But don't worry - not every case is a warren of sharp edges and corners. To our surprise, many manufacturers have either properly filed down or rounded the sharp edges. Thanks to their consideration, our test cucumber survived the acid test. In yet other cases, more than one cucumber had to be sacrificed; in the worst case, almost every edge harbored a risk.

You even have to be wary of sharp edges on the case cover.

This is how painful injuries occur.

The worst areas are generally the 5.25" drive bays. Almost all of the cases sport a faceplate that has to be snapped out before the drive can be installed. These plates are attached to the case at several perforated breaking points; but snapping them out is already dangerous. Even the smallest burr left on a breaking point can tear off a piece of skin. The images below clearly illustrate this danger. You should also watch your fingers when installing the power supply.

This case still has some sharp edges left on the breaking point.

The breaking points aren't the only dangerous spots. Here are some internal edges that haven't been filed down.

The power supply mount is often overlooked.

Case interiors aren't the sole source of injuries; the front door and corners of the case can also be a potential danger. One egregious example is the Wavemaster from Coolermaster. This case starts out with several danger areas. Above and beyond the cucumber test, simply lifting up the case will tend to break the door loose from the weak magnet latch, leaving it to swing wildly back and forth.

Sharp edges