[giardini]

I'd nursed a foot callus for years that hurt badly when I walked barefoot. Weeks ago, sitting on the locker room bench, I hit my limit. In desperation I pulled out my pocket knife to do some field surgery. A few minutes into it I glanced up to see two guys sitting across the room staring at me open-eyed as I dug into my foot with the tip of that pointy knife (8.5" with 3.5" blade)! I just smiled and dug that sucker out.

Should have gone after that callus a year ago! Amazing how such a tiny thing can aggravate.

But you're right about a knife alarming people. Years ago in another life I opened a similar knife to cut a cable and my boss literally jumped backward and exclaimed in fear. But he came from a place where, when someone pulls out a knife someone else usually gets stabbed.

[floxy]

> staring at me open-eyed

They were probably just envious you were rocking a Kershaw Iridium Dessert Warrior. Which also comes in at under $100. And the Iridium family are pretty nice knives.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Iridium-Dessert-Warrio...

[giardini]

I've never spent more than $40 on any knife. The one I spoke of was a cheap S&W from AutoZone (the checkout line "specials" bin) for ~$13 IIRC.

And FWIW I fear if I cut myself with that Kershaw I might grow a pussy.

[rationalist]

That is an amazing paint scheme.

[sejje]

I use my knife like a fidget toy. Not usually in public, but one time a sales guy came in and it was just me and him. He's basically a friend.

I flipped the knife out and his eyes got huge, his arms went out sideways and he got in a football stance.

After he calmed down, he told me he was actually attacked with a knife when he was a kid.

Not long after, I finally wore out the fastener on that knife (a buck). Luckily I had already bought a twin for backup.

[giardini]

sejje says >I flipped the knife out and his eyes got huge, his arms went out sideways and he got in a football stance.<

That seems unusual: if I feared in that situation I would flee. His would be a gutsy, dangerous but certainly unexpected move!

What did you do in response: say "16 - 32- HIKE"?

[tkocmathla]

Tangentially, if that callus was a plantar callus (circular with a painful point in the center), you can get sticky pads with salicylic acid from the drugstore that will gradually destroy it. Much safer than digging into your foot with a knife, but I'm glad to hear it worked for you!

[giardini]

Thank you, this is all very useful!

Yes, I didn't know WTF was there but over the years it had grown beyond annoying , becoming so painful I couldn't tolerate it. I thought perhaps something (a splinter, piece of glass or steel, etc.) had become embedded in my foot. I was determined to dig it out. I'm tall and not flexible so I cannot easily see all of the bottom of my foot. But I can reach it.

The callus was surprisingly small (~1/2") and came out in one piece after about 10 minutes of work. Nothing embedded. No bleeding, just a lot of knife-wiggling. The bottom of the foot is really tough!