1st injury-Safety 1st!!!!!

Big Smitty

Big Smitty

Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
509
I guess if you fool with knives quite a bit you will get cut sooner or later. I am usually very safety aware, but today I got the stupid award. I was in a rush to drill 2 knives prior to heat treat and I did not secure the blade while using the drill press. On the last hole on the last blade (layard hole) the drill bit hung up and whipped the blade around and gave me a trip to the stiching doctor.

It caught me mid way between the thumb and index finger and luckily ended up more of a stab than a slice. 4 stiches inside and 4 on the outside nicked a tendon, but it should be OK.

Just posting as a heads up to take proper safety precautions. To this point I have not been injured and the one time I think I am slicker than the equipment I get whacked. Learned my lesson. We have to protect our digets, limbs, eyes, ears and lungs.
 
I hope you remembered to take pictures BEFORE the stitches! If you post them WITH stitches, it's only half credit!

Thanks for the wake up though, I get a little lazy with that myself sometimes!
 
Wuss...I can't believe you got stitches. CA and some electrical tape works just fine (ignore the initial burning) :D I have the same scar, too. Follow on advice, never cut an apple with a freshly sharpened knife while holding it between your thumb and forefinger! And just for the record, I had 3 on the inside and 5 on the outside.....
 
stiches? Nahhh...just a few bandaids would have done the trick! :D Can't tell ya how many times i have drilled holes in tangs without clamping them down and been lucky enough not to get sliced. Although one time the drill bit did get hung up on the hole and kinda whipped the blade around and severly tweeked the edge! Remember! The faster you try to do something knife related is the faster you'll get hurt. The minute you stop thinking "what if" is when it will happen. Can't tell ya how many times the buffer has gotten me! :) Stay safe!

Just looked the larger version of the photo. yeah stitches was a good idea! :)
 
TekSec said:
Wuss...I can't believe you got stitches. CA and some electrical tape works just fine (ignore the initial burning) :D I have the same scar, too. Follow on advice, never cut an apple with a freshly sharpened knife while holding it between your thumb and forefinger! And just for the record, I had 3 on the inside and 5 on the outside.....
Click to expand...

LOL, your course of action is the one I usually take, but this happened with my wife in the garage (I know never allow your wife to hang out in the garage). She started her speech about tetnus shot, infection, blah, blah, blah and I listend to her for once. I am usually a member of the "he man woman haters club", but this time I did wuss out.:D Actually probably not a bad thing based on the aformentioned reasons from the wife and the fact that it will heal faster and I won't have to worry about lock jaw.
 
Man, don't let the little woman hear you say she was right...they never forget that....
 
Nothing wrong with a few stitches now and again. Promotes fast healing, masculinity and all that. Sewing needles work fine if forged a bit over a lighter. Heavy cotton thread ran thru some alcohol or hydrogen peroxide will work fine and fall apart in about 10 days.:D Just kidding. I have a small machinist vise on my drill press. Not the biggest or the best but, it was smart money
 
its official then, you're finally initiated as a true knifemaker :eek:. you got your first stitches from a knife you made. i got mine back in 94. 5 in each cut along my wrist. now i have kevlar gloves to wear if i'm working on a sharp knife (except when drilling holes of course, i make sure to fasten the blade down):D
 
Where did you get Kelvar gloves? I am on blood thinners and get real nervous every time I use any of my buffing wheels. It would certainly be safer to have a set of gloves just for use when polishing.......

I go through a lot of masking tape on blades when cutting stone for handles as all the grinding and polishing is done while the scales are on the knife.... It is kind of hard to buff the metal with the tape on them though... :D
 
Redrummd, google "carving glove" and you'll get a boatload of hits.
Mandatory cautionary statement: Be careful about using gloves around rotating equipment; it's a good way to get dragged in and cause far more damage.
 
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