# Apparently, preparing avocados is terribly dangerous. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297 "2017-05-10T16:34:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Drummond\_Bays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@Drummond\_Bays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drummond_Bays)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/81 "2017-05-13T15:39:58Z")
As aforementioned, a tablespoon is the superior implement involved in avocado de-pitting. Bagel: turn vertically on cutting board, grasp from above with fingers on one side, and thumb on the other, insert knife under hand, approximately between ‘heart line’ and ‘head line’ on palms, and gently saw back and forth with serrated bread knife. My six-year-old motor-skill-deficient self learned this was the easiest was to cut a bagel evenly, as any other way, I’d end up with either two wedges, or one paper-thin slice, and one honkin’ slice. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/82 "2017-05-14T01:24:11Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Typical. Everybody wants to talk about Avocado Diabolo, nobody remembers the attack of the killer tomatoes! Of course they are evil, its why they are delicious, saints eat Brussel sprouts, and swear that they like it! > > And I bet those injuries are mostly to guys, a result of testosterone impairment. Guys will make a mistake with a sharp little knife they would never make with a table saw. My own father was trying to cut a small piece of wood for a home project, and realized that he needed a heavy table with a wood clamp bolted to it, and a specialized wood saw in order to perform the cut cleanly, accurately and safely. Naturally, he decided instead, to turn his Skill Saw upside down, balance it between two chair seats, latch the safety shield out of the way, and use it as a tiny instant table saw. He turned the saw on and latched the switch in that mode, carefully focused on guiding the small piece of wood through the blade, and made the exact clean cut he wanted. It was only when he saw a strange spray of red colorant going all over his work area, that he realized he’d run his wrist through the blade while focusing on the wood. It all turned out fine, he got emergency stitches and recovered quickly since the cut wasn’t deep. But I found it educational. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/83 "2017-05-14T01:42:02Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > It all turned out fine, he got emergency stitches and recovered quickly since the cut wasn’t deep. But I found it educational. Amazing what you can learn from watching others. You’d think with the number of fail videos out there people wouldn’t do stupid things anymore. I had a buddy who was into woodworking. I was as well, but my approach was always from a safety first perspective. I should say he liked the concept of woodworking and had the money to buy the tools but didn’t actually use them for anything more than making large pieces of wood into smaller pieces. Unfortunately, he only felt like doing this activity when he had been drinking. So, one day after a few too many beers, he decided to practice his hobby of making small pieces of wood. From what he told me he stopped when he couldn’t see through his glasses anymore. Taking them off, he noticed they were covered in blood. The same as the saw, the walls and the ceiling. He had neatly bisected his thumb almost down to the first knuckle. Luckily a good enough friend, with a sense of humor, that he took it with good cheer when I pointed and laughed at him. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/84 "2017-05-15T06:44:11Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > My own father was trying to cut a small piece of wood for a home project, and realized that he needed a heavy table with a wood clamp bolted to it, and a specialized wood saw in order to perform the cut cleanly, accurately and safely. Lack of proper Tools/ space is often a Problem for starting with homemade Solutions. Luckily, in my City there’s now a Workspace fully equipped for metal working, Wood working etc., that can be rented in increments of 1/4 hr., with experts to help People with not enough experience. That’s a good idea. > [@](#): > > It all turned out fine, he got emergency stitches and recovered quickly since the cut wasn’t deep. But I found it educational. I don’t remember the web adress, but the Navy has a page somewhere where they collect Pictures of dangerous Solutions to make People recognize dangers better. Because the Navy doesn’t want to loose People to preventable accidents. (They also campaign heavily on things like “Using helmets when riding a motorbike”.) ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/85 "2017-05-15T07:41:46Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > This isn’t very ranty, and is sorta food oriented… let’s try it in Cafe Society. So, this Pit thread about de-pitting avocados is no longer in The Pit. There’s something very meta about that. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/86 "2017-05-15T10:27:02Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Lack of proper Tools/ space is often a Problem for starting with homemade Solutions. Luckily, in my City there’s now a Workspace fully equipped for metal working, Wood working etc., that can be rented in increments of 1/4 hr., with experts to help People with not enough experience. That’s a good idea. > ) There were some of those around here. But thanks to lawyers and liability, they are no more. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297/87 "2017-05-15T13:21:55Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > No, you do not understand. Observant Jews have 2 sets of silverware for daily use and 2 more just for passover. Because my family has shrunk instead of expanded, I have inherited enough silverware to be an observant Jew! (I kid, I kid; I know the rules.) > [@](#): > > [This](http://www.rachaelraymag.com/food/how-to-pit-an-avocado) has always been why I though people cut themselves on avocados. Having the preferred technique being to cradle half of a cut avocado in one hand while trying to hit a slippery convex pit with a knife hard enough to embed the sharp blade in the pit so that you can twist it out always seemed to me a recipe for disaster. Using a dull knife probably causes some of the problems – a really sharp knife will catch the pit without a person needing to use a lot of force to hit the pit. I fold up a towel, put it on my hand, then put the avocado on the towel. Thwack. I’m a klutz and haven’t managed to cut myself in fifteen years of using this technique. Alternatively, you cut a bit off the opposite side of the avocado so it sits flat, then set it on a cutting board instead of your hand. And keep your knives properly sharp! [cranky middle-aged bat] IMO, this problem with “avocado hand” is what happens when an entire generation is so encased in bubble wrap that pocket knives are seen as dangerous, and no one teaches them knife safety at home. And get off my lawn! **shakes cane** [/cranky middle-aged bat] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-preparing-avocados-is-terribly-dangerous/786297.md?page=4)