Sawing logs, the actual cutting of wood not taking a snooze. The ability to cut wood has a couple purposes. Being able to build something and firewood are probably the 2 big purposes. With the modern day, you just buy your wood or cut it with a chainsaw if your just processing firewood yourself. The main focus around this post will be a one man crosscut saw.
It is a hand saw powered by people power. If your interested in being self sufficient in case of a zombie apocalypse, homesteading or how things were done in the old days, the one man crosscut saw is a great option. For me, its all of the above. I have had a fascination of crosscut saws for decades. Mostly with the 2 man variety. For the systems conditions today, self sufficiency just makes sense. So I figured it was a good time to explore my interest in a crosscut saw. Originally I sought out a 2 man crosscut saw. I found a one man saw here locally for a great price. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for but for the price, it was a no brainer. It is probably the best saw for my needs. Those being, it cuts wood, only needs one person, and can be used as a 2 man saw. With all the tasks that need to be done, having a second person isn’t always possible. That’s what make a one man crosscut saw so valuable.
Primitive living, for whatever the reason, makes even todays simple tasks more time consuming. There’s no microwave oven or even an electric or gas stove. That means wood is needed EVERY DAY!!!! And in the winter, that’s your heat as well. So what do you need??? WOOD, WOOD, AND MORE WOOD!!! It only makes sense to be able to process wood in the most efficient way possible. If there’s an interruption in the supply chain on any level, global, national, regional, local, or personal, wood processing would become very important.
With my interest in the past, I always look to see how things were done back then. Look to the professionals. Even today, if you want to know what the best leaf blower or weed whacker is, check out what the lawn care guys use. The pros know how to get things done! So for processing wood primitively, the pros used crosscut saws. They took down redwoods with the dang things. How can they be wrong? To translate that to today, a felling axe, a crosscut saw, and a maul would be a winning combination. An axe of about any kind could do the job for felling and splitting, but I’m sure bucking (cutting to length) would be best done with a crosscut saw. That’s where probably most people fall short in their plan. The cheapest most readily available option is a bow saw with a big stack of blades, but a crosscut saw is a great option.
Now that your sold on a cross cut saw, yes you can still buy them new. I’m not a paid spokesperson so you’ll have to search them out. They are also sold in the used market if you want to restore one like I did. I got lucky with the one I got, so do your research on what to look for in a used saw. Tooth pattern and condition are important. Also keep in mind that they do need to be sharpened. Sharpening takes the know how as well as the tools. The know how and tools are required for any long term use. These types of saws make great wall art. It’s common to find vintage saws in rusty, unrestored shape, or have some picture painted on them. For me personally, having it restored and useable hanging on the wall is the best way to go. The new saws I’ve seen come with a shinny new blade and a natural wood finish. (un stained) I guess it would be interesting for anyone that hasn’t seen one, but it could be antiqued by sanding and staining the handles, as well as blueing the metal parts. For my vintage saw, I removed the rust, blued the metal, sanded, stained and sealed the wood. I absolutely love the look and functionality of my saw. To hang it on a wall or actually use it, would be great. I got mine to be used, but it will look great on the wall between outings.
I hope you found this post informative, thought provoking, or entertaining. My interests vary but always centered on the outdoors at about any level. Check me out on my youtube channel, vacreepinoutdoors, and don’t forget to like and subscribe. Thanks.