Over the years I've learned to be very careful! Still, I occasionally still scrape a knuckle. If it's always the thumb that you catch, perhaps you could experiment with holding the carrot or cheese differently. With a hard cheese, when it gets small, I'll push it across the grates with the palm of my hand.

Jasdip, you might want to try the special gloves for woodworkers. I have one somewhere. They really do protect your hands. I took your question literally. :)

I've resorted to THIS GIZMO. I don't usually have a problem scraping myself, but I can get the job done a whole lot faster with the little tool.

My mandolin came with a gizmo like that. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore, it didn't swim!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anti-cutting-Gloves-A-Pair-Black-Stainless-Steel-Wire-Cut-Resistant-Safety-Breathable-Protective-Metal-Mesh-Work-Glove/759156862

Here's your glove!

Jasdip, the No Cry Fillet Gloves come in sizes, you may find one clumsy if too large.

I don't usually have an issue with a grater - not that I've never grated myself but its been years. I use the gloves for prepping seafood, filleted a salmon. We have them here always and in a couple of sizes - his and hers. Machine washable.

I hold my hand flat when grating/

Haven't used a box grater in years for just this reason! I use a microplane - have a couple in different grating sizes. It's the only way to go!

I use an anti-cut glove when grating a pile or using the mandoline.

My inexpensive mandolin from BB&B has a slicing gizmo included. Very safe to use.

I thought about what your saying....and realize...... I only use my box grater to zest citrus.

Microplanes are great for citrus- you don't get half of the zest stuck on the grater.

Looks like it's not too difficult to find a chained male!

Who'd a thunk!

(A poor day it is ... when one doesn't learn sumthin! ... Eh?).

o j

They make those gloves for people who use rotary cutters, too. Its called a Klutz glove.

https://www.amazon.com/Fons-Porter-Klutz-Glove-Medium/dp/B001R4YTKK?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B001R4YTKK

I've never scraped a knuckle, but I've lost part of a fingernail a time or two. Luckily, they never ended up in the food...that I know of!

Rest assured, if I had company coming the food would have been tossed and something else served. If it's just me and I eat part of one of my fingernails, I figure it won't kill me.

Ack, I scraped my thumb knuckle again this weekend! Grating frozen butter seems to be when it happens the most, that and carrots.

Anyway, off I go to our local restaurant supply store. Yes, they have chain mail gloves.........at over $100 each. Yikes!

I bought a glove, it's cut-resistant, not completely cut proof. It also says on it, not to use on serrated knives. I asked the staff what they thought of using it with a grater, and they seemed to think, as do I that the material will get shredded over time. But it's the only thing available, so I bought it for $30. Not thrilled, but it's better than using endless band-aids on my knuckle.

You could have just about bought this nice mandoline that comes with those gloves for that price.

[Upgraded] Mandoline Slicer with FREE Cut-Resistant Gloves and Blade Guard - Adjustable French Fry Cutter and Vegetable Slicer, Food Slicer, Vegetable Julienne - Premium Stainless Steel Design https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B7P83TJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_amVaBbX3TGTW0

I need to replace mine.

Microplane makes a cut resistant glove for $14.95. You can buy them at Bed Bath and Beyond or Williams Sonoma as well as Microplane.