When Do You Stop Cutting Yourself?

[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....

[Oldtoolsniper]

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....

Wow does that bring back thoughts of a long recovery. I was whittling the end down on a ramrod for my muzzle loading shotgun. The knife I was using slipped from my hand and for some stupid reason I tried to catch it. The knife hit the bench on its rear and stopped point up, my hand stopped with the blade stuck all the way through my hand. Surgery took 4 1/2 hours, I have use of my hand but the last two fingers and palm are numb. That knife was really sharp, I'm pretty good at that, the surgeon was impressed he said if it wasn't so sharp the damage would have been harder to repair. The knife retails for around $11.00. It's the most expensive tool I now own. Surgery was just over $33,000.00.

I got into leather work so I could make a sheath for every knife I own. I don't set a knife on the bench without putting the sheath on it.

[Bob Blea]

Ow, that makes me cringe all over hearing that story. Usually I'm more careful with the knife too when I put it down, but I clearly need to be MORE careful.

[Art]

Everyone who works in a shop, or hell, a kitchen for that matter, needs a first aid course, and maybe an advanced one. When the SHTF, well we should have avoided that situation, so assume we did, and when the Manure Hits the Windmill (a more serious situation) make sure the patient is alive and breathing, if not, the hell with bleeding and get him/her breathing and heart going. Call 911 whenever you can. Get them safe (you have to temper this with the first part, if they are on fire, move them or put it out first). Stop the bleeding, put pressure on the wound and continue the pressure, you will be surprised how much this will work. If you can't get something to apply pressure against, just try, and if it doesn't stop, go for the tourniquet, belt, BP Cuff, rope and stick, if you have to, just go McGyver on it. Treat for shock as they're probably going to be in it by now.

If you encounter an open fracture (where bone is sticking out or might have come out and went back in) don't mess with it, if it is bleeding profusely go with a tourniquet away from the fracture. Remember, after you call 911, the fire department is only 10-15 minutes away unless you live in a major metro area. Sometimes you just have to transport them yourself.

What's this got to do with a cut in a leather shop? Whenever I see someone reverse cutting with a head knife (they say they can follow the line better) all the above kind of runs through my mind again.

That being said, and continuing, learn (from a Dr. or Vet) how to use Superglue and how to suture. There are veterinary school videos that are pretty good, there are some videos on youtube that are NOT (but there are some that are good).

At one time I collected head knives and used them for almost anything. I've CHANGED (my hope and change things work). I now use Utility knives (fixed blade and box cutter), Clicker knives, and Scalpels. By far scalpels the most. They are sharp, and if you cut yourself, you will bleed. They cut anything, but 2-4oz leather the best of any cutter. One of the problems I had with scalpels was going on the road with them. Even if you make a sheath for them, the blades fall out or come loose from the handles etc. So I found these:

These have bigger blades than the No. 3 handles but the 22s will handle small work and the 60s and 70s handle big jobs..If you have to cut through an 11oz hide, the 115 will do it well, and can handle most any meat they serve at Outback.

This is a pic of my ultimate portable leather shop.

Art

[byggyns]

My great grandfather was a professional meat cutter / butcher for his whole life. That was in the days before they even used the metal mesh gloves much less the new kevlar ones. Each of his hands were essentially one big scar. He stopped cutting himself when he put his knives down for the last time after his second stroke- when he was in his late 70's.

He taught my grandfather & father, who then taught me, how to maintain razor sharp knives and how to minimize, but not eliminate cuts while working.

[Nick Bowles]

haha...my first big cut happened a few weeks ago with a head knife...I was more worried about not bleeding on the leather than the cut. Looked like a crime scene later