My brand new mandoline sliced my thumb open on the second use

Picked up a $40 mandoline from the restaurant supply store last Tuesday, figured it would save me time on prep. Second time using it, I'm slicing potatoes for a gratin, and the guard slipped right off my hand. Thumb went straight into the blade, blood everywhere, had to close early and get three stitches at urgent care. I've been using a knife for 15 years and never had an accident this bad. Anyone else ditched mandolines altogether after a close call like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray5621d ago

My thumb still has a scar that looks like I tried to give myself an amateur tattoo of a smiley face. I switched to a cheap box grater after that and it's way less dramatic. Mandolines are basically kitchen horror movies waiting to happen.

dylan_ward1d ago

Mandolines just take some basic respect and a little bit of practice. People blame the tool for their own carelessness, but the same thing can happen with a regular knife if you don't pay attention. A good mandoline with a sharp blade gives you perfect slices in seconds, way faster than any box grater could. The hand guard that comes with it works fine if you actually use it instead of trying to go faster. Box graters are clumsy and tear up your ingredients, plus they take forever for a big batch of potatoes or carrots. Fear of a little cut shouldn't stop you from using the right tool for the job.

mila_murphy1d ago

Respectfully disagree, a good mandoline with the guard is way faster and more precise.

-1