SawStop for Utility Knife?

[Eric McCune]

I'm in the middle of converting my 94 year old detached garage 16x18 to a full-time shop. Yesterday while installing a new door, I went to open a pack of shims with a utility knife. Well, I proceeded to open the knuckle on my thumb about 5/8 an inch long. Luckily only a few stitches. No tendon or ligament damage.

As I'm going to get stitched up, I started to think about overall shop safety. Things happen fast. It reconfirmed my decision to buy a SS PCS. I would hate to have the same drive to the ER holding my fingers while beating myself up because I could have avoided the problem.

I'm new to the forum and I can't tell all of you how much all of your information as helped me plan my new shop.

[Van Huskey]

Welcome. Understand this post will either get a LOT of posts or very few. This post was like throwing a grenade into a locked auditorium with 1,000 people inside.

Congrats on the PCS.

[michael case]

You will love the Sawstop just for the quality.

[Paul Ryan]

There has been a bundle of sawstop threads going lately. I am kind of scared to say too much today. It is a fine saw, you will enjoy it. And welcome to the creek.

[Todd Willhoit]

Get one of these.

http://www.martorusa.com/

Todd

[Gary Pennington]

My experience with a utility knife is pretty simple. Used as a tool in my right hand, it's primary function is to inflict some degree of injury to my left hand.

Gary

[Eric McCune]

You said it Gary. Left Thumb.

Here's the bad part. I just bought the utility knife. It was a Stanley with two blades. One was a hooked blade. I had never used a hooked blade and it got me. Had I used my old knife with single blade, never would have had a problem.

Live and learn.

[David Prince]

Welcome. Understand this post will either get a LOT of posts or very few. This post was like throwing a grenade into a locked auditorium with 1,000 people inside.

Congrats on the PCS.

Reminds me of a fun time camping. (tell everyone as you do it) and Toss a full package of bottle-rockets into the campfire when everyone is sitting around it.

AND... we all know that using a tool for something other than its intended purpose USUALLY results in injury. A hook blade isn't really made for opening packages of shims!

[Van Huskey]

You said it Gary. Left Thumb.

Here's the bad part. I just bought the utility knife. It was a Stanley with two blades. One was a hooked blade. I had never used a hooked blade and it got me. Had I used my old knife with single blade, never would have had a problem.

Live and learn.

It is always my left index finger, I have been shaving one side of it down for years.

[Van Huskey]

Reminds me of a fun time camping. (tell everyone as you do it) and Toss a full package of bottle-rockets into the campfire when everyone is sitting around it.

!

I was "somewhere" "sometime" wearing some mottled green and brown while working for one of the major force dealers in the world sitting around a camp fire and the "legend" of Ranger Roulette came up. A probably mythical (or alcohol induced) "GAME" where a Ranger team sits around a fire and someone drops in a 5.56X45 round into the fire, the last one in their set wins. An hour or so later one crafty soul threw a handful of blanks in the fire, hard to decern live from blanks in a heartbeat. We never moved as fast under actual enemy fire. Thank goodness we were 20 or more klics from any hot zones.

[Don Morris]

I'm so sorry Eric you discovered Sawmillcreek. This will cost you. Guaranteed!

[Rod Sheridan]

Eric, welcome to the forum.

I'm pleased to hear that you're buying a sawstop, and that your motivating injury wasn't worse.

I'm always doing dumb things, like sticking a screwdriver in my hand. If I had been using a nutdriver it wouldn't have slipped, and it wouldn't have been sharp.

My minor accident prone ways became such a joke in the shop, that one year I was given a first aid kit as a Christmas gift, that was stuffed full of band aids.

What was that saying my dad used, "more speed , less haste"???

Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy your new saw........Regards, Rod.

[Paul Ryan]

I'm so sorry Eric you discovered Sawmillcreek. This will cost you. Guaranteed!

Isn't that the truth. It is a great community and I have met some great friends. However the deals and discount section has cost me dearly. All for the better though, it has saved me many head scratchers in the shop.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

The SS is a great saw, you will be happy.

MY utility knife has a break. (not a typo) I cut my left hand, I take a break. I just sliced my thumb 2 days ago.... LOML asked what happened. "NOTHING".... (I was stupid....) It is amazing how sharp a new blade is.

Anyone else have a mini first aid kit as standard equipment in your shop?

[Jonathan Link]

I don't own a SS. I managed to secure a Ridgid R4511 for $299, at some point I'll probably step up to a SS. However, I've noticed the debates about the saw, and thought I'd add my own obersvation to the debate.
I think the saw has an unintended safety feature, besides even the braking device. The fact, that the user is probably thinking about engaging the braking device, thereby destroying the brake and likely his blade as well and costing him $200-$300 in the process.
People are funny, we can much more easily comprehend the cost of a blade/brake replacement than the cost of reattaching fingers, amputation or maiming. It becomes more real for us, so it is something for us to latch onto.
I've noticed those on the con side of the SS seem to focus on the fact that they are safe because they do something or are thinking about safety or they do X before they use a tool, while discounting that SS owners are probably doing the same things, which is brought into a more immediate focus, because they have a tangible idea of what the cost of a mistake is.
Don't get me wrong, I approach every piece of equipment with safety in mind. Safety is a process, though, and anything that helps an individual focus on the process is a good thing.