When teaching your kids, safety when using a knife must be highly emphasized. Knives are an essential part of our bug-out bag or emergency kit. We carry them on almost every outdoor adventure, whether hiking, hunting, camping, or bushcrafting. Also, knives are essential home tools, and they come in handy in several situations ranging from kitchen chopping to self-defense against an assailant.
The keynote to bring out, though, is that whether what you have is a survival knife or kitchen knife, it is dangerous, even to you, when mishandled.
6 Tips for Safety When Using a Knife
Notwithstanding the knife type you use, it is necessary to know and prioritize some safety precautions to reduce or eliminate the possibility of suffering an accidental cut when using it. Here are six practical tips to note to familiarize you with the fundamental rules of knife safety.
Always Carry A Sharp Knife
No matter the class you attend, carrying a sharp knife is the one rule of thumb never to be ignored. This may be ironic, considering that at first thought, a blunt knife has the lower possibility of cutting you, but this is a wrong analogy.
A blunt knife does not cut easily and for this reason, using it is always likely to require more force from you. Now, that’s where the tricky part is. If there’s a slip (which is likely due to the amount of force being exerted), there will be disastrous consequences — just as though you were using a sharp knife. What I mean is, it’s much clumsier to use a blunt knife. Plus, a cut from a sharp knife is often tidy and, thus, much easier to clean & stitch up.
Sheathe When Not in Use
You must always protect yourself and others by sheathing your knife whenever it is not in use. This will certainly prevent certain accidents like standing or sitting on a sharp blade or cutting yourself as you run your hand through your body. Sure, most of us always sheathe our knives when we leave home. The problem is that we forget to sheathe them again after bringing them out to use. Now, think about it, what’s the other name for an unsheathed knife that gets misplaced?
You got it right; it’s “an accident waiting to happen.”
You must be careful with your knife as you navigate the wilderness. Keep it sheathed, as there’s a high chance of tripping on a treacherous terrain or over tree branches. If you’ve ever seen a fall in the woods, you’d realize how fatal you can be injured holding an unsheathed knife while falling. Avoiding clumsy movements may take a lot, but sheathing your blade does not. Whenever you’re done using it, keep your sturdy steel where it feels safe. Good for you two, the way I see it.
Recognizing the Blood Circle & the Triangle of Death
Except when using your knife for self-defense or direct hunting, you must make sure that no one is within reach of your swing. The blood circle is the circle made while holding the knife out at the level of the chest. Any person within this circle must be gotten out before you use your knife. Normally, no one in his right senses would get so close as you wield a knife, but it’s better to be preemptive.
However, the knife is as deadly to you as it is to the other person. So, that’s why you must avoid cutting between the Triangle of Death, which is the area between the knees to the groin. Now, you see why it’s a triangle. You should never cut yourself in this area, as this is where the femoral arteries are located. Any little cut can cause extreme bleeding. In fact, you may bleed out within an hour.
Grip Tight & Properly
To prevent potentially harmful slips, you have to grip your knife firmly whenever in use, just like you’d hold an ox or a hammer. This is to ensure that your fingers (the thumb mainly) do not get in the way of the blade. Make sure they stay on the knife’s handle.
You tend to slip if you use your knife while tired, so try not to. Using a knife when not very okay leaves room for dangerous mistakes since you could easily lose your grip. Do not handle a knife when drunk or in a fragile state of mind.
Have a First-aid Kit Handy
I assume any outdoor enthusiast would know that a first-aid toolkit is compulsory when on an adventure. Yet, I have to mention it specifically, so you don’t forget yours at home. If you’re carrying a knife or not, you must have a box to provide immediate health care when needed. However, having this box isn’t enough; you must treat minor injuries when emergencies arise.
Endeavor to check your first-aid toolkit from time to time to see if there’s any tool replacement or addition to be made.
Never Cut Towards Your Body
No matter what you’re using your knife for, you must cut away from you. Never use the knife in a way that you’re directly in front of its range of threat. This is another cutting technique to take note of alongside the Blood Circle & the Triangle of Death.
There are others, including the chest lever, which involves holding the knife firmly & pulling the item to be cut away from you. The knife’s static position is maintained, and all you have to do is move the item being cut, say a piece of wood. The motion of the item has to take care of itself. Just hold the knife.
Keep in mind: never cut towards your body.
Final Lines on Safety When Using a Knife
Maintenance is also an important part of safety when using a knife. Do not let your blade rust or go bad before caring for your knife. Regular care will ensure that you’re also safe while handling it. You wouldn’t have to worry about not hitting the target’s bullseye or slipping from excessive force exertion. Also, pay your knife its respect. Do not use it for tasks that it is not required for. This will further reduce the possibility of an accident happening.