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This protocol was set in place to prevent injuries, develop a safe manner of passing, inspecting and storage of live blades and to prevent the personal insult that may arise from improper passing or handling of live blades.
Blades are to be considered personal items. They are not community property to be picked up and toyed with but rather someone’s personal items, no different than jewelry or wallet. As such they should not be handled or touched without the owner’s consent and only if appropriate, for instance, when it is appropriate to ask to inspect someone’s wallet? Almost never. That’s the kind of respect you should demonstrate for someone’s blades.
Live Blade Inspection
Live blades should be placed on a common area, such as a table, not passed hand to hand.Visually inspect the sheath, determining the potential for hazards such as openings in the sheath that allow the blade to slip through or sticky or wet areas.
Visually inspect and determine the proper method of drawing the blade from the sheath and hazards that may occur during drawing, such as cutting yourself after an unexpected “release” from a tight sheath.
Visually inspect the blade for type, style, value or uniqueness that may give insight into maker, designer, character and style of the owner and carry method.
After visual inspections, carefully pick up blade in a manner that will allow any moisture inside the sheath to run out and down along the handle without touching your hands. Carefully tilt the whole blade to make sure there is not moisture that could run out onto you. Also watch for cracks in the sheath edges where moisture could seep out onto your fingers.
Carefully and with slow and consistent tension, draw the blade out in its appropriate manner. This may require using your thumb as a lever against the sheath to pry it out, be careful here not to cut your thumb as the blade releases.
Once the blade is clear, carefully inspect the blade without touching it. Do not thumb the edge to determine it’s sharpness. If you want to see if it’s sharp, examine the edge by looking down it for light reflection. If light reflects, that is a somewhat duller area than where the edge is so thin that no light reflects off of it.
Do not swing or thrust with the blade. Do not practice templates with it in the air.
Do not point the blade tip at anyone or get within reach of others who may accidentally bump you or take your possession of a live blade as a threat or insult.
After examining the blade, place it back in the sheath using the same methods as drawing. If it doesn’t sheath smoothly, carefully attempt to figure out why. If you cannot, simply let the owner know and place the blade back on the table with the sheath next to it. Don’t force it.
Observation of others with live blades
Do not watch the blade, watch their facial expressions; the look in their eyes. This will give you insight into their intent with the blade.Do not stand or sit within your reactionary gap of a person inspecting a blade.
Place the blade on a common surface such as a table; don’t hand it to the person.
If person does something inappropriate such as swinging the blade, calmly use verbal instructions to guide them into the more appropriate action and in the future use better judgment on whom to allow to hold your live blades.
If person persists in inappropriate actions, institute secondary security protocols.
What is a secondary security protocol?
Excellently written on our conduct that cannot be stressed enough. I will enjoy re-reading often. thank you.
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