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 Charlie Smith and Robbie Bruce cross cutting a large tree into final product sizes with the felling saw. Note the well sned stem although the bottom branches are still on and possibly the individual logs will be turned and the snedding completed. Unfortunately this demonstration site has been affected by windblown trees before the demonstration and these were getting in the way. This site was most likely being extracted by a forwarder hence the process of cutting into products. In days gone by the trees may have been left whole and extracted in length by horse or if very large by tractor and sulky.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Tools, equipment and clothing