# Switching Hands?



## hukdizzle (Jul 1, 2021)

I am curious how many of you switch hands to sharpen the offhand bevel? For instance, I am right handed so the right side bevel is trivial to sharpen and I get a very consistent and repeatable bevel with the usual sharpening method employed by most people. When it comes to sharpening the left side bevel I still hold the knife handle in my right hand and of course flip the knife over to sharpen the left bevel with the edge pointing away from me. This all works well and is consistent until I get to the curved tip area and it becomes awkward. I manage and make very sharp knives however, the final bevel consistency and polish on the left side for the last curved portion of the blade is not as consistent as I would like.

With the above being said, I have been really invested in thinning knives lately and I find myself switching hands to thin the left side bevel. I find I can do this of course because I do not need the degree of fine motor skills and feel that I need for putting an edge on a knife. In doing this I feel like I have started to build the fine motor skills and muscle memory to potentially be able to switch hands to mirror what I do with the right side bevel.

So, do any of you out there switch hands to sharpen the off hand bevel?


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## SeattleBen (Jul 1, 2021)

Yes, about half the forum does. Search and you’ll see something like this pops up annually more or less.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Jul 1, 2021)

If you can get the hang of switching hands, do it! It is the best way to go.

After decades of not doing it, I'm trying to get myself to switch. It is awkward and can surely be frustrating. Just accept that and chalk it up to the learning curve. It is slowly getting better for me and my consistency has improved considerably. The sooner and earlier you start practicing, the better I say.


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## ian (Jul 1, 2021)

FYI:






Ambi Sharpening worth learning?


I'm new to freehand sharpening. It feels weird to flip the knife over but even more weird to sharpen ambi style. Since it's going to be an uphill batter either way should I just start out ambi? I know once I get a method down it will be hard to change. Does anyone feel that they benefit more...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com










Single Handed vs Switch Handed


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...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com










Sharpening: push or pull (edge or spine first)?


[I assume this has been covered before but my search was unsuccessful. If so, please point me to the relevant thread.] When you sharpen on a whetstone, do you push the knife so that the edge leads or pull it so that the spine leads? Both? I have seen both methods in online videos. So far I have...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com










Tips for sharpening with both hands


Have always admired those with the skill of being ambidextrous with certain tasks. When sharpening with my dominant hand (right) I find over the course of the session my hand is often fatigued quite quickly due to the repetition but also through the years of wear and tear of the kitchen life in...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com





etc...

I switch hands.


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## hukdizzle (Jul 1, 2021)

Ah, thanks for the links I will take a look at those threads. Sorry for the extra thread!


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## ian (Jul 1, 2021)

hukdizzle said:


> Ah, thanks for the links I will take a look at those threads. Sorry for the extra thread!



I mean, it's not like rehashing stuff is bad. People do it all the time here. Maybe more/new people want to weigh in this time.


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## SeattleBen (Jul 1, 2021)

hukdizzle said:


> Ah, thanks for the links I will take a look at those threads. Sorry for the extra thread!



Not a problem and really pretty sure if we didn’t rehash the same topics it would be pretty quiet here.


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## bsfsu (Jul 1, 2021)

I started switching hands a few years ago, I wish I had done it a lot sooner.


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## MowgFace (Jul 1, 2021)

I stay with my dominant hand. Tip sharpening on the left face for sure can be tricky, check out JKI's tip sharpening vid. That method is what ive adopted.


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## bsfsu (Jul 1, 2021)

bsfsu said:


> I started switching hands a few years ago, I wish I had done it a lot sooner.


Just as a disclaimer :I also have a fused right wrist, I was struggling to get an even bevel on the left size and when I swapped hands it also gave me a better understanding of what my right hand was doing.


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## choochoochop (Jul 1, 2021)

I do everything with my dominant hand but I'm slowly working on learning to use both. The off hand is very wobbly


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## stringer (Jul 1, 2021)

I switch hands. Biggest drawback I can see is it can get messy. Easy to forget to wash and dry everything before switching and next thing you know your blonde ho handle is gray with black specks from swarf from your dirty hand. So if you're a naturally messy, impatient person and you care about that sort of thing then wrap your handle up with some plastic and/or masking tape. Otherwise, I agree with the above, better balance of repetitive stress. Easier to control once you get the hang of it. Will help you see what you are doing better to figure out grinds and micro bevels and things. The handle/ferrule doesn't get in the way when you sharpen the heel.


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## WiriWiri (Jul 1, 2021)

I like the theory, but I’m not consistent enough with my dominant hand to really merit switching.

I suspect many here are better with their left/wrong hand than I am with my right, Hell some, like Stringer above, could probably do a more passable job even if they were restricted to controlling the blade with their buttcheeks in the fashion of a puppy with worms.


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## panda (Jul 1, 2021)

I find flipping to be hella awkward 
always switched from the very start.


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## DaM0w (Jul 1, 2021)

I do both... if I’m sharpening the edge/microbeveling I’ll flip

Any polishing/thinning I’ll switch

I see plenty of videos on Instagram of people flipping and getting great results. It’s all about what your results are like and practicing whichever gets you the outcome you want to achieve


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## Marcelo Amaral (Jul 1, 2021)

I flip, but i feel the left side is usually a bit more consistent since i find more support with the left thumb being supported by the stone in the edge trailing movement when i start doing it. Doing this way limits more the movement if you are trying to use all the stone, but after some time i feel no more need of the left thumb as the angle is set in my mind.

The curved area is definitely more difficult, but i found it's just a matter of more practice and i started feeling how much raising and tilting is necessary to follow the curve.


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## Kawa (Jul 2, 2021)

I tried both for a while.
Started with flipping, then tried switching for a few months (but with the edge away from me). The unusual feeling does dissapear and the results were quite good, I think about the same.

Then I decided it wasn't the flipping/switching that should be the 'golden tip' to those screaming sharp edges, but more practise would be. (hey, many great youtubers flip right? So it isnt a law/science switching is better for results).

I am very bad with my non-dominant hand. I've been bowling for over 20 years, but I simply can't keep a ball on the lane when I throw with my left hand.

Now I flip again and won't switch back. Unless there will be some prove one or the other is scientific better.


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## r0bz (Jul 2, 2021)

hukdizzle said:


> I am curious how many of you switch hands to sharpen the offhand bevel? For instance, I am right handed so the right side bevel is trivial to sharpen and I get a very consistent and repeatable bevel with the usual sharpening method employed by most people. When it comes to sharpening the left side bevel I still hold the knife handle in my right hand and of course flip the knife over to sharpen the left bevel with the edge pointing away from me. This all works well and is consistent until I get to the curved tip area and it becomes awkward. I manage and make very sharp knives however, the final bevel consistency and polish on the left side for the last curved portion of the blade is not as consistent as I would like.
> 
> With the above being said, I have been really invested in thinning knives lately and I find myself switching hands to thin the left side bevel. I find I can do this of course because I do not need the degree of fine motor skills and feel that I need for putting an edge on a knife. In doing this I feel like I have started to build the fine motor skills and muscle memory to potentially be able to switch hands to mirror what I do with the right side bevel.
> 
> So, do any of you out there switch hands to sharpen the off hand bevel?


i don't switch hands 

but i was wondering about it also because the nondominant side is harder to sharpen


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jul 2, 2021)

I switch hands, unless it's a single bevel blade.


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## r0bz (Jul 2, 2021)

Kawa said:


> I tried both for a while.
> Started with flipping, then tried switching for a few months (but with the edge away from me). The unusual feeling does dissapear and the results were quite good, I think about the same.
> 
> Then I decided it wasn't the flipping/switching that should be the 'golden tip' to those screaming sharp edges, but more practise would be. (hey, many great youtubers flip right? So it isnt a law/science switching is better for results).
> ...


well said !!!
you should do the way you are more consistent at


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## mpier (Jul 2, 2021)

Being a lefty and ambidextrous I learned sharpening with both hands but in the long run for speed and the for mentioned cleanliness I use only one hand now. Don’t get me wrong I love to sharpen and the zen of it all but for a period of time I was sharpening several knives a night so I needed to pick up the pace a little. A couple of things that helped out was on the off side, edge toward me, keep you fingers low right on the edge, less pressure to much and you will lay the edge over especially at the tip and just slow it down a little on that off side. Practicing on a old butcher knife really helps just because of that nice curve that have at the tip you get that down and your good to go!


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## Ensis (Jul 2, 2021)

There is a video on youtube showing Mazaki sharpening a nakiri. He actually flips the knife so the handle is pointing away from him and grips the spine with his dominant hand. I've tried it with my Takeda, in order to ensure the entire bevel makes contact.


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## r0bz (Jul 2, 2021)

Ensis said:


> There is a video on youtube showing Mazaki sharpening a nakiri. He actually flips the knife so the handle is pointing away from him and grips the spine with his dominant hand. I've tried it with my Takeda, in order to ensure the entire bevel makes contact.


can you provide link ?


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## ian (Jul 2, 2021)

He does a lot of different techniques in that vid, though. He also switches hands and sharpens with the edge always facing him, like I do.


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## Ensis (Jul 2, 2021)

ian said:


> He does a lot of different techniques in that vid, though. He also switches hands and sharpens with the edge always facing him, like I do


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## Ensis (Jul 2, 2021)

Yes, that's the video. Thanks.


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## BeinM (Jul 2, 2021)

I've been working on switching hands for bevel work over the last few months, wish I had started learning sooner. 
I still flip for edge work and feel more comfortable doing so but maybe once I develop my left hand more that will change?


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## GorillaGrunt (Jul 2, 2021)

I don’t switch hands when I am only doing an edge bevel but I learned to do so when doing a wide bevel or thinning to keep the scratch marks looking the same on both sides.


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## Jovidah (Jul 3, 2021)

I'm probably the outlier on this, but at some point I started rotating the stone. So instead of facing 12/6 o'clock I have it turned clockwise a bit so it faces something like 2/8 o'clock. Made it easier for me when sharpening the 'difficult' side without switching hands.


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## ian (Jul 3, 2021)

Jovidah said:


> I'm probably the outlier on this, but at some point I started rotating the stone. So instead of facing 12/6 o'clock I have it turned clockwise a bit so it faces something like 2/10 o'clock. Made it easier for me when sharpening the 'difficult' side without switching hands.



No, this is a good idea. I tend to orient my body so that the stone becomes effectively 2/8 o’clock or something when doing the “away from me edge leading” final deburring strokes, which is the only time I flip.

@Badgertooth sharpens via flipping and rotation iirc.


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## Walla (Jul 3, 2021)

I generally a flipper when sharpening... though I try to switch every once in a while when I remember to try...I switch when doing bevel work...

Being left handed, we're used to doing more with our non dominant hand...it's a lot less awkward that I thought it would be...but because I learned initially to flip I still default to that...that and the mess factor...

Any other lefties find the same...?

Take care

Jeff


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## Badgertooth (Jul 30, 2021)

ian said:


> No, this is a good idea. I tend to orient my body so that the stone becomes effectively 2/8 o’clock or something when doing the “away from me edge leading” final deburring strokes, which is the only time I flip.
> 
> @Badgertooth sharpens via flipping and rotation iirc.


I’ve since tried to get to grips with switching. Feels dumb for months until you get some of the muscle memory


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## coxhaus (Jul 31, 2021)

I am figuring out if I strop my blades with my Worksharp KO I need to switch hands. It is a little different than using the regular sharpening belts which I can do with one hand.


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## stringer (Jul 31, 2021)

coxhaus said:


> I am figuring out if I strop my blades with my Worksharp KO I need to switch hands. It is a little different than using the regular sharpening belts which I can do with one hand.


I gotta hand it to you. I couldn't work the Worksharp KO (tm) into so many threads if you paid me.


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## coxhaus (Jul 31, 2021)

I just spent a few hours yesterday stropping a bunch of my kitchen knives figuring out the best way to do it. I did like 12 knives going slow.

I have no association with Worksharp KO other than I like using it for sharpening. It seems way easier and faster to me.

I did not strop my kitchen knives until you guys convinced me I should.


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## milangravier (Jul 31, 2021)

I think it is nice to be able to do both. Switching hands help often when there is a disturbing handle too close to the edge area, so it's not too much on the way. Also, it will give same grind, same direction of scratches.
At work, I am polishing with both hands but actually sharpening with my right hand holding the handle, left one one the blade. This is for one main reason : I am sharpening the knives of my client before shipping them, so handle is new and clean. So my right hand is kept dry and clean, only the left go in the water and mud. Switching hands would ask to put the knife, clean my hands, dry, then do the other side...
Keeping the knife in the same hand look also more natural to me when stropping because the gesture is fast, going from on side to the other 4 or 5 times ; I would not switch hand for that too...


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## ModRQC (Jul 31, 2021)

Switching since thinning. One night I went from thinning a knife to sharpening another one and I switched without thinking about it for the sharpening job. A couple things sort of clicked even as I did not realize on the spot that I was doing it. I remember it happened on NP400. 

Still strop with flipping but can be pretty efficient doing it switching. I like both depends on the blade at hand. Shorter blades I use the rotated stone and flipping usually. That was another clicking moment. Little ones gave me so much trouble until then.

Often thinking about going back to flipping as to not lose the technique I had down. Also because who knows, after months going back to it might prove another clicking moment about something else still.

There's now that funny grey limit zone as to what is a short blade. The more I did the petties and such with rotating the stones, the more I started doing it on somewhat longer blades like165-175 santokus and bunkas and boning without thinking. If I was using 270mm gyutos for a living probably would feel my usual 210mm are short and would rotate the stone and flip.

Then again flatter edge profile is sort of a natural zen when switching hands, as short blades have a tendency to be so it's still a grey zone. I mean, switching hand with a Nakiri just feels so.... righteous in so many ways. But it probably also is the easiest profile to flip for that matter.

To each his own and I wouldn't go against old ways. It happened timely for me when I was still in the steep initial learning curve. It's not about being a better way, it's all about what comes as most natural or controlled for you.


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## Dominick Maone (Jul 31, 2021)

I even deburr and strop ambidextrously. I think it is essential to switch hands.


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## WaTFTanaki (Aug 1, 2021)

I switch except for stropping when switching hands is an inefficient pita and doubles the time.


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