Selliong Compound Cut ornaments

[scrollingforsanity]

Hello All. I have been making some compound cut ornaments ( Diana Thompson patterns ). I was going to sell them at craft shows this fall. After cutting a few I realized that some of the larger and longer ones are very pointed and sharp. I sanded the needle point off but they are still quite pointed. I was wondering if anyone has made and sold any of these. Am I setting myself up for some problems. I can just see a kid grabbing one and running across the floor and falling on the ornament. Maybe I should just keep them to look at?

Thanks

grizz

  

[OCtoolguy]

It's a sad world we live in. I got my first pocket knife at 8 years. My first BB gun a year later and a .22 at 12. 

Edited May 11, 2022 by OCtoolguy

[kmmcrafts]

When I first started selling in person several years ago I made a bunch of knife shaped letter openers.. they was actually quite sharp.. never thought much of it until one young boy come to my table grabbed one of the letter openers and took off as fast as he could to go show his mom / dad.. I got so worked up about that that I've not done a in person show since then and also never once made another letter opener.. Totally understand how you feel about those ornaments.. I'd certainly not display them where kids could reach them if you do sell them. 

Kind of sad as Ray said... it's a really different world we live in these days.. sue happy folks out there and not many parents get after a child or even help teach them manors and common sense.. 

Heck, when I was 12 hanging out with my oldest brother that has the sawmill.. back in those days he had motors running machines without belt guards on, I was running nail guns making pallets and driving the loader to remove stacks up lumber or picking up logs and loading them on the saw deck etc..  

[jollyred]

If I had any reservations about a product, I would not sell it.  Not worth the risk.

Tom

[lawson56]

Years back I made pocket knives, I would not sell them to little boys unless their parents were with them, but even then it made me nervous, It has been a few yrs since I made any knives. I was around 9 when I got my 1st Knife, 11 or 12 my 1st 22, It was a different world back then.

[FrankEV]

I personally would not hesitate to sell them.  However, I would hang them for disply above the reach of small children and possibly have a sign, or a slip of paper to include with the sale, that states: "Hanging tree ornament, not a toy...Keep out of reach of small children".  

[Wichman]

Are these more or less dangerous than the glass globe ornaments still sold? Are they dangerous if used as intended?

Just sell them.

 

[Wichman]

Just now, FrankEV said:

I personally would not hesitate to sell them.  However, I would hang them for disply above the reach of small children and possibly have a sign, or a slip of paper to include with the sale, that states: "Hanging tree ornament, not a toy...Keep out of reach of small children".  

"Not intended for use by persons under 14 years of age"  I've seen stickers that state this.

[barb.j.enders]

I would sell but hang out of reach of kids.  It is a strange world we live in and too bad that everything needs a warning sign.  @jollyred, if I had reservations about selling, I wouldn't be selling at all.  One never knows how someone will use a product.  I make a puzzle that had a string on it - I am sure someone could cut it and use it inappropriately!!!

[scrollingforsanity]

Thank You all for the advice. I agree the world has changed from when i was young.

[crupiea]

16 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

It's a sad world we live in. I got my first pocket knife at 8 years. My first BB gun a year later and a .22 at 12. 

Dad bough my brother and I , 5th and 4th grades, a mini bike and bb guns for christmas. 

his intent was for us to ride around through the desert while the kid on the back shot the bb gun at stuff.  lol

We did just that and loved it. 

[OCtoolguy]

48 minutes ago, crupiea said:

Dad bough my brother and I , 5th and 4th grades, a mini bike and bb guns for christmas. 

his intent was for us to ride around through the desert while the kid on the back shot the bb gun at stuff.  lol

We did just that and loved it. 

We grew up in the best of times. Sanity prevailed.

[don watson]

I think 'Common Sense' was a bit more common then. We do live in a different world now.

 

[Joe W.]

(Said with tongue-in-cheek)  Maybe make a cover (curtain) for the ornaments and a sign on it that says:  ADULTS ONLY  

[Roberta Moreton]

It amazes me that glass ornaments are still for sale. I will have to consider a sign for my ornaments that state that they are not for children to play with.

[OCtoolguy]

I'm surprised we still have anything made of glass, or pointed, or sharp, or....

 

When I was still selling tools it amazed me when seeing warning labels on things that should be obvious to anybody with more than 2 brain cells. The problems were all created by lawyers.

[CharleyL]

Recently I saw a statement, "In the 1930's new car manuals included a chapter on how to adjust the valves. Some of today's cars include a warning label "Not to drink the contents of the battery". A pretty good indication of today's society's "lack of common sense", and "sue happy society".

Charley

 

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, CharleyL said:

Recently I saw a statement, "In the 1930's new car manuals included a chapter on how to adjust the valves. Some of today's cars include a warning label "Not to drink the contents of the battery". A pretty good indication of today's society's "lack of common sense", and "sue happy society".

Charley

 

AMEN!

[Gene Howe]

Remove all warning labels and let nature weed out the idiots. Have your lawyer's number on speed dial, though.

[scrollerpete]

I sold hundred of these and never worry about it, BUT I live in Canada.

[zimmerstutzen]

30 years ago, I was in a hardware store with my ex wife and 5 yr old son who was being a real brat at the time. The ex was not helping and refused to keep the boy from grabbing things.    I was in line at the cash register and the clerk was ringing up my order.  I was trying to pay attention to the clerk, while my son kept grabbing stuff and putting it up hoping I would pay for the items hew wanted.  I scolded him, and pulled him behind me as I paid the cashier.  Suddenly, I felt a horrible pain in my rear.  The brat stabbed me with an ice pick.  I was so shocked, I turned and slapped him so hard he was knocked down.  I pulled the ice pick out and picked him up by the belt grabbed my bag and took him outside where he got another few wacks with my hand on his bottom. The ex stood there screaming at me for spanking the kid.   My stupid ex wife wanted me to sue the hardware store for having the ice pick so low, he could grab it.  It is a hardware store.   

I would expect a toy store to be different.  Ornaments are not for little kids.    They are to look at.   I would keep them up high, limit handling and sales to only adults. perhaps even a warning like ages 10 and up.   Keep out of reach of small children or similar.    I sell dibbles and fids. Both of which have pointed ends.  I do dull the ends slightly, but not enough to affect use.

   

[OCtoolguy]

7 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Remove all warning labels and let nature weed out the idiots. Have your lawyer's number on speed dial, though.

My thoughts exactly. Let the gene pool sort itself.

 

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, zimmerstutzen said:

30 years ago, I was in a hardware store with my ex wife and 5 yr old son who was being a real brat at the time. The ex was not helping and refused to keep the boy from grabbing things.    I was in line at the cash register and the clerk was ringing up my order.  I was trying to pay attention to the clerk, while my son kept grabbing stuff and putting it up hoping I would pay for the items hew wanted.  I scolded him, and pulled him behind me as I paid the cashier.  Suddenly, I felt a horrible pain in my rear.  The brat stabbed me with an ice pick.  I was so shocked, I turned and slapped him so hard he was knocked down.  I pulled the ice pick out and picked him up by the belt grabbed my bag and took him outside where he got another few wacks with my hand on his bottom. The ex stood there screaming at me for spanking the kid.   My stupid ex wife wanted me to sue the hardware store for having the ice pick so low, he could grab it.  It is a hardware store.   

I would expect a toy store to be different.  Ornaments are not for little kids.    They are to look at.   I would keep them up high, limit handling and sales to only adults. perhaps even a warning like ages 10 and up.   Keep out of reach of small children or similar.    I sell dibbles and fids. Both of which have pointed ends.  I do dull the ends slightly, but not enough to affect use.

   

It sounds like he "stabbed" the wrong parent. Glad you got shed of that one.

 

[new2woodwrk]

Agree about the sad world of today, I had lawn darts as a kid and I'm still alive. Today, the kids would probably stab each other with them.

Anyway, the ornaments...

My suggestion: Disclaimer in the packaging. Many of my products have small pieces, and not meant for infants or toddlers. But each item I package comes with a full disclaimer about the size of parts.

When adults by my products for children, the first question I ask is "Are they beyond the putting in the mouth age?". This helps to direct them to more appropriate products.

Not having any children myself, I always find it fascinating how EVERY child is "smart for their age", "very good with puzzles", "very talented'". If that is so true, why do we have so many problems with children these days LOL - oh well.

Disclaimer everything!

[Joe W.]

10 hours ago, new2woodwrk said:

When adults by my products for children, the first question I ask is "Are they beyond the putting in the mouth age?". This helps to direct them to more appropriate products.

There was a post from some time ago that spoke to this.  As I recall, it was something along the line of using a toilet paper roll - supposed to be the size of a persons/child's throat - if the piece would drop thru the toilet paper roll it could be swallowed.