• Treat every knife as sharp. Move slowly until you prove it is safe.
• Cut away from your body. Keep your off-hand behind the blade path.
• One person, one knife, one task. No passing a working blade hand-to-hand.
• Use a stable surface. If the work moves, your hand becomes the stop.
• Keep a clear cutting lane: no one in front of the blade, no one reaching across.
• If you are tired, cold, rushed, or angry: stop and reset.

• Carry: blade closed or sheathed. If it cannot be secured, do not carry it.
• Hand-off: close or sheath first. Then place it on a surface for pickup.
• Set-down: place the knife flat, away from edges, with the handle toward you.
• Storage: sheath or fold. Store in a consistent spot, out of reach of children.
• Transport: keep it covered and separated from loose gear that can snag it.

Simple standard: If you are not actively cutting, the blade is closed, sheathed, or set down.

1. Check your position: feet planted, shoulders square, stable stance.
2. Check the work: firm grip on the material or clamp it down.
3. Set the cutting angle: shallow slices beat hard pushes.
4. Plan the finish: where does the blade go when it breaks through?
5. Make the cut: controlled pressure, slow speed, no twisting.
6. Stop: blade down before you talk, turn, or reach for something.

• Sharp is safer than dull. Dull blades force pressure and slip more.
• Sharpen away from your body with steady strokes and a stable stone.
• Wipe the blade from spine to edge (never along the edge).
• Do a quick function check: lock-up, pivot tension, and sheath retention.
• Stop if you see cracks, loose hardware, or a weak lock.

• Cutting lane clear (no hands, legs, or people in the blade path).
• Stable surface (table, board, stump, or pinned material).
• Grip is solid (dry hands, no slipping gloves).
• Blade condition: clean, sharp enough, no damage.
• Finish plan: where the blade will land when it breaks through.

• One cutting spot (same place every time).
• Knife only comes out inside the zone.
• Set-down rule: knife is placed flat, handle toward the user.
• No walking around with an open blade.
• Kids rule: permission required, direct supervision, and a defined task.

• If hands are numb: stop. Warm up first.
• If gloves reduce feel: slow down and use a stable surface.
• If it is wet: dry the handle and your hands.
• If you cannot see clearly: add light or wait.
• If you are rushing: stop and reset the plan.

• Wipe blade clean and dry.
• Close or sheath the blade.
• Return to the same storage location every time.
• Quick check: lock, pivot, sheath retention.
• Log damage now (do not "fix later" and forget).

Use the same words each time so everyone recognizes the routine.

• "Knife out."
• "Cutting lane clear."
• "Cut away from the body."
• "Knife down before we talk or move."
• "Knife closed and stored."

• Person A: "Knife down." (places closed/sheathed knife on a surface)
• Person B: "Knife in." (picks it up only after it is down)
• If either person is unsure: the knife stays down.

The blade only needs one slip. Reposition the work so the cut finishes into open space.

Hard pushes cause sudden break-through. Make shallow slices and let the edge do the work.

If the work moves, your hand becomes the stop. Pin it, clamp it, or use a cutting surface.

Trips happen. Close or sheath before you move. If you must relocate, carry it covered.

Multi-tasking ruins control. Knife down first, then talk, then resume.

This belief causes careless handling. Assume sharp and prove safe with controlled habits.

1. Cut away from your body.
2. Keep the off-hand behind the blade path.
3. Stable surface, stable stance.
4. Knife down before you move or talk.
5. Close or sheath when not actively cutting.

• You are cold, tired, shaking, or rushing.
• You cannot see clearly.
• The material is rolling, flexing, or slipping.
• Someone enters your cutting lane.
• You feel frustration or urgency taking over.