View Full Version : How sharp is your Knife?
I got an £8.50 Frosts Mora knife on Friday so I have spent the weekend using it loads and having loads of knife fun, even in the rain, but today I got to appreciate just how sharp the knife is or in fact still is.
Whilst showing my kids my carving skills I sliced the top of my finger. Not only slicing skin but well into my nail.
Firstly, I was genuinely impressed at how deep the cut was and how sharp the knife still was, however, this was swiftly replaced by shearing pain and being impressed about the amount of blood I was losing :eek: .
Thank god I'm booked on to the first aid course in September.
Pib
Glad you still have a finger. It's always a good idea to have a first aid kit handly when dealing with sharps.
No matter how experienced you are a moments inattention can lead to some serious blood loss.
The humble mora holds an edge well and takes a good beating.
£8.50 is a reasonable price where did you get it from if i may ask?
RovingArcher
08-05-2006, 00:14
Good knife, good price and good grief, sorry to hear about your mishap. I sure do like the cutting ability of the mora blades. Even after lots of use, they still have a usable edge and it doesn't take much to get them back to hair popping condition.
-Switch-
08-05-2006, 00:17
The knife I use for carving is shaving sharp but doesn't hold it well. I'm looking at getting a few more knives, including a Mora, and practising my sharpening.
And it's good to see you're making such an effort to teach your kids about sharps ;) :lmao:
Where did you get a Mora for £8.50??
My six year old daughter made me feel as stupid as only a six year old can after but I can see medcine in her future. :lmao:
I have lied though and I feel I need to fess up. It was £8.99 not £8.50, sorry only got it Friday but memory fading already it's sad really. lol There was also some postage and package.
I got it on eBay from this guy, http://stores.ebay.co.uk/One-stop-SURVIVAL-shop_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amew aQ3amesstQQtZkm
quick he is not, but got it in the end and it's the real deal so thats cool. It worked out as the cheapest deal I'd seen around after some searching.
However, whilst I was moaning about the wait some kindly sole sent me this link
http://www.baconsdozen.co.uk/knives.htm
I can't recall who sent it but it was someone from here. I haven't bought from them, but I'm sick at the prices they charge. From a quick look the blue and black version of mine is £8.00 and the red and black is something like £6.00. so that's sickenly good.
I'm really impressed with the knife and glad of the purchase. I'd recommend to everyone, but would also suggest you follow Waynes advice and have a first aid box to hand, or stump depending on the accident! :D . Or be like me and have a 6 year old to hand so that they can laugh very loudly at your rather silly antics.
Pib
bambodoggy
08-05-2006, 00:48
No matter how experienced you are a moments inattention can lead to some serious blood loss.
You're not wrong there Mate....did you hear about me running my new bow saw through my hand last weekend? Lucky it was a fresh greenwood blade and made a very clean cut.
I can't remember the last time I cut myself and certainly not this badly but as you say it happens to us all sooner or later if we use sharps ;)
I do always have a good FAK to hand and used these:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/Bambodoggy2/83_1_b.jpg
Which I've found to be the fastest healing plasters I've ever used.
I cut over an inch long incision and about 1/4 deep or more 7 days ago...it's no more than a minor scratch now...I'm truely amazed! :eek:
Does anyone else use these? If not then I strongly recomend them :)
Cheers,
Bam. :D
-Switch-
08-05-2006, 00:58
You're not wrong there Mate....did you hear about me running my new bow saw through my hand last weekend? Lucky it was a fresh greenwood blade and made a very clean cut.
I can't remember the last time I cut myself and certainly not this badly but as you say it happens to us all sooner or later if we use sharps ;)
I do always have a good FAK to hand and used these:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/Bambodoggy2/83_1_b.jpg
Which I've found to be the fastest healing plasters I've ever used.
I cut over an inch long incision and about 1/4 deep or more 7 days ago...it's no more than a minor scratch now...I'm truely amazed! :eek:
Does anyone else use these? If not then I strongly recomend them :)
Cheers,
Bam. :D
Reduces scarring?!?
But then you'll have nothing to impress the ladies with :D ;)
Pibbleb,
Don't feel bad about slicing your finger with your Mora, I did the same with mine and I still have a large scar and a good portion of the cut finger completely numb from where I damaged some nerves. Let's see....Mora Clipper, check. Shaving sharp, check. Slice left index finger behind knuckle down to the bone, check. Sever a a small artery, check. Lots of blood, check. Get five stitches in the Emergency ward, check. Get infection into finger, check. Take penicllin and get an upset tummy, check.
No, I'm not at all making this up. I learned the hard way just how sharp a knife can really be.
Anyway, I learned my lesson but for the most part I'm thankful that my Mora was sharp at that moment and not dull, because if it were my finger probably would've been a lot worse off. A sharp knife is a safe knife, or something along those lines. A dull knife is a dangerous one.
Adam
Glad you didn't get the knife from that link Pippleb I might have felt guilty about you slicing the finger lol. My theory is that all mora's have a Viking blood lust curse placed on them during the forging as i've yet to meet anyone who's not drawn blood with one yet lol.
Dave.
When the knife arrived my wife pointed out that all this stuff that keeps coming through doesn't come with instructions!
Well I laughed, and proceeded to jibe her the rest of the day, as any good husband should, about how to use a knife blah blah blah.
Anyway when I showed her my finger all I got was a knowing smile and I'm sure I detected a shake of the head. Maybe she'll sorry for me today. ;)
As for the curse, that does seem to make a lot of sense hopefully the vikings will now be satisfied.
Pib
British Red
08-05-2006, 11:15
Might I point out that Crook knives are worse (especially when sharpening). I have invested in a kevlar glove!
Red
I have well over 30 knives and each and everyone of them are kept as sharp as possible.
I switch between a Helle Fjellkniven (http://www.heinnie.com/helle/helle-4.jpg) and a carbon steel Frosts Clipper (http://www.ragweedforge.com/840.jpg). Each knife is shave sharp and only comes out of it's sheath when needed.
Great for gutting what I've shot.
I can shave with both of mine - when required!
OldJimbo
08-05-2006, 14:27
I've sure been lucky with just one bad knife cut in decades! I hope it heals soon!
laurens ch
08-05-2006, 15:31
Sounds nasty, I guess it could have been worse if your nail hadn’t been in the way. I often read that a sharp knife is safer, but I also read that a cut from a razor sharp knife causes the blood to clot less easily so I’m not sure what to believe. What do others think?
I have to say that the cut isn't looking all that good today, with lots of bruising, that surprised me! and rather than heeling shut it's opening, although the people sitting around me at work keep telling me to stop pocking it so I might not be helping.
Having said all of that I would imagine that a blunt knife would have made for a far more grotesque injury.
Paul
laurens ch
08-05-2006, 16:25
If its getting worse maybe you should take a trip to the doctors
Chicks dig scares don't they?
Well I'm starting to think I my have to visit the Doc's but I'm kinda holding out. If it gets any worse I'll need to get it sorted, as got jury service next week and a dripping finger isn't going to impress the judge me thinks! :rolleyes:
Paul
bambodoggy
08-05-2006, 18:07
I have to say that the cut isn't looking all that good today
Go and get it looked at Paul....you don't want infection to set in and it's no fun when you have a sore finger. You might need an antibiotic if infection has started and only your doc can give you this.
Your hands are very important and need looking after. ;)
It's great news that you've booked on the First Aid course with Wayne (I take it you're doing the BCUK one?) as you'll learn a lot from him....starting with how to sort cuts like that so they don't go septic lol :D
With my cut I stitched it (with the deep cut plasters NOT rambo style!lol) and covered it with the clear film and then taped around that with micropore to ensure it didn't move, I then wore a leather glove on my hand for the next three days (all still in the woods) only taking it off at night (the glove not the dressing), after three days I removed the dressing, bathed the wound and then redressed it. After another three days I removed the dressing and hey presto...you'd think it was a paper cut :lmao:
I had medi-wipes with me but as it was bleeding so profusely I made the decision not to waste time cleaning the wound only for it to bleed again...the blood flow seemed to be doing a good job of flushing the wound anyway!
I must have cut through the nerves as there was no pain when I did it and there has been none while it was healing and now that it has.
Let us know how your finger turns out Paul.
Cheers,
Bam. :D
Cheers for that Bam
Yeah you're right I need to see someone, called the surgery and have to phone again tomorrow as no room in the inn today. lol. I'm loathed to go to A&E or the walk in clinic as I'll be there for hours as I don't think it warrants that.
It is the Bcuk course I'm doing and really looking forward to it as well. I've done a couple of first aid courses before so should have dealt with it a bit better than I had.
I don't know what I was doing but I couldn't get my act together, not in a flapping way just couldn't take the blood or myself seriously, stupid really.
Paul (the div)
The Mora's are very sharp, made my first sheath (and only so far) for one, in the process I managed to insert the knife about 20mm in to the fleshy side of the palm of my hand.
Once the missus had patched me up I then dug out the black tape and covered the blade with it, just like I was suppossed to according to the tutorial I had read, it's fun learning new things :)
British Red
08-05-2006, 19:36
Paul,
We've all been there mate - took a tip right off my little finger once when chopping with a Sabatier 10" chefs knife. I suggest that if the wound is still open, a good rinse out with something like Savlon wound wash or dilute Dettol would be a good idea. You could then butterfly it closed with streristrips or narrow pieces of sticking plaster or micropore.
Tip for next time - get the wound closed quickly and keep it closed. Wash out any gunk with wound wash close and apply pressure and get stitched - it takes a lot longer to heal if its not closed in a timely way (says the guy with more scars than that guy in Jaws)
Red
wingstoo
08-05-2006, 19:56
Ouch,
The last time I cut my self was the first time I needed stitches, I had five stitches in my left hand (it's always my left hand!) between the thumb and wrist, what sort of knife, and how sharp? it was a brick, an engineering brick. I was doing some work in the garden and picked up a section of old wall that promptly slipped through my hands, three hours in A+E, Apart from that I have had several cuts that have needed hospital attention; fortunately none of the knives I use outdoors have caused me any nasty injuries, just the occasional nick.
I think that if it needs treatment you should get it, if that means hours in A+E go for it, I know of someone (now dead) who injured his foot at work, it got infected and over the next 20+ years they took both his legs, his fingers 1 at a time and eventually his arms to the shoulder, I don't know what infection it was but it all started because of that one injury, so get it cleaned and treated as soon as possible, what is a little time compared to a finger lost or worse.
LS
A word of thanks to those offering advice and concern about my recent accident. :You_Rock_
I've had it looked at. The nice nurse cleaned it out and put some steri strips on it for me. She to was surprised, and a little impressed I think, at how well the knife had cut through skin and nail with equal ease. However, I couldn't bring myself to tell her I did it fashioning a spoon from Birch, she didn't seem the type to understand such pursuits, so I mumbled something about chopping stuff in the kitchen, I feels so ashamed!!! :lmao:
I got told off for leaving it so long with mutterings that the strips may not work and warnings of keeping eyes on it, yes you guys were right.
Wife is now considering to pay the children to baby sit me when she is working, mental note hide my car keys before she goes out? :nana:
Anyway thanks again, plus I've enjoyed your stories of injuries so keep them coming perhaps sharing will be a relaese from the shame felt by us all.
Paul
bambodoggy
08-05-2006, 23:24
I got told off for leaving it so long with mutterings that the strips may not work and warnings of keeping eyes on it, yes you guys were right.
Lol...only coz we've all done it ;)
Red is spot on with what he says here:
Tip for next time - get the wound closed quickly and keep it closed. Wash out any gunk with wound wash close and apply pressure and get stitched - it takes a lot longer to heal if its not closed in a timely way
My cut was stitched and dressed in under a couple of minutes and not opened or played with for the next three days...it really makes a big difference.
Really glad you got it sorted and it's all ok :)
All the best,
Bam. :D
dear all,
since we're sharing 'minor mishap' stories - ive just come out of hospital, having slipped while finishing a nock on the top of an ash shortbow. much impressed the surgeons who kept saying 'it must have been a very sharp knife'. went through one tendon deep into knuckle with a much-loved mora. applied 1st aid promptly(kit always to hand when carving) and so saved index finger. tendons stitched back together arm in plaster, no work for 2 weeks at least, plus lots of codene(!). learning experience! - wife came home and thought there'd been a murder! small son not impressed...
N
British Red
09-05-2006, 09:42
dear all,
since we're sharing 'minor mishap' stories - ive just come out of hospital, having slipped while finishing a nock on the top of an ash shortbow. much impressed the surgeons who kept saying 'it must have been a very sharp knife'. went through one tendon deep into knuckle with a much-loved mora. applied 1st aid promptly(kit always to hand when carving) and so saved index finger. tendons stitched back together arm in plaster, no work for 2 weeks at least, plus lots of codene(!). learning experience! - wife came home and thought there'd been a murder! small son not impressed...
N
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :Wow:
Hope you will make a full recovery mate!
Really - I think we should think about a group buy for Kevlar gloves...you know the sort of knitted ones? Anyone have a source?
Red
dear all,
since we're sharing 'minor mishap' stories - ive just come out of hospital, having slipped while finishing a nock on the top of an ash shortbow. much impressed the surgeons who kept saying 'it must have been a very sharp knife'. went through one tendon deep into knuckle with a much-loved mora. applied 1st aid promptly(kit always to hand when carving) and so saved index finger. tendons stitched back together arm in plaster, no work for 2 weeks at least, plus lots of codene(!). learning experience! - wife came home and thought there'd been a murder! small son not impressed...
N
Wow I bow down to your far superior injury.
Hope you get well soon.
As for group buy for Kevlar gloves maybe! better still rubber knives.
Paul
oddly enough, when i came home i wasn't allowed to cut the bread, use scissors, cut my nails...
n
Hope you recover soon Nyayo sounds like yours had a particularly nasty curse forged into it. There you go pibbleb rubber knives just for you lol http://www.coldsteelknives.co.uk/ you'll have to let us know how you get on sharpening them lol
Dave.
heres a post i did awhile back on some test cutting..
http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=3026&hl=
sharp knives are good... :D :D
Greg
Well guys, I've done it again!
Managed to chop through the muscle in my right hand which is between my thumb joint and finger joint.
Wife not very impressed Doctor hugely impressed, but he was a fella so what do you expect.
Anyway three stitches on my wife is threatening to ground me! :(
Seriously though, please be careful, don't use sharp tools when over tired or rushing I was both and hadn't been a awke long from a quick nap.
Be safe guys and learn from Uncle silly boy! :cool:
Pib
Graham_S
30-06-2006, 00:10
i gave myself a nice diagonal cut on my left index finger. right to the bone across the first knuckle joint.
i did it with my svord drop point (convex edge stropped with jewellers rouge). so sharp i didn't feel it. i only noticed I'd cut myself when i noticed the pool of blood on the floor.
i was using the knife to split kindling for my new Kelly kettle (i was giving it it's first fill/boil)
fortunately i had my first aid kit handy complete with steri-strips to patch myself up.
ArkAngel
30-06-2006, 07:20
My knife will strip the hair off the back of my arm with ease.
I notice that some people strop their blades using jewellers rouge. Is this used with a normal leather strop in the same fashion, and what advantage does it give to just using the leather strop on it's own please?
How expensive is it as well, will most jewellers sell you the stuff?
British Red
30-06-2006, 08:28
AA,
Jewellers rouge is a very fine abrasive / polishing paste. In effect it gives you a mirror shine on your knife edge - finer than anything you can ahieve with paper or stones or steel. Rubbing some into you strop (which can be a leather belt or just a piece of card) gives a great final finish.
You can buy rouge from B&Q (in the tool section in a little pot in the dremmel area). Pink and green buffing compound (like a large wax crayon - this will last a lifetime) does exactly the same job - its available from Axminster tools (online). Drop me a PM if you need links etc.
Red
pibbleb - Glad the fingers on the mend. Take comfort inthe fact that if it needs amputating you've got a nice sharp knife to do it with :D
I do always have a good FAK to hand and used these:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/Bambodoggy2/83_1_b.jpg
Which I've found to be the fastest healing plasters I've ever used.
I cut over an inch long incision and about 1/4 deep or more 7 days ago...it's no more than a minor scratch now...I'm truely amazed! :eek:
Does anyone else use these? If not then I strongly recomend them :)
Cheers,
Bam. :D
Hi Bam
I've not seen those plasters. Can I ask where abouts you source them from?
Spikey DaPikey
30-06-2006, 11:22
Wow I bow down to your far superior injury.
Hope you get well soon.
As for group buy for Kevlar gloves maybe! better still rubber knives.
Paul
Here ya go then ........... click me (http://www.protecdirect.co.uk/Product.asp?i=1721)
And here (http://www.black-eagle.co.uk/rubber-knife-p-285.html?osCsid=be5b031621da82 fd49441fa8719236e5)
:theyareon
Jon Mawer
30-06-2006, 12:07
First time I cut myself was with my SAK at about the age of 10. Had three butterfly stitches at A&E. Never cut myslef again, until recently. I was useing the diamond file on my leatherman wave to shape the blade of an opinel!!! How dumb can you get??? Cut myself very deeply, but put a standard elastoplast on tightly after washing it, and is now ok. Feel like a plonker though!
ArkAngel
30-06-2006, 13:13
Thanks for that Red
I'll have a nosey this weekend in the local store.
bambodoggy
11-08-2006, 16:29
I've not seen those plasters. Can I ask where abouts you source them from?
I'm ever so sorry Matey, only just seen your question!
You can get them here:
http://www.auravita.com/products/aura/REBI10382.asp
or on ebay of all places! lol :
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Fast-Aid-Deep-Cut-Plasters-x-3-packs_W0QQitemZ9525749997QQihZ 007QQcategoryZ11779QQcmdZViewI tem
Hope that helps,
Bam. :D
wingstoo
11-08-2006, 17:06
Hi Folks,
Just out of interest, we did a group buy earlier in the year where we got the Frost knives down to £6 each...it was a big buy though...between us we had more than 25 knives...
LS
Well guys, I've done it again!
'Ere, pib, you do know you're meant to hold the fat end, don't you :lmao:
My personal best is the cut on the tip of my left forefinger, done with an X-Acto modelling knife at the age of 11, IIRC.
It was along the top of the finger, tip to 1st knuckle, through the nailbed (in fact to the bone in places)
I was so worried about my parents' reaction that I washed and plastered it and just tried to keep stumm about it.
It was sorted in around a week (at least to the point where I could talk to my folks with no hands in my pockets :o )
Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend this approach, but it does show just what you can heal when you are young and non-smoking. These days I'm very careful as my tab habit means I heal too slowly.
Take care people (and as Bam said, carry a knife, carry a FAK)
Jim.
hmm... i always keep my knife sharp enough to shave hair off my arm. Luckily now that the Clipper is my main knife, it ain't a hard thing to do :rolleyes:
Although I could really do with some decent band-aids... cut my thumb earlier while sharpening and the plaster keeps fillin up with blood... i gotta tell ya, rollin a cigarette with a plastic-coated thumb ain't easy...
Axe Catcher
11-08-2006, 23:08
My theory is that all mora's have a Viking blood lust curse placed on them during the forging as i've yet to meet anyone who's not drawn blood with one yet lol.
Dave.
Me sir, me sir.
Mind, I've only had mine a week and it's already been trying, leapt for my thumb the day I got it, no, really, it did!
AC
Cap'n Badger
11-08-2006, 23:21
Nice one Spikey....that was ace m8.... :lmao:
When I first, and proudly, took my Gransfor hatchet out to the woods I was VERY mindful to treat it with a great deal of respect and care. I used it first for a simple task of creating pegs, just for the hell of it. "Wow", I thought, "That's sharp".
And as I was putting the safety cover back on to the axe, you know, to keep me safe from the sharp edge.... I cut into my thumb!
The hatchet gave me a little kiss and got it's blood sacrifice.
I got to live up to my user name.
Again.
Here ya go then ........... click me (http://www.protecdirect.co.uk/Product.asp?i=1721)
And here (http://www.black-eagle.co.uk/rubber-knife-p-285.html?osCsid=be5b031621da82 fd49441fa8719236e5)
:theyareon
You are such a wag Spike. :D
How is the bike? Have taken the head off yet?
Geoff
Roefisher
12-08-2006, 15:06
I like my knife to be as sharp as I can do - except for my James Barber banana knife which I keep blunt as I lean it against my finger which slicing.
I'm in the middle of putting a flat grind on my Wilkinson Sword today. The bevelled bit is slightly hollow ground at the factory and this combined with the knife having previously been sharpened on the edge only has made for a bit of a nightmare.
I've left it to one side a while as my thumbs are raw and bleeding a bit :rolleyes:
But the bevels are now flat from around three to four hours with a course waterstone. Later on I'll start again with the medium and then fine. How come Ray Mears had a mirror finish in about five minutes on the film :lmao:
Mark
I like my knives to be atom-splitting sharp! I think all my knives have had a little nick out of me at least, but I also got bitten by my GB SFA whilst putting the mask on it! Wierd!!
I got done big style last year when I was carving out the front of my flat and one of the twins from downstairs started talking at me in her screechy voice. I told her to dissapear because she would disstract me and it would end up messy for me. She started running around me in circles and I thought I could ignore her and just crack on, but it ended with me slipping and cutting along the index finger of my left hand from third to second knuckle along the side! She was lucky to make it home with her life, I tell you!!
Nathan Sturgess
14-08-2006, 22:41
I did the same with a mora but I ended up taking 1/3 of my finger tip off, luckily it was only flesh but now it has grown back I have a little lump on the flesh which is painful with any amount of pressure on it, it also makes playing guitar (one of my other hobbies) pretty painful. It doesn't help with my adventure sports either but this is life.