Machete Accident *Warning*

travclem said:
I was laying some sod yesterday and cut my finger to the bone (slicing not chopping) right through a leather glove with my Ontario Machete thatI had just taken off the edge pro. Not a good weekend for machete work I guess.
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Sheesh I hope you're alright! Any known reason why your finger was in the way or the blade?
 
nickortizzle1035 said:
looks all too familiar. :rolleyes: I had the same scenario play out. she went down to the bone...

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I hope your getting some stitches on that! Hope it heals well!
 
Yes, that was a harsh lesson. Think it over because when we are young we make mistakes by lack of experience so scars earned while you are learning can help you improve your use of the tools. Have respect for what those scars could have been, nerve damage, bone infections, amputations are not easy to undo, impossible in most cases even if they reattach a finger lopped off. The mistake I often see with young people is the over use of muscle power because of a misunderstanding of the value of fine skills for saving your energy and working edges. Watch an older person who is working in a kitchen or outside chopping brush, the sharp edge does the job best when used with finesse. They also know to take breaks before you are so wiped out you lose your focus.
 
willseeyalater said:
They also know to take breaks before you are so wiped out you lose your focus.
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This is one of several reasons why I don't use lanyards on my choppers. If I'm too tired to hold the tool securely I'm too tired to be safe with it and I need to take a break--not keep chopping away and have something unfortunate happen.
 
I'm glad to hear that you're okay. Be more careful next time! :)

Side note: why do you feel the need to take a swipe at "gun control liberals?"
 
I got an almost identical injury with the same knife! My cut was right below the knee. Got about the same number of stitches. It's one of the reasons why I started using axes more.
 
outoftheblue said:
I'm glad to hear that you're okay. Be more careful next time! :)

Side note: why do you feel the need to take a swipe at "gun control liberals?"
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I'm fairly liberal, I don't blame the OP's machete.:)

The OP is extremely lucky, an inch or so off the bone and that could have been fatal. Gotta be extra careful handling the big blades, esp if you keep 'em sharp. Considering these tools get used far enough from the road for a fast EMT response, one slip could be devastating. Heck, I'm extra careful when hand sharpening my machetes. A slip, the bench acts as a fulcrum, the business end comes back at my neck while leaning over it - I could be found dead halfway to the basement stairs...

Fortytwo blades - good advice on keeping the inclusive reasonably acute. I have a lot less jumping off the cut from my machetes than I do with my hatchets and axes. Another technique is to increase the squeeze on the handle as it goes forward - loose to begin, tight to finish.

Keep your free hand outta the way and stand/squat so your legs aren't in the path no matter what happens, preferably with a larger limb protecting 'em.
 
willseeyalater said:
Yes, that was a harsh lesson. Think it over because when we are young we make mistakes by lack of experience so scars earned while you are learning can help you improve your use of the tools. Have respect for what those scars could have been, nerve damage, bone infections, amputations are not easy to undo, impossible in most cases even if they reattach a finger lopped off. The mistake I often see with young people is the over use of muscle power because of a misunderstanding of the value of fine skills for saving your energy and working edges. Watch an older person who is working in a kitchen or outside chopping brush, the sharp edge does the job best when used with finesse. They also know to take breaks before you are so wiped out you lose your focus.
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The classic example is watching someone use a saw (especially a hacksaw). A younger, inexperienced person will do 3 strokes a second and use the middle 2 inches of blade. He'll have to stop every 5 minutes to catch his breath. The more experienced person will do one stroke per second and use the entire length of the sawblade. They'll stop when they've cut the piece and the saw blade will only need replacing every 3rd time compared to the other blade (which will be worn in the middle only and have to be replaced because the blade broke).

As my dad would say "Let the teeth/edge do the work."
 
Also, if making low cuts where the blade could deflect towards you, drop from the knees as the blade reaches the horizontal plane. This makes it so if the blade glances it hits dirt rather than your leg. Finishing the cut at near full extension of the arm also mean that a deflection will lock the arm extended and pull the blade away from the body.
 
I always consider myself lucky when I get cut, they could always be worse. I've been so luck a few times when the machete could have done serious damage. You guys are exactly correct about using technique, not power, and staying focused.
I've had machetes bounce off my leg, looked down to see no cut on my pants, boy that was close! One time I swung my Swamp Rat Waki with too much power and my arm swung around so far that I felt it nick my achilles tendon. That was just a very small scratch, but just imagine how bad that could have been.
Thursday night I was cleaning a Case canoe, both blades open, Q-tip was too thick, pulled too hard, and bam! I cut the meat of my thumb just above the knuckle, it's a 1.24" long gash, bled like crazy. It was "distracted" according to the ER doc, meaning it was flailed open, looked like your shin in the pics. I knew it needed stiches, 4 to be exact. I worked in the culinary industry for 12 years, I've seen lots of cuts, and this one was not going back together, it was too deep.
Heal well and stay focused!
 
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