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 For much of the 19th century the chainsaw was a useful surgical instrument, but it was superseded in 1894 by the Gigli twisted-wire saw.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.

In Their Own Story

The air in the stone corridor tastes of rust and ozone. A low hum begins to vibrate through the floorboards, growing into a deafening roar that drowns out the distant screams of the damned. The player grips the cold metal handle, feeling the engine shudder against their palm as it revs up. Before them, a hulking demon lunges, its claws raised. There is no time to aim, only to act. With a surge of adrenaline, the Chainsaw bites into the creature's flesh, sparks flying as steel meets bone in a chaotic dance of destruction.

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.