using pens one day. No sense in learning to write with a pencil, in such a way to make it impossible to ever use a pen. Most people use pens after school.

 

[Dreams]

The reason teachers used to force right-handedness for writing, is because of the ink used with dip pens that people used to use. The ink took so long to dry that dragging your hand across it as you write would smear and make a mess. I use the same kind of ink and pens for my calligraphy and would find them difficult to use left-handed, although nowadays left-handed pen nibs are available. Only a slow-drying ink works with dip pens.

But ball point pens use a much faster drying ink, so it no longer made a mess to write left handed. However, after those became common, some teachers hung on to the idea of only writing right handed, not understanding why it used to be necessary. I've even heard of teachers lying to the children by telling them that the Bible says it's a sin to be left handed, in an effort to get them to stop writing that way. The Bible obviously never says any such thing, but those are the lengths they went to.

oh yes my hand get meat sometimes when I write and that's why I never thought to try calligraphy have heard many horror stories about how tried to convert Lefty's... we're not Evil,we have rights also

 

[Dreams]

Well, didn't children learn to write with chalk on slate?

And when I learned to write it was with a pencil, not a pen.

Yep you learned to hold the chalk alittle higher so you didn't erace it as you wrote..

 

[Quanta]

Yep you learned to hold the chalk alittle higher so you didn't erace it as you wrote..

Yup, chalk smears on slate the same way that ink smears on paper. It's good training. Only chalk isn't as messy since it washes off a lot easier.

 

[Dreams]

oh yes my hand get meat sometimes when I write and that's why I never thought to try calligraphy have heard many horror stories about how tried to convert Lefty's... we're not Evil,we have rights also

Hand gets messy not meat

 

[Quanta]

Hand gets messy not meat

It's OK, I knew what you meant. I am becoming fluent in both "Autocorrect" and "Speech-to-text". I can't tell you how many times I've seen people use the phrase "should of" instead of "should have", due to speech-to-text. It happens so much, people are getting used to seeing it and are typing it that way on purpose now! Same with using "then" instead of "than".

 

[Dreams]

It's OK, I knew what you meant. I am becoming fluent in both "Autocorrect" and "Speech-to-text". I can't tell you how many times I've seen people use the phrase "should of" instead of "should have", due to speech-to-text. It happens so much, people are getting used to seeing it and are typing it that way on purpose now! Same with using "then" instead of "than".

I quit drinking years ago and my daughter's have called me a few times after reading one of my text thinking I've started again I reread what I sent and think I would of called also ..got to go and start a new thread on rebatching

 

[Quanta]

I would of called

Did you say that because I just mentioned it?

Ok, enough derailing, maybe.

 

[melinda48]

The reason teachers used to force right-handedness for writing, is because of the ink used with dip pens that people used to use. The ink took so long to dry that dragging your hand across it as you write would smear and make a mess. I use the same kind of ink and pens for my calligraphy and would find them difficult to use left-handed, although nowadays left-handed pen nibs are available. Only a slow-drying ink works with dip pens.

But ball point pens use a much faster drying ink, so it no longer made a mess to write left handed. However, after those became common, some teachers hung on to the idea of only writing right handed, not understanding why it used to be necessary. I've even heard of teachers lying to the children by telling them that the Bible says it's a sin to be left handed, in an effort to get them to stop writing that way. The Bible obviously never says any such thing, but those are the lengths they went to.

Another reason is that because, for year's, “left” was considered unclean as it is the hand used in parts of the world where there is no toilet paper. If you look at the etymology of the word, you will find sinistre (sinister), gauche, and several, other terms that mean “bad or evil”. That propensity carried over into our society and left-handedness came to be considered bad. I think it is fascinating. Also, the comment about the ink drying is especially relevant. People who learned to write using the Palmer Method especially learned much the same way as we learn calligraphy-a series of lines, curves, etc to develop proper flow. You are challenged by those exercise if you use the left hand.
As a lefty/ambi, I use whichever hand I need to get the job done. Comes in handy when using hand tools especially. The down side that I find a sort of dyslexia seems to exist but-because I know it exists, I can work around it.
Cutting soap takes practice. My multi bar cutter has been a savior for me. Prior to that I chose to rely on my husband and the cheese knife which actually worked great!
Left or right, we get it done!

 

[Dreams]

Help please, I made a new thread on rebatch last night and no response. I know one of my problems was not mixed enough, since I added the FO and salt/sugar mix right before poured...so my questions are 1) how much water would I use during melt down if any and how do you know? 2) Do I need to readd the FO or will it made it? Thank you if you answer. I already have it cut up and ready to go, just don't want to mess it up again.

 

[Rsapienza]

I have heard that years ago a left-handed person was thought to be maybe slow or mentally challenged. I guess my grandfather used to take my crayons out of my left hand and put them in my right. I of course don't remember. I actually write extremely well and do not slant my paper or my writing like most left-handers. The only thing in this world I do right handed is catch and throw a softball. I bat left-handed but I catch and throw with my right. The only thing I can think is that my mom just threw me a glove and I taught myself how to do it. I remember playing ball at a very young age but I don't remember ever struggling with a right-handed glove. I played ball all through High School and I pitched so I always threw them off when I got up to bat.

 

[earlene]

I have heard that years ago a left-handed person was thought to be maybe slow or mentally challenged. I guess my grandfather used to take my crayons out of my left hand and put them in my right. I of course don't remember. I actually write extremely well and do not slant my paper or my writing like most left-handers. The only thing in this world I do right handed is catch and throw a softball. I bat left-handed but I catch and throw with my right. The only thing I can think is that my mom just threw me a glove and I taught myself how to do it. I remember playing ball at a very young age but I don't remember ever struggling with a right-handed glove. I played ball all through High School and I pitched so I always threw them off when I got up to bat.

Funny you mention that. I kick left-footed, but catch right-handed. I have no idea why I kick with my left foot. As a child we played street football (I have 4 brothers) with the neighborhood kids and that's always been my kicking leg.