Blisters

[heath]

I know this migt sound like a daft question but, I was doing a bit of carving last night with an Issaki Puukko, I now have a blister on my right hand, not a problem and I'm sure this is largely due to me having sissy hands, however it made me wonder whether this was in nay way due to the knife I was using. I'm very much a beginner with all this and I am in awe of people on here that know their tools really well. It got me thinking are blisters a common problem or will the right knife irradicate this problem?

 

[JonnyP]

Hi Heath....I think it would be down to the constant rubbing on one part of your hand, and any knife could do this. If you can get some zinc oxide tape from a chemist, and put some of that over any sore bits as you work, this will help. I use it a lot in the winter when my fingers start getting splits in them, it makes a great second skin and sticks really well...
Damn, its stopped raining, I am gonna have to go into work now.....

 

[Ogri the trog]

I might be wrong in my theory, but to my mind there are a few things which can cause blisters. Amongst the worst for me are plastic handles - or indeed any other non-absorbent surface - brass pommels or varnished wood etc. I think they draw perspiration out of the skin (or cause excessive localised sweating) which weakens the skin - much like the wrinkles after too long in the bath! Then the repeated rubbing seperates the layers of skin causing the blister. Better for me are oiled handles which, once warmed by a little use, are much more forgiving to extended periods of use as they seem to grip the skin better. It might be that a certain amount of moisture is being transfered into the wood of the handle, increasing its traction on the hand. I'm not a medical man but it works for me.
As a young Scout, I took part in several sponsored 40 mile day hikes - the older guys would always say to toughen your feet up with surgical spirit in the weeks leading up to the event. I won't advocate that, but something akin to it before carving might improve your resistance to getting blisters.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[heath]

Thanks guys, it's good to know that it's not just me and that it's not a problem with my knife. (I sanded the varnish off and oiled it so that obviously hasn't helped)

 

[Andy]

It could be the handle shape, some handles are better then others. Some Puukko's are designed to be used with big thick gloves on and I can't get on with them

 

[JulianWormwood]

I've wrapped tennis racket wrap around my Mora. Stops the handle from being slippery, and a lot more comfortable.

 

[Andy]

I did that with a MoD knife
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/highstorrsprom/more%20knives/DSCN1760.jpg

 

[leon-1]

You can toughen your hands up using salt water. Ogri mentioned the surgical spirit thing, I would warn against it, I have had to deal with peoples feet when they have split open on a march, they used surgical spirit to toughen them up, it's not pleasant.

 

[Yorkshire Boy]

Carrying trumpet cases caused blisters for me when I was a kid.
The skin hardened into thick pads.

Don't use tape on your hands.
Keep going, you'll stop getting blisters eventually.

On a side note.
Last summer I chopped a whole load of branches into fire wood.
I used the MOD knife which I gave my brother.
That night I woke up with sickening pains shooting up my right arm, going into my armpit.

I guess it was "shock impact damage".
I was really hacking away. They were thick logs!
I kept thinking,
"watch what you are doing, this thing could make a mess out of your hand/leg etc..

Has anyone else felt this kind of pain before?
I have to say, it was a "really sickening feeling pain".

I'm not used to doing that kind of thing.

Just like when I go bass fishing with my brother in law.
My legs are so stiff from climbing up and down the Welsh cliffs!

Regards, JC.

 

[Draven]

John - I wouldn't worry about the pains tbh. It's probably just because your muscles weren't, as you said, used to that kind of constant strain. I used to get the same thing when doing really strenuous work...

As for the blisters, you've really just gotta try to ignore them. Eventually your hands will become calloused and blisters won't be an issue any more... I used to get blisters all along my fingertips from playing bass and guitar, and at the base of my fingers from work (mechanic...) and carving, but I've got hands like leather mitts now I've also found that thicker handles are better, and wood as already mentioned. Rubber seems to be quite bad for it, possibly because of higher friction when rubbing on your skin...

 

[amott69]

it sounds like a case of sissey hands to me. Unless you work you hands all the time they just don't get tough.I work on the buildings and carry bricks all day my hands are tough as you like but wear a pair of gloves for a few weeks and my hand just go back to being soft. Just stop for a day or two when they blister, they will heal soon enough, when i was in the army i remember the medics coming around and putting iodine into the blisters not a good idea unless your one of these people who gets off on pain

 

[Eric_Methven]

I agree, the only way to stop getting blisters is to get tough skin on your hands, and the only way to do that is to work them, let them blister, then keep working them so the skin toughens over the most commonly used bits. I have very hard skin at the tops of my fingers through using knives, axes and draw knives all the time. I also have hard skin on the very tips of my fingers through constantly pulling needles through tough leather. Sissy hands don't stay soft for long once you start working them.

Eric

 

[heath]

Thanks guys, to be honest the blisters don't bother me at all, I also play guitar and bass and the tips of my fingers are like leather but being a teacher by proffesion the rest of my hands are definitely sissified. To be honest I just wanted to learn a bit more about knives and how to use them. I didn't know whether it was down to the type of knife I waas using. I get the impression now that plastic and rubber handles can aggravate the problem but it's pretty much part of the game that will get better with practice in the same way that my fingers no longer blister when playing guitar.

 

[Toddy]

Pressure and friction cause heat. Heat inflames the skin and destroys cell structure. The body tries to protect itself and fills the area with saline, the result is a blister. If you can stop the heating up part from going too far, and allow your skin to rest for a bit, it'll thicken up nicely without developing blisters which effectively slough off the very skin you want

I reckon the worst kind though are the ones that come off taking the layers of hardened skin with them. That hurts uppy_dog

I find if my hands are too dry, too much digging or wetwork, then the skin blisters off much easier and it doesn't heal so fast either.
Not advocating it's use on an open blister, but a mix of beeswax, honey, meadowsweet and either lanolin or olive oil works very well......and it's surprisingly good on knife handles too

cheers,
Toddy