Last week I was trimming some wood with a pocket knife and slipped. Luckily, it wasn't too serious - happened in my house - and only a few blocks from the ER. Four stitches in my hand later here's my lessons learned...

1. Knife safety would have prevented it all. Although I've never had a knife accident before, I was entirely too careless. Whittling away and pulling the knife back towards me. Stupid. I should have spent as much time thinking about that as I did sharpening my knife before the accident.

2. Not much blood or damage, but it would have been a much bigger problem out in the wild. My first aid kits would be better off with bigger bandages and wraps. I didn't even have those in my house kit - although a clean towel/cloth wasn't too hard to dig up.

3. The wound could have been sewn up by me, but the value of doing that in the field would be negligible. More damage and I'd need a surgeon. Clean bandages would take care of it for the short term (2-3 days or so). Being short one hand would be the bigger problem.

4. Get a tetanus booster! Mine was out of date (more than 10 years old). That was the real value of the ER visit.

5. The value of a big scar is low unless you come up with a good story. The ER physician suggested that disarming a knife assailant would be a better bar line than I'm clumsy and cut myself.

I am sorry to say that I have cut myself (more than once) doing stupid things with a blade. Never had to get stitches (altho probably should have in a few cases) though. Yet. One of the many reasons I keep my tetanus current at all times...

Yep, I've had to glue myself shut a few times, but only needed stitches once, and dang don't they itch...

I don't know anyone who's worked with edged tools for long that hasn't opened their hide by mistake. It will happen.

Don't feel too bad about it. I hope you are well soon. At least you have first hand experience about the value of knife safety now. It would have been much worse if it happened while instructing someone in knife safety (it happened to my father and I learned that it wasn't as funny as thought in the first place).
I got my share of cuts too. On separate occasions I severed the nerve of one little finger and the tendon of the other. On both occasions the physician admired the precision and smoothness of the cut which he took as a sign of a really sharp blade (back then it was a little awkward).
The lesson I learned (in addition to "knife safety is important") was that physicians fail to like patient who already diagnosed themselves. They like it even less when you tell that the scratch wouldn't have been enough to come if wasn't for the acrual damage of important parts.

That tetanus shot is going to result in a sore arm by tomorrow!

The most important thing is NOT to do risky stuff while out in the field. Alway ALWAYS think ahead ... what if.

"...dang don't they itch..."

Indeed they do. I have had more than I care to remember, thanks to non-self inflicted lacerations...

Leigh said:

"A knife does not know it's master.
Until it has tasted him...."

Blitz

I wholeheartedly agree with the call for having your tetanus vaccination up to date. Spasming on the floor with lockjaw so bad you can't breath you wouldn't be much good to yourself or anyone else.

Second, you can use a big bandage on a small wound but a small bandage is nearly useless on a major wound. Band-aids are fine to have and they save time, effort and bulk but make sure you have large surgical bandages and/or trauma wraps in sufficient numbers. For those who don't know: Sanitary napkins make good bandages for heavy bleeding and large wounds. And they are both cheap and pretty much sterile.

Third, A pack of "steri-strips" wound closures can be used as-is for small lacerations. Duct tape can also be used but keep a bit of gauze between the skin where it is cut. Otherwise there is a god chance of a reaction to the rubber used as adhesive on the duct tape.

You can also use super glue. What get missed sometimes is that those strips can be used with super glue and can largely replace stitches and staples in all but the toughest situations. These strips, with or without super glue, or duct tape can be used to reinforce stitches or staples in spots like elbows or knees where lacerations tend to reopen.

As counter-intuitive as it may sound the old adage about a sharp knife being safer is very true. Your less likely to need to use the sort of brute force that invites an accident if the knife is sharp. If you do slip, everyone does eventually, a sharp knife produces a cleaner and less painful wound. I have seen a deep cut from a very sharp knife close up and heal in a very short time. A cut from a dull knife tears and destroys a good bit of flesh. Devitalized tissue is a prime spot for an infection to set in.

I'm glad it all worked out. Eventually everyone makes a mistake and minor cuts are the inevitable result. The only people who have never cut themselves are those who don't do anything. It pays to be as a safe as reasonable precautions will allow but eventually everyone will slice themselves. It is part of the game.

I have a friend who did her research in deep jungles with remote tribes. She described toddlers who played with a razor sharp machetes about as big as they were. She was alarmed. The women told her not to worry. The child is too weak to pick up the machete so while they get cut the kids learn very quickly. After a few minor cuts they learn how to handle this vital tool with respect but without fear. She noted that most adults had a few scars from childhood. These were seen as badges of experience.

That isn't a quote from George Carlin. It was originally in a book called "Divine Right's Trip", written by Gurney Norman. It was serialized in the penultimate edition of the Whole Earth Catalog.

I actually had the paperback as well, in high school, and I think everyone in my class read it. I lent it to one person, and before I got it back, it had made the rounds of everyone.

Dave

Hmm, I guess he ripped it off then. I didn't know about the book, just heard it in one of his monologues and thought it was interesting.

I guess it's time to pick a new one anyways.