So, I'm in 8th grade, and so I get a lot of comments about my hands! people say that they're so dirty, and nasty, and I reply back with that they are actually pretty clean today. I feel bad for them, 'cause they obviously haven't had the opportunity to get their hands dirty, but really its not their fault, but more of there parents. Anyways, so I included a (bad) picture of my right hand (ungloved hammer hand). And yes it is (in my thoughts) clean for me, and in fact I hadn't forged in about 24 hours, a little more than comfortable for me. It is typically my nails that are dirty, but one thing that I have learned is that you need to keep your nails short, or keep them cleaned, if you don't want to get comments on them. Now I require myself always to have a thumb nail at least to open pocket knives, linseed oil container, and anything else. So what are ya'll's hands like? Get any comments? Mine are just callused and a tan on a clean day. I would show a picture of what they look dirty, but hopefully ya'll have had the chance to experience that yourselves. The picture isn't really good, and I apologize.

                                                                                                                                                         Littleblacksmith

I use Gojo Hand Cleaner and a nailbrush.  Works great. 

I used to get embarrassed at gatherings that my hands were never really clean or not busted up, and that was before I was blacksmithing. Mainly just doing auto body and mechanical work. Now it dosnt bother me. I am who I am and I Use my hands for hard work. (The poor things) 

don't let it bother you. Some people just don't use their hands for much more then typing and eating. One thing I've learned in life is we ( as humans) are all different and it takes all kinds to make it work. In other words just do what you do and be the best at it that you can be.  If someone said something just explain what you do and that it's hard work. Take it as a compliment rather then an insult. It's the life of a working man.

 And yeah, gojo or pumice soap and a nail brush clean dirty hands up nicely.

Sorry can't get a picture of my hands at the moment as I am still getting them dirty. 

Good Morning,

When people complain about your hands, Thank Them Very Much!!

They have just told you what their Focus is. Their Focus is Un-Important.

Enjoy your Life. I have the pleasure of washing my hands, many times during the day. I wash my hands, BEFORE I use the Toilet as well as after!!

Neil

i don't use gloves so my hands are always either burned, cut, blistered, scraped, or a combination of the four.  I'd send a picture of them, but I wouldn't want anyone to faint. I have yet to find a pair of gloves that fit them, anyway. Every time I make a fist, my gloves rip! (I've got massive hands.)

Coal mines in West Virginia have cases of JOY detergent on board.

The miners say that it does the best job at removing coal and other dirt  from their hands and other parts. This after coming off shift.

Just a little factoid for the fraternity.

Enjoy,

SLAG.

oh, don't get me wrong, I don't mind the comments, I don't really care what others think of me!

                                                                                                                      Littleblacksmith

3 minutes ago, Tubalcain2 said:

i don't use gloves so my hands are always either burned, cut, blistered, scraped, or a combination of the four.  I'd send a picture of them, but I wouldn't want anyone to faint. I have yet to find a pair of gloves that fit them, anyway. Every time I make a fist, my gloves rip! (I've got massive hands.)

It aint the size of his hands that make his gloves rip every time he makes a fist. trust me.

Um... okay... but what is it then!  We want to know!

Yea, what is it, C1?  

Well, here are a couple of the scars on my left hand. 

I have never had clean hands from the time I was 10, growing up on the farm, fixing equipment, working in my Dad's dealership, Driving oil trucks, Fixing heavy equip. in the army and then 25 more yrs. in the dealership and having my  own farm and being a firefighter as well.  I consider someone with clean white hands as lazy or a politician either way  not someone I care to know.  Strong handshake, calluses, and dirty hands in my friends, a few scares don't hurt either, except when  you got them.   Far too many clean hands people until you X out their pasts.   PS:  I do wash my hands regularly once or twice a months.

2 hours ago, notownkid said:

I have never had clean hands from the time I was 10, growing up on the farm, fixing equipment, working in my Dad's dealership, Driving oil trucks, Fixing heavy equip. in the army and then 25 more yrs. in the dealership and having my  own farm and being a firefighter as well.  I consider someone with clean white hands as lazy or a politician either way  not someone I care to know.  Strong handshake, calluses, and dirty hands in my friends, a few scares don't hurt either, except when  you got them.   Far too many clean hands people until you X out their pasts.   PS:  I do wash my hands regularly once or twice a months.

I absolutely agree. I seem to be the only one in my family that thinks so, though.

impressive scars jhcc. were did you come by those?

16 minutes ago, Tubalcain2 said:

impressive scars jhcc. were did you come by those?

The long one was from a woodcarving knife that slipped as I was making a wooden spoon. The crescent shaped one was from a big kitchen knife that caught the side of my hand as I was chopping up vegetable waste for the worm compost bin.

There are about twenty or thirty other scars on that same hand, from paring knives, routers, cleavers, burns, chisels, and even a rabbet plane of all things, but these two are the most impressive.

I've found reviewing my hand scars a handy thing to help stay awake in long boring meetings: molten zinc, crushed fingertip, grinder accident, a number of wood saw incidents, veining chisel, large dog bite, brand,  the list goes on for a while...

I find that Gojo or similar product used to wash the hands will tend to *dry* a bit. Instead of adding water, add a couple of squirts of liquid soap and continue washing. When that is starting to *dry* a bit, THEN add a bit of water, a bit more, and finally rinse. 

If someone comments on your hands not being clean after being washed, thank them as it is the color of money.

"Nothing like working a batch of hamburger meat to clean up your hands after working on the car"   quoted from my late FiL, a professional Butcher.

10 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

"Nothing like working a batch of hamburger meat to clean up your hands after working on the car" 

Okay, that's just ... ugh.

Well my father taught me that before working on greasy car stuff putting a underlayer of clean vaseline on your hands made it easier to clean up later as stuff couldn't get ground into your hands

Best hand cleaner  I have ever used is fresh pork fat. I always  said making pork sausage is the best hand cleaner . Retired  fat grocer. Vegetable oil will take about  anything  off of your hands.

34 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Well my father taught me that before working on greasy car stuff putting a underlayer of clean vaseline on your hands made it easier to clean up later as stuff couldn't get ground into your hands

Nitril gloves are pretty inexpensive. 

Just now, Daswulf said:

Nitril gloves are pretty inexpensive. 

And seem to be favored by knifemakers, judging from some of the YouTube videos I've been watching lately.

1 hour ago, Daswulf said:

Nitril gloves are pretty inexpensive. 

Well not back in the early 1960's that I recall...

Just now, ThomasPowers said:

Well not back in the early 1960's that I recall...

"In my day, sonny, nitrile gloves were worth their weight in gold -- in gold, I tell ye -- gin ye could find 'em at all!"

Just now, ThomasPowers said:

Well not back in the early 1960's that I recall...

Not saying they were  I wouldn't know. Just saying now they are.