Maybe I have too many knives

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Onies

Joined
Apr 29, 2006
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262
Hi all. I had a strange realization while at work the other day. I was cutting a box to open a seal kit for some valves I was working on and a colleague came over and said "always cut away from you." I got to looking at my hands and realized I could name pretty much every knife that had bit me over the last few years. Starting with a 2" gash on my wrist from over 20 years ago, that one was with the small blade on a swiss army knife, happened while cutting a zip tie. The small slash on the back of my hand was from a Cold Steel Gunsite Tanto, cutting rhubarb, the cut on my index finger was from a Bark River North Star, happened while tieing on a lanyard, the puncture on my wrist was from a Benchmade 710, the stab in my palm was from a Browning filleting knife, trying to teach my wife how to fillet a perch. The cut on the back of my thumb was from a Fiskars mini hatchet. Then there is the numerous pokes and small cuts from making the few knives I have done. I thought, "damn, I do cut myself alot" the perils of being a knife nut I suppose. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Thanks,

Fred
 
Ive been fooling with knives for 2 1/2 years so far. So far the only incident is my douk douk closing hard on my finger tip. Im sure i have many coming in the future:) i gotta stop flicking and fondling so much i think.
 
I have been serious in knives for about a year and a half. I get cut every couple months (knock on wood). The knife that has bit the most is my Para2. Surprisingly the worst cut I have had was from a buck lock back. Worst cut I have ever had from everything including knives and other items is from my Giant Revel 1's disk brakes sliced my finger down to the bone.
 
My worst cuts were way back when I was a boy - and not a knife nut by any means.
I do not think it has anything to do with having many knifes or having one or a few on you at all times. It is rather about the type of work you do most of the time and safe practices like the one mentioned by your co-worker: always cut away from you...
The last time I cut myself was actually on purpose after hitting my finger with a mallet: fortunately I only pinched the flesh but it went totally numb so I did not even feel a thing when I cut it with a knife. I have done it on a hunch: and it was the right thing to do I must say!
 
Onies said:
...The small slash on the back of my hand was from a Cold Steel Gunsite Tanto, cutting rhubarb,
Click to expand...

Yikes, dude! Knife nut or not, better technique and the right tool for the job are going to eliminate a lot of those cuts! How do you cut the back of your hand cutting a vegetable, and why are you using a tanto to cut said vegetable?!? :D

Onies said:
...the stab in my palm was from a Browning filleting knife, trying to teach my wife how to fillet a perch.
Click to expand...

:cool:

Let me add this, and it may help. With all those knives...are you keeping them all sharp? Dull knives cause cuts more than sharp knives (and they make worse cuts!).

But! Like your work buddy pointed out...technique (and the right tool) does matter! Helps one from getting bit.
 
I get too many knives all the time.

I figure that I have too many knives when I look at my collection and see knives that I haven't used in months, or knives I don't even like using.

Then I purge the whole collection down to a half dozen blades or so...
 
I had my "wake-up moment" 20 years ago when I sliced my finger open trying to replace a boxcutter blade the wrong way. It happened a 1:30 am and I had to have someone drive me to the ER for stiches. It was rather embarrassing and I felt stupid. After that, EVERY TIME I hold something with a sharpened edge in my hand I quickly remind myself of that experience and of the importance to BE CAREFUL. Since that cut 20 years ago I haven't given myself a single cut that would require so much as a band-aid. A couple of nicks, but that was from almost dropping a knives and trying to recover them before they fell.

As far as having too many knives, I'd say it's all a matter of how many knives you can afford to have. There's nothing wrong with having more knives than one could ever use.

And in regards to cutting oneself, I wouldn't blame the knife. It's the craftsman, not the tool.
 
When cutting things, use proper techniques and the right tool for the job.
I've cut myself really bad twice. Once was when flipping a balisong and I caught it by the blade and handle. It cut deep into my hand/finger. Then another time, I was cleaning up a knife after forcing a patina(razor sharp carbon steel) and sliced the hell out of my finger(had to get it glued shut, splinted, and wrapped).

It easy to cut yourself, but always being careful and using the right knife for the job helps. Mine were fluke accidents.
 
You just need to slow down a little when you are using your knives and constantly ask yourself "If the blade slips, where is it going to go? Are any of my body parts in the way?"

Its prevented me from doing stupid things more times that I'd like to admit.

"if my hand slips, what will it hit?" is another one I ask myself a lot.

Ric
 
I cut myself several times when I was younger, fooling with knives like I though I knew how to use them. Recently, I sliced my thumb sharpening and I cut my finger with great grace at a bday party opening a box.
And no, as long as you can afford them you cannot have too many knives!
 
Cutting yourself occasionally is all part of using knives as far as I'm concerned. Things happen. As far as remembering every time I have cut or nicked myself and with what knife, that's a laugh. That is like trying to remember what I was doing with knives when I was in the second grade when I can barely remember who my teacher was.
 
"Unless whittling or cutting Biltong, always cut away from you."

When cutting biltong, you can do no wrong.
 
Knives like firearms; when using them pay attention to what you are doing and how you are doing it. Don't take any chances making movements that could seriously go wrong.
 
The only time I cut myself with a knife was when I was rushing to clean a blade. Just dragged my finger tip on the edge as I was wiping it down with a microfiber cloth. Wasn't a bad cut but I learned my lesson.
 
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