Do you wear a wedding ring in the field?

[Part_Timer]

The first thing the old man told me when I started working was to leave the rings and chains at home.  I only wear mine when the wife and I go out to dinner.  Something about working on 4000 volts and puncturing a glove that makes me want to leave it at home.

[ohsoloco]

The jeweler said he had never seen anything like this and when I told him the story he started laughing - saving money not buying fuel oil - hah.  Tonto.

My gold wedding ring cost less than what I'd spend on a winter's worth of fuel oil (or electricity in my case)  ;)  Honestly, I always thought I would take my ring off whenever I was in the shop, but I never think about it, and it's always been on my finger.  Had a couple scary moments though, usually when I'm jumping down from somewhere and my ring gets snagged on a board or something. 

[Warren]

Wore out the first (inexpensive) ring turning wrenches and doing farm work.  Bought a nicer heavier ring.  Wore the finish off of it and beat it up prettty bad.  Had it re-finished and left it at home.  Have not regularly worn a wedding band for the past 20 years.   I know I am married.  She knows she is married.   

Made it thru the first 30 years.  Looking forward to the next 30 !   8)

[Bruce_A]

We don't either of us wear a band.  And we have over thirty years together and still know we are married.

[Cedarman]

About 40 years ago we got a memo at the company I worked at about rings catching on things.  Said one guy caught his ring on something as he stepped down on the steps from the truck. Slipped the skin right off the finger.  Finger gone.  They also told of an astronaut in training that lost his finger when at home as he was on a hay wagon coming out of a barn and caught it on a nail on an overhead board.  Lost finger, then couldn't be an astronaut.  Quit wearing ring then.  Been married 42 years.  My plastic watch band will quickly break away if it catches on something too.

[Faron]

I haven't seen mine in years.  I'd trade it for a handgun, too, but I imagine the handgun would have an orange tip on it. ;D

[Rooster]

I smashed my ring finger two months before I got married.

I couldn't get the ring on...should have seen it as an omen!!

And no, I am not married to her anymore.

But the new girlfriend has potential.   I don't know if she would want me to wear it at work.

I think I am getting ahead of myself!!!

Rooster :D

PS  Maybe I can talk her into putting that money into a nice team of Percheron gelding!!  (Let 'er Buck!)


Update:  7-15-2011

Well as some of you already know, I got married last Friday!

I had a gold wedding band made special at a local custom jeweler.  It is just like the one my late Grandfather wore.  He was an electrician and a carpenter.  He never wore his ring at work. 

A few months ago, I had Nicole read this thread and talked about her feelings regarding me wearing a ring.  She ws very supportive of me keeping my fingers.  Gotta love a woman like that!

So, the day after we got hitched, I was loading some old 2x6 rafters out of a 100 yr old barn and I caught the head of one of the nails with the ring as I tossed them into the bed of my truck, taking my hand with it. 

Well, that was the first and final straw.  Now when I am working, I cinch the ring to a black nylon cord which is part of a necklace that a Cross made out of horseshoe nails hangs from.  It is tied on and won't come off. And after I am done for the day, I simply un-cinch the ring and put it back on my hand.  It couldn't be any easier.

[Jeb]

Although things have died down on this post, a funny thing happened at the farm the other day that I think is worth sharing.

As I may have said in a previous post, I'm 53 and have been married to the same wonderful woman for almost 34 years. That's a long time! So the question 'to wear or not to wear' a wedding ring in the field was strictly along the lines of health and safety; not necessarily about fidelity.

So, we are moving to a farm (our first and last) later this year and I just wanted to make as few dumb mistakes as possible. About a month ago, we were at the farm getting it ready to show our friends and family for the first time. I worked by tail off! Morning, noon and night clearing, dragging, cutting... you get the picture. I got chewed up by more than one tick in the process. The event came and went and was a huge success.

A few days later, while still at the farm, I noticed that my hands were swollen. I let it go. A couple days later they were REALLY swollen. So at the insistance of my daughter, I made a trip to the ER where they promptly CUT OFF MY WEDDING BAND!! They couldn't figure out was causing the swelling but they thought I might loose the finger so OFF with the band of gold and here take these anti-biotics for whatever!

My hands have mostly returned to normal but I miss the band.

Now I'm afraid to ask any more questions on this forum!

Bandless, but with five digits on each hand,

--Jeb

[Burlkraft]

Mine is nice and new and shiny and has never been out of the box

I prolly won't be wearin' it much. I got enuff hand problems  :

[OneWithWood]

Fingers are better than rings anyday 

[Bro. Noble]

Reminds me of that old sob story-----"I gave her the ring and she gave me the finger" :( :( : ;) ;)

[Banjo picker]

Its rather difficult to play the banjo without that ring finger...I nearly lost it 30 years ago and the ring hasn't been back on but a couple of times since...now it wont fit the ring finger anyway... ;)   but I don't want to give up that little one either...Tim