I started wearing chainsaw pants this year. I got touched by a running chain on the leg a while back, nothing bad, left a small scar but I have been trying to do things smarter. Trying to show folks that wisdom does come with age.
The other day I touched my leg with a running saw. Made a cut then took a step and the saw just grazed the pants as it was spinning down. Let me tell you the teeth filled up with loose Kevlar. I had to take it apart and get it out of the clutch area. The pants only have about a half inch tear in them.
Just thought I would share that with you.
Work hard, be safe
Jon
Jon,
That's good to know. Glad you were not hurt. Back in a former life, when I was a pole barn carpenter, the foreman of the crew and I were cutting a door into an old barn. It would be used to walk out onto a catwalk and drop hay into the feeder.
Well, Jim was cutting through a 2x4 with the Mac and it kicked back into his thigh. I tied some binder twine around his leg, through him over my shoulder (He weighed over 200#) and carried him down a ladder.
My car, a 1968 Dodge Dart GTS, had white leather interior. I told him I would let him bleed to death before he would ride in it :D, so we took his old Chevy pickup to the closest Drs office. I bet he left a quart on the floor.
The Dr. stitched him up. Over 150 stitches! I am sure it was real sore. Didn't see him for 3 weeks.
klh
Weekend_sawyer
I am with you on the pants. Had that experience a few years ago on the day before leaving for a long awaited elk hunting trip. Caught the leg good just above the knee cap. Nothing but kevlar.
Bought a new pair, and was recently helping cut brush on a Lions project, taking some teasing from a fellow Lion about my "clown" costume in the woods. He was helping when the saw caught a stub, swung down and bounced off my knee cap for some more kevlar. He was an EMT, and with a very white, ashenlook on his face, announced he was going to buy a pair that afternoon - and he did. I like them additionally because they don't let the briars and gooseberry stickers get to my legs (although sometimes they sneak in from behind! #&%@)
I have been wearing chaps for about 4 years now and I hate them because they are so darn hot in the summer (I hate stitches and the hospital even worse though). I have been thinking about buying some of the chainsaw pants. That way I could leave off my jeans and might be a little cooler plus offer a little more protection. What you guys think? :-/ :-/
Larry
Heay Larry,
I say go with the chaps and leave off the jeans!
My brother and I walked into a bar like that one night. Man did we turn and run :D
Reminds me of the biker (Hogs) convention in northern Wisconsin, and some (?) of the gals had the biker chaps on with little else. Made for some interesting bar hopping and google eye strain. Sure looked cool though. ;D
I have worn chaps for the last two years and they are hot. I just purchased a pair of pants and they do seem cooler, although I am giving up the layer of jean material. Just hope I never need it.
TJACK
i can personally vouch for these chaps. I have used these chaps ever since my friend had 300 stiches in his knee. i think a $45 purchase is better than a $4500 hospital bill :-X. I am on my second pair, and thank god I had the first pair of them. Kevlar is a lifesaver!!
Thanks for the good word on the Kevlar pants. I find extra layers cumbersome- but it sounds like this would just be a single layer. Anyone own a pair long enough to know about normal wear-n-tear (not the traumatic type but just flex at knees and like that? Seems we were either tyong flies or sewing with Kevlar thread years back and it has some types of strength but weak in others- I can't remember just what it was- strong to tension but weak to fraying maybe? lw
I have pants, chaps, shirts and gloves. all have been through many wash cycles with out showing failure from time. one shirt does have numerous burn marks from too close to the bonfire action. Its the gloves that get worn, don't wear them while sharpening saws, switch to regular ones. somehow one pair got layed right in some motor oil and they was never quite right after that.
I wear my chaps religiously. The only complaint I have is that the lower straps are too long so I have to tuck them up to keep from stumbling or getting hung on undergrowth. They do get warm in the summer but I drink lots of water so it helps me keep my trim figure - Oh yeah, right ;D
Quotethe lower straps are too long
Cut em off and torch the ends.
I was 22 and I just dropped a fir tree that had landed on one side of a dry pond and the butt end was on the other side. As the middle was suspended in the air I had to cut from underneath. Well it was slippery and as I was in a rush to get this done so I could take the old lady out drinking so I rushed the job. As the tree was dropping down I was moving back and I slipped. The tree and the running saw came down on my leg. No cell phones back then so all I could do was wait, I was lucky that the guy next door thought it was odd that the saw stopped running and he came over. Lots of stitches that day and I'm just glad that it wasn't worst! Having a saw go into you is a gross feeling because it doesn't cut like a knife it rips chunks instead.
I will always wear my gear even to cut for a few moments.
Steve
You know, Kevin, I have thought about doing just that every time I put them on - I just have never got around to doing it. Well today there is a pile of snow on the ground and more on the way. I guess it is a good day to cut them straps :)
Hey my wife read something Sunday about new jeans that have kevlar in them. I didn't read it so I don't know what they are for.
Anyone heard about this?