Knife safety refresher

S

Simple Man

Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
2,558
I know we all know how to handle knives for the most part, seeing as how we enjoy them so much, yet still have most of our fingers.:D That being said, I don't think it ever hurts to brush up on some of the basics of knife safety. Also, there is a wealth of experience that I personally enjoy being exposed to here, and I would like to know more about general knife use/safety techniques than I do.

What are some of the tips, techniques, comments from experience, websites, etc. you can offer to make this knife world we live in a safer place for all of us?

BTW - I don't think there is anything that hurts us and general knife opinion worse than an uneducated person that doesn't know how to use a knife.
 
This is an excellent point. I've learned to be careful around rookies.

I went to church and one of our head deacons met me in the parking lot. He noticed a Microtech clip on my right front pocket. (He doesn't own any knives, but there are several collectors at my church.) He asked to see the knife.

This particular knife was a SOCOM Tanto, factory sharpened at a very steep angle. I had polished it on the Edgepro to a mirror finish.

I watched him closely, and after he had looked, he folded the knife and handed it back to me. As we continued to talk, I noticed blood running down the palm of his left hand. I checked the blade, and it was clean. I still don't know how he did it; I surmise the tip cut him as he folded it, but he claimed he didn't feel a thing--even that "feathery" feeling we all fear.

So, I'm careful around non-collectors. I never loan a knife, and never let "experts" thumb the blade to check sharpness. Earlier, I didn't want to appear snobby, and everyone cut themselves.
 
When a blade is open or unsheathed, I give total attention to it. I plan how I should cut the material at hand the best way, then do it. I never reach or grab or try to do anything with the knife hand or freehand, other than make the cut, until the knife is re-sheathed or folded shut. Too easy for the freehand to cruise by and get cut. I also do not "play" with my knives. Doing things like walking around flicking them open or while your watching tv etc. Also no stabbing into things for the hell of it. This makes my life boring, but I have yet to be cut. If I got cut half as bad as some guys here, my wife would confiscate all my pointy sharp toys and not let me buy more. :D
 
1.Always assume the knife is loaded.

2.Never point a knife at anything you do not intent to cut.


phantom4
 
Keep it sharp.
Don't use your body parts (such as a knee, thigh, etc.) as a cutting board.
Never whittle or carve when you're tired.
Don't cut toward yourself.
Keep lots of bandaids on hand, anyway:)
 
Never set your knife on the workbench and forget to close it before you reach down to pick it up again. You might just grab it by the blade without looking :eek: Not that this has ever happended to me :D
 
Hey Phantom4,
Originally posted by phantom4
1.Always assume the knife is loaded.

2.Never point a knife at anything you do not intent to cut.
Click to expand...
Regardless of how long one is around knives they always seem to hear something like this for the first time. Very funny! :) (Or I'm just very tired.)
 
speaking of knife safety, i cut some fruit with my sebenza the other day, and then didn't want to close it for fear of gunking up hte insides before i washed off the blade. So i ended up walking down the stairs to the sink downstairs with it open. It felt very unsafe. What would you do in this situation?

- Pete
 
The golden rule in our house is 'don't cut anything toward a part of your body you don't mind losing.'
 
speaking of knife safety, i cut some fruit with my sebenza the other day, and then didn't want to close it for fear of gunking up hte insides before i washed off the blade.
Click to expand...

Most interesting in that it was a Sebenza, probably the knife you would <b>least</b> have to worry about "gunking up". First off, there isn't much inside it to gunk, second, you can flood the whole thing with water when you do get to washing it, and third it is the easiest folder in the world to take apart if you really do have to clean it out!

Now I have done this too, with folders and fixed blades. I've sometimes avoided putting a really dirty fixed blade back into a leather sheath because I have no way to clean out the inside of the sheath! Kydex I don't worry about because I can rinse that out if I have to. One way or another though, sometimes I'm forced to close a folder or re-sheath a fixed blade, even in leather, after no more than a dry wipe off on my pant leg. If I'm dressed for the office and can't just wipe my knife on my pants, I'd better have some paper or something to wipe it on, or I'm stuck just closing it. Luckily, I never seem to be carrying a fixed blade in pants I can't use as a towel!

When I do wash them, however, I don't hesitate to wash the whole folder. If I can't get my folder wet, then it probably isn't a very good tool to begin with...
 
 
Rule #1
Never cut toward yourself.

Rule #2
When you are really good, you can break rule #1.

By "really good" i mean alert, awake, and aware. Plus, experience is a factor too. Knowing how far your hand will travel if the knife slips is the first step in keeping body parts aout of harms way.

Funny thing I just thought of; in another post I typed the rules I lived my life by. Some come from the cartoon movie "The Last Unicorn". The line was "Never run from anything immortal. It attracts there attention." I have used that advise to mean running from problems nevers fixed them and running from bullies makes it easier for them to come after you next time. This has been good advise.

That same movie introduced me to the old saying "Never cut toward yourself" (Rule #1).

Glad I bought the tape. Someday I need to show this movie to my kids (whenever I get them!)
 
Always know where the edge is, and NEVER force your way through anything.

After I starting getting into knives, I haven't cut myself ONCE yet in a year and a half. That's because I have a heck of lot more respect for what sharpened steel can do now; and with my blades as sharp as they are, I could really lose something being foolish.
 
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