Saws that Sing: A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws

Transporting Saws, Continued

Packstock

Be extra careful when carrying a crosscut saw on packstock. Select the gentlest animal to carry the saw. Put that animal in the lead where you can easily see the saw. Leave the handles attached to a two-person saw. The heads of the rivet attachment pins should face up, not down, so the pins won't slide out and cause the handles to fall off. Covering both sides of the pins with strips of duct tape gives further assurance the pins won't slide out. Sheathe the saw with firehose. Some packers wrap the saw in a separate mantie (canvas cover used to wrap loads) with the handles secure and exposed. Bend the saw and place it over the animal. Some pack the saw with the teeth facing the rear of the animal to minimize the likelihood of injury if the sheath falls off. Others pack the saw with the longest end of the handles pointing to the back, where they are less likely to get caught on trailside branches. Go with what works best for you considering the trail conditions you will be facing. Tie the saw handles down to the latigo or cinch ring (figure 30). Also tie the center of the bowed saw with a rope that goes to the front sawbuck or the "D" ring of a Decker saddle. It's important to secure the bowed saw to the packsaddle and not just to the load. With the saw fastened on top, it is more likely the saw will stay on top of the animal and not fall to the side if the rope on either side becomes untied.

Figure 30--Securely tie each crosscut saw handle directly to the cinch ring
or latigo, not to the load. Also tie the middle of the saw with a rope that
attaches to the front sawbuck or the "D" ring of a Decker saddle.

Finish the packing job by using the cinch lash to tie the saw to the rest of the load (figure 31). That way, the saw is double-tied and unlikely to come loose. Jim Thode of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington has developed a rigid saw sheath that fits on a riding saddle (figure 32). This shoulder-to-rump sheath is loaded from the rear (figure 33). Detailed fabrication details can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.bchw.org/techtips.htm. This sheath fits a 7-foot saw, unusually long for most trail work. A sheath sized for the more common 5½-foot saw or single-person saw would be more useful. This type of sheath could be mounted under the load of a pack animal. It would be easy to slide the saw out alongside the animal from the rear to use to cut logs blocking the trail. Saws bowed and top-packed are difficult to unload and use en route.

Figure 31--Finish the job by using the cinch lash to tie the saw to the rest
of the load. This method is fine for moving a saw from home base to camp,
but is very inconvenient if you need to use the saw along the trail.

Figure 32--A rigid saw sheath configured for a riding saddle. This design
also could be sized for a shorter saw, or used on a pack animal.--Photo used
with permission of Jim Thode, Lewis County Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of
Washington.

Figure 33--The sheath is made of 3/16-inch high-density polyethylene, held
together with countersunk copper rivets.--Photo used with permission of Jim
Thode, Lewis County Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington.

One-person saws can be transported on riding stock in a leather or canvas sheath (similar to a rifle scabbard). A piece of hardwood inside the sheath protects the sheath from the saw's teeth. Position the sheath so users will pull the saw away from the animal's head when they remove the saw from the sheath.

Hikers

Saws should be sheathed when you are hiking to the jobsite. The person carrying the saw should be the last person in line.

Two-person saws should have the rear handle removed. If the handle is left on, it can snag on branches. The handle's weight also accentuates the saw's bouncing motion.

At the jobsite, the unsheathed saw can be carried on your shoulder with the teeth facing outward (figure 34). Avoid carrying the saw with the teeth pointing inward. Carry the saw on your downhill shoulder so you can throw it off if you slip or fall.

Figure 34--Transporting a crosscut saw to a
jobsite by carrying the saw on the shoulder
with the teeth facing outward. Saws need to
be sheathed when they are carried for long
distances.

Longer two-person saws have a tendency to bounce severely on uneven trails. For this reason, I prefer a solid wood sheath. Wood is more rigid than firehose, so wooden sheaths have little bounce and are less tiring to carry.

A vintage saw can be bent around a pack if the saw is being carried for long distances. Usually both handles are left on the saw to secure it in its bent position. Do not bend the saw any more than necessary. In very rough or extremely brushy terrain I remove the handles, securing the ends of the saw with 12-gauge wire through the handle holes. This reduces the risk that the saw will hang up in brush.