(ho ho...points...sharp...hahah)

Seriously...

Sharp knives are an essential part of the scribe's kit, and sharp knives are dangerous. Here are some things to remember.

• Store knives safely. Don't just throw them into a box with your other stuff. You don't want to come across one unexpectedly whilst rummaging.
• You can plunge knives into an eraser to keep them shielded.
• Whilst working, make sure your knife is in a safe place - somewhere you can't knock into it accidentally.
• Carry knives pointing downwards and wear shoes. Don't carry them pointing upwards, forwards, or towards you.
• Always cut away from yourself. Ask yourself: if this blade shot out of control, what would it stab into?
• When cutting down, cut down onto some kind of cutting board. You don't want to slice into something important by accident.
• Make sure the cutting board can't slip (see above re shooting out of control).
• Double-edged razor blades are doubly dangerous because they cut both ways. (They're also thinner than single-edged blades, which makes them a better tool. But more dangerous.)
• When disposing of blades, wrap them up safely. You never know who may eventually rummage through the garbage, and you might hurt a cute little furry animal. Never ever ever toss an unwrapped blade into the bin.
• And from bitter experience: find out beforehand where to go if you do hurt yourself. You do not want to be messing about with your insurance if your hand is spouting blood.

And if you are storing your awl in your pencil pot, store it with the point down.

On a related note: different knife brands actually are different. I like Medicut blades or Havel blades. They're stainless steel, and they hold an edge for a good long time. They aren't cheap, but cheap brands generally hold an edge for about five seconds, which is very annoying - you get what you pay for here,and it makes a difference. You can also get carbon steel blades, which are even sharper but have a tendency to rust, and since they get wetly inky when you use them for quill work, they get rusty, which is also annoying.

Jen Taylor Friedman, 2007