# Gifts for lefthanders **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351 "2018-12-19T03:14:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/1 "2018-12-19T03:14:27Z")
My four year-old son is left-handed. His kindy teachers have suggested some left-handed scissors would be a good thing to get him. What other items would the sinister dopers recommend? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/2 "2018-12-19T04:11:18Z")
Four years old may be too young for a baseball glove, but if you can find a left-handed model that small, it would be great. Other than scissors, the best left-handed thing I’ve had is a spiral notebook. He can use it for his drawings. When he gets older, you’ll find more things customized for lefties. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/3 "2018-12-19T05:47:29Z")
I’m lefty and I use all things righty, just differently. I never was sports minded, that may make a difference, IDK. If he’s struggling, sure find him an easier way. Don’t dwell on it, though, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/4 "2018-12-19T07:50:00Z")
He’ll be far more likely to play cricket rather than baseball. But it’ll be a while yet before he needs batting gloves. Hopefully he’ll be the next El Boulto! Scissors are the only things he’s had any problems with so far. We tend to just use loose paper for drawings. Does the flatness of spiral bound books help lefties? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/5 "2018-12-19T07:57:08Z")
The spiral can get in the way of left hands. I tended to turn them in what looks like an awkward position to use them. You can get lefty spiral notebooks. It’s not necessary though. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/6 "2018-12-19T10:11:07Z")
Something to file away for later is a left-handed bread knife. It really does help prevent wedges. But at four? I’ll echo the notebook. Get one spiral bound on the right or the top. Dealing with the binding is a real pain for a lefty. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/7 "2018-12-19T13:52:02Z")
I like the spiral at the top. Less funny looking than a backwards spiral. Left handwriting is mostly all I have. Left handed scissors were quite too quirky for me. Tried once…nope. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/8 "2018-12-19T16:50:34Z")
I’d say novelty items only. The world really doesn’t accommodate us. Best to just get adjusted early. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/9 "2018-12-19T17:00:43Z")
Wow, [there’s actually a Leftorium](https://www.leftyslefthanded.com/lefthanded_kids_s/131.htm). ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/10 "2018-12-19T17:13:41Z")
Arabic or Hebrew primer. Handwriting and notebook problem- solved! ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/11 "2018-12-19T17:30:39Z")
I’ll start writing in boustrophedon in solidarity. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/12 "2018-12-19T17:51:26Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > My four year-old son is left-handed. His kindy teachers have suggested some left-handed scissors would be a good thing to get him. What other items would the sinister dopers recommend? A better teacher! Seriously, _some_ adult have angling in the handle to make them easier/more comfortable to hold in the right hand vs. the left hand. However, many scissors do not have this there is just a circle/oval for your thumb/fingers to go thru. The cheap kid/school scissors were always like this. The only difference was that right handed scissors had a point on the end while the lefty ones were curved. Lefties just use the other hand; they don’t ride the short bus to school & they’re not more prone to run with (& subsequently trip) while holding scissors necessitating the safety tip. :rolleyes: > [@Quartz](#): > > Something to file away for later is a left-handed bread knife. It really does help prevent wedges. Are you being serious or is this a woosh? I have Cutco knives; I don’t believe there’s any difference in either the handle or the blade from one side to the other. I can look more closely when I go home tonight. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/13 "2018-12-19T18:04:26Z")
I remember in kindergarten I used something like these which were a big help: [https://www.amazon.com/Lefty-Training-Rubber-Pencil-Grips/dp/B00ZVR3F9K](https://www.amazon.com/Lefty-Training-Rubber-Pencil-Grips/dp/B00ZVR3F9K) Scissors not so much. I use scissors in my right hand because you aren’t going to find left-handed scissors in the wild so you learn to adjust. For the most part I don’t use an left handed specific products because they’re too uncommon. I remember the first time I saw left-handed desks in college. I was so excited to use it and I absolutely hated it. I still wonder how right-handers comfortable use right-handed desks. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/14 "2018-12-19T18:12:16Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Are you being serious or is this a woosh? I’m serious. > [@](#): > > I have Cutco knives; I don’t believe there’s any difference in either the handle or the blade from one side to the other. I can look more closely when I go home tonight. Look at the cutting edges. Hold the knives with the blades pointing away from you. You will see that left-handed blades are scalloped on one side and right-handed blades are scalloped on the other. Check out [this](https://imgur.com/a/iogFTqP) picture. The knife on the left is a left-handed bread knife. You can see that the scallops are on the right-hand side of the blade. On the right are two right-handed bread knives. You can see that they are scalloped on the left-hand side of the blades. All three are flat on the reverse. You can get all sorts of left-handed stuff. I have a left-handed corkscrew. When I used fountain pens (yes, I’m that old) I could get left-handed nibs. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/15 "2018-12-19T19:47:52Z")
The best thing you can do for your child is make sure his grade school teachers do not frown on his lefty-ness. It still happens. The lil’wrekkers 4th grade teacher just hated the fact that she has 3 (count 'em 3) lefties in her class. They were required to line up differently. They all sat at the same circle table in the class room. She was really bigoted about it. We went and spoke to the principal about her. It failed to change much. She told me at one Parent/Teacher conference that I should have made her learn right handed writing in K. She was crazy. Anyway, keep your eye out for that. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/16 "2018-12-19T20:22:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The best thing you can do for your child is make sure his grade school teachers do not frown on his lefty-ness. It still happens. The lil’wrekkers 4th grade teacher just hated the fact that she has 3 (count 'em 3) lefties in her class. They were required to line up differently. They all sat at the same circle table in the class room. She was really bigoted about it. We went and spoke to the principal about her. It failed to change much. She told me at one Parent/Teacher conference that I should have made her learn right handed writing in K. She was crazy. > Anyway, keep your eye out for that. Yes, this. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/17 "2018-12-19T20:43:43Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m serious. > > Look at the cutting edges. Hold the knives with the blades pointing away from you. You will see that left-handed blades are scalloped on one side and right-handed blades are scalloped on the other. > > Check out [this](https://imgur.com/a/iogFTqP) picture. The knife on the left is a left-handed bread knife. You can see that the scallops are on the right-hand side of the blade. On the right are two right-handed bread knives. You can see that they are scalloped on the left-hand side of the blades. All three are flat on the reverse. > > You can get all sorts of left-handed stuff. I have a left-handed corkscrew. When I used fountain pens (yes, I’m that old) I could get left-handed nibs. And so on. But if you flip the knives over they become the "other"type…? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/18 "2018-12-19T21:31:08Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Check out [this](https://imgur.com/a/iogFTqP) picture. The knife on the left is a left-handed bread knife. You can see that the scallops are on the right-hand side of the blade. On the right are two right-handed bread knives. You can see that they are scalloped on the left-hand side of the blades. All three are flat on the reverse. NM ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/19 "2018-12-19T21:31:29Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > But if you flip the knives over they become the "other"type…? Notice that the blades of the left-handed and right-handed knives are mirror-images… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351/20 "2018-12-19T21:36:16Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > A lefty would hold the “right handed” knife in their left had and reverse the bread, holding the loaf with their right hand. The scallops still face inward, away from the piece getting cut. 😕😕😕 If I hold a right-handed knife in my left hand and the bread in my right the scallops face outwards. If I hold a left-handed bread knife in my left hand, the scallops face inwards. If I hold a right-handed bread knife in right hand and the bread in my left, the scallops face inwards. If I hold a left-handed bread knife in my right hand the scallops face outwards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gifts-for-lefthanders/826351.md?page=2)