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We can't express too much how important safety is. You must realize that when you use any tool, especially the very sharp carving tools, that sooner or later you are going to cut yourself. But, you can protect yourself from major accident using common judgement and some protection items. RULE #1: Never cut toward open skin! RULE #2: Wear a glove on your non-carving hand. Get a good glove. One trip to the emergency room will pay for alot of gloves. Gloves will not totally protect your hand but will deflect blows when the tool slips off the wood. Wear a thumb guard when using your knife to remove wood with the cutting stroke. That is, when you are pulling the knife toward your thumb. Wear an apron. This will help protect yourself when you drop a tool. Keep your tools sharp. A dull tool has a tendency to "jump" off the wood instead of cutting into the wood. This "jump" can result in a nasty cut. Don't let little hands use or handle your tools. Put them away when not in use.