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Got reminded of how things used to be after a young trimmer asked why I still use a handsaw
I was showing a new guy how to clean up a big oak limb and he pulled out a top-handle chainsaw for a cut I'd normally make with a Silky. It got me thinking about how much faster everything moves now, but also how much more care we took with every cut back when I started 20 years ago. Anyone else feel like the old tools still have a place, or am I just stuck in my ways?
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barbaradavis6d ago
Wait, he nicked the tree twice and still didn't grab a handsaw until after that? That's wild to me. I mean, I get being young and wanting to use the shiny new toy, but after the second time you'd think he'd realize something's off lol. It takes a special kind of stubborn to keep using a chainsaw when you're clearly damaging the tree. I've been at this for fifteen years and I still grab my hand saw for those tight spots, no shame in it. It's not about being old school, it's just common sense when you're trying not to mess up the bark. That poor pine must have looked rough by the time he finally borrowed your Silky.
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henry_anderson546d ago
Not to nitpick but a Silky is a brand of handsaw, so borrowing his Silky is like saying he borrowed his Husqvarna instead of his chainsaw haha. I think you guys are agreeing on the same point though, that kid learned the hard way that a handsaw has its place.
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That young trimmer pulling out a top-handle chainsaw" reminds me of this kid I worked with last summer who had never even held a handsaw. He was 19 and thought anything that didn't have a motor was a waste of time. I get it, power tools are faster. But I had to show him how to limb up a big pine where the branches were all tight together. You can't just buzz in there with a chainsaw without damaging the bark on the main trunk. A handsaw lets you sneak in at the right angle and make a clean cut. He ended up borrowing my Silky for the rest of the day after he nicked the tree twice. Old tools teach you patience and precision, and that carries over even when you do grab the chainsaw later.
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