Why you should wear chaps! (GORE WARNING)

[TimberFaller660]

I was out cuttin by myself monday. I always wear my chaps, buttt I didnt have much left to cut & i jumped out of the truck, grabbed the saw & walked over the hill. I cut a few down & i walked over to a nice oak, notched, bored in, saw kicked back out & the way i was kneeling it caught me right above the knee cap. I took off a long sleeve shirt, tied it off & up oer the hill i went. No service on the cell i had to drive back into town, got my dad & ran to the hospital. It was an 1/8" from cuttin my tendon in 2. That was the only severe part. I was very very lucky, & never will i run a saw chapless again.

 

[PineFever]

Nasty Looking Whack ya got there.
Hope you heal quick. Glad it wasn't worse.

 

[TimberFaller660]

It dont feel very good. Doc said il be down bout 2 weeks. Thanks bud!

 

[dingeryote]

OOOWWW!!!!!!!!!!!

It kinda sucks to congratulate you on getting lucky like that..but you did get awfull lucky despite the ruined blue jeans. Tendons just don't grow back.
OWW!!!

2 weeks ain't so bad. Should be warmer and less snow to fight by then, and gives ya plenty of time to order the chaps.

Gonna go full wrap or lightweight?

Take it easy and let things heal proper.
Cheesey poofs and RC cola are good therapy IMO.
Heal fast!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[hanniedog]

You'll be walking like Chester from Gunsmoke for a while. So how many staples did you get?

 

[derwoodii]

Good brave post to help others choose wisely, well done.
You got lucky & now others may benefit from it.

May I ask what mod of saw n chain wus you running.

 

[ShermanC]

You are so lucky with this bad luck.

Thanks for the post and photo. It's sure to make believers out of me and others who just don't take the time to put on the chaps. Mine are stowed behind the driver's seat so I cannot make an excuse that they're a hassle to put on.

My prayers will be lifted for you in the coming days...heal well!

 

[treemandan]

Nice! Did you get the matching set?

.

 

[PJM]

Why did I click on that picture!

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

That's what we look like on the inside.

I'm a pro chap guy myself, but I've made a few cuts without in a pinch too, so I'm no judge. Why is it, one can make a million good cuts with chaps, and the one time they are not worn...it's like a magnet. Not to mention that you were working alone, another thing I'm guilty of sometimes.

I'm thankful that you didn't get hurt worse, and thankful for your post. We need the constant reminder of what can happen, how it can happen, and that it does happen.

Heal up.

 

[treemandan]

Glad to see you made out as well as you did and wishing you a full, speedy recovery.

Were you bore cutting the back cut when it pushed out on you?

Yes, sorry about the joke everybody but he is allright and a good point brought up by TreeCo because its a very simple mistake to make and its common. The plunge cut is very dangerous intially.

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Speedy Recovery My Friend. Keep it clean.

 

[treemandan]

Rep sent and reading the story I say I have been there myself and I wasn't a spring chicken when it happened either.

 

[cowroy]

Hope you heal up quick man. I am going to buy me some chaps now. I always wear my gear on a motorcycle and it saved my life at one time, but never really thought about wearing chaps for cutting firewood. I just recently started heating my home with wood and after seeing this picture chaps are the next thing on the list to buy. Hate this happened, but thanks for sharing.

 

[ShermanC]

Cowroy reminded me about wearing the riding pants when on the 2-wheeler

In 2006 a motorist ran me off the road in a bend of our paved road. She was in the middle and I was in the outside curve, leaving no room for me but pea gravel. Road rash from gravel is THE PITS and the scars are reminders. Thank God I had a helmet on or I might not be writing this. Until then I was a rider who thought "Oh, that'll never happen to me".
Now I ride a 2005 Vespa 200GTS with the crash bar kit, crash jacket, a Shoei helmet but still I get lazy and skip the crash pants. This thread has this old dinosaur convinced to wear PPE every time. "Don't leave home without it"!

 

[TimberFaller660]

OOOWWW!!!!!!!!!!!

It kinda sucks to congratulate you on getting lucky like that..but you did get awfull lucky despite the ruined blue jeans. Tendons just don't grow back.
OWW!!!

2 weeks ain't so bad. Should be warmer and less snow to fight by then, and gives ya plenty of time to order the chaps.

Gonna go full wrap or lightweight?

Take it easy and let things heal proper.
Cheesey poofs and RC cola are good therapy IMO.
Heal fast!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

The sad thing is, i have a pair of half wraps behind the seat of my truck. lol Like i said in a hurry just grabbed the saw & went. I regret it now. It will definatly make you stop & think

 

[TimberFaller660]

Good brave post to help others choose wisely, well done.
You got lucky & now others may benefit from it.

May I ask what mod of saw n chain wus you running.

Stihl 660 Dual port exhaust 8 tooth sprocket With a 20" bar regular square tooth chain about 1/2 wore out & bout 2 drags takin off the dawgs

 

[TimberFaller660]

Glad to see you made out as well as you did and wishing you a full, speedy recovery.

Were you bore cutting the back cut when it pushed out on you?

I was bore cutting the sides. It was an oak about 24" & only having a 20" bar i bored both sides. I may get cussed by alot of people for doin it that way & i wanna say this before i do.lol thats the way i was tought & its how the state of wv wants em cut. Now when i cut softer species like pine poplar etc i just start from the right & work my way around the tree but on anything thats really hard i cannot bust or i'd lose my job.

 

[TimberFaller660]

Thanks everbody for the get wells. & thanks to whoever put the gore warning on the topic line. Sorry i should've done it but never thought. That smiley kinda fits. lol

 

[Jumper]

UGH! Get well soon.

I never did understand why some people poo poo PPE in general, whether it be at work or play. Chainsaw pants are more my style as chaps get in the way, plus once they are on in the morning, they are on period. There are some out there designed for climbers as well, also hot weather.

Never had a close encounter with a saw, but I was thankful I had a hard hat on one day when a hanger I did not see while pulling on another with the pole pruner came flying out of a sugar maple and hit me in the front to the head, about a 4" dia branch weighing 25 lbs or so. And I never get on my bike without everything on either, it kills me to see kids riding around in flip flops in shorts, no shirt.