My axe and saw family.

[Zymologist]

After sorting my collection of axes and saws I decided to sign up for local trail crews in the area to give me more chances to put my saws/axes to work.
My axes get put through work since I heat with wood and cut/split all my own firewood. But my saws which I don't even know how to sharpen just gather dust.
I'd like to learn something new and get my saws into working shape. So I signed up for 6 state parks for trail maintenance and also contacted the
Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club for my area. I was reading their site and they offer sawyer classes for crosscut saws I'm very excited to get
and do some volunteer work and learn hands on.
I know some of you folks are in trail crews so I thought I'd share. I'm a carpenter only 27 but theres so much to learn with logging tools I'd like to at least
learn some of it so I can teach it to my kids.

Heres my current family of sharp objects.

First seven on the left are all Plumbs which are what I primarily go after.

All of the crosscut saws are Disstons except for the 4ft felling saw, 2x4 handled saw which is a Simmonds I believe, and the Curtis all the way on the right.

 

[300Six]

Good for you! Best way to experience the quality of old tools is to find a proper excuse to use them. And I would think offering to volunteer on trail crew is a pretty darn good one!

 

[Square_peg]

After sorting my collection of axes and saws I decided to sign up for local trail crews in the area to give me more chances to put my saws/axes to work.

Good on you! Thank you, Brother!

You'll have a blast doing trail work and using your toys. I was out doing trailwork yesterday for National Public Lands Days.


I have found that a 48" single buck like yours is very handy for trail work. And it's good that you have the auxiliary handle.

I'm partial to perforated lance tooth saws like your Simonds. I'd borrow a pair of handles off one of your other saws and put them on that saw.

 

[Zymologist]

Good on you! Thank you, Brother!

You'll have a blast doing trail work and using your toys. I was out doing trailwork yesterday for National Public Lands Days.


I have found that a 48" single buck like yours is very handy for trail work. And it's good that you have the auxiliary handle.

I'm partial to perforated lance tooth saws like your Simonds. I'd borrow a pair of handles off one of your other saws and put them on that saw.

Thanks for the encouragement guys!

And thank you for the tip square peg! I gotta keep an eye out for some hardware but if not when the time comes I'll definately swap handles.

 

[trailtime]

I'm with PATC, just south of you. Although I can use chainsaw on my AT section, I clear almost all my blowdowns with a crosscut saw or axe. It can be difficult getting crosscut saw training if you don't have a wilderness trail though. Good luck with Susquehanna, as you can learn a lot on a trail crew. I find that a 4'-5' saw works best for eastern hardwoods, as I seldom encounter a tree bigger than 36" DBH. They're easier to carry too.

Forked BD on Jones Mt. Trail, Shenandoah National Park as an example of trail crew work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq0wU7b8T0I