Your worst injury from an edged tool

[ringzero]

Lately I've been reading Bladeforums a lot, and there have been plenty of stories and pics of injuries from blades.

One guy dropped a Falkniven Thor.  Cut his hand as he dropped it, then it picked up enough speed on the way down to actually completely sever his Achilles tendon!

Said it wasn't painful at first, but realized something was wrong when he was down on the floor and couldn't get to his feet.  After surgery and months of recuperation he's still in a wheelchair, but is about to be fitted with a special boot and hopefully soon will be able to stand and walk.

Another story that impressed me was a guy that amputated his index finger and cut down to the bone of his middle finger with a Buck 110.  He was repeatedly stabbing it through truck bed liner plastic to start cuts in that material.  He was warned by co-workers that what he was doing was dangerous, but he persisted with it until the lock of the 110 finally failed.

The worst I've ever done to myself was cuts in soft tissue that didn't even require stitches.  A few times I've cut myself deeply enough to bleed more than I liked, but have never hit bone, cut a tendon, cut a nerve, etc.

How about you?  What was your worst ever injury inflicted by a knife, axe, saw, etc?

.
 

[Benner]

Cut, no stitches here.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Missed the chopping block and buried a hatchet in my shin bone when I was 8, and almost chopped off my little finger with a Cold Steel Voyager Tanto in my early 20's.  I was trying to flick it open and the tough backspring and half stop conspired to allow it to open only halfway, so I decided I needed to put more effort into it.  I switched the the reverse grip and got a good hold so I could give it a good flick.  It worked- sort of.  Instead of opening, the blade snapped shut, with the serrations digging almost halfway through the knuckle on my little finger- right between the bones.  Even after it "healed" on the outside, it still hurt like hell for months afterwards if anything brushed against it.

Then there was the time I was stabbed, although that really wasn't accidental.

I've had numerous smaller cuts from various knives and tools- like the time I was using the blade of a PST II to dig a hole in a plastic cap, and it folded, cutting down into the end of my middle finger.  Then there was the time I was cutting open a plastic hand creme bottle for my wife and I slipped, burying the tip of the small blade on a Huntsman about 1/4" into the meat at the base of my thumb. 

Oh, and the time I decided that absentmindedly playing with a Rambler in my pocket was a bad thing.... as a "fidgeter" I usually have to have my hands dong something.  While at work my fingers would find their way into my pocket and start folding out the nail file on my Rambler.  Well, one day the nail file felt weird as it came out so I unconsciously decided to feel it a little bit to properly identify it.  Turns out it was the blade and I sliced open my fingertips.  Of course since I was face to face with a client at the time I didn't flinch or pull my hand out of my pocket until they had left, by which time I had a pocket full of blood!

There's probably more... in fact I'm sure of it, but those are the ones that come to mind!

Def

[Mr. Whippy]

Need a ruling:

I've cut myself several times but never gotten stitches for them.

However, I had a grinder disc shatter and kick back a piece which nearly cut off my nose.  It required a plastic surgeon, lots of anesthetic and about 30 little stitches to tack it back down.  No followup reconstruction though.

My wife feels it should qualify.  I'm not so sure.  I haven't voted yet.  I think we need a follow up poll  

[Grant Lamontagne]

Ouch- that's gotta hurt!

I forgot to mention my "stitch count."

Six in my shin from the hatchet, none from the CS, although I probably should have.  Seven when I was stabbed, and two from the folding PST II incident.  Do I get bonus points for the time I slipped with a survival knife and stuck it into my wrist?  I gave myself two stitches on that one as I was pretty far away from medical help at the time....

Def

[GraysonK]

Need a ruling:

I've cut myself several times but never gotten stitches for them.

However, I had a grinder disc shatter and kick back a piece which nearly cut off my nose.  It required a plastic surgeon, lots of anesthetic and about 30 little stitches to tack it back down.  No followup reconstruction though.

My wife feels it should qualify.  I'm not so sure.  I haven't voted yet.  I think we need a follow up poll  

I say it qualifies.  Ouch!

[Sean]

Interesting happenings. 

I posted a pic of my most recent mishap. Four stitches in hand, not the worst on here by far.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Cut that bleed freely, but no stitches needed

I've always feared the edge on my knives, so I'm usually bloody careful

[WhichDawg]

I was about 9 ish and I was cutting the toy outta the hard plastic tree it came in from the cereal box,
with an exacto knife (don't ever cut hard plastic with an exacto knife towards your body parts )

started off hard, then "ZIP" went through like budda (fast)
right into the side of my thumb on the hand holding the toy,

till today their is a funny bulge on the side of my thumb (no I'm not happy to see you)
and did it bleed! never got stitches, but I should have.

did you read the thread over at BF about the guy who was batoning "WITH" his hand
holding the log "UNDERNEATH" the blade! 
 

[nuphoria]

I must have 50 scars on my hands all together... mostly from my own carelessness.

I ticked the down to the bone box as I have done that a couple of times. Axe, knives, scalpel, chisels, tin lid, drill bit... I think I've managed to make a mess with just about everything over the years! 
I'm a qualified carpenter so have spent a lot of time on the tools.

I'm clumsy with my hands these days due to the rheumatism - my motor skills are slowing up and I'm too stubborn to not play with sharp things

The nastiest sharp injury I had was when I was 5 though. I was walking along with my hand running behind a fence and something was obviously sticking out - it sliced the back of my middle, ring and pinky fingers right through. I hardly felt it at first, just remember showing my mother this bloody mess and getting taken off to hospital in a black bab. The cabby gave us his hanky to wrap me in and didn't charge for the fair. That's a proper London cabby for you 
I still have the scars from that one all these years later. 

[ringzero]

I was about 9 ish and I was cutting the toy outta the hard plastic tree it came in from the cereal box,
with an exacto knife (don't ever cut hard plastic with an exacto knife towards your body parts (Image removed from quote.) )

started off hard, then "ZIP" went through like budda (fast)
right into the side of my thumb on the hand holding the toy,

till today their is a funny bulge on the side of my thumb (no I'm not happy to see you)
and did it bleed! never got stitches, but I should have.

did you read the thread over at BF about the guy who was batoning "WITH" his hand
holding the log "UNDERNEATH" the blade!  
 

When I was a kid building plastic models I cut myself frequently with Exacto knives.  Those cuts bled freely but never needed stitches.

When I ran out of sharp blades for the Exacto, I'd grab one of my dad's double-edged Gillette razor blades.  I'd fold a thick piece of cardboard over one edge of the razor blade and tape it in place to use as a handle.

Naturally, I cut myself many times using those razor blades to trim plastic model parts.  A thin razor blade can slice deep  into your flesh before you even feel it.

Luckily I never needed stitches although I remember my mom taking me to the hospital once for a deep razor blade cut.

Yeah, I did read that story of the guy batoning through a log while holding the base of the log.  Scary stuff and he's lucky it wasn't a lot worse injury.

.

[Mike 56]

I am a retired carpet layer i have been stitched up to many times to count. The worst cut was when i was cutting left handed and slipped and cut my right hand between my thumb and finger. OUCH
Mike

[ringzero]

I am a retired carpet layer i have been stitched up to many times to count. The worst cut was when i was cutting left handed and slipped and cut my right hand between my thumb and finger. OUCH
Mike

I can imagine that OUCH!

Those knives used by carpet layers would be sure to produce wicked cuts.  Once that pointy tip goes into the flesh, it's gonna be a nasty cut.

.

[WhichDawg]

I am a retired carpet layer i have been stitched up to many times to count. The worst cut was when i was cutting left handed and slipped and cut my right hand between my thumb and finger. OUCH
Mike

I did some carpet cutting in my days, "persona-blue" carpet blades in my murphy knife and slider
they are the sharpest blades I've ever used!

[jim guy]

my worst was when i was a kid, i was sitting on the floor using a small sak and dropped it, it stuck point first in the side of my knee. It went in about 3/8" and cut a muscle, just like having a broken bone, you cant move!

[ringzero]

Read a knife injury story in "Field and Stream" that tops even severed Achilles tendons and amputated fingers.

Two guys from the lower 48 were hunting in the remote Alaska backcountry.  They had been dropped off by a bush pilot, who wasn't due to return for a week or so.

They were a full day's hike from their base camp when one of them shot a moose.  He went to work with his custom made, super expensive hunting knife - can't recall the brand.

He'd never skinned a moose before and was surprised by the thickness and toughness of the hide.  He was straddling the moose's lower body, pulling the knife through the thick hide when it got hung up.  He pulled harder and suddenly the knife came free and he felt pain in his leg.

He soon discovered that not only had he cut deep into his thigh muscle, he had cut in deep enough to slice into his femoral artery.

Blood was spurting from his thigh with every heartbeat.  Within minutes his trouser leg was soaked and his boot was full of blood.

He lived to write about his ordeal, but he was very lucky to have survived.

.

[cliosguy]

multiple small cuts, sometimes with the same knife/MT, the worst being a cut with the can openner of a spirit when stupidly using it as a hook, lots of blood but didnt need stitches

[Freudian Frog]

Never had to go to a hospital for cutting myself... often times I'll drop tools and dodge out of the way in time to avoid impaling my feet though.

[PyroJames]

I think I've only cut myself a few times, mostly when I was really young (7 or 8 years old) and playing with the kitchen knives.    When I was 13 or 14, I stabbed my left leg with an x-acto knife.  I was sitting on the floor with my legs crossed and I was trying to cut something in front of me.  I was holding the knife downwards and it slipped and left a peanut-sized hole right in my leg.  I remember I didn't want to tell anybody (because I would get in trouble) so just kept pressure on it and then slapped a band-aid over it.  For years, the scar was dark and very visible but now it's lightened up to match the rest of my leg.  It's still there but I can barely see it now.

Another time I remember cutting myself was when I was in my mid-20's.  My two friends got me a lockback knife (generic knife from House of Knives, I presume) for Christmas and within 15 minutes of receiving it, I cut my finger.

[Spoonrobot]

This is really unimpressive looking and not really all that severe but it hurt a lot and is my worst cut to date.



While cutting onions at work with my chef knife:


It made a crunch when it went through. 

[sardauker]

carving scalpel.
rolled down and dropped from the table.
caught while in flight with my left hand, in some strange way.
three stitches at the base of the little finger.

[Freudian Frog]

carving scalpel.
rolled down and dropped from the table.
caught while in flight with my left hand, in some strange way.
three stitches at the base of the little finger.

It's a terrible reflex isn't it? I remember a few times while fooling around throwing from short distances sometimes the knives would rebound into the air and without thinking I would reach out to grab them... catch 'em too!

Apparently I've been pretty lucky.

[specgrade]

 I was little when I decided to climb up onto the sink and help my dad out by getting the razor blades down from the medicine cabinet so he could shave.
 Holding one in my hand I slipped off the sink and sliced into my middle and ring fingers of my left hand. My parents took me to the hospital and I got some stiches. I don't remember how many but I recall it put a hurtin' on my finger sucking 

[ducktapehero]

I cut my arm off with a dull Vic Classic but a little ducktape and crazy glue fixed her right up.



What? You don't believe me? No one EVER lies on the internet, didn't you know that?

[specgrade]

I cut my arm off with a dull Vic Classic but a little ducktape and crazy glue fixed her right up.



What? You don't believe me? No one EVER lies on the internet, didn't you know that?

 It ain't true without pics! 

[yud]

Cut that bleed freely, but no stitches needed

I've always feared the edge on my knives, so I'm usually bloody careful

same here I mainly cut my self with kitchen & hobby knives very rearly with an EDC

the worst time was cutting the 1st 1 or 2mm of my finger

the only stitches I have ever needed was for falls (2 times both to the back of the head)

[WhichDawg]

I just read an "EEK" story in another forum, guy was testing out his new blade by poking holes in an auto-hood,
(metal) stabbing it with his right hand, was working fine (busse blade) 

then he decided to use 2 hands, one over the other to really give it some oomph. the hand on the handle held fine
(mudder grip/rubber like) but the hand on top slid down on impact (no guard on the blade),
cut 2 tendons, nerve and even almost severed the bone!

his buddy (who was with) rushed him to emergency, they kept him 2 days. luckily it was mainly on a pinky-finger,
his wedding ring saved the other fingers/hand

[Zack]

Wow I have too many to count.  I was sharpening my pocket knife when I was 10 and went to stab  a block of wood, the wood slipped and went through my leg.  I was scared my mom would find out and take my knife from me, so I wrapped it up real tight and went downstairs to clean it.  Probably needed a stitch or two, but never got any.  I stabbed my left hand with my Pioneer trying to open a blister pack.