Knife Safety: 6 Do's And Don'ts!
Anyone here who hasn't been cut by a knife? Leave a comment below and let us know your secret (FYI: we may poke some fun at you!). For the rest (myself included) who can't seem to get anything done without splurging blood all over the place, this article is for you. Before we delve right into the 6 do's and don'ts, I'd like to share one of my favorite quotes:
"Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent" author unknown.
What's your favorite safety quote?
#1 Do Have A First Aid Kit At Your Disposal!
Ever gotten cut and checked your first aid kit to find you're out of band-aids? Speaking from experience, it is far from pleasant. Dabbing a cut with tissue or a paper towel will only help so much.
A couple months ago I was sharpening my knife on stone, and as a result of trying to do things too quickly.....bam!
At first glance it didn't appear to be the deepest of cuts, so I decided to give it a quick rinse and carry on. Guess what happened? The cut got worse and started spewing even more blood! Here's a pro tip: don't leave your cuts untreated.
Get Yourself A First Aid Kit!If you don't have a first aid kit, then you need to get one ASAP. If you're low, stock up. What should you include in your kit? Keep it simple. Painkillers, band-aids, and antiseptic cream or liquid. Have a kit in your car and in your house.
#2 Do Use A Sharp Knife!
Sharp knives do the work for you; dull knives make you do most of the work. This is the reason why dull knives can be so dangerous.
Dull knives require you to exert more pressure to cut through, and if you're not careful you could loose your grip, slip and injure yourself very easily!
Get yourself a sharpener and honing rod, and put them to use! For those looking for more information, here's a post I wrote on the best electric knife sharpeners. Check it out if you wish.
Ditch The Dull Blade In Favor Of A Sharp One!
#3 Do Take Cleaning Seriously!
What does cleaning have to do with knife safety you ask? The answer is......a lot!
Knives should never be placed in a dishwasher!
Why not? Dishwashers are aggressive on cutlery and the prolonged exposure to water (usually hot) can significantly damage the delicate edge of a knife. Not to mention, the potential of rust formation is also increased significantly.
How does this all play into safety? Well, for starters rust!
I'll spare you the spiel on why you should never use rusted knives (for anything!). When you do not clean your knife properly i.e. by placing it in a dishwasher, you are slowly but surely destroying the edge!
Avoid Placing Your Expensive Knives In The Dishwasher!
#4 Don't Be An Idiot!
Out of all the 6 do's and don'ts, this is for me probably the most relevant and important. This one applies to all of us.
At some point in our lives, we've all tried to be a little too clever with knives!
Whether this meant showing off your skills (a la Gordon Ramsay) on a date with a special someone, or attempting to play the knife game on a drunken Saturday night with some mates. Another pro tip: leave it for the experts, yea!?
#5 Don't Touch The Edge When Testing For Sharpness!
In an attempt to gauge knife sharpness, some people somehow think it is a smart idea to run their fingers across a knife edge.
This is a horrible idea, and one that will more than likely result in a bloody mess.
So what's the best way to check for sharpness? There's a couple different ways, but my personal favorite is the quick and dirty paper test. Get a sheet of paper and attempt to slice through. If the cut is clean and quick, you're golden. I try to avoid the "shave your arm" and "fingernail" tests as these could also be dangerous.
#6 Don't Violate Basic Knife Etiquette!
What the heck is knife etiquette anyways!? Basic knife etiquette to me is the common sense rules we should all follow when handling a knife. Let's spell them out:
- When handing someone a knife, always hand it to them with the handle.
- Never attempt to catch a falling a knife.
- Store your knife in a sheath or block after use.
- Avoid handling and using a knife with wet, slippery hands.
- Your knife is not a can/bottle opener! Don't use it as one.
Treat Your Knives Well & They Will Last A Lifetime!
Leave A Comment!
These are my 6 do's and don'ts for knife safety. By no means is this an exhaustive list, so I'd like to request some help from you the readers. Leave a comment and let us know what are some of your safety tips when it comes to knives! Lastly if you enjoyed reading, a share would be massively appreciated. See y'all in the comments!
