Be careful of the mandolin

[blissful]

Yes, I did the unthinkable, I used a mandolin, and somehow forgot to use the device that will grab the cucumber at the end and help you not slice off part of your finger. I lost a little bit of skin and flesh, and had to throw out cucumbers, clean the breadboard, and mandolin, and let others finish the pickles. It's just so foolish of me. It took a day to stop the bleeding.

I was thinking I was the only one to do this, but when I told Kelly (girl down the road from work), she asked me if I did this on 'the ultimate slicing machine' from pampered chef. She did the same thing a number of years ago.
Then, later that month, her boyfriend moved in and he thought he was all that (and a bag of chips) and would never do anything as 'stupid' as that. He used the ultimate slicing machine and took off the side of his finger with it.

I told Linda at work about it and she told me it took a number of years to not have sensitivity in that fingertip she took off as well.

I'll just say, I'm glad I'm the ONLY person that has ever done this. So what's your story?
Laughing at myself, lesson learned, Bliss

 

[Katie H]

I have two mandolins and never use the guards. However....I do use a butcher's Kevlar glove, which prevents me from adding extra protein to what I slice.

Sorry you had a mishap.

 

[Andy M.]

I don't have a mandolin but I do have a V-Slicer.

I have managed to be very careful with that. I have only cut my finger on it a couple of times-once while washing it!

 

[blissful]

Katie, I will look into the Kevlar glove, I don't want to do this again.
Andy, I've cut myself three times washing the food processor blade, I need to learn to be more careful, thank you both for the input. Bliss

 

[Alix]

OK, I WAS using the little guard thingy but my hand was wet and I sliced off a nice chunk of thumb meat. Fortunately, it was still partially attached so I slapped it back on and taped the heck out of it. Icky clean up though.

Mandolins are scary. They work great and fast as lightning but too many bits can get taken off just as quickly. I feel more in control with my knives thanks.

 

[Puppy Breath]

My DH bought one years ago and neither one of us have ever used it - scared to death of that little finger amputator

 

[Wyogal]

I'm afraid of them, as a violinist, I am sensitive about sharp things around my fingers...
speaking of mandolin, my husband is playing his now... (in preparation for our regular Irish session tomorrow night)

 

[Andy M.]

It's really quite safe if you use the guard all the time.

 

[LadyCook61]

I use cut resistant gloves and a guard, better safe than sorry.

 

[BreezyCooking]

It's really quite safe if you use the guard all the time.

Ditto. Thankfully, no story to share since I ALWAYS USE THE GUARD ALL THE TIME. If you don't respect your cooking tools, they ain't gonna respect you.

 

[licia]

I love mine but I do use the guard when slicing small things. I've whacked myself a couple of times before I learned to take precaution. The sharp blades made me bleed like a stuck pig.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I've had some grisly wounds from the mandoline over the years. Think chunks of meat & fingernail!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I keep my chef's knife scary sharp. Except for strong thumbnails, I'd have lost meat from my left thumb. And yes, though nothing was actuall lost, it has been sliced, and I have bled. Thumb control is something I have learned over the years. keep it tucked when striking (Kuk Sool Wan), wrapped around hand-grips when dirt-biking (hills of San Diego), and when slicing/chopping (Goodweed's Kitchen).

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[CharlieD]

I never use the gard or gloves and I have cut my self plenty of times, no big deal.

 

[licia]

I forgot to mention that I don't let anyone else use mine. I'm always afraid they won't be as careful as I am. I just give them something else to do and I do the slicing, mincing, dicing, etc.

 

[blissful]

I'm pricing some kevlar gloves for myself from a vendor at work, and the lab is going to look around to see if they have any they are getting rid of, that I might have. I just need the right hand. The cost of an emergency visit will get you 6 pair of gloves instead.

This is the second time I've cut off part of a finger/thumb, though the last time I had the piece sewn back on and it took 5 stitches. (30 years ago).

Here's the thing, when you are slicing cucumbers, they are too long to use the guard device until you get at the end, and I wasn't thinking--"I wasn't thinking", it's the same excuse the guy that stepped out in front of the bus said. It's just embarrassing. I've become a master at making the bandage narrow enough to only hit one key at time--for work.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and stories. Bliss

 

[Wyogal]

Everytime I see this thread I think of the movie "Foul Play" with Chevy Case (I think) and Goldie Hawn. They were given the advice to "Beware the dwarf."
so....

 

[blissful]

Everytime I see this thread I think of the movie "Foul Play" with Chevy Case (I think) and Goldie Hawn. They were given the advice to "Beware the dwarf."
so....

 

[Alix]

Does this thread make anyone elses knees feel funny?

 

[Pembroke]

I just bought a new mandalin to replace a 5 year old dull model. The guard is a must have for slicing wafer thin apple chips. Apples soaked in syrup and placed overnight in a dehydrator, awesome!