Chainsaw

Lore & Background

Precursors to modern chainsaws were first used in surgery, with patents for wood chainsaws beginning in the late 19th century. A 'flexible saw' was pioneered in the late 18th century by two Scottish doctors for symphysiotomy and excision of diseased bone. For much of the 19th century the chainsaw was a useful surgical instrument, but it was superseded in 1894 by the Gigli twisted-wire saw. A precursor of the chainsaw familiar today in the timber industry was another medical instrument, the osteotome, developed around 1830 by Bernhard Heine.

Reader's Guide

A chainsaw comprises an engine, a drive mechanism, a guide bar, a cutting chain, a tensioning mechanism, and safety features. Various safety practices and working techniques are used with chainsaws. Chainsaw engines are traditionally either a two-stroke single-cylinder gasoline internal combustion engine or an electric motor driven by a battery or electric power cord. Typically, a centrifugal clutch and sprocket are used.

Did You Know?

• The first portable chainsaw was developed and patented in 1918 by Canadian millwright James Shand.
• The first electric chainsaw was invented by Stihl in 1926.
• The first one-man chainsaw was introduced in 1950.
• By 1959, the average weight of a chainsaw was around 12 kg; today chainsaws typically weigh between 4 and 5 kg.