# What handed are you?



## ldimick

I have heard over the years that left-handed people tend to be more artistic than right-handed. I have no idea if that is true. But through some of the fountain pen threads here I have noticed an abundance of lefties and it got me curious. So, which one do you do most of your writing with?


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## dubdrvrkev

You'd think it'd be easier to find a left hand lathe. []


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## wdcav1952

> _Originally posted by dubdrvrkev_
> <br />You'd think it'd be easier to find a left hand lathe. []



Wow, I think I have one!!! The power switch is on the left side of the lathe.  The headstock is on the left side of the lathe.  I think we are on to something here! [)]


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## ldimick

Harumph! My switch is on the right side and the head is on the left. Maybe it's backwards?[:0]


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## esheffield

Well, I do all my writing with my right hand. But I HATE to write at all. My writing is atrocious, and my hand starts cramping up very quickly. I enjoy making pens, but I hate using them. [] I'm a programmer, so I'm more comfortable with a keyboard than a pen. Though I wonder if my hand cramping up is related to maintaining a claw-like grip on a mouse all day. [] I figure carpal tunnel problems lie somewhere in my future.


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## jckossoy

I'm a lefty, so I guess that means I'm in my right mind.  All you righties are just plain insane[].

Kol Tov,


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## TomServo

Left! An interesting note, in my calc 1 course in grade 12, 17 or 19 students were left handed...


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## Johnathan

As I am an opera singer, pianist, author, and artist, I wouldn't worry about right handed people not being artistic or creative. You are, what you put the time and effort into being. Some individuals will need to work harder than others but all can be creative and artistic, plus, if you're reading this website, you don't have anything to worry about!


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## Jim Boyd

I keep telling my left handed wife that it is the sign of the devil[8D]


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## Randy_

> _Originally posted by Jim Boyd_
> <br />I keep telling my left handed wife that it is the sign of the devil[8D]



And I expect she replies that right-handedness is a characteristic of folks with IQs of less than 85??  [][]


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## pete00

> _Originally posted by Jim Boyd_
> <br />I keep telling my left handed wife that it is the sign of the devil[8D]



You a braver man than I to say that...[][][][]


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## Jim Boyd

> _Originally posted by Randy__
> <br />
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Originally posted by Jim Boyd_
> <br />I keep telling my left handed wife that it is the sign of the devil[8D]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And I expect she replies that right-handedness is a characteristic of folks with IQs of less than 85??  [][]
Click to expand...

That is pretty much the jist of it. Her wording is much coarser and usually includes the location of said intelligence[B)]


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## realgenius

So, what about a both??? I'm ambidexterous, that means I can use either hand whenever. Cool Huh!!!!![][][]
Debra


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## JimGo

The stats are interesting, because I think lefties are only like 12-15% of the world's population.  So, we're certainly more artistic, on the average, than right-handed people (assuming you consider pen turning to be an art).


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## TerryBlanchard

There are two types of people in this world, left handed and those that want to be.  That is my take.


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## Geo in Winnipeg

What Terry said [][^]


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## byounghusband

I write with my left hand.  If you can call it writing.  I shoulda been a Dr., as bad as my handwriting is..... [B)] 
I do most other things right handed, so I guess I'm Ambi......? 
I can bat right and left, but I throw right handed.  Regular (right-handed) scissors give me fits and I use them upside down.  

Howard Coselle did say, "Left-handed People.  We're the only ones in our Right Minds!![]"


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## Max

I do things almost exactly as Bob described... a real mix of right and left handed.  I'm new to turning and I find that I switch hands as I work.  This probably makes me a really slow turner.  I assume that I'll eventually settle on one hand that feels more coordinated, but right now it's a pretty even match.  

Bob, we must have some really weird connections/detours in our brains[]
-Max


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## DocStram

I'm right handed but have sometimes talk out of both sides of my mouth.


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## Rifleman1776

I voted right handed but that is not 100% correct. I was born left handed. But that was beat out of me at an early age because of old-country superstitions that left handedness was the work of the devil. [}] Most of my life, I have been pretty much ambidextrous. But in the past year, I tore up my right shoulder and have been forced to do almost everything with my left hand. I can't write left handed but since I type everything, that isn't much of an issue.


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## skewzdust

I'm right handed but usually I put my left foot in my mouth. At least that's what LOML tells me, she's left handed.


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## EasyGreasy

Lefty, yep thats me. I am very artistic. I just took a ceramic class and was the only guy. But I stuck with it for 3 quarters.(being only guy has its advantages) Then I got into pen turning and woodshop and havent had time for ceramics. So if being left handed makes one artistic then mabey that is what happened.


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## OKLAHOMAN

yes what Terry said (My nickname as a kid was Lefty)


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## Jerryconn

Write and Eat left handed, Everything else I do right handed.


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## DFM

Since left-handers live 9 years less than right-handers, I won't be changing to the wrong hand anytime soon.


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## penbros

i grip the handly with my right and guide with my left. does that mean im a left-hand turner?


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## RussFairfield

My rights are being violated. I demand there be a 3rd choice. I am going to sue.


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## Randy_

> _Originally posted by Jerryconn_
> <br />Write and Eat left handed, Everything else I do right handed.



Jerry: Did you mean to say, "Write and Eat left handed, Everything else I do right."[][]


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## Randy_

> _Originally posted by Rifleman1776_
> <br />.....I can't write left handed but since I type everything, that isn't much of an issue.



Frank:  Please clarify.  Do you type right or left handed[?][?]


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## Randy_

All of which raises an interesting question.  How do you define "handedness" if such is a word??  

I can pretty much do any manual task with equal facility with either hand....with one exception.  I absolutely cannot throw a baseball or football with my left hand..........does that make me right-handed??


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## RussFairfield

Randy,
I think that makes you NORMAL


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## Fangar

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />Randy,
> I think that makes you NORMAL



Normal... Randy... Uh, No.

[]

Fangar


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## beamer

We lefty's get some interesting stories, methinks. In school, i had a teacher that sat with me for 4 hours trying to get me to tuck my elbow in under my shoulder instead of that big chicken wing posture while writing. She tried everything, stand up, sit down, reverse the angle of the desk, turn the paper sideways, upside down, all sorts of things. She eventually gave up.

I write, eat and used to smoke left handed (2+ years ago!). Everything else is righty. Scissors don't bug me. If i try to throw a baseball left handed, I look very awkward and can't seem to shake that. Ambidextrous means you can do the same thing with both hands. Being "split handed" is a little different, methinks.

I've never really felt limited by my leftiness, but sometimes I wonder why i'm not like other lefties. Then again, i have many other abnormalities that I've kinda accepted my weirdness. Not having any sense of smell or recollection of one, for example


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## Randy_

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />Randy,
> I think that makes you NORMAL



Russ:  Long time snce I have been accused of that!![][]


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## fiferb

I'd give my left arm to be ambidextrous[8D].


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## Scottydont

I am ambidextruos for the most part but I can only write with my right. Funny timing because Logitech just came out that a left handed gaming mouse (MX610L) and a friend in Canada had me order one because he can't get it in Canada yet. Here is a fun website about left handedness.

http://www.lefthandersday.com/


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## Mudder

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />Randy,
> I think that makes you NORMAL



Hmmm, So what are you saying Russ?

I read it as you saying that lefties are abnormal? I would guess that you are a righty.

Consider this for a moment....... The creator could not make everyone correctly so he made a few that can think in their right mind, not wanting to smite the majority that he could nor make correctly he rewired the brain and made the lesser of our species right handed.

There is only a minority (lefties) who can be the exceptional, everyone else (you righties) are just average.

So...... What do you think of that?

































&lt;Disclaimer&gt; The above is a joke. It is in no way, shape, or form designed to be an attack on anyone or anything. &lt;End disclaimer&gt;


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## RussFairfield

If you read my previous post, I was claiming a violation of my rights by there not being a 3rd choice - both or neither. 

I am totally ambidextrous, can do almost anything equally well with either hand, and above all of this argument about whether left or right is right. 

There is a big problem with being neither handed, because there is always that monent of indecision while I try to figure out which hand to use. Habits are difficult to form, and every action requires a concious decision of which hand to use. Nothing is automatic. An example was playing baseball, a tough sport for me because I usually got hit in the head with the ball while I was trying to figure out which hand to use to catch it. Those things still happen.

On the other hand (pun intended), there is an advantage in being able to do two totally different things with opposite hands at the same time.


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## bdls

good day to you all,
     This is my first reply to a forum but some of the responses got me thinking, not a good situation for the faint of heart.  I am left handed, but was reminded of a "pick-up" line I used to use on the ladies.  I would tell them that left-handers make better lovers.  They would then ask if I was left-handed, to which I would reply,"no I am ambidextrious, I can also use my tongue."  Hey, I said it was a line, not a good line.


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## Mudder

> _Originally posted by RussFairfield_
> <br />I am totally ambidextrous, can do almost anything equally well with either hand



Well Russ, I guess you didn't read the part where I stated it was a joke but now you have me wondering. You say that you are totally ambidextrous but in the very same sentence you state that you can do almost anything equally well with either hand. This in itself would say you are not truly or totally ambidextrous.

I am not ambidextrous but I do exhibit signs of Cross-dominance. I do however favor the left side.


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## RussFairfield

Yes, I used the word "almost" because there are those things where we have no choice because convention dictates which hand to use. There are many things where there is no choice, like driving a vehicle from the left side, driving on the right side of the road, shifting with our right hand, signaling with our left, and parking on our right. We are forced by convention to shake hands with our right. All of these type things force a righthanded bias.

I can shoot a shotgun equally well with either hand, but I choose to shoot righthanded because to do otherwise will throw the empty shell and hot gas in my face. 

I play golf with lefthanded irons and putt righthanded because I can shave 2 strokes that way.

In the end we all are forced to live in a righthanded world, and regardless of our predisposition, there are some things that we do better right handed because that is the way we have to them.


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## Mudder

Again you are not completely accurate. It is true that we drive in the right side of the road from the left side of the car and shift and signal from the left in the U.S. but you could always move overseas where that is not true. Given that, how can you say we are forced to live in a right handed world? And if you get involved with the Boy Scouts and reach out with the right hand you most likely will not get a handshake as the Boy Scout handshake is left handed.


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## cozee

Ha
ndwriting is done with my left hand. When I airbrush, it is all done with my right hand, including lettering, which by the way far better looking than my regular handwriting!!

(Note to all southpaws. It is my intentions to raise enough capitol to buy all the right-handed scissors in the world and replace them with left-handed ones. Imagine the chaos!!!! Ooooo, revenge is sweet!!!! Bwahahaha!)


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## TellicoTurning

I write and throw with the right, but long handle tools and baseball bats I'm a lefty.


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## TBone

I never knew there were so many ambidextrous people or as a member of NC State's basketball team said, "I can use either hand, I'm amphibious".[]
Used to work with a guy that wrote, threw and batted right handed but played golf left handed.  Really created a problem when we rode together because we both sliced.  That made for a long day of army golf.   But Russ is the first I've seen that putted one way and played irons the opposite way.  I write right handed but type with both []


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## bob393

Right, and I know I'm not in my right mind!


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## Bozz

Well, ..., ..., ..., being left-handed ..., ..., ...,
shows that we are the ones in our right mind!


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## jscola

Mostly left handed but eat right handed. When in hurry can eat with both hands. Hence the over weight problem.


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## TellicoTurning

I'm with Eddie.. I make pens, but can't use them effectively... as soon as the ink has dried, have no idea what I wrote, nor does anyone else... I type everything.


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## bob393

Right I mean realy right. 
I injured my right hand and had to use my left hand for about a year
it was hell. Now i'm back to my right again.


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## DavidSpavin

I write with my right but turn left handed.


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## louisbry

I do just the opposite,ie write with my left and turn with my right.


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## edman2

Ok, I'll jump in. I write left, eat left, shoot a basketball left, shoot a gun left ( I do understand the shell in the face deal). I throw a baseball right, bat right, bowl right, and turn left and right. I am just a mixed up confused person.[]
However, as all lefties know, it is a right handed world. For example, most men's pants are right handed and most pencils are right handed! It's just not fair I tell you!


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## fernhills

That why i`m underhanded


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## pianomanpj

> _Originally posted by JimGo_
> <br />The stats are interesting, because I think lefties are only like 12-15% of the world's population.  So, we're certainly more artistic, on the average, than right-handed people (assuming you consider pen turning to be an art).


   I think this used to be the case, but I think the current stats now have us lefties down to about 7 - 10%. They're breeding us out! [xx(]
   You can find some interesting reading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-handed

   I, for one, am totally left-dominant. I write, eat, bat, throw, shoot, bowl, and flip-off all with my left hand. I kick with my left foot, too. I'm even left-thumbed! (Interlace your fingers comfortably. If your left thumb is on top, guess what?[])


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## jhs494

I am not sure where this fits in but if the LOML finds out how much I'm spendin' on pen turning, I will be BACK handed....


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## keithz

Ambidextrous.  Guess that's why I talk to myself so much.  My logical side and artistic side have to discuss every decision.

keithz


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## Daniel

I seem to remember the claim that lefties are more artistic come from the right brain domenance or something like that.
the right half of the brain is supposed to be the creative side. and suposedly in left handed people the right side of the brain is the strongest.
or something like that.


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## rickstef

I started out as a rightie, then discovered I should have been a leftie, but now I am ambidextrous, with a preference for Left, I can write with both hands, catch left, throw right, right arm and hand are the strongest of the two.

I can turn with both, usually run the roughing gouge with my left hand, and all other tools with my right.


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