Had a bone saw kick back on me last Tuesday and it reminded me why I take my time

I was breaking down a hind quarter at the shop in Portland and hit a knot in the femur harder than I expected. The saw jumped and nicked my thumb right through the glove, just a scratch but it made me stop and think. Old timer I used to work with always said rush a cut and you'll pay for it later, and he was right. I had to re-bandage and walk away for a minute before I could finish the job clean. Any of you guys had a close call that made you slow down on a cut you'd done a hundred times?

2 comments

2 Comments

roberts951d ago

That line about "rush a cut and you'll pay for it later" hits hard. It's funny how that works in other parts of life too. I've noticed it with driving - whenever I'm in a hurry and try to squeeze through a yellow light or make a quick lane change, something always goes wrong. Same with cooking at home, I've burned more pans rushing to get dinner on the table than taking my time. It's like the world has a way of reminding you that shortcuts usually end up costing more time in the end.

ellis.leo1d ago

And here's the part nobody talks about - that knot in the bone probably wasn't random. I've had it happen enough times to notice that the meat quality, the animal's age, even what it was fed can change how the bone behaves under a blade. You get a younger animal that was raised on good pasture and the bones cut like butter. But an older one that had some rough years, maybe a mineral deficiency? That femur gets hard and brittle in weird spots. So it's not just about rushing the cut, it's about reading the meat before you even start.