# Cut To The Quick



## Dream Burls (Oct 4, 2012)

OK, so here's one I haven't seen. Given you guys are so into knives and sharpening knives you must all, at one time or another, cut yourselves. There's even a saying that a knife is not truly yours until it's tasted your blood. So my question to you all is what's the worst cut you ever inflicted on yourself, how often do you wind up cutting yourself and where is the most typical place you cut yourself (i.e. finger, knuckle, palm, etc.).


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## bieniek (Oct 4, 2012)

I chopped off fingernail a few times. Its quite annoying if the missing piece is lost and you cannot superglue it back on place. 

Fingers are the bastards that get in the way for me, most of the time.


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## Dream Burls (Oct 4, 2012)

I usually wind up cutting the top of my left middle knuckle when i lift the blade a little too high while dicing. Also have a tendency to slit the pad of a finger when I'm drying off the blade.


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## chinacats (Oct 4, 2012)

I officially 'own' all my knives. Seems I cut myself on both hands equally, usually while drying my knife (right hand) or carelessness while cutting (left hand). :curse:


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## stevenStefano (Oct 4, 2012)

I actually cut myself very rarely despite having sharp knives, you get used to it very quickly. Worst time was when I was peeling a turnip and I was peeling it like it was a big potato if you can visualise that. The turnip was hard as hell and took a lot of force and I didn't see a big mushy bit in it, so the paring knife went straight into my thumb and left a cut about 3 inches long and I had to go to the treatment room. No stitches though, I was lucky


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## Miles (Oct 4, 2012)

Fortunately, I don't do much damage to myself. When I do, it's usually a minor nick or something similar. The last significant one was when I shaved my knuckle. Took a lot of quik clot and superglue to keep that one sorted out until it healed.


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## GlassEye (Oct 4, 2012)

I had to have the end of my thumb reattached a couple of years ago, I just taped it back on then went to the doctor a few days later, they wanted to do surgery the next day; oddly that was the start of this knife obsession for me. I was cleaning a knife once and ran my fingertip down the length of the edge; about a month ago I dropped a petty and tried to catch it out of reflex, I now have a good lumpy scar on my middle finger; I occasionally shave bits of fingernail off, but never go through. I don't really cut myself often, but when I do it can be bad.

I need to find a good tissue adhesive that can withstand hand washing and last for at least a day, I have tried NuSkin but that stuff is useless.


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## Lefty (Oct 4, 2012)

I was trying to get a gyuto "Salty Tomato Test" sharp. It was actually at the right level of tooth/sharpness. And while showing off to myself (fast dicing a tomato), my dog came crashing into my patio door, scaring the crap out of me and I took off my index and middle fingers' first knuckles. That sucked!

I also went through the pit of an avocado and sliced my whole palm with my Pettysuki. Other than that, though, In general, I'm pretty good. Oh, I buried the heel of my Marr gyuto into my thumb pad once, just placing it onto my board. It slipped, and I pushed the wrong part to get it back into place.

Do shaving injuries count? I was quickly shaving with my old Böker King Cutter and I don't really know what happened, but I ended up taking a mm chunk out of my earlobe. But, nah...I never cut myself.


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## tgraypots (Oct 4, 2012)




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## El Pescador (Oct 4, 2012)

I've had 28 stitches in both my thumbs(hand work mishaps), and my index finger is a "touch" shorter on my right hand compared to my left(onion slipped). I used to carry duck tape and super glue in my kit. BUT nothing in my opinion hurts worse than a burnt finger tip...


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## Mucho Bocho (Oct 4, 2012)

thats a good one Tom


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## SpikeC (Oct 4, 2012)

Ow!!



tgraypots said:


>


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## Dream Burls (Oct 4, 2012)

You guys don't do anything half assed. You even cut yourselves big time.


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## Paradox (Oct 4, 2012)

For quite a few years I worked in a high volume commercial bakery, a slow day was 70,000 loaves through our line. I put my hand into the slicer without looking. Not once but twice. Two years apart to the week. Uggh! Lost the finger tip pad on both my right and left index fingers. 

Matching set. 

Right side:





Left side:


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## SpikeC (Oct 4, 2012)

The right side one looks like my left middle finger where I stuck it in a spinning table saw blade!


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## mr drinky (Oct 4, 2012)

My worst cut happened not while cooking. I had ordered a Forschner bread knife several years ago and it was shipped in a thin plastic sleeve. Of course the sleeve provided almost no protection and I didn't use it, but when I moved houses I thought I would pack it back up again. So I slid it back in the sleeve, it cut right through the plastic, and just kept on cutting. It perfectly cut right underneath and along my whole thumbnail. It was deep and it bled like crazy. And because I was so surprised, I did some ridiculous jump around dance thing that thankfully no one saw.

k.


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## heldentenor (Oct 4, 2012)

By far my worst cut happened this summer. I was sharpening a couple of knives as a way to procrastinate from working on my dissertation, and in my anxiety and stress was moving way too fast with no attention to form. The knife (I think it was a Cermax) flew right off the stone and cut the pinky of my left (guide) hand in half. Four stitches later and three months later, I have a nasty but impressive scar.


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## Carl (Oct 4, 2012)

My worst "cut" was a screwdriver bit on my drill doing through my palm at the thumb pad, slid off the screw head I was holding and BAM!

My worst knife cut was tiny but wouldn't stop bleeding, the thinnest sliver off my left index finger, so not that impressive.


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## SpikeC (Oct 4, 2012)

Way back when I was first apprenticing as a jeweler I was pushing a graver into a ring and one of the old guys snickered at me, saying that I was going to push that thing into mt hand. What I knew and he didn't know I knew was that if you hold the tool and work correctly if it slips it slips into air. I always assume that the tool is going to slip, and make sure that there is none of my meat where it will end up.


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## mr drinky (Oct 4, 2012)

Outside of knives completely, I had to go to the emergency room after a vintage tennis racket accident that left a 2.5 inch laceration in my palm. They glued it up. 

I actually like that scar the best. 

k.


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## Cutty Sharp (Oct 4, 2012)

I keep waiting for my first big cut but it never happens. Even when working in a hectic pro-kitchen - albeit pretty briefly - it didn't happen, aside from a few nicks (bandaid to stop bleeding, then carry on).

Maybe the knife-gods have spared me remembering that time I smashed through a window as a kid.


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## tgraypots (Oct 4, 2012)

mr drinky said:


> And because I was so surprised, I did some ridiculous jump around dance thing that thankfully no one saw.
> K.


You think so? It was all over youtube. Something about neighbors, hidden cameras..........


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## hax9215 (Oct 4, 2012)

I hope I did not run out a deal with the knife guys by posting on this forom! I used to cut myself reverently twice a year, and I am way overdue! My worst cuts have always been from wiping my knives, I did a 12 stitcher wiping off a Wustof chefs knife in 1982. And a chicken breast roll on me and cause him really need one on my left index finger just above the joint. In fact, since I have been doing most of my work cleavers, I have not cut myself-will probably make up for lost time now!

Hax the Cook CLEAVERS Rule!


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## sachem allison (Oct 4, 2012)

lost a pinky at first knuckle and years later lost middle finger at first knuckle. Both reattached by same gorgeous doctor, both caused by front of the house idiots.


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## Ucmd (Oct 4, 2012)

tip of index finger reattached by hand surgeon....ouch......

i noticed that no one mentioned using sharp knives while drinking ALCOHOL.....i've had a few stitches doing that.....


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## kalaeb (Oct 4, 2012)

Dang Tom, there had better be a good story behind that one.

When I worked at a small cafe in high scool we used a commercial slicer for all our meat and cheese. One night I had the blade guard off and liked to turn it on and just hold a sani towel to it to clean it. When holding the towel on, the most beautiful girl,with a very low cut blouse walked in and I forgot where I was. I sliped and cut into my left wrist about 1/4 through, luckily no tendons, but lots of blood. She freaked out and left, bunch of stitches later the high school guidance counsellor would not leave me alone.

And I cut myself fairly regularly trying to hand sand mirror finishes on my knives, but seldom while actually cutting.


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## Lefty (Oct 4, 2012)

I cut myself doing home renos, etc, way more so than with knives. Actually, I cut my left hand knuckles two days before my Wedding Day, reaching into a box, and meeting up with old trophies. Talk about bad timing....


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## Eamon Burke (Oct 5, 2012)

I was using a Miracle Blade III serrated slicer as a wood saw one night to cut up a chair in an apartment I lived in. I slipped and it cut my finger(not very badly at all given how intense the attack on my finger was), and still have a tiny scar from the food saw eating my skin.

Other than that, just nicks here and there. I had a cut on my thumb-fold from doing Katsura-Muki with a borrowed knife that magically refused to heal for almost 10 days. No scar though.

I cut myself worse on those cling-wrap boxes.


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## Justin0505 (Oct 5, 2012)

I had some lock failures on folding knives years ago that where pretty bad: one in particular cut right down the center of my thumb and stopped on the bone. However, nothing that ever got stitches (super-glue and tape all the way!!). 

The only cut that actually worried me was a couple years ago cutting mango. I was cutting around the pit and I had the mango on it's side and knife horizontal. With my left hand I was rotating the mango against the knife and, my grip on the mango slipped a bit. Like a fool, I was in a hurry, rushing and gripping the mango too low (below the plane of the blade). So, when I slipped, the right (outside) side of my left index finger smacked against the edge of my knife. -fast but not hard. Barely even felt it. It was a weird diagonal cut along the side from the crease of my first knuckle almost up to the tip, and clear down to the bone. Bled like crazy... so much that I had trouble getting the glue to set. I gave up and for the first 48 hrs I just flushed with alcohol, packed it with neosporin, and wrapped it with gauze and electrical tape. The thing that concerned me though was that I had weird nerve and tendon pain. Even a week after it would hurt if I raised my arm past a certain point or moved my forearm or wrist in a certain way. But, it eventually did heal very cleanly, with no permanent damage aside from a scar that's only visible under the right light and if you know just where too look. 

That's the thing about all of my bad cuts: done with very sharp knifes and kept very clean, so no cool scars.

I very rarely cut myself, but my most common cut is actually more of a "poke" when rotating to a new knife or learning a new blade where my brain has not yet programmed in a longer length, my left hand occasionally gets a couple mm of tip that it didn't account for stuck into it, but a drop of super glue and 30 seconds of pressure and it's like it never happened.


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## tgraypots (Oct 5, 2012)

kalaeb said:


> Dang Tom, there had better be a good story behind that one.



Less than a week after knife school last summer.....I was honing the edge of the knife I had made in school on an extremely fine scotch-brite belt (2 x 48 grinder) loaded with alumina oxide. The belt broke, slapping the tip of the knife rearwards, through about 1/4" of the base of my thumb. Blood thinners, shock, ambulance ride, that's pretty much it. Plus, 5 weeks before I could make pots again. No feeling on the tip or face of my thumb and it has been 13 months since.


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## Chuckles (Oct 5, 2012)

Butchering a lamb. Knife slipped off the bone and had a two foot running start into the top side of my left middle finger first knuckle. Nine stitches; five popped within a few days lifting stacks of sauté pans but it stayed closed. On the bright side that is the last cut I am going to ever feel on that knuckle. Should have finished that second cup of coffe before that animal. Not really a morning person.


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## EdipisReks (Oct 5, 2012)

i've cut the corner of my left index finger pad off a couple times, usually when cooking after a few too many. the knuckles of my left had have gotten some slices when lifting a knife too high when chopping. i tend to cut myself much more when sharpening than when cooking, though i have a cut on my left index fingercaused by crushing a garlic clove with a knife that was too narrow, right at the moment. strangely, i have a tendency to get cuts on my right index finger and thumb, despite being right handed. mostly happens when i'm washing up.


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## Benuser (Oct 6, 2012)

Most cuts heal very quickly. Excepted a Global burr I've overlooked.


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## deanb (Oct 6, 2012)

I was cutting up a chicken and the 6" chef's knife I was using fell 40" edge down onto my left big toe. 1.5 inch gash. Ugly.


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## bieniek (Oct 7, 2012)

Ucmd said:


> i noticed that no one mentioned using sharp knives while drinking ALCOHOL.....



Haha no stitches but that happened to me while chopping onion back at Maksims Gathering in June


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## Deckhand (Oct 7, 2012)

Still have a scar on my finger from a butterfly knife. Most of my cuts were from in hand paring knife work. Mushroom radishes in particular. Hmm actually sure I got myself a few times fileting fish on sportfishing boats with all the fish slime on everything, but never badly.


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## K-Fed (Oct 7, 2012)

This is probably the worst damage I've done in the kitchen. Happened about 5 years ago and hope I don't ever do that one again. Seemed to take for ever to heal.


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## knyfeknerd (Oct 7, 2012)

It's very common for me to shave off my fingertip knuckle skin on my left middle finger. I occasionally stab myself when using a boning knife(esp on lamb racks) butchering primal cuts. Other that, most damage is done while cleaning the kitchen. I've scraped off so much flesh under benches, sinks, ovens, etc.
Burns really suck too, especially on the fingers.


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## slowtyper (Oct 7, 2012)

Yeah I get that cut on the knuckle of my middle left hand a lot too. Usually when slicing lots of crostini.


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## Zwiefel (Oct 7, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> The right side one looks like my left middle finger where I stuck it in a spinning table saw blade!



Have you seen the new safety feature on some of the table saws? It uses induction to determing when flesh is touching the blade and throws a block of aluminum into the blade under the table stopping it almost instantly. They showed a live test with a hot dog and it barely got a nick.

Found a link:

[video=youtube;FbndZtkfcqs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbndZtkfcqs[/video]


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## Korin_Mari (Oct 9, 2012)

I think cuts and burns are initiations into kitchens. 

When new employees get their first knife cuts we cheer and welcome them into the Korin family. There was an incident where I was standing next to my coworker who slid her fingers across a yanagi. She notice she cut her finger and shook her finger in pain... It started raining blood on me. I've never been so alarmed in my life. LOL


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## EdipisReks (Oct 18, 2012)

well, i literally cut to the quick two days ago. had a friend over, and i was dicing an onion when he said something that made me laugh, which made me move my hand. my Shig went through the center of my right index finger nail and came out through the front of the finger pad. incredible pain, and it bled for a long, long time, and rather heavily. i think i went into shock, as i was rather loopy for a good long while. it's all super glued up, now, so i'm functional. i'm hoping i'll keep the nail. note to self: don't allow funny dinner guests into the kitchen.

p.s. to add insult to injury, i gritted my teeth in pain, and one of my crowns shattered. i needed it replaced anyway, and there was no pain because it's a tooth that had been root-canaled years ago (it was lost due to a trip that landed my face on a raised sidewalk curb) but it sucked.


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## SpikeC (Oct 18, 2012)

Oh, boy, I could feel that one through the keyboard! Happy healing, sport!


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## Lucretia (Oct 18, 2012)

Tangled with some electric grass shears and tried to cut the end off my middle finger. Fortunately the battery was almost dead. Still ended up with a couple of stitches, and had bits of grass and dirt working out of my finger for months. At least I had a good time showing it to people who annoyed me...


That shig through the fingernail just about made me have to walk away from the computer--OWWWWW!!!!!


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## TamanegiKin (Oct 19, 2012)

I've shaved knuckles a couple times and cut through a hand towel right into my thumb with my yanagiba while wiping it down but nothing really serious. My most notable kitchen cut came courtesy of a mandolin and a piece of jicama. +1 to fingertip burns, I seared my index finger inside a pizza oven recently and it smarts pretty good. 

My worst cut actually happened while skateboarding with a glass bottle in my hand, think I was in 7th or 8th grade.
Hit a crack in the road, flew off the board, hands out in front of me but didn't let go of the bottle. The bottle shattered in my hand, my cousin and I look at my hand and I've got two gashes, one of which has revealed the bone. It felt like slow motion but as we're looking at my hand it starts squirting blood all over the place. Got to my cousins, my uncle starts washing it out in the kitchen sink, hurt like hell. He then offers to stitch it himself with my aunts plain ol' needle and thread. I refused and went to the hospital where I got glass pulled out of my thumb and 14 stitches. My uncle and I laugh about it till this day.


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## The Edge (Oct 19, 2012)

My worst cut came when I was a dishwasher. Though it didn't happen at work. My parents had just gotten me a set of Chicago Cutlery knives, and I was playing with the slicer and the honing rod. I tried to be all cool like you see on tv, and smacking it down the rod really fast (I know this is not the way to do it now), but my biggest mistake was not tucking my thumb under the guard. The blade went smack straight into my thumb pad, straight to the bone. Didn't bleed at first, then all of a sudden, blood just started spurting everywhere. Being that I had to be at work in 30 minutes, I kept it under pressure, and used some super glue to hold it together when I had forced enough blood out of my thumb. Note, super glue stings like crazy when it hits that deep of a wound. Had to wear a rubber glove at work for quite a while, and made me think about how knives are supposed to be used.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 19, 2012)

Caving ice wt. chainsaws & alot of cutting for Banquets,some nicks that bleed but nothing major,knock on wood.My worst cut was being stupid at home,took a clump of frozen fish out to fry it up for my cat,was cutting wt. a sharp carbon cleaver,slipped on the frozen fish & went into my thumb.I was alone drove to emergency wt my wraped thumb,in my small truck wt. a stick shift.Took 7 stiches the Doc said I smelled like fish.

I have seen major cuts in Hotel kitchens.A coworker went through a seed in an Avocado & cut his palm pretty bad.We used to have a bandsaw in the Butcher shop yrs. ago,friend cut his finger off cutting meat on the bone.

When I was a kid delivering newspapers,I would load up 3 baskets 2 on the rear wheel & 1 up front.I hit a curb wt a almost full load & the end of the handlebar went into the pad below the thumb on my hand.Blood was spurting out I went to the house,lucky it was a Doctors,I passed out,he put something under my nose,to wake me up again,I was very lucky it happened in front of a Doc's house.

For many yrs. I had a round scar on the pad of my hand,I can still see some of it 50yrs. later.


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## mr drinky (Dec 2, 2012)

I just got 6 stitches from a knife cut...and it was a freakin' Shun to boot. Anyhow, it was my fault; I did something stupid. I'll spare the gore, but here is the post-op bandage.

k.


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## NO ChoP! (Dec 2, 2012)

I use a knife for hours everyday. Haven't cut myself in a decade....now burns; so many, I don't even pay attention anymore.

I went for an annual doctors visit once with no less than a dozen visible burns on my arms; he informed me that it may someday lead to cancer....well what the heck did I stop smoking for then????


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## NO ChoP! (Dec 2, 2012)

NO ChoP! said:


> Haven't cut myself in a decade.



Knock on wood.....


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## mr drinky (Dec 2, 2012)

NO ChoP! said:


> I use a knife for hours everyday. Haven't cut myself in a decade....now burns; so many, I don't even pay attention anymore.



I can't remember the last time I really cut myself, but I know it wasn't even close to a decade ago...

I was just cleaning out some fruit and there were some limes that had browned, so I was going to cut them in half and juice them. One was really hard and I should have just thrown it, but instead I tried cutting it and the blade slid right off into my finger. It was like cutting a cue ball with a finger for dessert. 

k.


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## WiscoNole (Dec 2, 2012)

The first knuckle of my left middle finger has been shaved off 3 or 4 times. There's kind of a small crater there now. :knife:


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## Lucretia (Dec 3, 2012)

OOOOWWWwwwww! Time to throw away some limes at my house. Hope it feels better soon, Mr. Drinky!


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## Pensacola Tiger (Dec 3, 2012)

mr drinky said:


> I can't remember the last time I really cut myself, but I know it wasn't even close to a decade ago...
> 
> I was just cleaning out some fruit and there were some limes that had browned, so I was going to cut them in half and juice them. One was really hard and I should have just thrown it, but instead I tried cutting it and the blade slid right off into my finger. It was like cutting a cue ball with a finger for dessert.
> 
> k.



Heal quickly, K.


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## rdm_magic (Dec 4, 2012)

Never properly cut myself yet, but some of these stories :eek2::scared4:


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## WillC (Dec 4, 2012)

Never more than a little nick prepping food, but there was that time I fumbled a Suji doing final finish at home in my socks... landed in my toe.. went clean through ,stuck into the wood floor:eek2:


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## Lucretia (Dec 4, 2012)

WillC said:


> Never more than a little nick prepping food, but there was that time I fumbled a Suji doing final finish at home in my socks... landed in my toe.. went clean through ,stuck into the wood floor:eek2:




:dazed:


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## jmforge (Dec 4, 2012)

I am still most likely to cut myself while hand sanding a blade. Early on, the second biggest offender was the belt grinder and 36 grit belts!!!:bigeek:


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## Dream Burls (Dec 4, 2012)

I knew this thread would evoke some good (bad) stories, but I never imagine it would run so long. I guess if you play with matches you're bound to get burned and if you play with knives you're bound to get cut/sliced/stabbed.


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## Don Nguyen (Dec 4, 2012)

******* said:


> I am still most likely to cut myself while hand sanding a blade. Early on, the second biggest offender was the belt grinder and 36 grit belts!!!:bigeek:



Oh boy.

One guy who was in a metal workshop with me had the grinder running with a 36 (these were old Wiltons, with a constant 9000 RPM). He reached over to put the spark guard down and the belt ripped into his bone, through his glove.


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## Lucretia (Dec 4, 2012)

Grinders give me the heebie-jeebies. Spent a summer working for a big American car manufacturer making crank shafts (70-85 lb hunks of iron.) An electrician was working on the grinding wheels and wired them backwards, and instead of backing away they came into the spinning crankshaft and tossed it over a machine guard, where it hit the eletrician and climbed up his back. I don't think he survived. Another guy I know had scars all over his chest from a grinding wheel that got loaded up and blew itself to bits. Definitely equipment to treat with respect.


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## Crothcipt (Dec 4, 2012)

WillC said:


> Never more than a little nick prepping food, but there was that time I fumbled a Suji doing final finish at home in my socks... landed in my toe.. went clean through ,stuck into the wood floor:eek2:



I have dreams where that happens to me at work.


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## kalaeb (Dec 5, 2012)

WillC said:


> Never more than a little nick prepping food, but there was that time I fumbled a Suji doing final finish at home in my socks... landed in my toe.. went clean through ,stuck into the wood floor:eek2:



Will, you have selective amnesia, "Unfortunately I cut my hand pretty badly yesterday, had some stitches and have to get the tendons checked tomorrow in the hospital". That was just a while ago, and I seem to remember you had a fight with some equipment just a while before that. Lol, I have seen some pretty gnarly cuts on your hands in pics too.


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## jmforge (Dec 5, 2012)

I think that involved a drill press. :lol2:


kalaeb said:


> Will, you have selective amnesia, "Unfortunately I cut my hand pretty badly yesterday, had some stitches and have to get the tendons checked tomorrow in the hospital". That was just a while ago, and I seem to remember you had a fight with some equipment just a while before that. Lol, I have seen some pretty gnarly cuts on your hands in pics too.


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## jmforge (Dec 5, 2012)

Don, I will still occasionally get nicked by the edge of a belt, but it has been a while since I went straight into one.


Don Nguyen said:


> Oh boy.
> 
> One guy who was in a metal workshop with me had the grinder running with a 36 (these were old Wiltons, with a constant 9000 RPM). He reached over to put the spark guard down and the belt ripped into his bone, through his glove.


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## WillC (Dec 5, 2012)

lol, yep can't blame knives for the stitches. That was indeed a hand drill press swarf tangle....at least knife cuts are nice and clean.


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## knyfeknerd (Jan 9, 2013)

Yep, it happens to everyone-no matter how long you've been doing it. It makes you feel like such a rookie!




[/IMG]



[/IMG]

I've never cut this much of a fingernail off. It feels really weird and I can't stop knocking it into stuff and making it bleed more!
Sometimes the evil gods of the kitchen demand your blood......
.....seriously......
.....I really believe that.
Anyway, I bought this enormous 280 Takeda gyuto from mhenry before xmas. It got me through the holiday season without sharpening but I took it to the Stones concert this weekend........
.......
usually when I feel an edge on my fingernail it's enough of a warning for me to stop or slow the cut.
This was so quick, so fast.............OUCH!!!
Thanks to mhenry and Takeda!


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## pumbaa (Jan 9, 2013)

damn chris, that looks like something i saw a cook do with a big double handed cheese knife to the finger nail.


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## El Pescador (Jan 10, 2013)

WillC said:


> Never more than a little nick prepping food, but there was that time I fumbled a Suji doing final finish at home in my socks... landed in my toe.. went clean through ,stuck into the wood floor:eek2:



Guess that's why my suji showed up with 3mm missing from the tip.


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## franzb69 (Jan 10, 2013)

i get cut like that a lot knyfeknerd, my nail is just growing back to proper length at the moment. lol. how is yours doing?


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## Lucretia (Jan 10, 2013)

Gaaahhh! Paged down and saw that photo. OOOOOWWWWWWWwwwwww! Just about made me wet my pants just looking at it.

How do you treat something like that? I'd think an antibiotic ointment and keep it covered.

That one merits a poor baby. Poor baby!


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## Zwiefel (Jan 10, 2013)

knyfeknerd said:


> [/IMG]



Heh....I did that a couple of months ago...well, maybe not quite that much fingernail, but it weren't pleasant. Worst part is how eager those cuts are to start bleeding again. The slightest provocation...

Lucretia: yup, ointment and band-aids for a week or so, then let it out in the air to finish healing. took me about 2-3 weeks for it to no longer be visible (was still a little tender though).


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## franzb69 (Jan 10, 2013)

2 days of bandaids and letting it air dry. and being super careful from getting bumped or hit or whatever. hurts like a mother. lol.


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## mr drinky (Jan 10, 2013)

Ouch. 

k.


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## SpikeC (Jan 10, 2013)

Made my toes curl!


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## franzb69 (Jan 10, 2013)

i would share a picture of my right hand with all the stitches my fingers have when i was drunk and had 3 of my finger's tendons separated then had to get stitched up so they could work again. lol. i have 99% mobility on it so it's not a problem. thank god i'm a lefty. lol. a long story.


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## brainsausage (Jan 10, 2013)

Reminds me of the time years ago, before I had any decent knife skills, and I put my thumb through the julienne blade on a Beriner. My thumbnail looked like a Venetian blind. No bueno...


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## knyfeknerd (Jan 10, 2013)

franzb69 said:


> i get cut like that a lot knyfeknerd, my nail is just growing back to proper length at the moment. lol. how is yours doing?


Just did it yesterday. Today was my 1st full day at work with it and let me say "IT SUCKS!!!!!" 
It's hard to properly hold things to cut, so my knife skills today were on par with that of a 3 year old. It's okay though, hopefully tomorrow I won't even be able to feel it. 

Lucretia, thanks for the "ooohhh baby" -I needed that. And not in a perverted way!

Spike, I'm disturbed about making your toes curl! lol


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## cookinstuff (Jan 11, 2013)

Hey knyfeknerd, just get your salt and pepper on all day, will be fine tomorrow.


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## brainsausage (Jan 11, 2013)

cookinstuff said:


> Hey knyfeknerd, just get your salt and pepper on all day, will be fine tomorrow.



Gahhhh! You just made all my knife scars tremble!!!


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## franzb69 (Jan 11, 2013)

> Just did it yesterday. Today was my 1st full day at work with it and let me say "IT SUCKS!!!!!"
> It's hard to properly hold things to cut, so my knife skills today were on par with that of a 3 year old. It's okay though, hopefully tomorrow I won't even be able to feel it.



takes me 2 full days before i not feel it enough to work with my right hand. i just work with four fingers and tuck my pointing finger when that happens. and yes it sucks butt.


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## Lucretia (Jan 11, 2013)

knyfeknerd said:


> I needed that. And not in a perverted way!



lol--no, in a Pobrecito, Poor baby, I'm probably old enough to be your mama way. Ouch. Hope it's starting to feel at least a little better.


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## panda (Jan 11, 2013)

worst self inflicted damage ive done was from a peeler with surgical grade blade. knife, never more than a thin slice of meat taken off where as the peeler damn near took off my entire palm.


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## Crothcipt (Jan 11, 2013)

The worst I ever seen, was a guy ran his whole palm over a motorized slicer. Never seen that guy again after that day.


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## Vertigo (Jan 11, 2013)

On Sunday I knocked a knife off the cutting board and went to catch it.

Yes, you read that right. I tried to catch a falling knife.

With my hand.

In my defense, my sinuses have been stuffed for a week straight, so my judgement and equilibrium is a little off. But yes, despite having cooked professionally for two decades, I'm the ass who tried to snatch a spinning razor from midair. 

Derp.


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## Zwiefel (Jan 11, 2013)

Vertigo said:


> On Sunday I knocked a knife off the cutting board and went to catch it.
> 
> Yes, you read that right. I tried to catch a falling knife.
> 
> ...



It's a rare chance to say the following with only good intentions in my heart:

I hope you completely failed!


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## Vertigo (Jan 11, 2013)

Zwiefel said:


> I hope you completely failed!


Oh, hell yeah I failed. Put a half-inch gash in my middle finger, sideway into the middle of the nail. And everyone laughed and laughed while I taped myself up and fell behind on my station.


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## Lucretia (Jan 11, 2013)

The Washington Post had an article about knife injuries just the other day--it said there were almost 330,000 hospital visits due to knife injuries in 2011. (Of course, that probably counted the stabbings, but still...)

I did like the saying "a falling knife has no handle."


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## Zwiefel (Jan 11, 2013)

Vertigo said:


> Oh, hell yeah I failed. Put a half-inch gash in my middle finger, sideway into the middle of the nail. And everyone laughed and laughed while I taped myself up and fell behind on my station.



Sounds more like you succeeded at a very bad idea! Nice to know that even in the high-pressure world of the commercial kitchen, tenderness among co-workers still exists though. <ahem>



Lucretia said:


> I did like the saying "a falling knife has no handle."



I like this! I'm going to adapt it into my range safety protocol (a falling gun has no handle).


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## brainsausage (Jan 11, 2013)

Zwiefel said:


> Sounds more like you succeeded at a very bad idea! Nice to know that even in the high-pressure world of the commercial kitchen, tenderness among co-workers still exists though. <ahem>
> 
> 
> 
> I like this! I'm going to adapt it into my range safety protocol (a falling gun has no handle).



Amen to that!


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## EdipisReks (Mar 5, 2013)

no pics, but i cut through about half of my left middle finger pad, tonight. i was thinning the tip of one of my Takedas at the same time i was re-seasoning a carbon steel pan. the pan started to smoke a bit too much for my comfort, so i covered it, and apparently swiped the Takeda against my finger. didn't even feel it until i noticed that my green Chosera was now brown. i really felt it when i dunked it in water from the faucet. super glue stopped it, eventually. the Takeda cuts awesome.


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## Dream Burls (Mar 5, 2013)

I think we can do without the pics. You guys sure put a lot of faith in super glue. Hope it heals quickly.


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## knyfeknerd (Mar 5, 2013)

Dream Burls said:


> I think we can do without the pics. You guys sure put a lot of faith in super glue. Hope it heals quickly.


I highly disagree. Pics or it didn't happen!
I would like to give a big shout-out to black electric tape as well. It does a great job securing those pesky band-aids that are prone to slipping off when you don't realize it.:madebooboo:


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## Drumjockey (Mar 5, 2013)

I have taken the middle of the nail off my middle finger a couple times- just the middle, so both sides are left to catch on pockets etc and REALLY be annoying for a month or so as it grows back out. The first time it was almost all the way back to the cuticle. Both times there was no blood, i sheared it off my finger cleanly. Right afterwards just looking at it waiting for the blood and it never came. Sharp knives be blessed! Stupid finger, why you gotta stick yourself out there in harm's way like a dummy?! Usually though, I end up cutting myself on things that aren't supposed to cut me: walk-in doors, 3rd pans, sandwich top lids, freezer shelving, weird stuff.


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## EdipisReks (Mar 5, 2013)

Dream Burls said:


> I think we can do without the pics. You guys sure put a lot of faith in super glue. Hope it heals quickly.



super glue has been magic, for me.


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## Drumjockey (Mar 5, 2013)

I've luckily seen nastier injuries on those around me than I've sustained (knock on wood!) One of my dishwashers about two months ago somehow took his fingertip almost clean off cooking at home. Didn't work for two weeks, doctor's note for the vaca & everything. Came back in brandishing his note with about 20 stitches in this shriveled black thing that vaguely resembled a finger. I couldn't believe they could put so many stitches in such a small area, and I still can't believe they didn't just take it the rest of the way off. It's still black at the tip and gross as hell. 
Another one: saw a guy put a platic wrap box on the top shelf, couldn't quite get it all the way on. It fell and he tried to catch it. That evil-looking serrated cutter edge (that I staunchly maintain is one of the most dangerous things in the kitchen) slit his hand deep all the way across, from between his pointer finger and thumb to the outside of his hand. It was floppy when he showed me, with his fingers hanging down almost backwards. Shouldn't the bones be holding it straight? I remember thinking. A real nasty jagged cut too. Took 3 months to heal; such a high-motion spot, the scab just never could get a foothold. massive scar and definitely one of the grossest injuries I've ever seen in the workplace


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## Sambal (Mar 6, 2013)

Never used superglue to close up a cut. Can someone describe how it's done? Do you have to dry the cut first? Or just squeeze it on the cut and press tight? I find raising up the hand that's cut makes a big difference in slowing down the bleeding.


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## Chuckles (Mar 6, 2013)

If I understand it correctly, I believe super glue was invented to close wounds in combat zones.


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## pumbaa (Mar 6, 2013)

super glue works wonders, if you want it to clot without glue tumeric works wonders. we have clotting spray and super glue in our first aid kit.


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## EdipisReks (Mar 6, 2013)

Sambal said:


> Never used superglue to close up a cut. Can someone describe how it's done? Do you have to dry the cut first? Or just squeeze it on the cut and press tight? I find raising up the hand that's cut makes a big difference in slowing down the bleeding.




i usually use pressure first, as it's less messy that way.


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## Igasho (Mar 6, 2013)

everyone here owns stock in super glue and duct tape right? wait, they are both made by 3m, so just get stock in that company!


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## knyfeknerd (Mar 6, 2013)

Igasho said:


> everyone here owns stock in super glue and duct tape right? wait, they are both made by 3m, so just get stock in that company!


Not to mention the sandpaper too.


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## Sambal (Mar 6, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> i usually use pressure first, as it's less messy that way.



So, pressure, squeeze the superglue on and press tight? Just like that?


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## Justin0505 (Mar 6, 2013)

Gotta love the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

Looks like it was another "accidental invention" where the inventor didn't even realize what he'd stumbled upon.


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## mr drinky (Mar 6, 2013)

Justin0505 said:


> Gotta love the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate
> 
> Looks like it was another "accidental invention" where the inventor didn't even realize what he'd stumbled upon.



Actually, it looks more like the researcher, Coover, did realize it and sat on it until after the war until he 'rediscovered it' and introduced it commercially. Smart guy. 

Btw, in India Johnson & Johnson markeds turmeric Band-Aids.

k.


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## pumbaa (Mar 6, 2013)

yeah tumeric is a natural coagulant dont know where i learned it, maybe back in my first kitchen job. also mustard for burns


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## mr drinky (Mar 6, 2013)

pumbaa said:


> yeah tumeric is a natural coagulant dont know where i learned it, maybe back in my first kitchen job. also mustard for burns



I learned about it on the Sorry Thomas Keller twitter feed that was posted on KKF recently. My next cut is getting the turmeric/duct tape treatment with a layer of saran wrap to prevent the errant blood drop. Apparently, it is a common practice [applying turmeric] in lots of Asian countries, so as Asian cuisine and chefs come, so does some traditional medicine. All good.

k.


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## pumbaa (Mar 6, 2013)

ohh yeah thats where i got it charlotte country club, asian sous chef named troung.


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## Justin0505 (Mar 6, 2013)

I didnt know about the coagulant properties of turmeric, but I've read quite a bit about the "miracle" properties of curcumin, which is the anti-inflammatory component of turmeric that's showing promise for treatment of everything from arthritis to cancer.


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## EdipisReks (Mar 6, 2013)

Sambal said:


> So, pressure, squeeze the superglue on and press tight? Just like that?



no, pressure until the bleeding stops, then seal with superglue, is the way i do it.


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## jared08 (Mar 6, 2013)

At my first cooking job about 4 years ago, I was chopping frozen lobster tails to make stuffing. Using a dull community knife and a lack of knife skills, about half an inch of my thumb pad up around to the nail disappeared in the mix. Much blood, several stitches and glasses of OJ later I was good to go again.
Also a year later at another job, had to slice slider rolls to order due to a slacking prep cook. In the middle of a rush i needed about 16 of them and took the breadknife right down to the bone on my left pinky finger.


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## rdm_magic (May 17, 2013)

pumbaa said:


> yeah tumeric is a natural coagulant dont know where i learned it, maybe back in my first kitchen job. also mustard for burns



Enlighten me on the mustard for burns please?

I burnt myself pretty bad and this guy was telling me to slap some dijon on it but I thought he was just having a joke with me..

How about the super glue? Is just any old super glue safe, and how does it affect healing etc?


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## K-Fed (May 17, 2013)

Four days ago I ha a four inch perf pan filled to the brim with peeled diced sweet potatoes fall into the sink it was resting in and pin my right middle finger against the side of the sink. The edge of the pan ripped into my finger pretty bad. Never knew a perf pan could be so dangerous. Could have used a few stitches but I guess I'm too hard headed for all that nonsense.


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## rdm_magic (May 17, 2013)

rdm_magic said:


> Enlighten me on the mustard for burns please?
> 
> I burnt myself pretty bad and this guy was telling me to slap some dijon on it but I thought he was just having a joke with me..
> 
> How about the super glue? Is just any old super glue safe, and how does it affect healing etc?



And while I'm asking, what about cauterizing a cut on the flat top..


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## K-Fed (May 17, 2013)

rdm_magic said:


> And while I'm asking, what about cauterizing a cut on the flat top..



It works. I've seen it done.


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## snowbrother (May 17, 2013)

rdm_magic said:


> And while I'm asking, what about cauterizing a cut on the flat top..



i dont know about that, but I've cauterized on the bottom of a cast iron pan. It hurts like hell, but it takes care of it.


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## jared08 (May 17, 2013)

used to have a pairing knife dedicated to cauterizing. heat it up on a burner till glowing read then do the deed.


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## cwrightthruya (May 18, 2013)

Clot powder from the drug store and a gauze works better and causes MUCH less trauma than an amateur trying to learn cautery in a kitchen setting.
Just my :2cents:


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## K-Fed (May 18, 2013)

Got a couple pics tonight after five days healing. F'n perf/hotel pans can put a hurting on ya. Even though its healing up nicely... I think my finger tip is still numb/tingly to the touch and if I move it the wrong way I can feel a pinch in my elbow. Defineately some nerve damage. I just hope it doesn't stay that intense for the rest of my life.... Time will tell I guess.


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## stopbarking (May 18, 2013)

Hotel pans are definitely evil if you get in their way. Worst cut I've had recently is dropping a 600 full hotel pan of heavy, thick polenta into a steam well and not getting my finger out of the way before it landed. Pinched my finger and my reaction was to pull my finger out from the pan as quickly as possible. The sharp pan edge and the weight sliced my finger and the jerking motion opened the cut like a book.

Aside from that I mainly just nick my knuckle on my left holding hand occasionally. I'm sure I'm due for a minor emergency.


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## scotchef38 (May 18, 2013)

cwrightthruya said:


> Clot powder from the drug store and a gauze works better and causes MUCH less trauma than an amateur trying to learn cautery in a kitchen setting.
> Just my :2cents:



You can use tobacco as a very effective clot powder and ground white pepper but it hurts like hell.


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## Slypig5000 (May 18, 2013)

Never had stitches so I know not the worst thing here. I dropped a shun beater paring knife on a tile floor and broke the tip. No big deal, the standard tip was sort of blunt anyway so I decided to "fix" it by giving it a screaming pointy tip. Worked awesome. I dried the knife with a dish towel and set it on my counter as I cleaned up the surrounding mess. I got to a point where I needed to dry up some water, picked up the towel, paring knife fell into my foot. I mean the nice sharp pointy part worked. Really well. Knife stood vertical. I'm much more cautious since then.


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## DeepCSweede (May 28, 2013)

My new Masamoto KS became officially mine yesterday as I was carving up one of the two beer can chickens I made, I slipped over the side of the cartilage of the breast and sliced the upper portion of my index finger pretty good. Nice clean cut on a sharp knife - gotta love it. Good thing my mother in law didn't get wind of it, she doesn't take well to injuries and just goes off the deep end.


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## panda (May 28, 2013)

k-fed, i think i have a permanent hotel pan cut on the side of the first knuckle of my index finger, swear there is always an open gap there!!

recently stabbed myself in the knee with a new 270 gyuto. at end of a shift, i was knelt down on the floor to take out a ceramic steel, was too lazy to stand back up and i began using it while kneeling. in the process of bringing the knife across i somehow slipped and put the pointy end directly into my knee cap. it probably looked like i did it intentionally, haha. poured vodka over it, then gauze with tape. didn't stop bleeding for two days. tape ended up ripping up the skin behind my knee and that hurt a lot more than the damn wound itself.


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## Dream Burls (May 28, 2013)

I knew this thread would get a lot of play when I started it, but I'm sorry it's getting as much as it is. I guess when you play with fire (knives) you're gonna get burned (cut, stabbed).


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## K-Fed (May 28, 2013)

panda said:


> k-fed, i think i have a permanent hotel pan cut on the side of the first knuckle of my index finger, swear there is always an open gap there!!
> 
> recently stabbed myself in the knee with a new 270 gyuto. at end of a shift, i was knelt down on the floor to take out a ceramic steel, was too lazy to stand back up and i began using it while kneeling. in the process of bringing the knife across i somehow slipped and put the pointy end directly into my knee cap. it probably looked like i did it intentionally, haha. poured vodka over it, then gauze with tape. didn't stop bleeding for two days. tape ended up ripping up the skin behind my knee and that hurt a lot more than the damn wound itself.


I Definitely have a new found respect for hotel pans. My finger has healed up pretty nicely but the area around the injury is still numb. Don't think I'll ever get feeling back there. Still kinda weirds me out.


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## panda (May 28, 2013)

I bet dishwashers have the most respect for hotel pans, imagine a whole stack falling on your fingertips, I'd rather take a big cut.


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## Dardeau (May 28, 2013)

Top three things that cut me:
Steel Scrubbies
Mysterious corners inside of stoves/ovens
And no the most often, but by far the worst: the mandoline. Once it tastes blood it will thirst forever. It will wait until you absolutely need those hard vegetables shaved NOW and will ruin your palm/fingertips.


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## GlassEye (May 28, 2013)

I came close to gutting myself drawing a neck knife from under my shirt a couple days ago at work. Luckily it was not nearly as bad as it could have been.


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## Sambal (May 28, 2013)

You experienced knuts, do you still cut yourselves when sharpening? I'm careful about holding and positioning my knife correctly when on the stones but I've done it enough to want to nominate grey and red as house colours for this forum.


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## pumbaa (May 28, 2013)

panda said:


> k-fed, i think i have a permanent hotel pan cut on the side of the first knuckle of my index finger, swear there is always an open gap there!!
> 
> recently stabbed myself in the knee with a new 270 gyuto. at end of a shift, i was knelt down on the floor to take out a ceramic steel, was too lazy to stand back up and i began using it while kneeling. in the process of bringing the knife across i somehow slipped and put the pointy end directly into my knee cap. it probably looked like i did it intentionally, haha. poured vodka over it, then gauze with tape. didn't stop bleeding for two days. tape ended up ripping up the skin behind my knee and that hurt a lot more than the damn wound itself.


it looked impressive when i saw it. i got myself on the steel boxes with the latch that are like cold boxes/hot boxes man that latch sliced my finger nice


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## jbl (Nov 1, 2013)

Chopped half an inch off the end of my left index finger whilst multi tasking and not concentrating during a trial shift two years ago. Brand new Sabatier. Got infected. Month out of action. Got the job! My finger tip was on the board. Into the bin, quick bench sanitise. "uh, where do you guys keep the first aid box?"


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## Sam Cro (Nov 2, 2013)

I have yet to sharpen any knife that has not bit me at least once when I have put an edge ,or sharpened it . Most often then not .

Sam


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## lobby (Dec 7, 2015)

ouch...

knife slipped while skinning a pork belly. Have been out for a week as my left hand has been rendered useless. I cant pick anything up. Getting stitches out tomorrow, hopefully back to work soon. I'm very lucky it didn't sever the tendon.


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## spoiledbroth (Dec 7, 2015)

lobby said:


> ouch...
> 
> knife slipped while skinning a pork belly. Have been out for a week as my left hand has been rendered useless. I cant pick anything up. Getting stitches out tomorrow, hopefully back to work soon. I'm very lucky it didn't sever the tendon.


brutal !!

you are very lucky indeed. is that white bit the tendon?


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