Another note about the pocket knife world:

A common phrase is, "a sharp knife is a safe knife", the reasoning being that sharp knives don't catch as much when cutting, and require less force when cutting, and are thus more predictable and don't slip as much or as forcefully.

I used to just assume that this was right because all the knife guys say it, and presumably they know the domain best. But this week I'm becoming increasingly convinced that this is very-persistent copium from people who really like having sharp knives, or at least is heavily dependent on the way you're using your knives.

It is just way easier to cut yourself with a sharp knife than a dull knife. It's way easier to cut yourself way deeper with a sharp knife. A sharp knife will just slide right through your skin and organs. A dull knife requires way more force than I usually find myself using (regardless of knife sharpness), to actually break the skin.

In some sense this is a "skill issue": If you're an expert at handling your knife, then sharpness does make the knife more predictable to you. But even then I'm unconvinced that the net effect is in favor of safety. I've watched a ton of knife youtube this week, and I sure see a lot of professional knife guys, whose whole deal is having and using and reviewing sharp knives, with fresh red lines all over their hands. I just don't buy that a typical person is going to entirely avoid steel-to-skin contact, and dull knives are way safer conditional on that steel-to-skin contact.