My first hard lesson on blade safety

[CTXhunter]

Learned a lesson a few years ago on respecting blades, figured I’d share. I went on a little camping trip on some family land. Maybe a mile into the woods from the house near a pond. Just hanging out and fishing on the pond with a buddy after we setup camp. I was down on my knees chopping small logs of firewood with a hatchet. The week before I had my father in law sharpen the hatchet and I wasn’t respecting how sharp it was. I sat back on my heels while chopping leaving my knees bent out in front of me. After a while I inevitably had a bad swing and the hatchet popped off the log and brushed my knee. I looked down and saw a little red but figured I just needed a little bandaid. I walked over to my pack and elected to pull my pants down to my ankles rather than take the time to pull my boots off. When I slide my pants passed my knees the first thing I saw was a stream of blood shooting off my knee and landing about 12” in front of my feet. I knew I wasn’t going to die but my first thought was “I’m going to die” lol. I threw my hand over it and eventually got a little piece of gauze on it and everything was fine. Long story short I’m very lucky to have not really dug that thing into my knee and I’m even more lucky I was deep in the backcountry. Daily reminder: if you have a blade, respect it. And if you have a blade, have a at least a small wound kit.

Inside of my pants after just a couple of seconds of bleeding.

 

[Freeride]

Thanks for sharing, it doesn't take much of a lapse in concentration for a real emergency. I bought some quickclot just for that reason. It's now in my firstaid kit.

Weighs almost nothing, could save your life. Especially if your in the back country.

 

[Pocoloco]

Reminds me of when I was a teenager on a canoe trip in the everglades. My cousin was using a machete to cut a path for us while carried a large log back to the beach for firewood, he ended up with the machete in his shin and his sneaker was filled w blood. Thankfully we had duct tape and old vietnam vet who fixed him up till we could canoe 18 miles to boat ramp and then drive 2 hours to nearest hospital.

We added swat-t tourniquets and quick clots to all our bags this year and practiced how to use them. Stay safe and enjoy ur weekend.

 

[southLA]

I almost passed out just now.

 

[Wyobohunter]

Thanks for sharing. I’ve had momentary lapses in concentration when gutting big game. I was lucky enough to notice my carelessness before a bad cut. Seeing blood shoot out of you can’t make you feel good.

 

[CTXhunter]

Thanks for sharing. I’ve had momentary lapses in concentration when gutting big game. I was lucky enough to notice my carelessness before a bad cut. Seeing blood shoot out of you can’t make you feel good.

I have since adopted a quote “I think it’s healthy for everyone to see themselves bleed at least once in their life”

I say that because I was once a marine with a couple of trauma classes under my belt and I also was at one point a certified emt and my first thought was “panic” instead of doing exactly what I knew how to do (plus I knew it wasn’t serious, but my emotions made me over react).

 

[Wyobohunter]

I have since adopted a quote “I think it’s healthy for everyone to see themselves bleed at least once in their life”

I say that because I was once a marine with a couple of trauma classes under my belt and I also was at one point a certified emt and my first thought was “panic” instead of doing exactly what I knew how to do (plus I knew it wasn’t serious, but my emotions made me over react).

Semper Fi brother.

 

[Brooks]

Yeah buddy respect the blade !! When I was about 14 me and my best bud were making a couple sandwiches and were cutting slices off a big ham. I needed to cut one more piece so I reached for the knife that my buddy was holding but he wasn’t done with it.

I grabbed the blade and neither one of us were paying attention he pulled the knife out of my hand and blood sprayed all over the kitchen. I had a big slice across my palm from my wrist to the end of my fingers. You don’t realize how much you use your hand until it’s full of stitches and wrapped up like a mummy.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

It happens in a heart beat. My brother was cutting reeds with a machete for a duck blind and hit the back of his hand. Five hours in surgery putting everything back together. I was on a job site and a drywall worker cut the palm of his hand from the base of his fingers to his wrist. Respect the blade or you will pay.

 

[fwafwow]

I’ve had enough minor incidents, but more than the average person. I therefore know I’m more inclined to something worse. I carry trauma care stuff, and boo boo kit stuff - but I’ve also got a pair of cut gloves to try to avoid or mitigate future flounders.

 

[packer58]

Especially now with the scalpel type knives most of us have these days......they can bite you in a hurry if your not careful...

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Especially now with the scalpel type knives most of us have these days......they can bite you in a hurry if your not careful...

And you are bleeding even before you know you cut yourself. Ask me how I know? thankfully it was minor.

 

[huntincoues]

Great thread. I’ll share mine - was field dressing a deer while my dad was holding the hind leg up. He let the leg slip and both of our first reactions was to grab the leg. Well my knife blade sliced his fingers as we both reached for it.

What I learned from this was to always assess before reacting when you have a knife in your hand and dealing with an animal.

 

[Rokwiia]

I always carry two Combat gauze and an Israeli bandage. Bleeding out is something that, in most instances, can't wait for EMS to arrive. You're too far from help and going have to take matters into your own hands.

Quikclot Combat Gauze

 

[Wyobohunter]

I always carry two Combat gauze and an Israeli bandage. Bleeding out is something that, in most instances, can't wait for EMS to arrive. You're too far from help and going have to take matters into your own hands.

Quikclot Combat Gauze

Thanks for the link. Have you weighed one?

 

[Mosby]

I was cutting timber one day with my chainsaw. Wife talked me into putting on my chainsaw chaps. Didn't think I needed them but she insisted. Less than an hour later the bar hit my thigh and cut a 5 inch cut into the chaps. They worked perfectly and stopped the chain and saved myself from a horrendous cut on my thigh. Those chainsaw chaps paid for themselves quickly. If you don't have them, I recommend them highly.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks for the link. Have you weighed one?

.75 oz or about 22 grams, if you are into that stuff.

 

[riversidejeep]

Odd this thread showed up today as I just signed up for a STOP THE BLEED class last night. I have a couple of remote parcels that I enjoy firewood cutting / hunting/ clearing with a mini excavator that are 1 1/2 and 2 hour drive from the nearest medical facility. A few years ago I put together a trauma pack for my truck and now maybe I'll know how to use it BEFORE I need it.

Training

Get Trained to STOP THE BLEED

www.stopthebleed.org

 

[fwafwow]

Odd this thread showed up today as I just signed up for a STOP THE BLEED class last night. I have a couple of remote parcels that I enjoy firewood cutting / hunting/ clearing with a mini excavator that are 1 1/2 and 2 hour drive from the nearest medical facility. A few years ago I put together a trauma pack for my truck and now maybe I'll know how to use it BEFORE I need it.

Training

Get Trained to STOP THE BLEED

www.stopthebleed.org

After taking a 2 day Dark Angel Medical class, and a Stop the Bleed refresher on tourniquet use, I continue to think that teaching people how to control bleeding should be encouraged as much as CPR and the Heimlich.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

My kill kit includes an inexpensive fillet glove on my hand that is not holding the knive.
Prevents cuts when its midnight, raining and you've been solo working on a moose for the past 4 hours.
https://www.rapala.com/rapala/knives/fillet-glove/