Don't think I've heard the phrase "gay abandon" since I was a Victorian schoolboy in the heady summer of 1884

3:40 Nearly had a coronary when I saw Guy cutting away from himself like a wretched nooblet

When I was very young my dad told me you should never cut towards any part of your body when using a lot of force. It’s the “when using a lot of force” but that’s most important.

Looking at my thumbs. “These are cutting boards. For the emperor!”

Yeahh!!! Show that comment section who's boss!

A sharp blade is the safest kind. If the blade is dull, you need to use more force and you’re more likely to make a mistake.

It's the same logic behind why sharp knives are a lot safer for cooking than blunt ones: You need less force to get through whatever you're cutting therefore you have more control and can stop the blade at every time.

This video felt good. Coming from someone who somehow avoided owning clippers for 12 years and started with a tetanus covered Stanley knife, safe cutting is all control. It doesn't matter if its towards you, away from you or upside down, you can only mess up if you're applying more force than you can control. If you need to put more pressure than you're comfortable with its time for a new blade or a more appropriate tool like a hobby saw or rotary tool. Don't sleep on the hobby saw.

I actually thought you were going to say 'I live very, very close, to a doctor.' Hi Penny!

THANK YOU! Kids used to tell me how I was being too dangerous when I worked at a GW and cutting towards myself. Meanwhile they were doing their best to glue their models to their elbows and ears 🤦‍♂️

My man Guy over here breaking it down. That's what I'm talkin' about.

When cutting fine stuff towards yourself, be it food, plastic, wood or whatever, make sure the knife is sharp. This makes the force needed to cut a lot smaller, so it is easy to control and stop before cutting yourself. A dull knife will need greater force and is much more likely to slip, and it will still be sharp and pointy enough to do some damage to your hand.

I remember picking up a woodcarving class at a Scout summer camp for the first time, and one of the first things the teacher said (paraphrased) was, "you were all taught to whittle sticks by carving away from yourself. If you want to actually make anything useful in this class, you need to stop doing that." It's the same reason sharp knives are safer: you have more control.

Totally agree, far more control toward you. If for any reason you can't hold the item, an alternative is to place the item on a suitable surface and cut downward toward the surface.

I'm stunned people don't know this. I've been building plastic models of all sorts since I was 10 and I've always cut the way you demonstrate. I assumed this was how everyone trimmed very small things for better control.

What he's forgetting to mention: He's using his left thumb to pivot and act as a stopper against his right thumb. Recessing the knife blade will make it so the blade will never hit your other hand before your thumb hits your other thumb. This is safe. He did get one thing wrong, more muscle is not equivalent to more control. Ask any mechanic, they slam their knuckles into surfaces more often when loosening a tight bolt vs a loose one. Your personal reaction speed remains fairly consistent when you're not practicing or expecting. And more muscle = more force. More force = faster acceleration. Faster acceleration = higher top speed in the same amount of reaction time. Higher top speed in the same amount of reaction time = greater distance traveled. Even if you didn't have to overcome momentum from the increased force and speed, you'd still be at a greater risk of cutting yourself, if you didn't use your other thumb as a pivot/stopping point. He is correct though, learn to cut like an adult.

“Midwinter Spawn Must Feed” is my new favorite line from any midwinter minis video

As a eagle scout and someone who has taught the wood carving merit badge this entire video pleases me

Great to see someone actually show how to properly cut towards oneself with the fine motor skills in the hand muscles as opposed to dangerously cutting away from you with the force of the upper arm muscles behind it when you slip. Much needed advice for many, and I would even argue that children should learn to cut this way too. A gold star for you, Guy!

As a Boy Scout, I heard about how we should always cut away from ourselves constantly. Then a camp counselor once told a group of us who were learning about carving that it's generally better to pull the knife toward you when carving because you get so much more control that way. For whittling, it makes sense to push the knife away, for carving, it makes more sense to pull it in.

I've been "control" cutting for over 40 years. I'm 55 and I've never had an incident with my hobby knives. I'm a journeyman carpenter and understand all about safety. You couldn't be more correct on how to control your hobby knife even though it may not be for everyone. Great videos Guy :-)

I've trimmed and cut like this for years, I can't do it the kid-safe way haha

"like a responsible adult" WE PLAY WITH TINY PLASTIC SPACEMEN, GUY! :D

The issue with cutting towards yourself is that people use dull knives. A dull knife can't cut effectively, it will get stuck in the material and when that happens people will put more force into it to finish the cut. When the do that the material gives way and the knife jumps forward uncontrolled because reaction times aren't fast enough to stop yourself. Keep your blades sharp and never put excessive force into a cut.

I love how Guy just leaves the angry commenters' names in like an absolute don (Edit: I'm aware the comments in general weren't genuinely angry I just used that word to summarise the kind of comments I was referencing)

Khorne players need to anoint their models with blood though.

Can concur- I still managed to stab myself when cutting away. Now i'm just careful and use the correct tool for the job cutting in the direction that is needed for that particular part - if there is too much resistance I stop and then use cutters or a sanding stick . . . . Much blood was spilled to bring you this wisdom lol

I'm so glad you brought this up. Man do I have a story for you. I'm visiting my father when I was 16, hes never been a part of my life growing up and he lives off grid.. I wanted to use a mora I got knife to carve some wood. I've been in air cadets for years, I'm already skilled with using survival tools including knives since they are the most precious tool in any survival arsenal. He attempted to show me "what not to do" Saying very clearly to "never cut towards yourself, always cut away from you." As he was talking he was also demonstrating by doing motions with the knife in his hand. When he showed me how to cut away from myself, he sliced off the top of his hand by his index knuckle with 1 smooth motion. I was so glad he showed me how important it was to cut away from yourself.

At 46 years of age I'm still learning, some great points in this vid guy.. Water = Wet.. Knives = Sharp.. Gold, keep them coming. ;-) And I'll give you an extra free one.. cut with a sharp knife, never a blunt one. Blunt ones are good for other stuff.

30+ years of hobbying and art projects and ive never cut myself cutting towards myself. Funny enough, I too am a chef. Retired. As Yoda said: "Control, control! You MUST learn control!!!"

I love your video, I’m glad you brought that subject up. I’ve been told by so many hobbyist that I was cutting the wrong way. You have so much more control over the knit that way. I’ve been doing the same way for the past 24 years and never cut myself a single time with a hobby knife. Thanks for the videos I love watching them.

I agree with you, whole-heartily! When I finally grew-up and developed more control of my motor functions, it greatly increased my dexterity. It became abundantly clear to me that using short, controlled cuts was not only easier, but safer too! Thank you for the validation.

What’s really funny is that the first time I ever built a warhammer model, when smoothening I realised that doing it towards my hand was way more comfortable and controllable. I thought I was crazy because like what guy said “kids are learnt to do it away from themselves” but I asked my dad and he said the same as guy did which is pretty cool Great vid hope the twins are doing well👌👍😊

I managed to cut my palm from one side to the other using that quote "cut away method" you show in the video and I agree you should with a hobby knife cut what every way you have the most control. That said as a carpenter who still has all his fingers you want to keep your hands away from any powered cutting devices because while you have a lot of control putting your hands on the object while you cut if the machine kick backs or the material shoots out. Your now applying pressure with your hands in the direction of the saw with no material to stop you from getting maimed.

Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much for making this video. I have found lots of painting tutorial videos, but not as many videos for cleaning a model. I didn't realize my technique was ineffective, and possibly less safe.

Speaking as a professional editor, the pacing of this video is superb! To the point, a clear setup of the challenge, some quick witty bits (living close to London) and then rounding it out with giving us value and information in a coherent way. Great!

Meanwhile, cut to me not even knowing there was a “safe“ way to do it and getting absolutely confused at how people don’t annihilate the miniature by cutting outwards.

ou could have shown a extract from pete the wargamer too, this guy is a magician with his knife.

I completely agree! I started the hobby recently, and got a hobby knife even more recently, and cutting towards yourself using this method to anchor everything, gives you so much more control! Haven't cut myself once.

Cutting my fingers taught me how to not cut my fingers. Now I handle my knife the same way and havent gotten a cut in over a decade. Pain is learning experience.

I’m a ‘wood worker’ who likes modelling and use sharp tools all the time. I agree cutting towards yourself gives better control. I use a home made craft knife fashioned from an old cut throat razor. And I keep it SHARP. Also I have a more rounded profile on the cutting edge. The blades you use have a flat profile. The rounded profile give you a lot more control on the depth of cut etc.

I'm always way more worried about cutting detail off the model then myself

you are absolutely right, my grandfather who was a long time painter and wood carver. He always taught me to pull the knife toward me in a controlled motion for accurate cuts.

Hey Guy, I just wanna say how much I enjoy watching your videos for the simple fact you're always smiling when explaining something, that simple love for what you're doing that it reflects makes you the most enjoyable tabletop gaming youtuber to watch. Keep on rocking!

I would add ( from years of experience of using chisels ) that, the sharper the better. The sharper the blade is, the less force is needed hence more control and less chance to accidentally force a blade into ones hand.

Been using Model blades, (Scalpel) for decades , have been a trained chief and worked on a fish quay, and in a butchers , I have all-ways cut towards my self , I have all my fingers and never had a bad cut . Just saying like , Thank you , it is about time I herd some one else talking sense ! Thank you

YES! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Been waiting for a someone to say this loud and clear. I was beginning to doubt myself.

im so glad someone shares this opinion, i have co workers that constantly get upset when they see me cutting somethign towards myself with an exact-o blade

I'm a chef, the important thing with knives is control, I've worked for 20 years and never cut myself, i also make necromunda models too

YOU'RE GONNA CRUSH YOUR SPINE SITTING IN A CHAIR LIKE THAT

I think I sort of intuitively knew this, but this video have me the confidence to solidify my technique. Thanks Guy!

Guy, Im a pastry chef and a painter. Youre cutting method is 100% correct. Especially your point about there not being very much energy left if you slip to really hurt you. Pull slow and steady and you are golden. Like you said. This is the way we cut and prep a lot of different ingredients and food products. Its how i was taught as a kid in cooking classes. And it was something I have been doing for the past 11 years of building and painting models. Ive had exactly 1 knife injury from modelling. I cut away from myself about a year into the hobby when i was 15. I cut most of the nail and tip of my left thumb off while making a looted trukk. Same injury occurred 6 years later in pastry school when cutting candied lemon peel. But this time to my index on my left hand. The trukk was because i was cutting away from myself and used a whole bunch of force. The lemon peel on the other hand. Lol we all have to learn our knife skills somehow. Listen to Guy, he knows what he is talking about. Stop cut shaming him in the damn comments.

The only thing I got from this video is that Guy should do voice acting

It really seems like most people don't realize that a cutting edge becomes a cutting edge when it is slicing. Your knife would have to be 15 molecules sharp in order to actually cut without a slicing motion. You can take scary sharp knives and just push the edge into something. If you don't pull or push the blade while still in contact, that blade is not going to cut you. Believe it or not, that is actually the logic behind scissors. They're angled because that means as you close the scissors, that energy will make the blades come together. If the blades can't close up, they send some of that energy in a different direction. Because it has an angle, that is the easiest way for the energy to escape which means they will slide against each other. tldr Bush did 9/11

I agree whole heartedly with what you said. when I was little my dad introduced me to model building and he taught me the same thing. I'm 34 years old and I have NEVER cut myself when using a hobby knife cutting toward myself.

I've been cutting towards myself for a couple decades using the exact same knife skills in the kitchen and have never even come close to cutting myself. Keeping your tools sharp, and using your index finger for bracing the back of the blade while using the movement of bringing it towards your thumb (barring any degenerative complications that can come with certain medical conditions) gives an amazing amount of control. For this type of application, you're not leveraging your wrist or arm as the main mechanism for cutting (your knife is not balanced anywhere but your hand, after all) and you really shouldn't be if you can help it.

Thank you! Yas! Finally a smart boi in town

Funny enough i never used a knoife for the hobby Now thats a tutorial for me

I have so much YESSS! for this video. The one knife injury I have sustained from the hobby in fifty years came at the hands of using the wrong, dull, knife for the job. That was forty years ago. I have always pulled the blade towards myself.

I'm so glad you you made a video about this and corrected the children

Thank you for this! It's infuriating as both a former cook and a blade expert to hear people with no knife skills saying "Never cut towards yourself" These folks also rarely understand that a sharper knife is a safer knife for technical cutting. Bottom line, if you're not well-practiced with something don't comment on someone who is.

You’re wrong! Now that I’ve done what you told me to do I want to say, “You’re right!” Cutting the way you demonstrated does offer much more control. Thanks for a good video!

Great video. People are all about thinking like children, so well done showing how to use a knife properly.

Thank you! I learned from a (quite seasoned) chef to cut towards myself, but (literally) all of the internet had me almost believe that this was wrong. (I also regularly use my thumb as a cutting mat, which might not be the best idea, but until now hasn't resulted in to many serious cuts.)

I naturally do this from peeling potatoes and stuff that’s how I learnt to use a hobby knife because it is the same technique

Absolutely love the sass

Excellent vid. Finally someone who understands and applies muscle movement and leverage.

i usually wrap my thumbs, and sometimes my index fingers, with self adhering athletic tape. It works well to prevent accidents.

“Literally finger condoms” He’s out of line, but he’s right.

Can you do how not to get super glue all over your fingies next?

Late as hell but 100% agree that it really doesn't matter which way you cut as long as you control it. Same grip/motion you would use to carve something into a surface. Thumb on the spine if you're pushing away, index on the spine or pinch the blade if you're pushing towards.

Awesome video dude! As a chef myself I couldnt agree with you more! cutting towards your hand is way way way safer and provides a hell of a lot more control than cutting away ( much respect for shouting out old boy Jacques by the way!)

That's exactly how I cut things with a hobby knife. Wasn't ever taught to do it that way, I just ended up doing it that way over time because it was easiest to do and least likely for accidents to happen.

I do this all the time, I suppose I never really thought about it! I will say though that after trimming a couple tactical squads' worth of sprue leavings that I typically find some small surface cuts in my thumb. Luckily so far not deep enough to draw blood or even hurt in the slightest, though I figure the latter is more likely related to sharpness of these kinds of blades more than the superficiality of the cuts.

As a health professional and former chef, its nice to hear someone else repeating my arguments with other hobby folk

Mind blown, I work with my hands all the time at work, but I never heard this before. Excellent! I believe there's a lot of wisdom in this!

"unless you collect Blood Angels" my me cry for laughter ! Brilliant!

i cook and have made models since i was 5 ish im now 58 and have always pulled the blades towards me and i still have all my digits.

Thanks for the knife tips. I actually cut the same way you do with the same techniques, but never stopped to think about it. I also have two knives just like you.

ive been doig this for years on my gunpla, feeling like I was doing it wrong but being okay with it because I knew I was getting more control. glad to hear another similar opninon

Speaking as someone with a huge scar on the pad of my index finger, Guy is very correct in his thinking

I've cut/peeled a lot of my veggies like this since I was a child

thank you for making this video, I've seen a lot of videos on many topics across the hobby, very little on how to use/handle a hobby knife.

The best way to control a blade. Thanks for this video, Guy!

This guy (pun intended) makes any topic no matter how simple it is so interesting.

Totally agree and it’s about time a vid like was released!

I taught myself to cook when i moved out. Over the years i learned two important things: Dull blades are more dangerous than sharp ones, and small knifes are more dangerous than large ones. So, my one go to knife for almost all jobs in the kitchen is a decades old french/german style knife with a 35cm edge that i keep as sharp as possible.

I totally agree with you on this. I use my thumb as a stop when I use my knife when taking mould lines and sprue gates off a model.

I've been trying to tell people this for years.

Children develop the hand dexterity they will have for the rest of their lives at the age of 2-5. There are many rural and endemic peoples who encourage toddlers to use small knives and they learn how to not cut themselves. The knife-phobia of the developed world is due to adults being expected to use knives but they have never touched one before. Its like living in a place where no one has ever driven before and expecting everyone to drive at top speed.

Yess!! Ive been cutting like this for years and thought I was being a rebel for cutting towards me, the only time I've ever cut myself with a hobby knife was when it rolled off the table and speared me in the foot.

This makes a lot of sense. Also add to your fantastic ideas is if you chopping your favorite vegetables and somehow it flips out of your hands, don’t try to grab in the air but let it fall to the ground instead.

and remember: dull knives are the most dangerous

Having callouses is a big perk too when the knife does brush up against your fingertips and thumb when using a hobby knife. One of the perks of working with your hands outside of modeling, the knife just sort of bounces off the callouses.

I agree 100%. Complete control of the blade and the pressure behind it.

Glad you addressed this, was the way I was taught 30 odd years ago and I've never had an injury doing it that way.

Was going to say, yeah, none of those commenters ever worked in a professional kitchen. But, also, the apple cut is the safest, from what I know. It is pushing the knife towards the hand holding it, which means much less strength to cut skin with. Good video all around. Thanks Guy.

can't wait to learn ahaha, might be too late for the marines I was chopping up a few days ago, lets see

THANK YOU for a good and educational video about this subject @midwinterminis :)

I haven't given my cutting method much thought. This video opened my mind.