Respect the Chainsaw, Even the Electric Ones

OK, Everyone who reads the Man Blog knows that I am very critical of others when they fuck up (especially the ones who do 45 in the fast lane), so I must admit when I do something stupid or boneheaded, which is exactly what I did Saturday.

Clearing some brush and trees from my best friend's property, I was using an electric chainsaw.  I had never used an electric before, so I failed to give it the respect it deserves.  I was not wearing gloves for one, and for two, I was "whittling" the smaller stuff off of some small branches for the kids to use as hot dog cooking sticks.  I had let off the trigger, and set the saw down, then proceeded to lay the stick down next to it, as I did, I felt something "bite" my finger, and I just assumed that I had knicked the branch or something, until I saw the blood, and then could see the knuckle bone of my little finger through the flap of skin. Apparently electric chainsaw chains don't stop immediately when you let off the trigger.  I managed to make it to my truck (about 50 feet away), opened the tool box, grabbed an unopened roll of paper towels, got them unwrapped, and got my finger held back together before I laid in the seat of my truck on the verge of passing out.

My lovely wife came to the rescue, and got me all bandaged up (not without telling me I really needed stitches) and the bleeding down to a slow trickle.  It continued to bleed for about 24-36 hours, but it's all good now, just sore from where the muscle, tendons, nerves, and bone have all been chewed.

The first chance I had to get pictures of it without it bleeding everywhere was just today, and they are posted on the next page, just click the "read more" below if you would like to see.  Not real gory, just basically looks like a minor cut at this point, but let me tell you, it wasn't minor....for a chainsaw it was pretty minor though, only one tooth got me, and I was off the trigger.  If I had been on the trigger, it would have for sure taken at least 2 fingers, if not 3.... so respect your chainsaws, even the electric ones!

 Here is a picture of the top of my little finger.  It looks like the cut goes around the finger, but in reality, the blade went straight through, from front to back, so it took all the muscle and bone with it on it's way through.

If you've ever looked closely at a tooth on a chainsaw blade, they are "L" shaped, and cut an "L" shaped path, In this picture of the bottom of my finger, you can see where the bottom of the (backwards) "L" went through.