Guide · Tools and knots
Using a knife safely
A good knife is one of the most useful tools you can have. Used carelessly, it's also one of the easiest ways to injure yourself when help may be far away.
Choosing a knife
- A fixed-blade knife is stronger; a folding knife is easier to carry. A lock that holds the blade open is much safer on a folding knife.
- A blade of about 8–12 cm is enough for most jobs.
- Check the laws where you live about carrying knives in public.
Golden rules
- Always cut away from yourself, your hands and your legs.
- Know where the blade will go if it slips, and keep every body part out of that path.
- Keep a safe circle around you. Stretch out your arm with the closed knife; nobody should be inside that distance.
- Sit or kneel with your elbows on your knees for control, with the work held to the side, not between your legs. Big blood vessels run along the inner thigh.
- Keep your knife sharp. A blunt blade needs more force and slips more easily.
- Close or sheathe the knife as soon as you finish.
- Never use a knife as a screwdriver, prise bar or hammer.
Passing a knife
Close or sheathe it if you can. If not, hold it by the back of the blade with the edge facing away from you and offer the handle. Let go only when they say "thank you" or "got it".
Useful cuts
- Whittling: short, controlled strokes away from you, shaving thin curls.
- Chest lever: hold the knife edge outwards and push your arms apart against your chest. Good for strong, safe cuts.
- Batoning: tapping the back of a fixed blade through wood with another stick. Only do this with a strong fixed-blade knife, never a folder.
Sharpening
Hold the blade at a steady shallow angle, around 20°, on a whetstone and push it across as if slicing a thin layer off the stone. Do the same number of strokes on each side. Finish with light strokes.
Care
- Keep it clean and dry. Wipe a light film of oil on carbon steel blades.
- Store it closed or in a sheath, out of children's reach.
If you cut yourself
Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth and keep pressing. See the guide on stopping heavy bleeding.
This article is in the Grid Survivor app, searchable with no signal. Get the app · £4.99