Carving, cutting, bleeding, healing.

[Tom-H]

A basic question has been rolling around in my otherwise empty head. This concerns safety, knife use (or misuse), and the healing process. As my wife states on too many occasions, "what do you expect" when you use sharp knifes? Well for one thing I expect to remember to ware my carving glove and thumb protectors, as well as 2 or 3 feet of wimp wrap. But for someone who can't remember to put the toilet seat down - this is asking too much. These questions relate to the inevitability of cutting ones finger, and the wish to keep on carving and healing fast. WARNING: the following contains materials that might be offensive to the squeamish.

1. First question: is it better to have a stop cut when slicing your finger? In more detail - would a cut heal faster if the piece of finger were actually removed? or would the "flap of finger" be a better choice?
2. Next, is there a simple test to determine when one should have stiches? Or even seek medical intervention?
3. What is the current thoughts concerning the use of Super Glue to close knife cuts?
5. Anyone have a good way of getting blood stains out of the carpet?
6. how serious does a knife cut have to be to be used as an excuse to get out of doing the dishes? going to visit relatives, shoveling snow, etc?
7. Do those "memory" pills sold at nutrition stores work?

Tom H

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Well ... my experience is to not remove the flap of skin....especially if its a large cut....takes a long time to heal over and sore the whole time, the flap of skin will at least heal up shortly so you can function normally......I always put hydrogen peroxide on any cut immediately! and on small cuts, after the bleeding stops, I use some crazy glue on it...........my way, not the only way and maybe not even the right way lol

[kitaye]

Originally Posted by Tom H

1. First question: is it better to have a stop cut when slicing your finger? In more detail - would a cut heal faster if the piece of finger were actually removed? or would the "flap of finger" be a better choice?

I have found the cuts heal faster and cleaner if you leave the flap on. There is a caveat though. You need to let the cut bleed freely so it cleans itself out and you need to keep it clean afterwards. If you see swelling or red lines coming from it peel it back and clean it again.

Originally Posted by Tom H

2. Next, is there a simple test to determine when one should have stiches? Or even seek medical intervention?

If you can't make it stop bleeding heavily after 15 minutes, OR if a piece of your finger is laying on the floor head for the Doctor's office.

Originally Posted by Tom H

3. What is the current thoughts concerning the use of Super Glue to close knife cuts?

Urban legend says it was created by the military as a way to seal up wounds on the battlefield. I think it works great as long as the cut is clean and not to deep. Use it in place of a band-aid but not in place of stitches.

Originally Posted by Tom H

5. Anyone have a good way of getting blood stains out of the carpet?

My mother swore by milk and baking soda. I've never had occasion to find out, yet.

Originally Posted by Tom H

6. how serious does a knife cut have to be to be used as an excuse to get out of doing the dishes? going to visit relatives, shoveling snow, etc?

If you have stitches you shouldn't do dishes for 2 or 3 days. To get out of visiting relatives you have to practically remove your head. Stitches are no excuse. If shovelling snow or other manual labour makes the cut start bleeding then you have a free pass, but don't blame me if the municipality gives you a ticket for not cleaning your sidewalk

Originally Posted by Tom H

7. Do those "memory" pills sold at nutrition stores work?

Don't know. If you try them let us know the results.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I know this might sound a little unorthodox but when I cut myself if it's just a small cut I clean the cut of any blood and reach for the superglue. That stuff will hold anything together including my fingers!!

[Al_Hillis]

An old friend that done a lot of sewing and quilting told me one time how to get rid of my blood left over on my clothes or a near finished from a slip of the knife caused by not paying attention to what I was doing. I don,t think you will want to try it on your carpet but thats up to you.
If you have a bit of blood on your clothes or what ever your own saliva will dissolve your blood. I guess its depends on how big the stain is on how big a goober you have to hack up LOL
I have done it on a carving by just licking the bloody spot and it does work. DOES THIS MAKE ME A VAMPIRE ?

[Just Carving]

I just have one thing to add here:

If I cut myself with a carving knife <ok--it happens> but I didn't have a glove on <eyes rolling--sheesh, what a rube>, I think it might be best if I just to keep it quietly to myself.

Bob L

[hruukki]

I use fresh resin straight from a pine or fir tree to all kinds of wounds. No need for anything else. It kills off the bacteria and seals the wound - and sticks really well. Really speeds up the healing.

[Terry Vance]

I agree with Hi Ho & Lynn. Super glue is the only way to go. I close up the cut using pressure to stop the bleeding then apply the super glue, spreading it around using a finger on the other had. Caution: DO NOT STOP MOVING THE FINGER!!!!! If you do, you are glued together. After that dries I put on a second coat. Normally when that glue wears away the cut is totally healed.

At a seminar a couple of years ago I tried to get a new carver to let us put the super glue on what turned out to be a very serious cut. She ended up at the doctors office several days later. Later she told me she wished she would have let me put the glue on.

It seals up everything. Keeping the air out and the pain associated with that. And besides that is what the stuff was invented for.

[tucker1931]

Personally, first off, I start cryin, that brings the little Mrs runnin, then I cut back just to a little whimper, all the time she's cleaning me up with a warm wet wash cloth and givin me bloody hell for cuttin myself and then she turns on the sympathy and I begin a shy little smile, she pops on a band aid and alls well in the Nelson household, till next time. Most important thing is to cry LOUD at the start, works for me every time.
Cliff

[Claude]

For what it's worth, when I had my quadruple bypass, the surgeon used a form of superglue to seal the chest skin back together. No stitches, no staples...just glue. Woke up breathing again this morning, so it must have worked ok...Talking

Claude