Hi! A gal I've been fooling around with has a knifeplay kink and I keep procrastinating when researching it to make sure I'm not doing anything dangerous, so I figured I'd ask if you have any resources to throw my way in case I continue to procrastinate. For the record, the few times we've had a knife in bed it's been a dull pocket knife and I've been pointing the sharp side away from anything vital when it's nearby, figured those were the base safety things I should do.
oh boy, knifeplay is a whole bag of beans if you want resources it's generally never a bad idea to just punch "[kink] resources" or "[kink] guide" into your search engine of choice you will probably find a blog or two with valuable articles on the topic you're looking for you'll likely also find some helpful discussions on forums or reddit posts
would be better if you did that quickly, knife play is one of the spicier kinks and can get fairly dangerous if you handle it poorly (get it, handle?) i'll give you a list of my personal safety tips so you know what to look out for but remember that being informed is vital to BDSM, especially with the riskier kinks i mean it, inform yourself well
anyway, here's the list:
as a beginner, it's better to use something knife-like rather than a real knife so you can get a feel on how to handle such a scene first
if you really want to use an actual knife, make sure you use either a fixed blade (preferably a full tang knife so the blade can't wobble) or if you use a folding knife it absolutely must lock in place
if the blade doesn't lock it can hurt you and your partner unexpectedly
do NOT use a serrated or jagged blade, even an improperly dulled blade can be jagged and cause mean tissue damage if you use cuts during knifeplay/bloodplay
if you dull a knife you should know what you're doing, reason stated above
the shorter the blade the more control you have over it, so better go for a smaller knife (but also don't ever use a karambit or similar curved blades)
daggers or other double edged blades are dangerous and not worth the risk
ensure you are not in a compromised position when handling a knife. if one of you tumbles, slips or falls you risk having an accident
make sure you communicate how both of you act when a blade is involved first. if the bottom in the scene thrashes around too hard it could also cause issues
it's not a toy, don't wave it around
if you cut your partner out of their clothing, point the blade away from them (and watch your hands and face while doing so)
the knife should be dry when handled so make sure it's not covered in lube or bodily fluids. also make sure your hands aren't too sweaty to interfere with your grip
put the knife in a safe spot, preferably sheathed or otherwise covered, when it's not in use
you have to know how to treat both smaller wounds as well as larger/deeper ones and have all necessary materials for treatment at hand (doing a first aid course is always a good idea)
rule above is for both aftercare and in case of an accident, because: accidents can always happen. knifeplay with a real knife is never 100% safe
and finally: know when to seek medical attention
very deep wounds, jagged wounds, continuous bleeding after applying pressure for a while, any gaping wounds need proper treatment or you will regret it
wounds on head, face, hands, joints and genitals should be at least closely monitored if you don't seek professional aid immediately
stay safe, friend! -steve
