Demonstration of felling with axe and hand saw
Photographs courtesy of Robbie Bruce, Drummuir, who with his three brothers took part in a felling demonstration using axes and cross cut saws in Glenlivet forest possibly around 1995-1998. Charlie, Jimmy and Gordon Smith and Robbie Bruce sharpened up some old axes, reset and sharpened old hand saws and proceeded to lay in, fell, sned and cross cut some modest sized Norway spruce trees in the forest.
This is a view of Jimmy Smith preparing the base of a tree with what looks like a six or seven pound axe prior to using the hand felling saw. The root ‘toes’ have been cut back and Jim is now shaping the felling ‘mouth’ a long straight edged cut into the stem on the side directly facing where it is planned to fell the tree. Not the hand cross cut saw lying behind the tree.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Tools, equipment and clothing