Here is “part 3” of how to use hidari-ba (left-blade) carving knives/scrapers in the video series for beginners.
Following the instruction of my father in “part 2,” I tried the hidari-ba and the method of use for the first time.
I asked him some questions about the placement of fingers, which I suppose are common questions that beginners have. For that reason, this footage may be of interest to instructors of hidari-ba.
In the footage, we talked about a pivot formed by the middle finger and the thumb. It refers to a mental image represented by the red line in the photo below. This line makes a right angle with the rod of the carving tool, and the point where the line and the rod cross serves as a pivot when rotating the tool.
I don’t seem to be using the index finger of my right hand properly in the footage. This is a little embarrassing, but other than that, I am doing fine in the video, so please do watch!
It was recorded eight years ago…
