Tag Archives: knife

Pocket knife safety

I mentioned elsewhere that I carried a pocket knife almost all the time when I was a kid. Some of my friends found this unusual when they found out—I guess their parents didn’t let them play with anything sharp (I wonder what that says about my parents?).

One time I recall walking home from school with a friend and the topic of my knife came up somehow. Of course he wanted to see it, so I pulled it out and before handing it to him I advised him that it was sharp. To demonstrate, I showed him how he could gently drag the blade of the knife over the ridges of his thumb to feel the sharpness. He imitated me and instantly cut his thumb.

I think this event made such a big impression on me because I really was not aware that other kids might not have the same level of training and experience with a pocket knife as I did. They were basic tools around my home. So, keeping this lesson in mind, perhaps it is worthwhile reviewing some of the basic safety tips for handling a pocket knife.

First point, as my friend learned, knives can be sharp. Don’t cut toward your body with the knife blade. We are all guilty of this; you are holding a stick and just need to make this one cut back toward your hand, and bingo, it cut through quicker than you thought. Or, you are holding that tough plastic package on your thigh to stabilize it as you cut through to open it—wham, yup you did it. Just make a habit of cutting away from yourself, period.

Don’t run (or walk) around with the knife open in your hand. If you are going more than a few steps just close it. It really only takes a few seconds.

If your knife has a locking mechanism for the blade, carefully practice with it so you know how it works. Even though some knives are designed to be worked with one hand, you are really better off using two. You might need to loosen the blade or even oil it a bit if it is too stiff. However, you may not want to oil a blade that does not have a locking mechanism—nothing worse than having the blade suddenly close around your fingers.

If you hand the knife to someone else, either close it or hand it over by the blade, carefully holding it so it will not cut you, but your friend can grip the handle to take control of it.

And finally, do not slide your finger ALONG the blade to test how sharp it is. Gently drag your finger PERPENDICULAR to the blade to feel how easily the edge catches on the ridges of your fingers.  A sharp blade will catch easily against your skin. If it fails to catch the ridges of your fingerprint it is not sharp. Some of the worst accidents happen with dull blades, so they are more dangerous, not less.

Happy and safe cutting.

Knives For Hunting Also Have Many Other Uses

If you are gathering together the things you will need for an extended journey into the great out of doors, then any experienced outdoorsman will tell you that proper knives for hunting are essential. This is because having a quality knife near at hand will be very useful during your journey and not just for the obvious uses of cleaning and skinning any of the game you successfully bag. A good knife will also be very handy if you encounter a wild animal that might attack or for trimming branches in order to set up camp.

As with any other type of instrument for cutting, hunting and fishing knives must be well cared for and maintained in order to extend their life and to make them as useful as possible. When one is out on a hunting, fishing or camping expedition, it is important to be sure that the fixed blade hunting knives or folding hunting knives that you take along are ready at a moments notice to do their job. This means they should be clean and recently sharpened. In the instance of folding or pocket knives, they should be oiled so that the blade can be accessed easily and quickly.

For those who use their knives for hunting on a daily basis for other purposes, it is a good idea to clean the knife daily or after every use. This helps to keep not only the blade in the best condition possible, but the entire knife as well. If the hunting knife is properly cleaned, then you can see if there are any nicks or damages to the blade.

If you do see that the blade has been nicked, it is important to hone out that area as quickly as possible, and most certainly before using the blade again. This will keep the blade from becoming even more damaged and will also assure that you always have the sharpest cutting edge on your knife at all times. A dull blade can be dangerous to the user, as more pressure is required and in such circumstances the blade is more likely to slip and cause an injury to the user.

Hunt and fish knives typically end up being used to skin, gut and clean animals and fish that has been killed or caught, and as a result they can become very dirty, very quickly. Out in the wild it is not always possible to thoroughly clean a knife that has just been used, but at the very least the blade and handle should be wiped down to remove as much blood and tissue as possible.

Upon returning to camp, it is best to completely wash the knife with soap and water to rid it of any residue and dirt left on the blade and handle. There are also a number of cleaning solutions on the market which can be very useful in keeping the knives for hunting in good condition and which can easily be taken along on your next hunting trip. Visit www.lightsandknives.com/hunting_knife_sharpening.htm for tips on how to maintain your knives in good condition.

Want to find out more about knives, then visit Tim Frazier’s site on how to choose the best folding knives for your needs.

Also see what you should look for in a hunting knife.