Things that make you go "ouch": your favorite traditional knife accidents

H

HFinn

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Sep 6, 2012
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I just noticed that it is not a good idea to try stupid tricks with a Buck 112, like trying to open it on handed :D I pinched it open, then pushed with my thumb and noticed too late that the mechanism has a strong pull. The blade closed on my finger. More embarrassing than painfull. Blood flowing I proceeded to patch the wound and promised myself not to try again.

So in a spirit of humor and embarrassing mishaps, share yours. I have some others in store...
 
Well, not an injury to me, but I once lent my knife to someone... Big mistake!

Was checking out at Blockbuster, and the guy behind the counter was struggling to get a DVD open, but it had some plastic lock on it, that there machine wouldn't disengage. Well he resorted to trying to cut it open. I can't remember what it was, a key or dull knife, whatever it was it wasn't working. Instead of taking the DVD from him, I gave him my knife so he could get it open. It was just too painful to watch him saw at it with whatever he was using. Big Mistake!

He made a cut or two. Set the, still open, knife down on the counter. Fussed with the DVD case a little. Then picked up the knife to make another cut. He used his index finger on the "spine" to add extra pressure to the cut. Problem was, he picked the knife up upside down. Well, being upside down, it wasn't the spine he was pressing on...
I just sharpened it that morning too. It filleted him open like fish.
I saw the whole thing unfolding, and was just about to stop him and do it myself because he was working too quickly and obviously didn't know how to use a knife properly or safely. Well, it all just happened to fast and I was unable to intervene.

I felt bad, but what could I do? I know I'll never let anyone, I don't know, use one of my knives again, that's for sure!


ETA: Wife just walked in and read my post. Her comment on remember that incident: "sss, that was bad. That was bad."
 
The only couple times I have accidentally cut myself with a folder were when the half-stop pulled the blade away from my control and nicked me. It's why I prefer cam tangs-- blade opening and closing under MY control at all times.

During Christmas present opening a couple years back I loaned my super sharp Silver Knight to my son-in-law to open some toy for the granddaughter that was in hard-shell plastic with tie downs, like a bank vault. Even with the lockback, he managed to slip and cut his finger to the bone. Bad scene!
 
I have one embarrassing with a SAK, I was going down in an elevator with my backpack on my left shoulder, I saw a thread hanging from the one of the straps so I took the climber I used to EDC those days and cut it. Before closing the knife I saw in the mirror of the elevator a hair sticking out of one of my eyebrows so I plucked it out with my left hand, but the knife was still open on my right so with the quick pulling the knuckle of my left pinky impacted with the edge of the knife with quite an amount of force. Deep clean cut to the bone, the kind that yyou realize the mess you've made before it begins to bleed.

The other story is one that some of you guys will share, because is classic, slightly bitting your ring finger closing a Case Peanut. I think I read it two or three times.

regards
Mateo
 
Funny you should bring this up as there have been quite a few posts lately about people not being happy with the sharpness of their new knives as they come from the factory and there have been further discussions about how sharp is sharp enough.

I was preparing to take a picture of a brand new, Case CV Mini Trapper with Yellow Derlin Handles, and as I was opening the blades to set the knife up for the picture, the wife said something from the kitchen. As I turned my head to see what she wanted, I slid my thumb down the spey blade.:eek: My oh my! Opened my thumb up like a split plumb.

After we got the bleeding stopped, I made a small Butterfly Bandage, squeezed the cut together and the wife put the bandage on and then a couple of band-aids. Probably could have used a couple stitches but it already hurt enough without have someone poke tiny holes around it while pushing/pulling a needle and thread through it.

cut1n.jpg


Believe me!! A Case CV Mini Trapper with Yellow Derlin Handles is plenty sharp right out of the box.
 
Ouch ED, use some superglue. Its what the ER around here uses for most cuts. I keep a bottle in my tool bag, it gets used often and allows you to keep going without anymore blood coming out. I gouged my leg open a little over a month ago and it stopped that one, it was big and looked like a hatchet struck my leg. Bandaids still allow blood out and always come off.
 
The small clip blade seen in this pic, on my Case T.B. 6539 SS 5-blade Sowbelly, bit me more painfully than any other. I'd just bought it, and on the very day it arrived in the mail, I attempted to extricate it from the tin seen in the pic. That small clip blade had been wedged into the molded recess intended for the spey blade, so it didn't want to come out without a struggle. When it did, the ~1/3-open clip blade slammed shut on the tips of my middle and index fingers of my right (dominant) hand, and very neatly clipped 1/4" flaps from each, just in front of the fingernails. As I dropped the knife and tin, I could see one of the 'flaps' of my skin fluttering to the floor like a snowflake. My fingers bled like a stuck pig, and I was just a couple hours away from going to dinner with a friend. Felt really stupid trying to cut my steak that evening, with my bandaged fingers still oozing blood and attempting to keep a decent grip on my steak knife. :eek:

David
 
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Almost a year ago, I was cutting up an old pizza box to fit in the trash. I wanted to get it over with and did it very fast. While holding the box with my left hand, my knife zipped through the box and the side of my index finger very easily. I think I was in shock for a moment, because very calmly I put down my knife and said "No more, I'm done." I cut about an inch long piece off, right above the knuckle. It went very nearly to the bone and took months to heal. The finger is much slimmer, now.
 
I was cleaning my new W. H. Morley congress one day about a month ago. I was running through my cleaning procedure and came to the point where it was time to clean between the liners. I opened all the blades and made the requisite passes with slimmed down popsicle stick and piece of cloth, to get all the built up grim and lint out between each liner run.
I then closed all blades and admired my work.
I decided to give it an oiling before sharpening the blades. So, I opened all the blades again but one, the broken one, oiled between the liners, and thought, I'll just wipe up the excess oil with one pass with stick and cloth.
There was a slight binding and then .....cut my index finger to the bone on the half closed, razor sharp, broken blade...:eek:

It owns me now.

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Ouch, ouch and ouch!

This just happened a little over a week ago when my new EnZo PK70 slipjoint arrived (Scandi grind S30V). I was in process of boxing something else up for shipping and was cutting the packing tape off the roll. My wife asked me a question in mid cut and before I knew it I had taken a little off the top of my thumb. Knowing what I did even before the blood started I calmly walked over to the cabinet where we keep the Band-Aids. Of course my wife wanted to know what I was doing, so I showed her the now bleeding thumb.

Sharp bugger that EnZo :D
 
I don't have any favorite accidents; they all hurt and caused blood loss. But the last one was when we did the "walk a mile in someone else's shoes" thing where we were to use a pattern that we ordinarily don't or wouldn't use. I picked a Bulldog muskrat pattern for my "walk". Not having a picture of it in my computer I went out to make one. Setting the knife up for the photo with both blades partially open, I managed to get a finger in the wrong place and one of the blades decided to go "home", putting a pretty deep cut between the first and second knuckle on my left hand. It didn't hurt much but it bled quite nicely. I pick that knife up once in a while, but it has earned a measure of respect. I had just sharpened the blades before the photo op as well.

It wasn't as bad as the time I let my knuckle of the same finger get too close to the prop on one of my RC planes. That's not a favorite either, even though it is memorable.

Ed J
 
lutejones said:
The other story is one that some of you guys will share, because is classic, slightly bitting your ring finger closing a Case Peanut. I think I read it two or three times.

regards
Mateo
Click to expand...

Mateo, I have to plead guilty to that. I feel bound to admit that I have been nicked by every single peanut I have ever owned. It usually takes place in the first 24 hours of ownership, and then never happens again. Like the little bugger just had to show me it was serious. Weird.

The only other bad cut I got was from an Opinel I was sanding down and refinishing the handle. I had the blade all duct taped up for safety, and was almost done. I had taken off the tape to see how the blade fit in the handle after the sanding. I was making an easy opener out of it. I wasn't quite satisfied how it fit, so I went to sand it just a wee little bit more. I didn't re tape the blade, figuring I'd be careful, and I just wanted to take off a tiny tiny bit more wood on the belly of the handle.

I really should have re taped it. The danged thing sliced right down almost to the bone on my right index finger. I'm now a really firm believer in duct tape when working on an Opinel.

Carl.
 
I got an SAK that had been rehandled by ML. I was admiring his handywork and went to close the main blade. It had much, much more snap than I was expecting. The very tip of the master caught the web between my thumb and forefinger and gave me a nice little nip. Didn't do all that much damage but it reminded me to be careful!

I'd tell you my friend's Kershaw story but that's not traditional...
 
Christmastime and knives are a dangerous combination. One christmas I was cutting a big yellow turnip and I was not happy with the kichen knife, took out a puukko. Yes, it is sharp. The turnip was quite hard, I was not paying attention and almost cut the tip off my right index finger. Beats me to this day how I managed to do that with the knife in my right hand. Must have slipped or something. My wife was mighty pleased that I had to go to be stiched when she needed my help.
 
Heh-heh-heh.

This happens to me every now and then.

I guess that I am still learning about knives after all these years lol.
 
Some years ago I had a bad experience with a Wenger Soldier. I was sitting in the office and working. I wanted to cut a piece of paper in two. So I pulled out the Wenger and cut the papersheet in two pieces. I wanted to close it and a collegue came in and asked something. I was a fool and had my ringfinger between blade, edge and handle. The edge went through the finger into the bone. It had to be sewed with three stings :eek:
Since that, I´m much more careful while working with a knife - especially when the springs are pretty strong... ;)
 
The cultprit...ME!
The knife,Case large Sodbuster.
The immediate thought upon feeling the knife hit was my dad's words ringing in my ears"never make a cut towards yourself"
And then stopping the bleeding and cleaning up the mess so the wife wont get home, not find me, and freak out...

Wrapped myself up with a wad of blue shop towel and wrapped a pressure bandage with blue masking tape, got a chuckle from the front desk at the E.R.
6 suitures to close

IMG_3391_zps3fe2d818.jpg


3-4 months later, still no feeling in 1/4 of thumb, scar is occasionally painfull still...
 
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