Important Utility Knife Safety Tips

• Before starting, be sure the blade is properly seated and the knife is completely closed.
• Always use a sharp blade. Dull blades require more force and are more likely to slip than a sharp one. Change the blade whenever it starts to tear rather than cut.
• Protect your eyes. Always wear safety eyewear when working with any hand tools, including knives.
• Always keep your free hand away from the line of your cut.
• When making a cut on a surface below you, stand or kneel to one side of the line of the cut.
• Always pull the knife toward you when making a cut on a flat surface. Pulling motions are stronger and more positive than the pushing motion and your knife is less likely to slip.
• When using a straight-edge to guide your cut, either clamp it down or keep your free hand well away from the cutting path of your knife. Be sure the straight edge is thick enough to prevent the knife from "riding up" over the edge.
• Utility knife blades can snap quite easily. Do not bend or apply side pressure to the blade. NEVER use a utility knife to open cans, pry loose objects or for any other task other than cutting.
• Patience pays off when using a knife to cut think materials. Make several passes cutting a little deeper with each pass rather than attempting to cut completely through the material in one pass.

Many cutting tasks require a knife edge but not a sharp point. For these tasks you can add additional protection against puncture wounds by utilizing a hook blade or round-tip utility blade.

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