Watch out!!!

[cwr89]

Casey,
Give me your totem chip, I think that's worth a corner removal. Glad you're alright.

HAHA! you know working at a woodcraft and being surrounded by past and present scouters, I have been told this 4 or 5 times already! the way I have said it is,

Requirement 4 of the Totin' Chip:
4. Respect all safety rules to protect others.

In order to even get a Totin' Chip, I must use a knife/bladed tool in safety for OTHERS. nowhere does it say in the requirements that I cannot get cut.

also, getting cut is something that happens to everyone. I see what, 3 pages of different people posting here about similar accidents.

the Official Scout hand book says: "Don't cut towards yourself. if the blade slips, you could be injured."
I whole heartedly agree with that! however, in my situation, I was not cutting towards myself, I was cutting away, I hit my HOLD DOWN hand because it was holding the wood down.

and finally, I made a mistake and I got cut. there is nothing more to it. I am paying the price, stitches and pain and a $50 co-pay.

and the last line that usually kills them is: I am sure that there are times when you have made a mistake in your life.


Mistakes like this happen. No need to take the corner of my Totin' Chip!

worst part is, I am the person who signs others off for the award. I am the resident crazy with all the knives. and boy is that meeting always fun. I show up Kilted in an Irish National Stillwater economy with a ren-fest style shirt. I have a baldric and back hanger for a Scottish hand and a half Claymore. I have 3 or 4 different types of sheath knives on my kilt belt, and I have a sporran full of folders, multi-tools, spring assisted opens, switchblade. and then go through and give a large group demo on the safety and what knives are acceptable on a camp out. (that part I always feel bad about though, I usually have a sheath knife and a set of fencing rapiors w/ masks at each camp out, you know fun for the older scouts.) but then I break them into groups of 2 or 3 and have them work with each other to remember the rules. then I quiz each one individual.

and thats why I know why my Totin' Chip should keep it's remaining 3 corners. . (1 was lost to the improper moving of an axe, taken by the person who trained me for the position when I was a wee scout, I think tenderfoot.)

gah, I am long winded tonight.
~Casey