If you had a cutting object, like a sword, could you swing it with enough force to decapitate yourself? How about a chain saw?
There was an Urban Legend-ish story about a guy who got drunk and allegedly sawed his head off with a chain saw. This sounds extremely difficult- once you severed your own spine it would be difficult to guide the chain saw through the rest of the neck.
I think it would be hard to generate that kind of momentum when swinging something at yourself, just with the way your arms and elbows work. You could certainly guillotine yourself if you were very suicidal and very carpentry-inclined, and if you hang yourself improperly you can decapitate yourself. But I don’t think you could do it the way you’re describing. In addition to the spine thing, you’d lose so much blood that it would be hard or impossible to keep going. And, oh yeah, the pain.
Are we only talking hand tools or anything bigger. I am always hearing stories of people who have built home-made guillotines to kill themselves.
I can think of a few ways it could be done but I’m not sure if I should say them. Are you allowed to reveal suicide “techniques” in the SDMB?
It seems to me that you’d have to either fall on a blade or devise a way that the momentum would keep going - perhaps you could put a long blade on the back of your neck, pick your spot, put your arms up behind it and shove - once you got through the spine I’d think momentum and the remaining force of your arms could carry it through the rest. Might end up like Nearly Headless Nick, though, and not be invited to the best parties.
Well, I was thinking of a method that did not involve sitting in some contraption and pulling a level, or ‘falling’ on something to do the job.
This guy decapitated himself by tying a nylon rope around his neck, anchoring the other end to a lamppost, and then driving off in his car.
What possess a man to end his life with a move out of a Roadrunner cartoon?
Given that the poor guy’s name was Wackett, wasn’t it almost inevitable that he’d try for some kind of autoerotic asphyxiation? :dubious:
I Saw a movie once (Japanese flick, “Ran”?) Wherein a dude uses his own sword to decapitate himself while on horseback. Whirls his sword once or twice over his head and then redirects the blade towards his neck and the momentum of the blade carried on through.
I also saw a movie about cavemen and dinosaurs, though, so I’d be loathe to swear that this is possible just because it was on film. In the spirit of the OP, would that technique be possible?
A chain saw? Absolutely, there’s no doubt that a person could decapitate themselves with a chain saw, either on purpose or accidently. A good sharp chain saw will cut through flesh and bone like butter. If you were to fall on it while cutting a log or whatever. If you put it to your throat and pulled the trigger…yep you’re a goner.
A chain saw is probably the most dangerous tool I’ve ever dealt with. I have cut hundreds of cords of wood for fireplaces and thousands of trees clearing land. It could definitely get the job done.
BTW the spinning of the chain guides itself through the object being cut. You don’t PUSH a chain saw through the wood. It pulls itself, let the saw do the cutting. Unless you want a dull chain. Also, the saw doesn’t immediately stop cutting as soon as you release the trigger. Unless you hit the brake. Not all saws even have a brake. On something as soft as flesh…it’d cut through so fast you wouldn’t have to guide anything. If you were to set the saw on a bench in front of you and were…say adjusting the carburetor, some saws have a “lock” on the trigger where it’ll run without squeezing the trigger.
If it was running and you fell forward accidently or purposely wound up with your throat atop the blade. The weight of your own body would push you through the saw. I can think of a few ways it might happen. I know a lot of folks that’ve been hurt using chain saws.
Everybody be damned careful…if you don’t cut yourself you could fell a tree on your ass. Tha’d be bad too. They are not toys.
How about a double barreled shotgun to the throat? That’d do it. :eek:
Good point t-keela, that should do it.
Plus, what about those huge spring loaded secateurs you see in films, autopsies etc.? Tried to get a pic but no success yet.
There have been cases where a chainsaw kicks back and nearly decapitates the operator. The stories make the news when the guy holds his neck together, climbs into his pickup and drives himself to help. I don’t think the ones where the saw goes all the way through make the news that often.
Still, it would require a big saw with a goodly amount of momentum to keep cutting all the way through a neck. But I’m sure with a professional saw it would be easily possible.
If you used a competition “hot” saw, your neck wouldn’t stand a chance.
On the Snopes website in the"Photo Gallery" section, there’s a photo of a man who accidentally decapitated himself by jumping off of a interstate railing and landing on a rought iron fence. WARNING: the photo is very, very graphic and gruesome.
If you go to the Darwin Awards and search for “Chainsaw” they have a couple of different instances of guys severing their heads with chainsaws. They don’t have documentation so not sure how reliable they are tho’…
I’d love to stay and bullshit with you guys but I gotta BBQ to go to this afternoon. Gonna hop in the pickup, get some ribs and a half gallon of tequila on the way.
I figured I might as well mention it. Since the thread looks like it full of Texans and chainsaws, shotguns and drinkin…might as well have some BBQ while we’re at it.
The dog’s stayin home. 