Chasing Hawk

I cut myself more with my kitchen knives then my rotary cutter.

So far I thinks it is 20 cuts with a knives vs 1 rotary cut.

I was making a fruit salad yesterday and cut myself twice. Maybe I should start using my cutter in the kitchen.....haha

klgls

Thanks for the "thumbs up" Glad it wasn't serious!! I nicked my thumb the other day because I didn't close my cutter when I laid it down - and I always do - except this time.

CorgiNole

I've slipped once with my cutter so far, fortunately not a hospital trip. Burned myself twice with the iron that day as well so decided it was time to put down the tools.

I was teaching my son to use a rotary two weeks ago. It was different in style from the two I have at home which have guards over the blade. As I watched he positioned his finger along the top of the blade - fortunately I was watching so that he didn't follow up by slicing his finger open. We won't be buying that style cutter for household use any time soon - would have been very easy to end both the hockey and lacrosse seasons for him in one swipe.

These are not tools for the faint of heart or for the sleep deprived.

Cheers, K

tessagin

I try to remember to check my screw on my rotary cutters often. Cut my index on left hand and took side right off. Got me some super glue and glued it back on. Then taped. I was supposed to be at work within half hour and in a salon.

tessagin

So very true.

CookyIN

I always wear a cutting glove to hold my ruler. Yes, it takes extra time. But I worked with X-acto knives and razor blades for years and learned long ago that the worst cuts are the ones you never saw coming. I had to have seven stitches once in a fingertip, and once was enough for me!

AngeliaNR

I wear a glove, too, but not on my cutting hand--yikes! I'm already afraid of my cutter (or most anything sharp, since I'm a klutz).

Peckish

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe it's time for a new blade.

I like the rotary cutters that only extend when you are holding them. The blade retracts automatically when you set it down. I need to get my mom one like this; she has a very, very bad habit of setting her cutter down with the blade exposed.

I can tell when the screw is getting loose on my rotary cutters, just by the way it feels when I'm cutting. Give the screw a quarter turn and I'm back in business.

Sewnoma

That's a good point...a lot of downward pressure shouldn't really be necessary.

I used to really shove on my cutter and hold it with a death grip until I read a tip somewhere (here, maybe? Or a magazine or some other site, I don't remember) that said to push FORWARD on the cutter, not down. Once I started thinking of it that way I started using less pressure and it works great. I cut through lots of layers at a time but now I push FORWARD and not down and I still get through all of my layers and I notice I hold the cutter looser too. This means less hand fatigue which translates to more cuts I can do in one go.

quilterjody

Remember to change those blades too. You should never have to "saw" through the fabric.