Basics Of Knife Safety
One would think that a knowledge of knife safety consists of guidelines or rules we should practically be born with. We instinctively don't look directly at the sun, and since we know what damage a sharp cutting edge can do to us, we somewhat instinctively avoid sharp edges as well. We don't always do a good of that though, as if to say knife safety is important for the other person, but we don't need to be told about it. We aren't apt to get cut.
Still, people who work in kitchens, commercial kitchen or at home, are forever stabbing themselves or cutting themselves, those working in the large box or discount stores and have to open boxes of merchandise, cut themselves with box-cutters, and hobbyists have a habit of poking themselves with X-acto knives. Even hardy outdoorsmen, who know how to handle a knife, a gun, and an ax, somehow manage to cut themselves, usually when using a knife for something other than its intended purpose. Outdoorsmen have been known to shoot themselves too.
Most of us learn at an early age that when we hand a knife to someone, we hold it by the blade and offer the knife by its handle. While we might be a little uncomfortable about holding a knife by the blade, at least we're aware of what we're doing, and consequently are taking precautions. Trying to grab a knife by the blade is another matter.
Speaking of grabbing a knife by the blade, about the only time that makes sense is when you're certain that if you don't, greater damage might be done, say to another person, than will be done to you, in terms of a cut hand. We all have a tendency to instinctively reach for things that suddenly fall, so grabbing a falling knife isn't really an act of stupidity, though in hindsight it will seem that way.
Box Cutters, Utility Knives, X-acto Knives - Many stores that require their employees to use box-cutters from time to time usually offer some instruction on how to use them. Using a box-cutter might seem very simple, and it is. The one rule however, is never to cut towards yourself. If the cutter slips, and they often do, you can easily slice a finger, and we're talking about razor-blade sharpness when we talk about box cutters. The same goes for the super handy utility knife, the knife with a blade, again razor sharp, that can be extended or retracted with a push of the thumb. Sometimes we take the word "utility" a little too literally, and try to cut things that the knife isn't designed to handle. Those who use utility knives around the home or on the job, often treat them the same way some treat box cutters. They cut towards themselves. A utility knife can usually do a lot more damage than a box cutter.
The saving grace with the X-acto knife is that it's small, so we aren't apt to cut an arm off, though cutting a finger off is always a possibility. With the X-acto knife however it's usually a small cut that can be treated with a band-aid. Still a cut is a cut, and X-acto knives are very sharp and cut very easily. One problem with this type of knife, or with a leather-working knife as well, as there are many instances where we have to cut towards ourselves, to maintain adequate control over the blade. This is acceptable in some instances, as long as we are being cautious, and know what we're doing. Knife safety becomes more a matter of proper technique than simply of the cutting direction.
Slash And Hack - Sometimes, as careful as we try to be when using a knife, impatience gets in the way. How many of us have tried cut through shrink wrap carefully and methodically, when several layers of it have been used to wrap a box we want to open? After about 15 seconds of seemingly getting nowhere, we start using the knife like a small hatchet, hacking and slashing at the wrap as if that will make the job quicker. It won't, it just makes it a little more dangerous. If we get upset enough, we can soon forget all about knife safety. Opening the box becomes the only goal.
Safe Storage - Part of knife safety involves storage of the knife. A sharp knife that's lying loose in a drawer full of other loose items, the "junk drawer" most of us seem to have to have, is an ever present danger, especially if accessible to small children who can't quite seen into the drawer. Even shape knives placed in compartmentalized trays can sometimes be mishandled. A knife holder such as those made of butcher block is an ideal way to store sharp knives, keeping them out of reach of small children, and keeping them sharp. Box cutters and utility knives, both having retractable blades, can be stored anywhere, yet putting one in one's pocket with the blade still extended isn't exactly unheard of.