Bitten by the Bushman (Warning: graphic pics)

V

Vonderek

Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
52
A cautionary tale...
Knifecenter had the Cold Steel Pocket Bushman on sale in March at a price too irresistable to not buy for the toolbox or car emergency kit.

Upon opening the knife for the first time I was surprised at how stiff the blade pivot was...definitely not a one-hander. When trying to unlock, the lock likewise was very stiff and required force to try to disengage. Unfortunately, the locking system requires the user to pull the knife toward's oneself by a lanyard...with the possibility of cutting anything (including fingers) in the blade's path should the knife slip. I found this out the hard way. Below are pics from the ER:
ER2.jpg

ER3.jpg

ER5.jpg

The following week I was under the knife again...this time by a plastic surgeon doing a several hour surgery under microscope to reattach a severed tendon and digital nerve (glasses added for effect):
post-op1glasses..jpg

The following week I began rehab:
Post-op2.jpg

post-op1week.jpg

Here it is a couple weeks later:
pos-op2weeks.jpg

More progress:
post-op3weeks.jpg

This week will be the 4-week mark after surgery. In two weeks I lose the brace and then it's 6 more weeks of strength and dexterity rehab.

Lessons Learned:
1) What seems like a good deal can instead be very costly. In my case many $1000's in medical/rehab bills; several months of my work as a videographer lost; and the possible end of my future as a guitarist in an indie rock band (we'll see about that. If the finger doesn't work right I'll have to try to learn how to play left-handed.)
2) Be careful of knives with proprietary, unconventional operating systems. I know some people love their Bushmans and I know others have been bitten like me. As for me, if a knife requires force to manipulate, better to just send it back and ask for a refund. I'll be sticking to liner locks and lockbacks from now on.
 
Well dayum.....

When viewing many of the folding bushman reviews on YT, I noticed exactly what you said.....commentators said the exact same thing, that fingers get in the way.

It's why I'll never buy one and you supplied the graphic proof.

Rehab well.
 
Holy Frijoles Batman ! ! :eek:

Thanks for the eye opening post and may your recovery be quick and (somewhat) painless.

Afterthought: Were you already taking pictures when this happened or did you think to grab the camera after you flooded the floor with blood?
 
heefageLA, I took pictures with my cellphone after getting to the ER. On the way it was like the old Dan Akroyd/Julia Child skit on Saturday Night Live.
The ER lobby had to call for a janitor for "clean-up in Aisle 3"
 
That is a nasty wound. Hope you heal well. At least it will be a tale to tell your grand children some day.
 
i just cut my finger closing my cold steel spartan. it was a clean cut, deep but small i don't think it needs stitched.

a few weeks back i cut my thumb on my xl recon1 and needed 4 stitches, luckily it didn't get through the tendon.

it seems i am always cutting myself on my cold steel blades.

i don't think cold steel blades are more dangerous to the user than other brands, it's just that they are so bad ass that i find myself fondling them more often.
 
Turn knife upside down (edge up), grip from underneath with fingers through lanyard and other hand against thumb studs.

Pull hands apart, fold knife.

Fingers never in the path of the blade.

[video=youtube;timxxCyBH_I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=timxxCyBH_I[/video]
 
Thanks for the warning. I was thinking about grabbing one, while they are so cheap. The triad lock stiffness is pretty unconventional too. If you get used to handling the stiff triad lockup, and suddenly switch to a more mushy back lock knife (almost everything else), you can have a close call/accident, as well. I found this out first hand.
 
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Freman Bloodglaive said:
Turn knife upside down (edge up), grip from underneath with fingers through lanyard and other hand against thumb studs.

Pull hands apart, fold knife.

Fingers never in the path of the blade.

[video=youtube;timxxCyBH_I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=timxxCyBH_I[/video]
Click to expand...

yep this is the best way
 
^

Never had a problem with mine when closed in the above manner. Sorry about your accident, I hope it heals well.
 
Before I bought mine I watched a few videos to see techniques, and I've never had any problems, but I can definitely see where there is a danger. I like to close mine by hooking the lock par on my pants pocket and closing one-handed. That way if something does slip, my pants provide a barrier between the blade and the nearest skin to it. My latest cut was from the Pocket Bushman, but was in no way the knife's design as I was simply cutting and slipped. Thanks to the factory sharpness it was a very clean cut that otherwise would have required several stitches, but instead only required a length of duct tape and a week of going easy on my thumb. It went straight to the bone but healed with only a small scar.


The vile offender with its new paint job, which will probably rub off in a matter of weeks but I don't care, it looks cool now.
 
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Freman Bloodglaive said:
Turn knife upside down (edge up), grip from underneath with fingers through lanyard and other hand against thumb studs.

Pull hands apart, fold knife.

Fingers never in the path of the blade.
Click to expand...

Nice! I was looking for Demko's vid where he uses a similar method, but I couldn't find it. I use the same method. No issues thus far. :thumbup:

Vonderek, that really sucks. Best wishes for a full recovery. :cool:
 
Ouch. Wishing you a quick recovery. I did own a CS Pocket Bushman. Found it to be a VERY solid knife. Practiced the closing with the blade up as described by others countless times and reached a point where I fet fairly comfortable with it. But still, I wasn't happy
with the 4116 blade and ultimately reached the conclusion that there are equally solid knives out there that don't require as much
effort or caution to close. Ended up selling it.
 
Ouch - I did similar to my index finder on my right hand, severed the tendon also. I wont explain how I did it... swiss army knife vs finger and there was one clear winner!

Healed up sweet and the finger works just fine.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.
 
Wishing you a speedy recovery from the UK! I hope your guitar playing is still possible!? I am just about to pull the trigger on a new version of the Mini Recon 1 Clip Point, once they hit these shores! All the best!
 
Shucks man, that's a nasty cut. I hope you get better soon, and I hope that your finger recovers a 100 %

I don't think is the knife-locking mechanism fault tho. Nor the design. It's just silly to infere that an Inanimated object is the culprit for human mistakes. You should be extra cautious when handling dangerous objects. Is just sheer common sense. If it's difficult to actually fold, do not put your fingers in the way.
 
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10 years with mine??

No blood or injuries.

You can actually close it one handed, with a couple of methods.

It is not a knife to close with out attention.

I have stout slip joints that inspire more fear when closing, because of monstrous snap.

There are more ways to close it without risking your fingers.

It opens quick enough, but is not a fast closer.
 
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