Fiddlerman said
I didn't laugh.
Think that I never noticed your right hand pinky before. We can discuss that if you ever feel like it.
Thanks for the post.  

 - Well - I meant "smile" along with me and the pleasure I get from playing, not actually laugh AT me ( which I know you wouldn't ! )

  The RH pinkie is damaged at the top joint.  It causes intermittent sharp pain if the actual finger-pad / tip comes in contact with anything - it's kind of nerve-damage.  With the pinky where it is, oddly, it's OK just resting on it's side so long as the tip isn't touching anything - and - I can actually get some degree of control to push up or pull down on the frog - giving a sort of similar "lever-point" to having the pinky actually on the top.   Where the REAL limitation comes is that with it lodged there - I cannot move the grip further up the bow if/when I want to.   Waht I CAN do of course is to have the pinky just "flying in the air" - and then - sure I can move the overall hold further up the stick, but of course lose whatever control I DID have with the pinky curled under the frog....

  I am considering minor surgery, because it can be darned annoying at times, not just for playing violin....  you know the sort of sharp pain you can get in your teeth if you've ever experienced "cold sensitivity" - it's kind of like that - and when it happens it's not so much the pain itself - I could live with that - but I get an involuntary muscle-twitch which sends the bow off in any direction !!!   We'll maybe see about surgery - it's been discussed, and is likely to be a simple out-patient procedure, with the hand back in action within a week......

Thanks @Fiddlerman

Fiddlerman said
That makes a lot of sense. If the surgery is minor and has a great chance of correcting the issue, it could be a great idea. Have you ever tried using your ring finger (the finger next to your pinky) to relieve tension when necessary on the bow? It would most likely work great.  

  Well, that's interesting...  I had never specifically thought about that -but when I *do* lift the pinky off completely and move my hold slightly further up the bow (maybe only talking about a couple of cm's) I suspect I may have, unconsciously, been doing that.   I must take a closer look at this and analyse exactly what I am doing in that situation.  Thanks for the tip there @Fiddlerman, appreciated !