Any experience of wood splinter gone into your finger? - How did you get it out?

[Rich C]

I use a sharp pair of tweezers.

 

[Ollie78]

Agree with the scalpel and tweezers method.
Good quality tweezers with perfectly machined tips are certainly worth the money.

Once I had a splinter go directly in the top of my thumbnail and all the way past the knuckle of my thumb so it wouldn't bend. Couldn't get it out with pliers so drove to the hospital a and e.
When I told them I had a splinter I thought they were going to throw me out, then I showed them my thumb.
The nurse numbed it up and pulled some out, "all done" she said.
"I don't think so" I replied.
"What do you mean ?" she said.
"I still can't bend my thumb".
She looked again and pulled a matchstick sized bit of wood out. Not fun, my thumbnail still grows with a ridge there.

Ollie

 

[Pedronicus]

There are no nerves in the outer layer of the skin ( the epidermis ) so it is painless to open the puncture a little. Nothing beats a hypodermic needle combined with massaging the sprinter out.

Indeed, and also very sharp on both the point and the sides of the slope of the tip down to the point.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

OP - think yourself lucky it's not a blackthorn.

 

[Pedronicus]

Or Burberis.

 

[Jameshow]

Agree with the scalpel and tweezers method.
Good quality tweezers with perfectly machined tips are certainly worth the money.

Once I had a splinter go directly in the top of my thumbnail and all the way past the knuckle of my thumb so it wouldn't bend. Couldn't get it out with pliers so drove to the hospital a and e.
When I told them I had a splinter I thought they were going to throw me out, then I showed them my thumb.
The nurse numbed it up and pulled some out, "all done" she said.
"I don't think so" I replied.
"What do you mean ?" she said.
"I still can't bend my thumb".
She looked again and pulled a matchstick sized bit of wood out. Not fun, my thumbnail still grows with a ridge there.

Ollie

Ok you get the biggest splinter award!!!

 

[clogs]

can I show u mine.....unloading old pallets.....
top bit snapped off and this was inside for about a week.....
Norm use a stanley blade or a freshly sharpen'd chisel but this was too deep.....
went to AE here and they sent me to the specialist.....
who said come back tomorrow and we'll take it.....
not spending any more time at the hospital bugxxing about, had another go...
The puss had pushed it to the surface, just needed a split and a good squeeze....
The wife enjoy's inflicting pain on these occasions.....hahaha....
Still have the splinter in my wallet ......lol.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ok you get the biggest splinter award!!!

I had a splinter of utile (soaked in old engine oil) go through my palm and out between the knuckles.

 

[Ozi]

OP - think yourself lucky it's not a blackthorn.

Black thorn is a B itch.

Many years ago looking at a friends hand said "what have you done to your thumb"

"Nothing"
"It's twice the size of the other one"
"Oh.....OH ****"...... Squeeze pop

Thorn over an inch long gone in level with the top of the nail parallel to the bone must have been almost to the joint, ( if this was my thumb I'd be saying twice that size) horrible amount of puss and he had no idea it was there! No pain, no brain as they say.

 

[Ttrees]

Just wondering if you folks sterilize those implements before use, as I'd imagine various oils wouldn't be great for oneself.
Just noting say if you look at various piccs posted here regarding magnified edges from D_W
you can see that the oil isn't easy to remove.

I must look this up again, but if I'm not mistaken, I think I've heard some bushcraft/survival folk mention to hold said tool under a flame and get red hot beforehand, and not to wipe the carbon off,
as it's now sterile.

Just wondering if this is better than not doing it?

Cheers, interesting thread.
Never had a thorn or splinter like some here, but plenty a dirty cut, and always used lots of neat dettol in a little tubular container of some sort packed with tissue, often going back for seconds,
and not stopping until the skin is nice and wrinkly.

 

[Bm101]

I use whatever is handy, can be anything from a panel pin to an inch chisel.......

Magnesium Sulphate will draw it out if you don't want to go down the diy surgery route.

https://www.boots.com/boots-pharmac...l-7gwuZlV-HXKK-OoxxoC_ooQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This gear is great. I had a metal splinter that I couldn't cut out. Proper irritant. Asked the pharmacist while I was in for summat else and he suggested this. For a couple of quid you get a massive supply as you only need a tiny amount.

 

[Ttrees]

How does the magnesium sulfate store..
Does it have a long shelf life?

 

[Awac]

I always have a watchmakers eye loop and watchmakers tweezers which have a fine sharp point, they really grip that splinter!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's Epsom salts - it'll keep as long as you keep it dry.

 

[Rich C]

@Ttrees I sterilise by using some neat isopropanol. It's to hand and won't ruin the temper.

 

[diytoolbox]

My daughter got the vet's syringe needle, came home, and punctured my finger, and took the splinter out with the tweezers.
It was a bit scary at first, and sore, but it came out from the skin. Now feel much better.
The punctured skin was rubbed with a sterilising wipe and put on a bandage, healing.

 

[Keith 66]

Years ago i was working on our old wooden boat towards the end of her rebuild. I had fitted a new oak keel to her & was sitting underneath raking the garboard seam out a bit wider with a seam rake.
The rake came out of the seam & my knuckles went along & down the keel to the rebate i had chopped out that morning for the rudder gear. A splinter of oak went in under my third fingernail & came out the top of the knuckle above the nail It broke off leaving about a quarter inch sticking out beyond the fingertip, total length about 1 1/4".
I felt faint & called to my mate "Can you bring me some pliers quick", He rushed over & saw what i had done then went white.
I got hold of it & whipped it out fortunately in one.
Didnt half sting i can tell you!
Went home after that!

 

[Sideways]

A vote for isopropyl alcohol, scalpel or other sharp blade. My preferred antiseptic is the savlon aerosol one - bright yellow iodine powder in a small aerosol. That and micropore lives in the door pocket of the car so easy to hand when visiting friends sheds.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My eyes aren't brilliant - I read that by the word and started to laugh before I got to sheds.

 

[AES]

Just wondering if you folks sterilize those implements before use, as I'd imagine various oils wouldn't be great for oneself.
Just noting say if you look at various piccs posted here regarding magnified edges from D_W
you can see that the oil isn't easy to remove.

I must look this up again, but if I'm not mistaken, I think I've heard some bushcraft/survival folk mention to hold said tool under a flame and get red hot beforehand, and not to wipe the carbon off,
as it's now sterile.

Just wondering if this is better than not doing it?

Cheers, interesting thread.
Never had a thorn or splinter like some here, but plenty a dirty cut, and always used lots of neat dettol in a little tubular container of some sort packed with tissue, often going back for seconds,
and not stopping until the skin is nice and wrinkly.

Dunno, but I have acetone kicking about 99% of the time. A drop of that on the scalpel blade and the needle-nose pliers (small ones, better than any tweezers I've got) and away you go. Another drop of "Ace" on the entry would after the op and you'll never get infected. Stings more than "hot hell" mind!