Practice good knife safety

Basic knife safety tips

Remembering a few basic knife safety rules will help you prevent injuries. Your survival knife has many uses. However, using a knife is not without risk and you should learn to use a knife safely and correctly.

To prevent accidents when using a knife:

Always cut away from yourself.

Keep your knife sharp and in good condition. A sharp knife is easier to control then a dull knife - A sharp knife is a safe knife.

Keep your mind focused on the job when using a knife. When you have a knife in your hand, keep your eyes on the blade.

Use your survival knife only for cutting or carving. Never use your knife to perform inappropriate tasks, such as opening a can or bottle, loosing screws, etc.

When the knife is not in use, put it back into its sheath.

Grip the knife firmly with your other fingers wrapped around the handle. Make strokes away from your body.

A common accident is starting a cut too near the holding hand.

Keep your fingers wrapped around the handle! No fingers should be on the blade.

A long blade knife is a superior tool for heavy work, but tricky to use for fine work.

Proper carving technique

Make it comfortable.

Keep all cutting edges well away from the femoral artery.

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