Thread: How do you remove a splinter?

I just dig and dig with a knife or pin until I create a big hole in my finger removing the splinter. I find this heals quicker than having the splinter become infected.

Needle nose tweezers - the ones I keep for removing glue squeeze-out

I use whatever chisel I've got in my chisel holster at the time and then maybe a pair of long nose pliers. Having said that, I'd like a dollar for every time I've discovered a splinter I didn't know I had, usually whilst showering at which time a squeeze is all that is required to pop the little sucker right out.

Most of the time I use my teeth to pull out a splinter if i cannot get it out that way, I just use a pin/needle and dig it out!

If I can't get it out with tweezers then nature taking its course seems to work. The fester and pop method is easy, painless and seems to heel quicker once its out.

Ms. Grunt is a fester and pop kind of girl. Me, I scrape away the skin until I get the little bast@rd.

Bob,
you need an option for "all, or most of the above".
I keep a pair of tweezers in my glove box nowadays, and there's a few needles stuck in the ceiling lining, not exactly sterile but I've never had a problem. Otherwise I've used the little pin in my square, a sharp chisel, my teeth, pliers, stanley knife, push and squeeze with other hand, suck, dig with nail etc etc etc. I try to avoid the leave and fester method as I've seen some really horrible tropical ulcers. Not sure if you can get them froma festering splinter and I've never had them myself but they look pretty frightening. :eek: When I was on the tools doing lots of framing work my hands were tough enough that I hardly ever got any splinters, now they're almost like office worker's hands

Mick off to get a manicure

I normally don't find them until they are infected. Miss 4 1/2 has to supervise the removal.

Cheers

Micks' got a good point about leaving to fester being unreliable. Had a few splinters in my time, part of the job anyhow once left a piece of tallowood in tip of my thumb waiting for it to fester & pop(works most of the time), forgot about it, went about my merry life started having trouble with base of hand where it joins to the wrist. To cut a long story down they cut the splinter out 4" below entry point and a couple of stitches I didn't want.

Mostly I use the sharp point of my Japanese marking knife but if it is large and well stuck or the type that crumbles rather than come out or if the grain runs in such a way that it goes in easier than out i get a razor blade and cut down directly above the splinter till you get to the wood and it just lifts right out.


Ross

An old time carpenter showed me how to use a sharp wood chisel. It beats anything else hands down. You slice effortlessly along the splinter line and it falls out. Sounds gruesome but it's actually quick and painless. (Try this at home...)

Richard

The official first aid line these days is a "splinter probe" which is a "special pointy thing"
But the best thig I have found is seriously pointy sergical tweesers. The type with the gooseneck angled tip are best. I have pairs all over the place, a set in each vehicle, one in the shed & a couple in the house.

I baught a bunch of them from dick smith a few years ago but they are deleated now.
Great for removing scrub ticks too.

My fathers pocket knife which he probably got back in the 30's or 40's has a needle and tweezers that slip into holes in the side. just perfect but the tweezers are starting to show their age.
My flash Victronox that I got 20 years ago has a great pair of tweezers but something like a plastic match stick instead of a proper needle, useless.

Jon

you also forgot to have a selection for "with the aid of glasses", for some reason over the past 2 years I have been getting smaller and smaller splinters! I use the "dig-it-out-with-a-needle" method, and I have found the glasses make the little suckers stand out better