Apologies

[Broch]

I have used knives for well over 40 years and never understood people who complained about penknives closing on their finger - just poor skill I thought!

Well today, for the first time ever, I nearly took the top of my index finger with my razor sharp Victorinox. So apologies to everyone I have doubted over the years!!!!

I still don't know what I did different

 

[Singeblister]

These things just happen sometimes its never happend to me with a slip joint but I have had it happen with a lock knife when the lock failed, I always use a friction folder these days nice and legal and no chance of shutting on you if you keep a finger or thumb on the tail

 

[Tye Possum]

I've come close a few times with my swiss army knives but luckily it's always stopped just before my fingers or only nicked me a little. I can see that danger but I just like slip joints so I'm not planning on not using them any time soon. You're still going to use them right?

 

[Mungo]

I turned against using foldable knives after an experience camping. I had been on a very long portage, and ended up at a camp site after a long canoe trip, just as the sun was going down. The fire going, I had a pot of water on a hanger bubbling away. I reached over to lift it off the hanger using the blade of my Laguiole folding knife. To ensure I wouldn't damage the blade, I used the spine to support the bailing wire of the pot.

Gravity joined in. The blade snapped shut and closed against the bone on my finger.

Now I am wary. I carry that Laguiole in my pocket still but I now use a Mora for anything halfway rugged or when I need exceptional control.

Mungo

 

[Alex78]

I'm not an expert, not even close to one but one thing I have learned about folding blades is that you have to use both hands to close it. With one hand you will cover the floor with fingers

 

[SimonM]

One of our Scouts severed a tendon last year with a (my!) SAK - easily done!

Simon

 

[Wayland]

Doesn't matter how careful you are when you are paying attention, it's the moment you take your mind off what you are doing that a folding blade can become a danger.

I never trust them but I've still had a couple of close calls.

I think this is what is so annoying about the legal status of locking knifes, everyone that really uses a knife knows it's a safety feature, but the law flies in the face of that.

 

[Lee Wright]

Unlucky mate, hope your digit's ok I'm personally dead against folding knives for myself or the explorers because from a mechanical point of view there is always going to be more risk of lopping a finger off. When I was in Padstow last year I was looking at a Whitby folder in a shop and aplied a little pressure to the spine of the blade, the lock just failed and I ended up with a deep cut to the top of my right index finger, lucky I wasn't out in the field! I only carry a mora now but I'm considering trying out an Opinel I bought and never used as I trust the simple locking mechanism they employ, supposed to be decent steel too

 

[Wildwanderer]

Like the original poster I could never understand how people could be stupid enough to have a blade fold over and cut their fingers, especially as I was fairly experienced and had used knives for 30 years. I tended to use a lock knife just to be safe anyway. However after I had a pretty horrendous experience myself I am amazed I got away with it for so many years and would never use a penknife or lock knife for anything.

My experience was that I was removing a small piece of very soft rotten wood with a lock knife. Basically just cutting and scooping out the wood to make a feeding hole to put peanuts in the side of a log so that I could photograph a woodpecker. All straight cuts mind no gouging or levering. Somehow the knife lock came off just as the knife blade came up against a knot or harder piece of wood and folded over cutting straight through the tendon, exactly in line with my first joint on the middle finger. Because the knife went through on the joint of my finger, the top of my finger was left dangling from a piece of skin. I did not have a phone signal and I was over a mile from the nearest road and even worse my rucksac with first aid kit was across a stream and up a steep bank and the blood was gushing out of my finger. Even as I write this it brings me out in a cold sweat, but somehow I was able to realign the finger and then wrap it in my jumper sleeve in such a way that I could get up to my first aid kit. I then spent a frantic few minutes trying to get the kit out one handed and stem the bleeding, while at the same time trying to stop myself from passing out. It was then a struggle to get some height for a phone signal to get my wife to collect me and get me to hospital. I then had to have an operation and spent 6 weeks in plaster from elbow to finger tip to allow the tendon to heal.

That was a couple of years ago and while they saved my finger it is quite badly deformed. I am still not sure exactly what happened but the design of the lock meant that it was possible under certain angles of light pressure for the finger to push the lock across (knife was a Talon) and release the mechanism. I will never use any type of folding knife now.

 

[Black Sheep]

Few years back I was using a locking Opinel to do some whittling and some how managed to twist the lock off and the blade folded on to my thumb. The blade went right down the side of my thumb nail and I had a flap of skin the full depth of my nail. Luckily been a nice clean slice it when back in about the right place and healed ok, but my thumb's now an odd shape

I vowed never to own an Opinel again and always carried a locker until they banned that. I now carry a legal EDC but I'm very careful what I use it for.

Richard

 

[Hoodoo]

Doesn't matter how careful you are when you are paying attention, it's the moment you take your mind off what you are doing that a folding blade can become a danger.

That's true of all knives.

 

[Tye Possum]

I turned against using foldable knives after an experience camping. I had been on a very long portage, and ended up at a camp site after a long canoe trip, just as the sun was going down. The fire going, I had a pot of water on a hanger bubbling away. I reached over to lift it off the hanger using the blade of my Laguiole folding knife. To ensure I wouldn't damage the blade, I used the spine to support the bailing wire of the pot.

Gravity joined in. The blade snapped shut and closed against the bone on my finger.

Now I am wary. I carry that Laguiole in my pocket still but I now use a Mora for anything halfway rugged or when I need exceptional control.

Mungo

I don't understand, you're weary of folding knives because one closed when you put pressure on the spine, but that's how you close folding knives. I don't know that knife, is it a locking knife? If it is then I understand, you trusted the lock and it failed and I guess that's one advantage of a slip joint, you trust it to close if you put pressure on the spine but locking knives, you trust them to lock. One thing you did do though was break a couple rules right? You used a knife after dark and when you were tired, two things you're not supposed to do because that's when you're most likely to cut yourself. Don't mean to sound rude or anything but next time, it would probably be better to use a stick. :sad6:

I'm not an expert, not even close to one but one thing I have learned about folding blades is that you have to use both hands to close it. With one hand you will cover the floor with fingers

Well what I tend to do if I have to use one hand is put my fingers on the scales and make sure they're not in the "danger zone" and put my index finger as close to the tip as possible to get good leverage and it works fine, though it's possible for you to drop it if you're not careful. If you're using a locking knife or a large folder, it may not work but it works fine with regular sized swiss army knives.

 

[Mungo]

Not at all - not rude at all!

The reason I no longer trust folding knives (lock or otherwise) is precisely because I trust that I will break common sense rules.

Now when I introduce alcohol into the mix - camp fire, knife, canoe... watch out!

 

[Broch]

Ah, I feel so much better now

I've carried a large SAK every day for the last 30 years and probably used it on most of those days so I'm not going to stop. I'd like to think I'll be more careful but reality is when you're cold, wet, tired - things happen.

You've cheered me up though!

 

[jojo]

I think this is what is so annoying about the legal status of locking knifes, everyone that really uses a knife knows it's a safety feature, but the law flies in the face of that.

Perhaps some clever lawyer could find a way to sue the lawmakers for breach of Health & Safety laws.... We are not supposed to use tools that are unsafe, are we? So why should we be forced to use these dangerous lockless tools?

 

[traderran]

We have all been there if we will admit it