Don’t be stupid like me. Knives are sharp.

[Fireflyfishing]

Havalon knives are a no for me unless I need to do detailed work. After all, you don’t see butchers using scalpels and doctors using butchers knives…food for thought.

 

[waspocrew]

A no-cut glove on the hand opposite of the one holding the knife will save your bacon - please don't ask how I know this. I nearly saw a fatality in a gutting/quartering operation on a kid's first mule deer buck. Dad was standing at the buck's head leaned over and holding the front legs open and (for some unknown reason) the kid decided he was going to split the ribcage with a knife. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict what was about to happen - that first rib broke under extreme force from the kid and he nearly drove that knife in his follow-through upswing into Dad's throat. It was CLOSE, so close I believed he made contact. Scared the hell out of everyone. And with good cause, we were three miles from a boat to get back across the Snake River to a point that was four hours from McCall. Knives are really dangerous in field situations because we're tired and in a hurry to get an animal in a pack.

Holy shit, that sounds terrifying. Glad it was a miss.

 

[dhatter9]

Thanks for the reminder! I got super lucky last year in that I only cut the very top of my thumb off last year and not the whole thumb. I was opening up a bear and the knife stuck, and then stupidly I applied more force instead of repositioning. The knife “released” and flew into my off hand neatly slicing the very top of my thumb. I cut off the 1/8” between the end and the nail. Bled a lot and was able to clean and be ok, but an inch or two lower and I may not have a left thumb. I definitely always wear the cut less gloves now.

 

[Pharmseller]

Gerber fixed blade in the field.

Havalon in the barn and the processing table.




P