patp79•20d ago

My mandoline sliced right through my fingernail last Saturday

I was prepping 40 pounds of potatoes for a brunch service and got too confident with my speed. The guard was sitting on the counter because I thought I had a good grip on the potato. Next thing I know, the blade went straight through my nail and into the tip of my finger. Blood everywhere, had to wrap it and finish service one-handed. The cut was so clean I didn't even feel it until I saw the blood pooling on the cutting board. Anyone else had a mandoline accident that made you slow down for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek_brown2820d ago

Hard disagree on the dull blade thing. A sharp mandoline is what lets you get complacent in the first place because it feels so smooth and controlled. That instant where it grabs and stops is your warning, a dull blade just skips. But a razor sharp blade at speed gives you zero feedback until you're already bleeding. That's exactly how I lost the tip of my thumb a few years back, same deal, no pain until I saw the blood. The guard is a pain but it's the only thing that actually stops you from getting too casual with it.

adams.harper20d ago

Gotta say though, it was probably the potato doing you a favor in a weird way. A dull blade or a soft potato can grab and slip way worse than a sharp one. I've had a few close calls with English potatoes that were too starchy and just crumbled instead of cutting clean. That split second where it skips sideways is what gets you. Sounds like yours was sharp enough to go straight through, which is scary in its own right. Hope the nail grows back okay, those fingertip cuts take forever to heal.