sap riseing/blackthorn

[hedgesparrow]

with spring on the horizon all you folks out there if messing with blackthorn this time of year. be careful handling it and wear thick gloves. so the thorns can not get through. speaking to a rhuematologist. she was saying that if you do get one go in any joint get the thorn out clean it and keep a eye on it if it does go red go to your doctor. blackthorn can damage the tendon in joints so making the joint become stiff and not work properly or loose all movement in that joint.

[Rebel_Commando]

I had a blackthorn stab me on the inside of my wrist joint about a year ago, whilst laying a hedge.

 

Must of had 10mm piece that I couldn't get out and it just healed with the thorn still in and left a small lump.

Never really though much of it until I had a dull ache and stiffness in that part of my wrist this morning out in -7

[miker]

dont think ive ever had a pair of gloves that will stop a blackthorn or a firethorn,they hurt bad when they go in and continue to hurt for days, had a hawthorn in knuckle, came out about six months later along with some green goo !

[phirow]

I have handled blackthorne being hedge years and not had any problems. I am begining to think on two lines 1) Are the people who suffer allergic to thorne? 2) Having had a thorn through the glove is it the muck and tannings in the glove.

[Daniël Bos]

I'm a hedge layer too, have been for years. Only ever do thorn hedges and never had any issues at all.

 

No gloves apart from chain mail will stop all thorns guaranteed, but these are the ones I use and I get a prick maybe once or twice a week max when hedging. They last me about a year normally, when I used welding gauntlets I'd use a pair per week. The difference between these and welding gloves is like the difference between welding gloves and latex.

Once you've tried these you'll never wear welding gloves again.

 

http://www.safetyhut.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=207

 

And no, I'm not on commission.

[Graham]

I've never had a problem. My dad who started hedge laying in the 1920s came to within one week of having his hand amputated in the late 60s.

 

A thorn completely disabled him for six months and doctors were close to making the decision when the infection suddenly cleared up! Fifty years of cutting and it takes just one thorn.