"Four Rules" for knives?

Another good rule/proverb: A falling knife has no handle

2 simple rules:
1) Don`t cut yourself
2) If you have reason to stab somebody, do it hard, fast and repeatedly, but within the limits of good taste.

corrallary: when you sharpen the kitchen knives, verbally tell each member of the family and hang a note on the cabinet. Keep bandaids handy.

My 2 are keep them Sharp and carry more than one.

I'll add a few to the excellent list:

1) Sharp is good. A dull knife is harder to control and will cut you.

2) If you used it today, clean and sharpen it before you sleep. If you don't, tomorrow it will cut you.

3) Use a knife as if it simply cannot do anything but cut, because if you try it will cut something anyway -- most likely you.

4) Your knife is your knife; my knife is my knife.

My one rule is to cut with pressure on the spine instead of the lock if I can help it. I rarely cut myself, even with slipjoints, by following that rule.

sent from my Galaxy Note II.

Out of curiosity, what is the best way to hand a knife to someone? Handle toward them, blade toward yourself? Kind of like if you were reverse gripping the knife?

Don't ever set it down, for a folder, fold it up and put it back in your pocket or for a sheath knife, back into the sheath. (this rule may be temporarily suspended for skinning game, but be prepared to lose the knife) If I always followed this I would have a few more knives in my "collection."

This is a superstition, but I follow it. Never give someone a knife it will "cut" the friendship. Sell it to them for a penny.

Point knives down in the dishwasher basket so that the person emptying the dishwasher won't reach down and hurt themselves.

ALWAYS be aware of where the blade is going if it slips off of it's subject , or if it slices through its subject (and adjust the direction or angle or backstop of the knife as needed to be safe). I have several scars from my youth where I failed to follow this rule.

The Boy Scouts teach (or used to) that you take the knife by the spine of the balde, grasping it firmly, and offer it to the other person, who takes it by the handle. When he has it under control, he says, "thank you." Then and only then you can let go.

Be familiar with how you handle your knife, particularly http://www.bucklehead.com

Cut away from your body.

Cut away from MY body.

Do not whittle in the house; if you must, cut away from the arm of the wife's beloved leather couch.

Practice with butterfly knives should never be undertaken in the presence of panes of glass, porcelain knick-knacks, or the aforementioned leather couch.

Duble Naught Spy said:

5) Loaning knives to co-workers and friends is a bad idea unless you want it abused.

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%100 accurate. I found that out the hard way when I let a buddy borrow my K-Bar. Guy ended up opening a tuna can with it. The tip as never been the same...

1) dont stab me
2) dont stab yourself
3) dont break it unless you can fix it or hide it well.

If you sharpen the family knifes, tell everyone.

Sorry, that's a damn silly, uneducated expression, for a bunch of reasons.

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Not so damn silly so as to make the opposite true, right?

ricebasher302 said:

Not so damn silly so as to make the opposite true, right?

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Opposite = always take a knife to a gun fight.

I agree with the opposite.

Maybe you meant converse. Converse = never take a gun to a knife fight.

MK75 said:

%100 accurate. I found that out the hard way when I let a buddy borrow my K-Bar. Guy ended up opening a tuna can with it. The tip as never been the same...

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Sounds like something is wrong with your KA-BAR.

Opposite = always take a knife to a gun fight.

I agree with the opposite.

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I meant opposite in the way that you interpret it. I think that would be damn silly advise! Unless it were taken out of the following context:

"Always take a knife to a gun fight along with your rifle and handgun so that in the event your primary weapon malfunctions, and your backup runs dry, you might be able to use your blade as last ditch effort defensive tool."

Sorry, kind of off of the OP's topic.

look guys the never take a knife to a gun fight was an attempt at humor .as an 18 year old marine recruit in 1963 a very smart di told me to go practice for a year and then come back . he said as long as he had one round in his 1911 I was going to lose I never forgot that. now you can call it what you want but it is what it is.

ricebasher302 said:

I meant opposite in the way that you interpret it. I think that would be damn silly advise! Unless it were taken out of the following context:

"Always take a knife to a gun fight along with your rifle and handgun so that in the event your primary weapon malfunctions, and your backup runs dry, you might be able to use your blade as last ditch effort defensive tool."

Sorry, kind of off of the OP's topic.

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OT, maybe. I don't mind discussing it myself. If you interpret the "opposite" literally, nothing more or less, I find it sound.

Range is important. If the fight starts and/or ends at contact the blade may be as viable or more viable than the gun. It ultimately comes down to skill and the specific situation. I don't see why you wouldn't want both options.

BLOOD CIRCLE! That was the biggest one in the boy scouts. and saying "Got it" when someone hands you a knife, so you don't drop it accidentally.
-An Eagle Scout

Rule #5 - Placement is important. Utensils in the outermost position are used first (for example, a soup spoon and a salad fork, then the dinner fork and the dinner knife). The blades of the knives are turned toward the plate.