Knives, Not Elsewhere Classified
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 464
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Knives, Not Elsewhere Classified carry a danger score of 44/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 336,545 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 44/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 336,545
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 1.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 464 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 44/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for knives, not elsewhere classified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume336,545 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)1.2%
- Fatality rate0.01%
- 5-year trend-4%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Knives, Not Elsewhere Classified (CPSC product code 464, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 336,545 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 6.7M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 44/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (370,700 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2019 (290,032 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for knives, not elsewhere classified is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 4.2M visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (1.3M cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1.5M cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 1.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 100 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how knives, not elsewhere classified fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 80,143 | 37,283 | |
| 5-14 | 455,215 | 178,191 | |
| 15-24 | 967,057 | 496,673 | |
| 25-34 | 807,362 | 571,650 | |
| 35-44 | 589,807 | 474,421 | |
| 45-54 | 444,123 | 418,442 | |
| 55-64 | 330,925 | 319,346 | |
| 65-74 | 190,917 | 186,982 | |
| 75+ | 85,340 | 95,219 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Upper Leg | Laceration | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Hand | Puncture | |
| Finger | Other | |
| Knee | Laceration | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Lower Trunk | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
49 YOM PRESENTS WITH TRUNK LACERATIONS. SUSTAINED LACERATION TO ABDOMEN WHILE SKINNING A DEER AT HOME. THE KNIFE ACCIDENTALLY BOUNCED OFF ONTO HIS ABDOMEN. NO OTHER INJURIES NOTED. LACERATION REPAIR PERFORMED. DX: LACERATION OF ABDOMINAL WALL.
9YOF, C/O LACERATION, PT CUT FINGER WITH KNIFE. DX:LACERATION OF RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO NAIL
35YOM WAS CUTTING A COCONUT WITH A KNIFE AND CUT HIS RIGHT HAND DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT HAND
28YOF WAS CUTTING HER BREAKFAST WITH A KNIFE WHEN IT SLIPPED AND SHE CUT HER LEFT SECOND FINGER DX: LEFT SECOND FINGER LACERATION
56YOF WAS CUTTING UP CABBAGE AND KNIFE SLIPPED AND CUT HER INDEX FINGER.DX: SINGLE SUPERFICIAL LAC. LEFT INDEX FINGER.
44YOM WAS DOING THE DISHES AND CUT HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE KNIFE DX: HAND LACERATION
33YOM PATIENT WAS CUTTING LETTUCE WITH A KNIFE, THE KNIFE SLIPPED CUTTING HIS THUMB DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT THUMB WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO NAIL
25YOF C/O LACERATION OF DISTAL MIDDLE FINGER. WAS ATTEMPTING TO LIFT OUT A BROWNIE FROM THE PAN AND ACCIDENTALLY CUT HER LEFT MIDDLE FINGER WITH A BRAND NEW KNIFE. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT MIDDLE FINGER WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO NAIL
31YOM, CUTL LEFT THUMB, PULLING KNIFE FROM FRIENDS HAND DX:LACERATION LEFT THUMB
29YOM C/O RIGHT HAND LACERATION. WAS USING A STEAK KNIFE WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY CUT HIS RIGHT PALM. DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT HAND WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY
33YOF TO ER AFTER CUTTING HER RIGHT INDEX FINGER WHILE WASHING THE KNIFE DX LACERATION RIGHT INDEX FINGER
63YOF SAYS WAS CUTTING AN AVACADO W/ A KNIFE & ACCIDENTALLY CUT LEFT PALM OF HER HAND DX LACERATION OF LEFT HAND W/O FOREIGN BODY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My sister received a Chicago Cutlery 8 piece steak knife set which had packaging which was almost impossible to open. My sister cut herself on the plastic and I got a piece of plastic in my eye. There was a sticker (which was probably added as a result of complaints) on the package giving directions on how to open but even with that, it took at least an hour to open.
Laceration of the hand while removing a Farberware knife from its protective sheath. Laceration required emergency room visit, stitches. Long term nerve and tendon damage is not know as of this writing. Farberware knife sheath is defective and allows knife cutting edge to be exposed when completely inserted in sheath. Each side of the knife sheath has a decorative, non-functional, opening running the length of the sheath through which the knife is easily inserted. This leaves the cutting edge of the knife exposed and unprotected. Addionally, the knife blade and sheath are identical colors so it is difficult to determine if knife is inserted completely into the sheath and protected, or exposed and unproteted.
Knife has opened several times while in my pocket. The blade tip has cut the pocket.
A Calphalon 7" Santoku knife broke while I was cutting a meatloaf. The blade lacerated my right index finger at the first knuckle. I checked online and found a recall for this knife and several others.
I purchased a knife set. I hand washed the knives prior to using. I only used one knife and I used it to cut through pineapple. After eating the pineapple I noticed that there were chunks of stainless steel missing from the knife, it was not like this prior to using.
Today about 3:00 PM 8/3/2015. I was using a Farberware serated kitchen knife to slice off a section of watermellon and without warning the plastic knife handle snapped. I was extremely fortunate my hands were in the clear when this happened. Photo link here. http://i57.tinypic.com/2copg84.jpg! While the knife set is old, it appears repeated exposure to dishwasher temps and soaps have caused the handle plastic to deteriorate. I have not notified the manufacturer as of yet.. I was not able to find a model # or serial #. Knife was part of a set. Assume the rest in the set use same handle material.
The Hampton Forge 8 inch chef's knife broke while cutting vegetables. Fortunately there was no injury. We twice contacted the Company to ask about the warranty and received no answer. The design and/or manufacture of the knife seems to make it prone to breaking, a fact that is not obvious until the blade brakes away from the handle.
Butter knife caused injury should have duller edge
Showing 8 of 100 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to knives, not elsewhere classified on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are knives, not elsewhere classified?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, knives, not elsewhere classified have a danger score of 44/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 336,545 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from knives, not elsewhere classified?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 4.2M injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from knives, not elsewhere classified increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for knives, not elsewhere classified injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1.5M cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by knives, not elsewhere classified?
Of all ER visits involving knives, not elsewhere classified, approximately 1.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with knives, not elsewhere classified?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 44/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
