Flying knives and the catching instinct

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AlphalphaPB

Joined
Apr 29, 2002
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Ouch. I almost slashed my wrist vein open just now. I was working on flipping between saber and reverse grip by gripping knife handle between thumb and middle finger and spinning. Was working fine, so I kept increasing the speed, until I lost my grip and the knife went flying up.

Of course, my stupid instincts told my hand to catch the knife. :D The tip of the blade poked right into my wrist (at the place where you'd normally pound things). First reaction: looked at wound. Second reaction: saw very dark blood coming out. Third reaction: saw vein running just under wound.

Not a very wide gash (~4mm) but it runs exactly along the place where the vein is most apparent. Another millimetre deeper, and I bet I would have had to call an ambulance.

If I'm so clumsy with a fixed blade, I really worry about handling balisongs. I'd better dull the blade the moment I receive my pre-ordered Cheetah.

So, is there any way to condition yourself not to catch falling knives? Does it just take many repeated and painful lessons?
 
Not sure how to prevent the instinct, but I will say dont become a knifemaker if you have a great tendancy to catch knives in air....I'm not sure I can honestly say how many times I've had a blade go airborne in the shop ;). Seriously though, if its serious have it looked at, I hope you're ok. -- Charles
 
I worked in a kitchen for far too many years and one night this guy Gerrard THREW (actually lobbed, point down) a 10" chef's knife in the direction of my buddy Sean, who just casually reached out instinctively and CAUGHT the knife by the handle as if it were nothing. Gerrard and I just looked at each other like "I can't believe he didn't just let it drop!" Especially since it was just one of those institutional plastic handled knives that get swapped out for fresh sharp ones each week... Pretty cool but it could easily have been a little bloody.

PM
 
I don't know why, but developed a habit of trying to slow down falling objects with my feet, especially on a hard surface. I dropped a glass over the kitchen tile, and kicked the thing about 15 feet into the living room on the carpet. No breakage occured... Unfortunately, that instinct kicked in when I dropped a knife. when to break the fall of the knife on the tile floor... looked down and had a knife sticking in my foot. Hurt really bad, but taught me a great lesson... Now, I try to just let things fall.

JR
 
I've also had a few near scrapes while trying to catch a falling knife with my thighs (while sitting down). It just so happened that I caught it so that it didn't poke into me.

I knew I shouldn't have played so much baseball in my youth. :)
 
Well I've done it once that I didn't catch the knife, but I manage to knock it so that the tip didn't get ruined.... but then eventually it disappeared (my Spyderco Native)
Guess that one just didn't want to be with me.
I think this is an instinctive thing, you need to condition yourself not to catch falling things by making dull objects fall at random time but within your eyesight, and you have to train yourself so that you won't catch it. I wouldn't do it with knives unless they're trainers.
 
I've heard of people being able to train so that they could catch a knife out of the air, specifically when it was being thrown at them. I've only seen this twice, once in fiction and once in historical fiction - how big of a "poetic license" did the authors take?

Ash
 
Every time I pick up a balisong I make sure that I am wearing shoes.

Funny though, all of my shirts have small cuts here and there.

I guess playing with knives you are bound to get cut, glad yours was not to bad.

It might be a good idea to keep some medical supplies around.
 
I've cut myself a few times, so now, I just get out of the way and let the knife drop since my floor's carpeted.
 
Buy a cheap knife and let it fall each time the manouver goes wrong. Your hand won't try to cach only 5$ if it may get injured... (just kiding)
 
I never have and never will try to catch a knife or any sharp object.
 
Taking up flipping a balisong (after many years since I've flipped) cured me. Too many drops, too many cuts. Now I practice over a softer surface and let the sucker fall. It seems to have transferred to all types of knives, although I do my best not to drop them in the first place.
 
AlphalphaPB,

Glad to hear you're ok, considering what could have happened.

Jeremy Reynolds,

I have the same bad habit. Luckily I haven't tried to break the fall of any knives with my feet....yet :)
 
Originally posted by AlphalphaPB
I've also had a few near scrapes while trying to catch a falling knife with my thighs (while sitting down). It just so happened that I caught it so that it didn't poke into me.

I knew I shouldn't have played so much baseball in my youth. :)
Click to expand...

Me too.
I do the same thing EVERY TIME!
(Same baseball reason!)
Always, I say to myself, "What am I doing?!?!", afterward.

It has happened quite a few times. I just can't control the impulse.

Luckily, the knife has never been horizontal pointing east and west when I've snapped my knees together.
 
Conditioning? Yes, you can take a page out of behaviorist B.F. Skinner experiments by putting your sharp knife in a block of cheese, throwing it in the air, and catching it each time, cutting yourself badly, and you'll learn a new behavior -- don't catch flying knives or you'll hurt yourself! ;)

Seriously, you should get a trainer knife that many knife companies now sell, or make your own by buying an el cheapo $10 folder and dulling the absolute hell out of it with a Dremel tool, or use a wooden dowel at least. That will condition you, and train your "muscle memory".

Even when training with live blades, you might consider getting some leather gloves (I have a pair of motocycle gloves that are kevlar lined).

I don't know about you but my instincts for falling knives is "get the hell out of the way". I guess I'm a hedonist that avoids pain.
 
Due to 7yrs of physical abuse in elementry school(by the fellow as&#115holes getting edumicated), I have a strong instinct just to knock things out of the way, either with hands or feet. I managed to put this to goob use by playing soccer for 5yrs, 3 as goal.

Even now, with my knife addiction, I try to knock falling/flying objects out of the way. only been cut seriously once.

I wear leather moccassin-type slippers around the house, providing some protection to my foot. I was working with my 5.5" henkels, and the dog bumped the back of my leg... My quick reaction time caused me to turn around quickly to move the dog(she lay down and hit me omn the way down, now occupying the space for my foot), and my arm knocked the knife off the counter... it found the side of my foot as I kicked it out of the way.
 
I work with straight single edge razor blades, X-Actos & snap off blade mat knives.
I learned early on to GTFOOTW :eek:
My old boss watched his X-Acto roll off his drawing board and stick into his $$$ Italian loafer. The blade went all the way thru the butter soft leather & went between his toes!
Stay safe :)
 
About three weeks ago, I was messing around with an Al Mar SERE 2K ... I guess just flipping it - amazing action. I was doing this over a counter top no more than five - six inches above it. Somehow the thing came out of my hand and I went for it with my left hand out of instinct. As the knife was falling, my hand was moving upward. Clipped the pad off of my pinky finger. Felt that sensation of being cut, but I immediately grabbed the finger and squeezed. Look down and saw no blood, then looked at the knife and saw that pad, then saw blood, and then turned a shade whiter. This happened in the bathroom, and I stayed in there for 45 minutes hoping to get the bleeding stopped. My wife caught me in there, and the trip the ER was on. Oh those needles hurt! They had to carterize and throw three stiches across a little artery. It sure has increased my respect for sharp knives. It was the factory edge too!
 
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