Why can't you use scissors with your left hand?

[hedgehogger1]

Or your right if you're left handed. I don't get it. They're just moving up and down. They're hinged, I can't do anything else, but why can't I cut left handed....

I completely understand what you are saying op.
If I try to use children’s scissors which don’t have moulded handled or anything, and I don’t care what I’m trying to cut, then why don’t right handed scissors work in my left hand, or left handed scissors in my right hand.
All that is happening is that the blades are moving up and down, so why does it make a difference?

It also depends how left handed you are! I watch with amazement as DH (write right handed) does intricate stuff with whichever hand is easier. I struggle to coordinate turning door handles with my right hand. I think it’s a spectrum and, because the world is set up for right handers, if you’re in the middle you end up right handed. Of course I cope but I have definitely ended up with blisters using normal scissors in the wrong hand upside down so that they cut!

I'm left handed & can easily cut holding a right handed scissors in my left hand, if I turn the scissors upside down

Perhaps, better explained as use scissors in left hand, upside down...

I just learned to use the right handed scissors with my right hand as a child. As such the left handed scissors that DH bought me is really hard to use with my left hand

I'm left handed but use scissors in my right hand. Never occurred to me not to for some reason. But there are other things people claim to need LH versions of that I use fine with my left hand like kitchen knives.

@Newhorizon21

I'm left handed & can easily cut holding a right handed scissors in my left hand, if I turn the scissors upside down

But children’s scissors don’t have a right way up.

I can use either kind of scissor in either hand.

The reason it's more awkward in the "wrong" hand is because you don't naturally pull the blades together in the wrong hand (as in so both cutting edges are close - not so the angle between the blades is small) but in the correct hand as you squeeze the blades closed you also pull the cutting edges tight to each other because your fingers curl towards your palm.

It's really easy to illustrate irl but awful to put into words. It's really easy to see if you use a loose wobbly old pare of scissors

The blades on left handed scissors are the opposite way round to those on right handed scissors.

If you use right handed scissors in your left hand (or leftie scissors in your right hand) and try to cut the paper in the normal way, when you push the handles together you actually push the blades apart rather than together, so the paper doesn’t cut.

You can use rightie scissors in your left hand but it’s awkward, as you need to somehow push the blades together as you try to cut, which is harder the wrong way round.

Moulded handles are not helpful either. Proper leftie scissors are wonderful, so easy to use

I'm left handed and turn regular scissors upside down before cutting something & haven't experienced any issues.

My dc use to be able to do this perfectly with both hands when he was a toddler/in preschool age. He was able to use both hands for writing /drawing too. Eventually he became right hand dominant so I don't know if he can still do it now.