# Single Handed vs Switch Handed



## stringer (Apr 28, 2019)

So when I sharpen single bevels use my dominant (right) hand to hold the knife for both faces of the blade. I do the bevel and then flip it over and do the flat all with the handle in my right hand. I do it this way because I don't do too much single bevel sharpening do when I do I want the full control of my dominant hand.

However, for double bevel I prefer to switch hands. So I do the right face of the knife with the handle in my right hand and the edge facing me. Then I do the left face with the handle in my left hand and the edge facing me. I do it this way because I find it easier to keep everything apexed throughout my progression if I'm always facing the edge. The handle gets in the way when you need to sharpen the heel otherwise. And my back, neck, and shoulders seem to hurt less when I switch than when I do everything righthanded.

So, I'm just curious what other people do and why. 
Please discuss.
Thanks


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## refcast (Apr 28, 2019)

I like to keep things in my dominant hand because I'm used to controlling the handle with my right hand. Then I just got used to the posture of pushing with my left hand. I tried the other way around but I didn't like the feel. But I agree on the handle issue. I dug into one while sharpening a knife a coarse stone.


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## Keith Sinclair (Apr 28, 2019)

Whatever works for you. I was taught Japanese style decades ago using same hand flip the blade over. 

For beginners it is sometimes easier to switch hands the spine is always visible so you can keep it steady and at same height.

I have found that most can learn flipping the knife with spine away from you on one side.


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## Knife2meatu (Apr 29, 2019)

I manage to hold a better angle by switching hands, so I usually do that except for when doing alternating single strokes because switching hands between every stroke becomes tedious and I would often unthinkingly gradually increase the angle at this point with all the hand switching.


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## chinacats (Apr 29, 2019)

I like flipping so that the swarf is always on my same hand and not on the handle.


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## daveb (Apr 29, 2019)

Just about an annual thread, flippers vs switchers. Always a good read. And you switchers are still wrong.


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## valgard (Apr 29, 2019)

Switcher, especially for polishing.


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## Matus (Apr 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> I like flipping so that the swarf is always on my same hand and not on the handle.



This is probably the most practical reason to do so. I personally switch hands on double bevel knives and use only my right hand with (right handed) single bevel knives. I guess I would only use my left hand if it were a left-handed single bevel knife. But my technique still sucks with either hand ...


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## KingShapton (Apr 29, 2019)

For long years I flipped the knife with really good results.

Later I start with switching hands and I got much better results. It seems more natural to me, so I stay with switching.


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## RDalman (Apr 29, 2019)

I like to flip both knife and stones a little.


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## stringer (Apr 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> I like flipping so that the swarf is always on my same hand and not on the handle.



I always get swarf everywhere no matter what I do. Lol



Knife2meatu said:


> I manage to hold a better angle by switching hands, so I usually do that except for when doing alternating single strokes because switching hands between every stroke becomes tedious and I would often unthinkingly gradually increase the angle at this point with all the hand switching.



This is true. I use only my right hand for that part.


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## Stonetherapy (Apr 29, 2019)

daveb said:


> Just about an annual thread, flippers vs switchers. Always a good read. And you switchers are still wrong.



Oh no you are doing it all wrong, must be new to this...


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## Patrick Gilmartin (Apr 29, 2019)

I switch hands. I've tried both but flipping always felt weird to me


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## ian (Apr 29, 2019)

Flipping 4 life. I also for some reason start sharpening at the tip when the edge is facing toward me, and start at the heel when the edge is facing away from me.

(Edit: it's true that I do switch when doing extended thinning, just to avoid exacerbating my tennis elbow...)


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## galvaude (Apr 29, 2019)

Thinning and wide bevels : Switch hands

Edge sharpening : Right hand only


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## gstriftos (Apr 29, 2019)

Still new on sharpening but it seems I am getting better results when switching hands compared to flipping.


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## SeattleBen (Apr 29, 2019)

I'm predominantly a dominant hand flipper who does edge trailing strokes. I'm trying to get a feel for switching but it sure feels strange still.


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## Interapid101 (Apr 29, 2019)

I switch, which IMO reduces any angle sloppiness towards the heel when you'd normally flip.


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## M1k3 (Apr 29, 2019)

daveb said:


> Just about an annual thread, flippers vs switchers. Always a good read. And you switchers are still wrong.



I tried switching. Felt really awkward. Glad I stuck with the "right" way.


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## ian (Apr 29, 2019)

Aaaaaaaaaand in the lead, from the year of 2015 A.D., looking spry with 29 posts despite its age, is 

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/...ands-to-shapen-your-knives.24226/#post-373129

Frustratingly close with 28 posts, but eternally second, from the year of 2016 A.D., is

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/...-from-you-when-you-sharpen.28487/#post-434861

Aaaaaaaaaaand way behind, is the current thread at 20 posts! Despite its position in the race, this one is a real looker, and is gaining on the others hourly! 

¿¿¿¿Which thread will reign supreme????


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 29, 2019)

I flip so I can use my left hand freely to scroll through the latest KKF posts.


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## labor of love (Apr 29, 2019)

I’ll repeat what I said the last time this subject came up. I think lefties usually have a certain amount of ambidexterity to them, and we are probably prone to be switchers. I grew up playing guitar right handed and batted in baseball as both a right and left handed batter.


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## stringer (Apr 29, 2019)

labor of love said:


> I’ll repeat what I said the last time this subject came up. I think lefties usually have a certain amount of ambidexterity to them, and we are probably prone to be switchers. I grew up playing guitar right handed and batted in baseball as both a right and left handed batter.




Yeah, switching is pretty natural for me too, or I'm a little confused, depending on how you look at it.. I use a knife, throw a baseball, use silverware right handed. I write, bat a baseball, use chopsticks, left handed.


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## valgard (Apr 29, 2019)

stringer said:


> Yeah, switching is pretty natural for me too, or I'm a little confused, depending on how you look at it.. I use a knife, throw a baseball, use silverware right handed. I write, bat a baseball, use chopsticks, left handed.


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## valgard (Apr 29, 2019)

stringer said:


> Yeah, switching is pretty natural for me too, or I'm a little confused, depending on how you look at it.. I use a knife, throw a baseball, use silverware right handed. I write, bat a baseball, use chopsticks, left handed.


good thing for you you chose the right for using a knife or you'd be screwed for options.


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## labor of love (Apr 29, 2019)

The aframes guy cuts food with both hands


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## stringer (Apr 29, 2019)

valgard said:


> good thing for you you chose the right for using a knife or you'd be screwed for options.



Life is complicated like that.
I golf right handed even though I bat left handed. Left handed clubs were very expensive. My dad had an old set of right handed clubs in the garage and a hack saw already. 

Another interesting thing.
If I write "Happy Birthday" on a card then I use I my left hand. 
If I write "Happy Birthday" on a cake with a piping bag then I use my right hand. 

I was born a switcher.


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## ian (Apr 29, 2019)

labor of love said:


> The aframes guy cuts food with both hands





stringer said:


> Life is complicated like that.
> I golf right handed even though I bat left handed. Left handed clubs were very expensive. My dad had an old set of right handed clubs in the garage and a hack saw already.
> 
> Another interesting thing.
> ...



Wow. I had to start using my left for various things this past year because of tennis elbow, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. I go out to teach my son how to throw a baseball and he can already do it better than I can. 

Wonder if there’s any benefit to cutting food with both hands, beyond the double cleaver chop... petty on one side of the cutting board, gyuto on the other, efficient workflow!


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## SeattleBen (Apr 29, 2019)

As a lefty I feel like I'm more ambidextrous than a lot of people but flipping has felt really strange.


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## panda (Apr 29, 2019)

flipping feels too weird for me, i have always been a switcher from the start even before i didnt know *** i was doing


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## labor of love (Apr 29, 2019)

SeattleBen said:


> As a lefty I feel like I'm more ambidextrous than a lot of people but flipping has felt really strange.


Yes, this is what I was getting at. Lefties are living in a right handed world thus making us more ambidextrous perhaps. Therefore we might be more likely to switch hands when sharpening as opposed to just flipping the knife over.


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## Cyrilix (Apr 29, 2019)

Switcher reporting in. I don't have to change my finger positions so there is only one way I have to learn to hold the knife, just different hands.

Also, the handle issue with flipping.


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## bahamaroot (Apr 30, 2019)

I'm a flipper, hold a more steady angle that way, my bevels are more uniform. Have never had the handle problem spoke of, didn't even know it was a thing.


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## Chef Doom (Apr 30, 2019)

I am currently practicing sharpening with my teeth. Inspired by One Piece.


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## kwk1 (Apr 30, 2019)

ian said:


> Wow. I had to start using my left for various things this past year because of tennis elbow, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. I go out to teach my son how to throw a baseball and he can already do it better than I can.
> 
> Wonder if there’s any benefit to cutting food with both hands, beyond the double cleaver chop... petty on one side of the cutting board, gyuto on the other, efficient workflow!


Off topic but after 20 years of tennis elbow pain, I had surgery on both elbows.
They are almost like new now.


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## stringer (Apr 30, 2019)

With 40 votes. 1/2 are flippers only. 1/4 are switchers only. 1/4 have commitment issues.


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## daveb (Apr 30, 2019)

Probably some closet switchers that haven't come out.


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## Knife2meatu (Apr 30, 2019)

Can't it just sometimes feel right to go both ways?


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## ian (Apr 30, 2019)

kwk1 said:


> Off topic but after 20 years of tennis elbow pain, I had surgery on both elbows.
> They are almost like new now.



Wow, that's heartening. In my case, I think my whole body is just shot at age 36. Haven't been able to type for more than 5 minutes at a time for the past 12 years due to carpal tunnel, and I even gave myself a multi-year rotator cuff repetitive stress injury from playing too much pool a while ago.

Takeaway: if I had decided to work in a kitchen instead of as a mathematician, I'd be dead by now.


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## Grunt173 (Apr 30, 2019)

Sometimes I flip and sometimes I switch,depends on the knife.I can switch on the shorter ones.My edges always come out better if I just flip.I am still wobbly with my left hand on the switch.Been practicing for awhile now but I think I will just keep at it with the dominant hand.


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## Forty Ounce (Apr 30, 2019)

Chef Doom said:


> I am currently practicing sharpening with my teeth. Inspired by One Piece.


Yes!


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## OldJoeClarke (Apr 30, 2019)

I used to switch but I switched.


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## Grunt173 (Apr 30, 2019)

OldJoeClarke said:


> I used to switch but I switched.


Boy,I wish there was a like button just for this. So I'll just say " LIKE" !


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## labor of love (Apr 30, 2019)

anybody switch hands while stropping? I imagine that would take forever. 
I do flip for stropping which still feels sorta awkward.


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## inferno (Apr 30, 2019)

stringer said:


> So when I sharpen single bevels use my dominant (right) hand to hold the knife for both faces of the blade. I do the bevel and then flip it over and do the flat all with the handle in my right hand. I do it this way because I don't do too much single bevel sharpening do when I do I want the full control of my dominant hand.
> 
> However, for double bevel I prefer to switch hands. So I do the right face of the knife with the handle in my right hand and the edge facing me. Then I do the left face with the handle in my left hand and the edge facing me. I do it this way because I find it easier to keep everything apexed throughout my progression if I'm always facing the edge. The handle gets in the way when you need to sharpen the heel otherwise. And my back, neck, and shoulders seem to hurt less when I switch than when I do everything righthanded.
> 
> ...



I'm about 80% ambi (trained it up) but i still do mainly right hand. i just adapt my technique. I feel adapted tech is better than switching hands for me. But I can do both if required.


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## ian (Apr 30, 2019)

I just flip myself over and hang from the ceiling when it's time to change sides. This way I can keep the knife in my dominant hand, and sharpen with the edge facing me on both sides.


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## Knife2meatu (Apr 30, 2019)

ian said:


> [...] This way I can keep the knife in my dominant hand, and sharpen with the edge facing me on both sides.



Keeping it simple. Well done!


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## Chef Doom (May 1, 2019)

Forty Ounce said:


> Yes!


Always good to find a fellow fan.


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## gman (May 7, 2019)

i hold a hockey stick left, and a baseball bat right, so i thought i might be a candidate for switching hands while sharpening, but nope, i vastly prefer flipping. i think the common theme in all three cases is left hand regulates power, right hand regulates angle.


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