knife safety

[speed bump]

A picture is worth a thousand words- but some people need both. I've been farming, butchering and processing for better than 40 years. I made cheese and worked handling and cutting wheels of cheese.I also worked as an ER nurse for 20 years. My son worked in a restaurant as well.
In these contexts, I've run into knife injuries aplenty, and have become enough of a pest on the subject at home to deserve 'OSHA' as a middle name. The photo illustrates one of my pet peeves. I've approached the subject in various ways- and today I decided to go from another angle.
My son had the experience of knocking a concealed knife off the work table and having it go right through his work boot into his foot. I've had one concealed under the edge of a beef quarter get flipped off in a similar way. I escaped injury that time.
So after taking this photo this am, I went looking through my books for a vivid description I'd read once on the topic. Came close in Hasheider's butchering book. It came close but not quite there. I was hoping to glean some information here as to another persuasive source or personal story. I'm going to be doing a 'safety first' post in various areas and want to get my ducks in a row first. No one (including yours truly) needs to come bumbling down in the morning, bleary -eyed, to face this repeated hazard.

 

[JLeonard]

Did 8 years working in the trauma center in Memphis, TN. Saw my fair share of knife wounds.
Jim

 

[Steve H]

No idea what you're talking about!

 

[negolien]

I cut the corner of my left thumb off.. lol twice :<)

 

[Bumppo]

I cut the corner of my left thumb off.. lol twice :<) View attachment 528390

I've had that scar. What were you mincing?

 

[JC in GB]

Worst cut I ever got was from washing a glass that shattered in my hand. Can hardly see it now but it caused permanent nerve damage. I had to call a friend to take me to the ER. I never would have made it driving myself. Good times... Good times...

Will be checking back for your knife safety tips. You can never have too much information on how to do something in a safe manner.

JC

 

[JC in GB]

This also reminds me of a real close call story I had working construction.

I was inside a supply trailer and there was no stairs so it was climb in and jump out.

Someone decided that it was a good place to deposit a board with a nail sticking up out of it by the door. Well, I got done getting my supplies and jumped out of the trailer. I felt something scrape me between my toes. I looked down and there was a big rusty nail sticking through my boot right between my toes.

I really needed that luck as I wasn't in a situation where I could have afforded a visit tot he ER. Life, it never gets dull!

 

[sawhorseray]

I wear a kevlar glove when doing some serious blade work, learned the hard way. RAY

 

[mosparky]

I've seen a lot of folks use a knife with the blade exiting the hand from the pinkie end. Maybe some find it acceptable in certain situations, but I was taught (even before Cub scouts) never use or carry a knife in that position. Never cut toward yourself. To me that is just asking for trouble. Yeah, that one is a pet peeve.

 

[indaswamp]

And don't forget the safety gloves when removing a slicer blade for clean up....

 

[jkc64]

This also reminds me of a real close call story I had working construction.

I was inside a supply trailer and there was no stairs so it was climb in and jump out.

Someone decided that it was a good place to deposit a board with a nail sticking up out of it by the door. Well, I got done getting my supplies and jumped out of the trailer. I felt something scrape me between my toes. I looked down and there was a big rusty nail sticking through my boot right between my toes.

I really needed that luck as I wasn't in a situation where I could have afforded a visit tot he ER. Life, it never gets dull!

I did the rusty nail in the foot thing when I was a kid. My grandma rushed out and rubbed lard on the nail so that I would not get an infection, I didn't. Explain that.
I look forward to your safety advice.

 

[indaswamp]

I've seen a lot of folks use a knife with the blade exiting the hand from the pinkie end. Maybe some find it acceptable in certain situations, but I was taught (even before Cub scouts) never use or carry a knife in that position. Never cut toward yourself. To me that is just asking for trouble. Yeah, that one is a pet peeve.

Only time I ever do that is when boning out a cut. There are some boning cuts that are just easier to make holding the knife that way...

 

[negolien]

onions both times lol

 

[indaswamp]

onions both times lol

Once the curve of the onion starts falling back towards my fingers, I stand the onion up so the roots are facing up, then continue chopping. Now if the knife slips, it is going away from me instead of towards my hand....

 

[sawhorseray]

onions both times lol

 

[negolien]

The 1st one in that video is how I took em off lol :<( just not payin attention sadly 34 years apart though so I don't feel so bad lol

 

[DougE]

Respect those mandolin slicers, too. I have a friend who whopped off a chunk out of the side of his thumb while shredding cabbage for slaw.

 

[noboundaries]

Never cut toward yourself.

My last finger cut a couple weeks ago was for just that reason. I know better, but I was de-ribbing a red bell pepper and listening to something on the TV. I looked down, saw a white rib that needed a quick cleanup. Cut toward myself when the knife tip caught and let go.

There's a very specific feeling you get as a razor sharp knife slices into skin. No pain, but intuitively you know it's deep. Yeah. I got that feeling.