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There seems to be an agreement that sharp knives are much safer than dull ones when you are cutting vegetables, meat, anything you cut with a chefs knife when you cook and prepare food. The reason for it seems to be that you have to use less force and its less chance for its to slip when you cut stuff.

Are sharper knives safer, when considering for example that cutting yourself with a sharp are potentially much more serious than with a dull knife?

Here is a range of websites putting forth the claim:

All sites just put forth the claim, but no research is stated, just their opinions on why the claim is true. So that makes me suspicious, where did the claim originate, and is there done any sound research on this?

unor
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bogen
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  • Sometimes, the damage done can be more with a blunt one - more mangled. – Tim Nov 02 '14 at 21:32
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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalpel "A scalpel is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery". They don't have to be as sharp as they are. They are made super sharp to keep a clean, tidy, easy to repair cut. – Tim Nov 02 '14 at 21:33
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    Its a pretty known claim from chefs also stated in the fusion article that sharp knives are safer than dull. For the points you had, i've updated my text. – bogen Nov 02 '14 at 23:38
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    The usual explanation advanced--and one that I live by--is the the action of the blade is both easier and more predictable when it is sufficiently sharp. Mind you, handing a very sharp knife to a cook used to a dull one has it's own risks. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Nov 03 '14 at 02:14
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    Wondered this as well. In my experience the number of injuries definitely goes up as the sharpness of the knife goes up. ie, tiny nicks are common with a very sharp knife, while a dull one does not *commonly* cause any type of injury. – Jonathon Nov 04 '14 at 04:13
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    The idea is that a less-sharp knife requires you to apply more or uneven pressure, forcing it, which increases the chance that it will jerk or get out of control (i.e. cut something you didn't want cut, like your hand). Whereas a very sharp, well-maintained knife can cut through the intended material with a smooth, even motion that is easier to control. I don't have a citation but you experience it first-hand in a good cooking knife skills class with well-maintained blades. – Larry Gritz Nov 07 '14 at 04:57
  • sharper saws are safer than duller ones when cutting metal, wood, plastic, etc; it stands to reason that the sharper the blade, the easier it will be to cut, and therefore you can focus on what needs to be cut rather than on the cutting *per se* – warren Nov 07 '14 at 18:43
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    Here's a [forum thread](https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/blunt-sharp-knife-myth.1111292/) where most believe sharp knives are safer, yet all the injuries mentioned involved sharp knives. [I'm typing this one-handed after buying a new knife] – endolith Mar 14 '18 at 00:11

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I found this article from Liberty Mutual regarding a study one of their researches did on this subject entitled "Is a Sharper Knife a Safer Knife? Liberty Mutual Researchers Investigate"

The study findings, published in Applied Ergonomics (Vol. 24, pp 375-382), indicated that blade sharpness did indeed have a significant impact on grip and cutting forces... In fact, the researchers found that cutting time, grip force, and cutting moments with a sharp knife were 20 to 30 percent lower than with a dull knife.

These findings strongly suggest suggest two important conclusions: 1) A sharp knife is indeed a safer knife, because it reduces the forces that potentially contribute to repetitive strain injuries; and 2) sharper blades improve efficiency by reducing cutting time...

The original journal article can be found here.

Community
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pooter03
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    Interesting that the quote addresses a side-risk, not the direct risk of self-cutting. – Oddthinking Nov 13 '14 at 05:16
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    Neither of those two cited conclusions from *Applied Ergonomics* address [accidental self-inflicted injuries](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/knife-injuries-and-other-kitchen-mishaps-afflict-both-top-chefs-and-everyday-cooks/2013/01/07/92e191f8-4af0-11e2-b709-667035ff9029_story.html). – agc Jun 22 '17 at 15:38
  • RSI isn't what people are usually concerned about when talking about knife safety – endolith Mar 14 '18 at 00:03