Any value to kevlar laces?

[TCS]

Hey there. New guy . Nice forum you got here.

Just wondering if anyone has ever hit a kevlar shoelace with a chainsaw and does it do anything to stop the chain? I'm getting back into cutting firewood (new house has a stove, last one didn't) and just can't swing the money for full kevlar boots. I'm wondering if adding kevlar laces to regular steel toes would help at all.

If not, is there any product you can add to a regular steel toe boot to make it more chainsaw resistant? Something like the kanga metatarsal guards but in a metallic product maybe?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

There's a lot ofmisconceptions on how chaps work. The kevlar isn't really there to be cut proof, it's there to clog the saw and stop the chain before it can go all the way through. As far as chainsaw boots go, I think they are designed with cut resistance in mind, but I don't see kevlar laces doing much. The most important safety is to adjust your stance so that your feet aren't in the plane of the cut, and excercise good saw control. PPE is a good backup, but not a substitute for good technique.

 

[TCS]

Hi Jolly,

Thanks for the reply.

I see your comment about not thinking the laces would do anything...may very well be right but I'm curious if anyone has ever tried it before.
The rest is all valid points but not exactly what I was asking. I'm aware of how chaps work and I'm wondering if kevlar boot laces would also pull apart and clog the chain or if there isn't enough kevlar in there to do anything.

Also, never said that the boots were going to be a substitute for proper technique. Obviously that is always the first line of defense but let's face it, **** happens sometimes and when it does, a little extra protection can't be a bad thing as long as it doesn't limit mobility or make us complacent.

BTW, I also was reading your thread about your unintended rollercoaster ride. Sorry to hear about that and I hope you're recovery gets smoother. We had a bunch of poplar at our old place and I always thought it was garbage wood inside. Not to say I would have known, I certainly wouldn't have...but your thread reinforced my mistrust for those poplars.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Thank you, It's definitely been an interesting year. Looking forward to getting the second surgery and putting this behind me.

This thread has gotten me thinking... maybe some type of Kevlar tongue insert or overlay for regular steel toes... hmmm...

 

[TCS]

Thank you, It's definitely been an interesting year. Looking forward to getting the second surgery and putting this behind me.

This thread has gotten me thinking... maybe some type of Kevlar tongue insert or overlay for regular steel toes... hmmm...

Exactly! Imagine a pair of spats made of kevlar. The amount of fabric would be way less than a chap. I couldn't imagine it would cost more than $30-$40 for such a thing, and it would make a regular set of boots so much safer.

 

[ArtB]

chain mail

 

[KenJax Tree]

I smell a Brush Ape

 

[TCS]

Is that like a skunk ape?

 

[KenJax Tree]

Is that like a skunk ape?

Worse

 

[HuskStihl]

I smell a Brush Ape

If so, at least a polite one!

It is kinda hard to bring the saw down on the top of your foot in an orientation that the laces would block the cutters. From a practical purpose, I'd forget this idea and remember to be aware of where u'r bar tip is at all times. Kickback can occasionally be hard to predict, but hitting your foot is always an unforced error

 

[TCS]

If so, at least a polite one!

It is kinda hard to bring the saw down on the top of your foot in an orientation that the laces would block the cutters. From a practical purpose, I'd forget this idea and remember to be aware of where u'r bar tip is at all times. Kickback can occasionally be hard to predict, but hitting your foot is always an unforced error

That's a fair assessment. My counter argument to your last statement would be: unforced or not, being able to mitigate the consequences of an error for a relatively small amount of money wouldn't be a bad thing. Let's face it, we all make errors some times. But you're right, the coverage is minimal and at the wrong angle to the bar during most cutting.

I still think a metatarsal guard or spat made of metal or kevlar might help. Does a chainsaw eat aluminum like it does polycarbonate?

 

[Philbert]

I would not expect much protection from Kevlar boot laces. Chaps-like overshoes are an interesting idea, and I think I may have seen some somewhere (?), but they might be a little clumsy.

Lace-on metatarsal guards are available for about $30+ from industrial safety suppliers, and some safety foot wear distributors. Steel would be better than aluminum, and aluminum would be better than plastic. These are designed to protect against impact, not cutting. Any might be better than nothing: these only buy you a little time, but those few fractions of a second might make a difference. They would not stall out a saw like chaps, and do not provide the side protection like chainsaw protective boots do.


Here is a fun, related video that I have posted a few times:


Phhilbert

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I still say if your toes are in danger look at your saw handling.

 

[ArcticOverland]

Such a thing already exists.

Chainsaw Gaiters is what they are called. Oregon branded ones exist and many others including Rocwood and so on.

They're designed to fit over a standard steel cap boot and fit with buckled straps.

They're not cheap, certainly no cheaper than something like a pair of Oregon Yukon or similar rubber Wellington boots with class 2/3 cut protection built in.

 

[Philbert]

Similar thread:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/gaiters-over-boots.244727/

Chainsaw Gaiters is what they are called. Oregon branded ones exist and many others including Rocwood and so on.

I Googled 'chainsaw gaiters', only found them in the UK. Anyone know of any US sources/suppliers?

Philbert

 

[Nemus Talea]

Chainsaw gaiters
Um,.. trip hazard?
Royal freakin trip hazard!

 

[TCS]

Yeah they do look pretty clunky.

 

[ArcticOverland]

I'm not saying they're a good idea, just saying that they do exist!

 

[7sleeper]

Hi Jolly,

Thanks for the reply.

I see your comment about not thinking the laces would do anything...may very well be right but I'm curious if anyone has ever tried it before.
The rest is all valid points but not exactly what I was asking. I'm aware of how chaps work and I'm wondering if kevlar boot laces would also pull apart and clog the chain or if there isn't enough kevlar in there to do anything.
....

Sorry no offense but you obviously have not understood how it works! The kevlar fibers is not densely woven in to a the chaps!!! But it is very loosely in the overlay material. It is made to be easily pulled out and clog up the saw.
So any tightly pulled shoelaces will NOT be pulled out out of the holes but easily cut threw just like any other fiber!

7

 

[TheDarkHorse]

The Kevlar laces are usually used by wildland fire fighters due to their fire resistance, not their resistance against cuts.