US Forest Service Tool Fells Trees, Slices through Massive Logs—and Sings
USDA.gov (September 30) - The crosscut saw, once a symbol for conquering the wild forests of the West to provide lumber for America's cities, now endures as a symbol of wilderness preservation in our national forests.
The crosscut saw reached prominence in the United States between 1880 and 1930, but quickly became obsolete when power saws started being mass produced. The passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964 has helped restore the dying art of primitive tool use by effectively requiring their use in wilderness trail maintenance.
The E-Forester
Thanks for posting Ron. Properly kept and used crosscut saws and axes are still forces to be reckoned with in the woods, IMO. I love using them, fixing them, restoring them. I have several flavors. Good tools are timeless
Yep! My Dad was an outfitter in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area here in MT for over 30years. We always carried a couple cross cut saws and a few axes for trail maintenance on the way in and out (we had over 25 miles of trail each way). I got to spend a little time on the end of them... sure makes me admire those guys that were dumping the big trees with them everyday!!!
John
Quote from: hardtailjohn on October 05, 2014, 03:16:26 PM
Yep! My Dad was an outfitter in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area here in MT for over 30years. We always carried a couple cross cut saws and a few axes for trail maintenance on the way in and out (we had over 25 miles of trail each way). I got to spend a little time on the end of them... sure makes me admire those guys that were dumping the big trees with them everyday!!!
John
I hear you John! I spent lots of time in the "Bob" on either one end of a two man or a one man crosscut. When I was going to college, another guide/wrangler Steve caught up with me on campus at the University of Montana. It was a week or so before the Forester's Ball and the Forestry students had a cross cut contest. We both played stupid (easy for me) asking how hard do you push the saw etc. Steve and I had spent our fair share on a two man. Bottom line is that we spanked the best time by several seconds. It was a lot of fun--I think we got a case of beer out of the deal.
You boys may already have this, but I stumbled onto this manual a few years ago when I began refurbishing an old crosscut my father-in-law gave me. I've cleaned up 3 more since then.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/pdf/pdf77712508lo.pdf
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/Crosscut_Restored_01.JPG)
That is a good document to have if keeping a crosscut saw around.
The west coast loggers called them misery whips and with good reason.
I got to cut down a dead elm with my dad with a two man crosscut when I was about 10. We had to cut it at just above ground level because it was right next to the lane where we went through with farm equipment, which by that time had grown to bigger than the opening. That was very not fun. :'( :snowball: :snowball: :snowball:
Mmmmmmmmm chainsaws. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :snowball:
Almost as good as bacon. ;D 8) 8) 8) :snowball:
Nice booklet, thanks for the link...I have three, haven't used one since I was a boy. Banjo
I just packed one in the car to take home and clean up. I will need to make a new handle or repair the old one. It comes from the farm my father inlaw was born. Photos when I get home. Rod
I have my grandfathers crosscut and bucksaw, they are a proud addition to my "museum", as Danny calls it.. At summer camp in the '60's we used cross cuts, two man power saws, and regular chain saws, to give us a sense of history, I guess. I believe the two man chainsaw was a Diston, but may not have been, it was as much a man killer as the misery whip for college kids.