Why wearing chain saw chaps is a good idea

Re: Why wearing chain saw chaps is a good idea

Thomas T Dunlap

Nice to hear the endorsement of chaps...and that you didn't get hurt.

Re: Why wearing chain saw chaps is a good idea

Ray Newman

How does the ol' saw go: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Stitch/dollar ratio

Thomas T Dunlap

I've seen a couple of summaries that compared the cost of chainsaw cuts on per stitch basis to the cost of cut protection. The costs make me shudder

And they work for driving wedges too

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I was splitting fence posts straddling a locust when I felt something on my leg. Fingers came up soaked in blood. A disk of metal had spalled off the wedge and went clean through my thigh leaving the equivalent of a stab wound. And I am fussy about keeping wedges from mushrooming! Now I wear chaps for this too. You can get nice green ones from logger supply places and not have to look like a tree service employee in orange

Re: Why wearing chain saw chaps is a good idea

paul in AZ

Back when I used a chain saw frequently my orthopedic surgeon buddy repeatedly reminded me that these saws are designed to melt through oak and maple - so what did I think it could do to my leg?

Re: Two instances

david weaver

none with me, fortunately. I don't cut much wood.

My grandfather spent his post-farming days cutting, splitting and selling firewood. I'm sure he never wore chaps, but when I was a kid, we went for our regular Sunday visit once to find him on the couch with 68 stitches in one of his legs.

He was in the woods again before the stitches were out, but he was just kind of wired that way. Not really much in his mind about safety, and I don't know the details about what actually occurred because he wasn't much of a communicator, either, unless he wanted to tell you something (not you wanting him to tell you something). The orientation suggested a saw bouncing or pushing out of the cut and into his leg.

Story number 2 is my great uncle stanley. Same mindset, but wealthy enough to have more sense. Similar injury, but hitting something more vital, he almost bled out in the woods (I know, there are lots of "i almost died" stories). He made it to the hospital (barely) and died there the next day instead.

Had that happen once...

John in NM

And the chunk of steel hit a vein in my arm, it was like a Monty Python skit. Two stitches took care of it.

Never use wedges made of mild steel, or if you do, make sure to clean up the mushrooms often!