Stupid stitches-Cut resistant gloves?

Matias said:
It's not the dyneema that worries me, but the grip material. if it wears off too quickly in just a couple of key spots, then It gets really hard to grap a rope. I bet dyneema exacerbates that problem. that said, dyneema lets it be very thin and still very cut resistant, so I will definitely give them a shot when the weather turns hot again.
Click to expand...
Indeed.

Would be great if you report back something positive about them after a good field test!

May be something else available too.....more trying and testing.

Injuries SUCK!
 
My local Ace Hardware carries the Milwaukee gloves, which is nice, but I don’t know how much protection they would have provided in this situation. Possibly enough to not need stitches?

Amazon has a ton of options like the attached. I’ll have to do more research about the different cut protection levels. Some of the palm coatings are super grippy and some just slide on rope so it will be trial and error. I might just start with the Milwaukee since they are super convenient.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9927.jpeg
    IMG_9927.jpeg
    47.8 KB · Views: 10
  • IMG_9926.jpeg
    IMG_9926.jpeg
    83.5 KB · Views: 10
In Brooklyn I was using pole saws in trees a lot. And every once in a while it shows up for me. I like taking a loop runner with carabiner and girthing it below the blade, and that will hang on my harness below me, and using the basic weaver scabbard with belt style latch while traveling. When making a cut the loop runner is disconnected hanging on the saw, and the pole saws is just in my hands. When in Brooklyn and we were making lots of cuts, we would hang the pole saw on branches with the blade facing away from us, not right above us but in front or to the side. But honestly I think that is a sketchy practice, especially for folks underneath.

Hope you heal up fast!
 
macrocarpa said:
My local Ace Hardware carries the Milwaukee gloves, which is nice, but I don’t know how much protection they would have provided in this situation. Possibly enough to not need stitches?

Amazon has a ton of options like the attached. I’ll have to do more research about the different cut protection levels. Some of the palm coatings are super grippy and some just slide on rope so it will be trial and error. I might just start with the Milwaukee since they are super convenient.
Click to expand...
Level 9 gloves would definitely offer a serious amount of protection if they are legit. I worry about how thick those might be, but the picture looks promising. gonna go look for those right now.
 
Matias said:
Fucking hell! What's the story there? I'm imagining a dropped saw from straight overhead, with no lanyard. I bet a lanyard attached at the base might help to prevent that, no?
Click to expand...
The saw with one section of pole was hooked on a small branch at about shoulder height (relative to my elevation in the tree). Either the branch broke or the wind jostled it loose, watched the saw fall perfectly straight to the ground, I was super relieved it didn’t hit anyone on the ground. Those saws are so sharp I barely felt it take a perfect swipe to the meat of my forearm. Got my first ride in an ambulance, and 3 different layers of stitches in my arm. If I was palm up I probably would have bled out before I could’ve gotten down.
 
Chris Schultz said:
The saw with one section of pole was hooked on a small branch at about shoulder height (relative to my elevation in the tree). Either the branch broke or the wind jostled it loose, watched the saw fall perfectly straight to the ground, I was super relieved it didn’t hit anyone on the ground. Those saws are so sharp I barely felt it take a perfect swipe to the meat of my forearm. Got my first ride in an ambulance, and 3 different layers of stitches in my arm. If I was palm up I probably would have bled out before I could’ve gotten down.
Click to expand...
I know you can always do things a different way, and it could be argued that it is never necessary to have a polesaw in the tree, but that sounds like an injury that would not have happened if any one of the aforementioned safety protocols had been used. I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water, unless you really just don't ever actually feel like it would be useful to have a polesaw worth of reach in the tree.
 
levi r said:
Damn that is brutal, sorry that happened to you. I can't remember ever using a polesaw in a tree, I'm sure I've done it but definitely never made a habit of it.
Click to expand...
Sounds like maybe you guys don't have many trees where it would be so useful as to made much of a habit of doing so. Around here it is a regular practice of every single operator I know.
 
levi r said:
Damn that is brutal, sorry that happened to you. I can't remember ever using a polesaw in a tree, I'm sure I've done it but definitely never made a habit of it.
Click to expand...
I’ve worked with what I considered to be elite climbers in the past who say pole saws are a crutch and good climbers don’t need them.

I am not an elite climber and appreciate the extra reach:-)
 
I can't think of a time where I've ever thought I needed a pole saw in a tree. Maybe there are times it could have been more productive, but the thought of hauling a 6ft stick around the tree with me doesn't sound appealing. Plus, I find I don't make great pruning cuts when reaching with a pole. That could be inexperience talking though.
 
Matias said:
I know you can always do things a different way, and it could be argued that it is never necessary to have a polesaw in the tree, but that sounds like an injury that would not have happened if any one of the aforementioned safety protocols had been used. I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water, unless you really just don't ever actually feel like it would be useful to have a polesaw worth of reach in the tree.
Click to expand...
Yes, A scabbard would have prevented this. The baby is definitely thrown out. I’ve tried, and I get symptoms similar to that of a PTSD sufferer. So for me it’s a no go for a polesaw aloft.
 
I mostly use them in huge old mulberries and other super fast growing trees thst get looooong branches that go 20' past the 1.5" wood. I am a bold climber, but sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough time to climb out to every cut. a tracked lift would solve this problem nicely, but I am not a wealthy man.
 
levi r said:
That's pretty much my stance. Hard to make good cuts, cumbersome, dangerous, no control over pieces. One of the best climbers I've seen though would fly through trees with a pole pruner. Different strokes.
Click to expand...
I almost completely agree...I'll have ground help send up a pole saw for a cut or two, then I send it back down.

I recognize it's not gonna be a great cut...but I make a decision sometimes: leave a dead branch or leave a small stub (which I'd rather do than cut into the branch collar).
 
Last edited:
levi r said:
I ain't climbing above no topping cuts no way no how!
Click to expand...
I've done it more times than I can remember at this point. On mulberries here, it's basically SOP. Done it on sycamores, and oaks.... I have tried to help folks rescue many a mangled tree, but usually 20+ years after the butchering.

I will add that I am more cautious when doing so. Comes with the territory.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom