My mandoline finally got me after 8 years of dodging it

Last Tuesday I was slicing up some fennel for a special and got too comfortable with the guard. I figured I had been using the same mandoline since culinary school so I could push it without looking. Three slices later I took a nice chunk out of my thumb right before the dinner rush. Had to have my sous finish the prep while I wrapped it up and got back on the line one-handed. Anyone else have a tool they got cocky with after years of use?

2 comments

2 Comments

thead444d ago

Oh man, "got too comfortable with the guard" - that's exactly what happened to my buddy Jake. He used to brag about how he could slice a whole case of tomatoes on his mandoline blindfolded. Last year during prep he was showing off to a new cook and just zipped his fingertip right off without even realizing it at first. Blood went everywhere in the walk-in and he had to finish his shift with a finger condom and a glove over it. Now he calls his mandoline "the finger guillotine" and stores it face down in the drawer so he doesn't have to look at it.

ivan_hayes291d ago

Oh man, I actually read a blog post from a chef who lost the tip of his thumb on a mandoline and he said the same thing about getting too comfortable! He talked about how after years of using it without incident you just stop thinking about the blade, like it's a regular knife but it's way more dangerous. My cousin works at a deli and he told me they have a rule now where you have to use the guard or you get sent home for the day no exceptions. I guess it's one of those tools that punishes you hard when you slip up even a little bit. Your friend's story about the blood in the walk-in gave me chills honestly, that's brutal.