PSA-be careful with sharp knives

[ChasinDoes]

Shot a mule deer in wyoming on Tuesday afternoon, went to start skinning the deer while my buddy went back to the truck to drive it closer. Next thing I know I sliced into the middle knuckle of my left index finger.

I knew immediately it wasn't good when my finger involuntarily retracted and I couldn't straighten it anymore. long story short I wrap the finger up and we finish cutting up the deer and packing it out and I drive 2 hours to town and was told I need surgery to repair the tendon I cut.

It happened so fast. Feel like a complete idiot. Humbled me real quick. Always felt extremely confident cutting up/processing deer. Probably why it happened is just because I got cocky/overconfident/lazy.

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[TheGDog]

Yup Yup... it's quick and effortless. My first deer in 2014, was having to cut thru a tendon that was being a lil stubborn... didn't stop to re-orient my thinking in terms of what would be the path of that blade the moment it let's go and gets thru that tendon.

Went across the back of my middle finger, near to base of finger. Maybe.. 2mm deep? I got very lucky. Stop... bandaid... new Latex glove, try again.

So yeah.. big big thing to learn with those scalpels is "Slow the bleep down!" Agreed?

 

[280Ackley]

Oh man hope you heal up quickly. That’s my biggest fear while on the woods. I remember hearing that more hunters die from knife wounds a year then any other way. Not sure if that’s true or not.

 

[ChasinDoes]

worst part is the rest of my hunting season is pretty much over. hard lesson learned, but it'll definitely make me slow down and think about what I'm doing while cutting up a deer next time

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[fmyth]

Hope you recover quickly. I owned a deli in a former life and I required employees to wear cut resistant gloves when running the slicer. I now wear cut resistant gloves on both hands with latex gloves over them when field dressing an animal. They surely saved me last year as I was quartering out a bull and slipped with the knife. I cut through my puffy coat and baselayer and would have surely slit my wrist if I hadn't been wearing my cut resistant gloves. The duct tape on my puffy will serve as a reminder to take my time when field dressing an animal.
Edit: Picture included below for a visual example of cut resistant glove.

 

[sndmn11]

@fmyth is that the level you'd suggest? I have seen mechanic wear and others have cut gloves with different EN and ANSI ratings, but don't know what a hand held knife would need.

 

[aaronmn]

@fmyth is that the level you'd suggest? I have seen mechanic wear and others have cut gloves with different EN and ANSI ratings, but don't know what a hand held knife would need.

Ansi level 4 is the minimum we use in our tool shop when sharpening knives.

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[Beendare]

IME,

 

[fmyth]

@fmyth is that the level you'd suggest? I have seen mechanic wear and others have cut gloves with different EN and ANSI ratings, but don't know what a hand held knife would need.

I went back and searched through my Amazon purchases and found my order and edited my post. I have been using level 5.

 

[ChasinDoes]

IME, there are more accidents with dull knives….and Folks going from those dull knives to a very sharp one. They are used to having to push harder.
.

that's exactly what happened. I just got my benchmade knife back from being sharpened at the factory and I was cutting off the rear leg above the knee, I expected i was gonna have to use a good amount of pressure with the knife to cut through the joint/tendon but it just slid right through it with no effort and through my finger

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[260madman]

Slow and steady wins the race. Always stop and reassess. Sometimes I don’t take my own advice.

 

[ODB]

Yeah man. Was just skinning a moose with a guy who I thought was moving a bit too fast. After he sliced the web of his thumb with a havalon, he did too. Had to use the clotting powder and pressure to get it stopped.

as I’ve gotten older I’ve adopted a new mantra, “I don’t do anything fast”.

There is a Swahili proverb that I love: Haraka, haraka, haina baraka,” meaning, “hurry hurry is no blessing.”

Hopefully you heal up quickly and fully recover.

 

[EastMT]

Even professional butchers wear cut gloves standing at a flat, stable cutting surface. Def wear one on off hand, one on the knife hand doesn’t hurt either. With the new razor blade knives, it doesn’t take but a Nick to be serious.

Hope it heals up good, that’s a rough one.

 

[mlgc20]

Good reminder. I just ordered some of the cut gloves recommended above for myself and my daughter.

 

[Finch]

Hate to hear. Pic of your deer?

 

[Beendare]

>

 

[Finch]

Yep.

Heres another that might help someone.

.I warn all of the gals that come to our house and end up in the kitchen with my wife prepping for dinners and such. Most folks are used to using dull knives....and I usually keep our kitchen knives pretty sharp. [not nearly as sharp as my hunt knives though for a reason]

My wife's Aunt was helping in the kitchen at a family dinner and went to slice something and chopped off the tip of her finger. She said, "Oh S#&t, that knife is really sharp"
Now everyone gets a warning.

>

I just purchased the Worksharp knife sharpener because I'm hit and miss on sharpening. I'm about to do all the kitchen knives and I've already warned my wife. Did one of my dexter boning knives and it's never been so sharp!

 

[GHOSTofWENDELL]

worst part is the rest of my hunting season is pretty much over. hard lesson learned, but it'll definitely make me slow down and think about what I'm doing while cutting up a deer next time

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Sucks man but you're having a good attitude about it. Head up.

 

[Shadowcaster]

Dont feel too bad man, shit happens. A couple years ago my cousin brought home a roadkill deer that he supposedly had hit on the head with a hammer and killed but it wasnt dead when he got to our house. I went to cut its throat and she bucked, ended up stabbing myself in the wrist. Barely a 1/4" deep, but it severed my median nerve. Missed about 9 weeks of work roughly, 13k in hospital bills. Thank god for insurance. I've regained some strength, but I have to keep at it otherwise I lose it. Still cant feel half my hand though.

 

[ChasinDoes]

Hate to hear. Pic of your deer?

not a very big deer at all, weren't seeing many bucks and only had one day left. super fun hunt tho so no regrets...... other than the cut finger

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