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| Two Man Saw |
The two man saw has been around since the middle ages, but didn't see much use in the woods of America until the 1800's, and then came sooner to the forests of the West with their larger trees. The saws were available in sizes long enough to cut the largest trees, and in many different patterns and sharpened differently, for different species of trees, different seasons, even different nationalities of loggers.
This saw was made by Henry Disston & Sons, Inc., and is a Champion pattern. There were also many different styles of handles available. The handle on the left is a "No. 7 Reversible", the one on the right a "Number 3 Loop". (The handles quickly detach so that the saw can be pulled out of the cut from one side.)
These saws are called 'cross cut' saws because they are designed to cut 'across the grain' which is different from a 'whip saw' or 'rip saw' which would be used to cut with the grain so as to make lumber. Note particularly the combinations of teeth and 'rakers'. The rakers are used to scrape the cuttings away as every saw must deal with dual problems. One problem is cutting, and the other is purging the sawdust from the cut without binding up the saw in the process. This is not as simple as it seems with a two man saw that is designed to cut in both directions.