Hand Saws

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rarefish383
Posts: 196
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:40 pm

Hand Saws

Post by rarefish383 »

I was looking for a pic of my sythe hanging on my shed, and ran across these hand saws. I was fourth generation in the tree business, so obviously my Dad and grandfathers predated chainsaws. When Dad was young they used axes for limbing brush, and crosscuts for felling trees. It wasn't untill the 60-70's that small climbing chainsaws came out. All of our climbers had 36" hand saws for use up in trees. My Dad was probably the strongest man I ever met. "Treemendose" upper body strength from using hand saws to cut off limbs up to about 24" diameter. The one with a kind of gray finish was teflon coated and was sharp. After Dad retired I carried that one climbing. One of the first times I used it, I was cutting off a limb about 6" in diameter, and on about the 5-6 pull it broke threw the limb and kept going and stuck in my knee cap. Those climbing saws, especially the curved ones, are made to cut on the pull, not push stroke. I still like the little curved pruning saws, but, now and then I'll take the old teflon coated one out and cut stuff just to see how week I've gotten. The big one hanging on the wall of the family room was the last big one Dad carried climbing before he got one of the curved ones. By then chainsaws were getting smaller and you could pull a 20-30 pound saw up in the tree to make a couple big cuts then let it back down. The one on the wall still had the tether on it where Dad hooked it to his belt, but it was all oily so I had to take it off. The helper handle on the end came off another saw but looked good on it. There is also a mounting hole in the blade just in front of the handle to mount the helper handle for one man use. That way you can use both hands, Joe.
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kootenay joe
Posts: 13373
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Hand Saws

Post by kootenay joe »

Joe, very interesting reading. I had never thought about tree pruning in the time before small power saws. In the pictures it would be good to include something for a size comparison so that viewer can understand how big the hand saws are.
kj
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Colonel26
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 10322
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:35 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Hand Saws

Post by Colonel26 »

Very cool pics and family history! I love old tools anyway, and the stories that go along with them.

I know well what you mean about previous generations being stronger than us. I remember when I took over most of the cattle from my grandfather after he got to where he couldn't work like he used to. He'd come out and help the kid from time to time and he was still stronger than I was at 18! I see it in my sons too. when I was the age of my oldest, for spending money I hauled square baled hay and working in tobacco. Now square baled hay and working in tobacco are all about gone. Technology and mechanization sure have made life easier and more efficient. But they sure have made us weaker too.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Robert E. Lee
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tongueriver
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Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:01 pm

Re: Hand Saws

Post by tongueriver »

Very interesting. Really enjoyed this post.
Mountain Man Knives

Re: Hand Saws

Post by Mountain Man Knives »

Great story, just reading it one can tell how much you love your Dad just by the way you write about him and his saws.....some real treasures you have there and how you have them displayed on your wall there is awesome - Have a good Sunday and thanks for Sharing it with the everybody fortunate enough to read it.....MMK
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FRJ
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:43 pm
Location: Ct.

Re: Hand Saws

Post by FRJ »

Boy, did that title catch my eye.
I really enjoyed your post, Joe. It's dangerous work working around trees.
You have some wonderful tools on display.
I also enjoyed your writing very much. That is a great heritage in your family.

I am a carpenter and I have used handsaws in a different way.
I found this old thread. I love these saws and with the exception of the ice saw I learned to use every one of them.
Unfortunately, I never learned to sharpen them. I had to pay others to do that for me. They were an absolute pleasure to use.

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=38018&hilit=hand+saws
Joe
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