Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Well just had to get stitches for the first time. Laid my wrist open working on a knife handle. O was tracing the Tang with a pocket knife to start chiseling the hollow out and my knife I was using to set the outlines slipped and sliced it open. Got 3 stitches I wouldn't have bothered but it was close to veins and tendons and my wife said I should get it checked out. So first recordable injury is in the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I had my first accident like that when I was 10 years old. Tried climbing a tree with an open pocket knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 Lol I was actually referring to my first Accident while working on stuff from the forge. Granted it was on a day that I didn't light the forge and I burnt out my belt sander. It's been a heck of a day now that I think of it. But I figured I'd share it with you guys since it's bladesmith related injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Tsk tsk tsk. This is why somebody invented the scribe dontchanow. Three stitches isn't bad, glad it wasn't worse. While I was working for road maintenance and on the crack seal crew we were stripping the sealant out of the boxes to toss in the melter. The boxes were wet and my utility knife had seen sharper days I don't recall just what happened but I lost my footing enough to have to take a step, the knife jammed sort of then came loose. I punched myself in the forearm, felt just like I punched myself, no biggy. Then I felt warm wet on my hand and gee whiz I was sort of gushing blood, not squirting just flowing really heavily. I dropped my box knife, slapped my hand on the wound and yelled at the lead for the day, "Deb!" Nope, she was talking to one of the other guys and slicing boxes. "DEB! . . . HEY DEB!" I get a hand wave. "EXCUSE ME BUT I NEED A HAND HERE!!" About that time the other guys cutting boxes and loading the crack truck look up and start pointing. Well Deb turns around with a look of annoyance and says, "What's so (blankety blank) important it can't wait a second?" And there I am with my left arm elevated, right hand clamped tight to my forearm and blood dripping from my elbow, oh my left arm was soaked in blood fingertips to mid bicep. Here eyes got real BIG and she sits down and says "uh, muh blu blu blu." Chuck the guy she was talking to starts yelling for help. And like so many times I had to talk a couple guys through administering basic 1st. aid. gauze pad, wrap and tape. THEN have to suggest I needed a ride to get it stitched up. 13 stitches for not paying enough attention to the knife in my hand. IDIOT but cheap price for a good lesson. Doc was impressed it was a straight in stab he usually saw long slashes though not so deep. I still have that utility knife in the shop, it's a good reminder. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I had something similar happen at the rubber refinery. I was doing a job I had never done before. I was running the mixing and cutting mill for batches of expandable foam. The plant manager AKA THE BIG BOSS was standing there watching me and making me nervous as all get out. Anyway everything was off the mill and I was about to trim the edges of the sheets. First stack of them I've ever touched. I'm trimming the far edge and the top sheet slides my knife goes over my finger, I was looking down at my finger nail and the tip of my finger laying on the table. It was a strange wound. Besides the tip of my finger it took the skin off in kind of a spiral. It healed up nearly perfect. I ran the orders on that line for the next five years or so. Never got cut again. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 7 hours ago, Frosty said: Tsk tsk tsk. This is why somebody invented the scribe dontchanow. Three stitches isn't bad, glad it wasn't worse. I dropped my box knife, slapped my hand on the wound Lol my wife was cooking at the time and as soon as it happened I watched the cut slice open I had just sharpened the knife and it sliced so clean it took a second for the bleeding to start. I hollered at her I needed some help and she didn't say anything I pinched it closed and put pressure on it and walked into the kitchen and my right hand was covered in blood from clamping my wrist and she started panicking. She got our kids ready and to the er we went she hasn't drove in 2 years cause I usually drive just cause that's how it's been. The Dr at the er said it was dressed better than some of their paramedics did similar wounds. 4 hours ago, pnut said: Besides the tip of my finger it took the skin off in kind of a spiral. It healed up nearly perfect. I ran the orders on that line for the next five years or so. Never got cut again. Pnut It was a little surreal at first looking at the cut as it happened. I remember just looking at it at first kinda like an out of body experience. It was strange, I didn't freak out or anything. I just felt calm. I'm considering making a leather bracer for protection when forging and using cutting tools. I only missed my veins and tendons by sheer luck and centimeters so a bit of self made ppe probably won't hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 I'm not a Bladesmith but I don't think I'd sharpen it up until the very end. That would be the last operation I did. It's strange when you get hurt. I always experience time dilation. It seems like time slows down and I can see every detail. I was in a motorcycle wreck and it seemed like it took 15 or 20 seconds but was probably over in 2 seconds. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 This was the handle I was working on. I was tracing the Tang with my pocket knife holding it pretty much as I am in the pic. I've still got it wrapped up to keep it clean. I was preparing for chisel work. Guess I should've been holding it in my vise. I'm planning a 2 piece hidden Tang construction I had a little shape deformation when I quenched the blade and the Tang warped upward it's for the first knife I forged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 (edited) I misunderstood. I thought you were cut by the knife you were making but you were cut by a knife you were using. That makes more sense. Pnut You got lucky there was no nerve or tendon damage. Edited August 5, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 I know it hit just right to miss stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 This is not my saying, but it works. "Never cut toward your Thumb, Always cut toward your Chum" Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 At least your vet wrap is still clean, I had my elbow wrapped up last week (bumped into something sharp) and within an hour the wrap looked like I had it on for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Ats least you didnt stain the wood, :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 1 hour ago, swedefiddle said: This is not my saying, but it works. "Never cut toward your Thumb, Always cut toward your Chum" Neil My grandpa used to say that 21 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said: At least your vet wrap is still clean, I had my elbow wrapped up last week (bumped into something sharp) and within an hour the wrap looked like I had it on for a year. Lol I'm honestly not sure I should take it off since I don't have any more dressing for it but it is looking worse now already caught some of my kids oatmeal this morning on it but it's not too bad yet. 6 minutes ago, Steve Sells said: Ats least you didnt stain the wood, I've always wondered if adding blood to my coffee wax and canola oil stain would give it a red color since it's a natural finish stain but I wasn't thinking of adding my own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 blood does not dry red tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Ugly brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 Here's my trophy for effort lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Opportunity knocks: Now you get to make a little woodworking scribing knife...or three. There are several styles if you do an internet search, with handles that allow really good control. They'd be a great forging project to add to your list. You'll still probably cut yourself like the dickens if you slip but you'll have the right tool in your hand when it happens :-) Glad you didn't cut yourself more deeply in that area. Lots of important stuff around that area in a wrist. Here's one forged version from a quick search: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 I have had a full set of chisels for wood and leather work on my to do list but we are preparing for a move I'm just doing some knives for ppl that asked if I would make them before I leave the state Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Jay: I use vise grips to hold that sort of thing on a bench. That way you can just use a chisel to set the depth from the start. It also keeps my hide far from the pointy slicey stuff. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 6, 2019 Author Share Posted August 6, 2019 Frosty: I hadn't thought of that until after I did it lol. Plus my shed isn't exactly workshop ready since all of our stuff is in front of my workbench ready to be put in the trailer on the 13th. We are moving all the way to Sioux Falls on the 15th. I have to find a commercial rental space there to do my hobby so it may be awhile after the move before I can start smithing again. Plus that means I'd need to convert to either natural gas or propane forge from charcoal. So it might cost a bit more to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 (edited) Are you familiar with sloyd knives? They are similar to the scribing knives pictured a few posts above. The best learned lessons are usually the most painful is something I grew up hearing frequently from my Mom and Grandmother. Pnut Edited August 6, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 6, 2019 Author Share Posted August 6, 2019 Well the most painful lessons are usually the ones that stick. I haven't actually heard of them but I am gonna look into some different chisel and woodworking tool designs to make. I have some metal rods out of a pallet machine that are high carbon stainless. They are really hard to work but I have several of them, so I can make a set of chisels and tools from them with a little work. Just been so busy with these knives lately haven't got to play with toolmaking. I also have a rounding hammer on my to do list as well as a fullering tool. My list of things to make never stops growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted August 7, 2019 Share Posted August 7, 2019 Jay.bro, I teach wood carving at our local Vo-Tech. One of the first things I tell my students is to go purchase some Kevlar gloves.................fish cleaning gloves work great. That would have protected you from those stitches. Another thing is to never pull a knife, unsupported like that, towards yourself. Lesson learned, and it was only three stitches. Glad the damage wasn't worse than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.bro Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Me too and yeah lesson learned I finished that handle up today I gotta wait to put the pic on here my internet got shut off and my phone has really bad service. But I'm happy with the look but I think I messed it up on shape a bit. The guy it's for likes it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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