When Do You Stop Cutting Yourself?

[Chief31794]

I started working in leather in 1970, since then I've learned a lot of things, one thing I have not been successful in learning is how to prevent cutting yourself in the leather shop. Several facts:

1. Knives used in leather working are very, very sharp.

2. Bare hands are in close proximity to the cut line when cutting leather.

3. Stupid leather working knives can't tell the difference between Steer Leather and People Leather!!!!

4. Major overhead expense in a leather shop: 1st Aid Supplies

Oh well, just venting, cut my self again this week, I'm starting to cut into old scars.

Does everyone do this or am I just getting too old to be trusted with sharp instruments???

Chief

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Chief, I am nearly 71, and I haven't reached the "no cut zone yet". Not sure if I ever will.

Bob

[jfdavis58]

... a few seconds after you 'bleed-out'.

[Art]

Hi Chief,

Go to a Vet or ER Doctor and have them show you how to use superglue. I bought one of the Leather Wranglers knives when they first came out and it had a little sharpened back edge on it for pull cutting. I never got used to that sharpened edge and used to nick myself till I finally blunted it. Cut myself so many times over the years that I have generally learned what NOT to do. Still happens though, usually at a leather or knife show where everyone can see it.

Art

[Chief31794]

Hi Chief,

Go to a Vet or ER Doctor and have them show you how to use superglue. I bought one of the Leather Wranglers knives when they first came out and it had a little sharpened back edge on it for pull cutting. I never got used to that sharpened edge and used to nick myself till I finally blunted it. Cut myself so many times over the years that I have generally learned what NOT to do. Still happens though, usually at a leather or knife show where everyone can see it.

Art

Thanks, treating it is something I'm an expert at. I take some heavy blood thinners so I have to use a coagulent, I keep plenty in my first aid kit. I use super glue and other things too, but my main concern is prevention, not treatment. I've perfected the treatment, I want to work on the prevention. This was a little tongue-in-cheek just because I wanted to vent because I was so irritated at myself, I should know better.

Thanks,

Chief

[billybopp]

Yeah ... Bandaids can get pretty expensive. The closest I've come to cut prevention is: http://www.amazon.com/CUTShield-Classic-Kitchen-Resistant-Contact/dp/B003DZ02MU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1433643477&sr=8-2&keywords=kevlar+glove

They do work ... when I remember to wear them. They are a little slicker than I'd like, but they do now make versions with latex palms, or PVC dots. I'll have to try them sometime.

Bill

[TheCyberwolfe]

Hell, if it was only the knives I had to worry about, I'd be fine - it's things like paper and cardboard that get the better of me. (And every computer case I have ever screwed a motherboard into, but that's another story...)

[Art]

My first processor was a Zilog, Z-80 I think. Mainframes 15 years before that. Built many a server and PC. Then things started getting complicated, there were all these extra cages and stuff in the cases. After damned near disassembling the cases to be able to get the gear inside, it hit me, this was NOT a cottage industry anymore, I had to think like assembly line and some of the build labs I had seen at manufacturers, and low and behold, there are hinges and wop, you push this and the whole cage or motherboard base rotates out, they never thought of that before......well the mainframes were built that way...hmmmmmm. We've come full circle; that Cisco mega-router is just a mainframe, and with liquid cooling on some of the hot PCs, we're back in the old country. You would think with all the money they put into computerized die cutting machines, they could make one that finished up the edges and corners, or just for the love of god and their fellow human beings, PUT PAINT ON THE EDGES.

When I was a kid and cut meat, we had chainmail gloves, they worked!

Art

[King's X]

Hell, I just recently cut the tip of my thumb off with a box cutter cutting a straight line. You will never stop cutting yourself. I gave up on band-aids a long time ago.........I always have yellow tape or duck tape around. I just cut a piece of paper towel and snip of tape and wrap it. I call it a battlefield aid....use what you have available.

[Pablo27]

Things like that usually happen to me when I'm thinking about 10 min ahead of what I'm doing right then. I have to really stay in the moment. Chief I take a lot of blood thinners also, what type of coagulant do you have in your first aid kit? I know at some point it will happen and I want to be ready.

Paul

[oltoot]

The general answer is still never but for me one thing that sure helped was proper cutting surfaces. When I was introduced to Aspen cutting boards, the blood loss went way down. That and glass like surfaces for skiving, etc. Years ago I got a large supply of Aspen and I hope it will last as long as I do. (I'm over 70 now) Part of it, too, was learning to use the round knife and cutting away instead of various pull towards types. Over time, some of the more vicious tools will end up gathering dust and you will probably live through it all. BTW there are also hammers, awls and machinery that will get you until you learn to look out or don't survive. In the end will come a period of relative peace and safety unless, of course, you are just an incurable klutz. If that's the case, embrace it and take up painting or some other pastime that doesn't employ sharp edges.

[JREESER1]

I've been jinxed! Not a nick since I had a stem cell transplant 2 years ago; I read this post and took off the end of my bird finger, while cutting out a pattern, this AM. Shows to go ya! Never finger(sic), your out of the woods.

jr

Edited June 9, 2015 by JREESER1

[cgleathercraft]

After growing up on a farm and working as a mechanic I've found that cuts are inevitable. I've got to the point where I rarely notice anymore unless its deep and I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I don't know how but I've managed to not ruin any leather yet (now I will). My day job is sitting in front of a computer all day so the most I have to worry about there is paper cuts. But even paper is being used less and less. To prevent cutting myself I usually plan my cuts to keep my hands hands out of the way and be really careful. My round knife took a nice chunk of skin with it one day. Wouldn't have known if it wouldn't have embedded itself a good way into my fingernail.

[TinkerTailor]

Its funny when you look at your finger and see a pretty big slice that would have been stitch worthy in someone with Madge Hands, yet due to the callous from the thousands of other cuts, you have no idea when you even did it. The downside to calloused hands is when a harness needle does find enough force and speed go through, it usually goes deep. and hurts way worse than a cut. If you manage to push the needle through the skin, there is no stopping it....

edit: i forgot about the cuts from thread on my baby fingers when pulling stitches tight.... I have leather baby finger socks but sometimes i forget to put then on. Tiger thread cuts like a knife....

Edited June 9, 2015 by TinkerTailor

[cgleathercraft]

edit: i forgot about the cuts from thread on my baby fingers when pulling stitches tight.... I have leather baby finger socks but sometimes i forget to put then on. Tiger thread cuts like a knife....

+2 - one for each hand, sting like mad and take forever to heal.

[Gregspitz]

I am a vascular surgeon by day...we say..

all bleeding stops..............................................................................PREGNANT .PAUSE..............................EVENTUALLY!

[FrankManic]

No major project is complete until you've bled on it.

[LumpenDoodle2]

I am proud to say that very few orders leave my workshop without that extra special little something.

Mainly my blood via a needle or awl.

Every time.......

[shtoink]

I saw Bill mention them, but it's worth saying at least once more...

This sounds like a job for Kevlar, seriously.

Amazon has lots to choose from, Grainger has lots, and if you need proof, There's a pretty convincing video on the DuPont website of weighted gloves getting tumbled in their custom glove mincing, razor blade lined, tumbler for testing cut resistance. I'd argue that Kevlar has a lower cost, dexterity gain, and the reduction to damage of your knives over chain mail.

[Chief31794]

Any concerns about marks on the leather? I cut my nails before a carving job, I would think that Kevlar or chain mail could leave some serious marks on damp leather and I only cut leather while it's damp so that the edges are smooth.

I'm 65 and haven't bled to death yet, I'll just keep being as careful as possible and maintaining my 1st aid kit for when the occasional accident happens.

Chief

[veedub3]

I cut myself very badly for the first time two weeks ago. Bandaids wouldn't have stood a chance against this cut. I put a new blade in a rotary cutter, lined up the steel ruler, and the next thing I know, blood is "EVERYWHERE"!! Took a slice out of my pointer finger like I was grating cheese or something. Could not get it to stop bleeding, had to call 911 and the Fire Dept which is across the street responded and got it under control. Had to take a trip to the ER and it took 26 stitches to close the wound. I have only been in this for nearly 4 years and until then had only really had a few sticks from the needle and awl but nothing near as this bad. Seriously scared the shet out of me! Haven't touched the rotary cutter since. I went back to using my curved knife.

Until this happened my biggest issue was to figure out how to stop whacking my thumb with the maul when using the oval punches. Geez I hate it when that happens because that really hurts.

Karina

[shtoink]

Any concerns about marks on the leather? I cut my nails before a carving job, I would think that Kevlar or chain mail could leave some serious marks on damp leather and I only cut leather while it's damp so that the edges are smooth.

I would agree on the mail gloves, but the Kevlar is a engineered fiber with a similar feel to heavy weight yarn. I don't think that it would be prone to leaving marks unless you were rough handling the leather.

[billybopp]

Kevlar gloves work great. Just trust me and don't ask how I know.

Bill

[shtoink]

Kevlar gloves work great. Just trust me and don't ask how I know.

Bill

I am just going to assume that you still the appropriate number of manual nostril excavators after one, or more, close calls thanks to Kevlar.

[Bob Blea]

I had an incident like this last week. My Leather Wranglers round knife was sitting on top of a box on my cutting table. I accidentally shifted the box and the knife started sliding off the box and onto the floor. I 'instinctively' reached out to try and stop it but fortunately my reflexes were slow and I only caught one corner of the knife as it fell. It cut my finger with a very shallow cut but I did manage to move my foot out of the way and the knife landed on carpeting, so the blade wasn't damaged.

Lessons Learned: Think about where you set your knife down when not in use and never try to catch a falling knife....