Two Man Crosscut Saws

See that saw standing against the pine tree? That's the tool that downed the big trees in America before there were chain saws. If you suspect that each end of that saw meant "a lot of work, you are right. In fact, most of the time, both men were bending over or on their knees while sawing. They were so intent on their job they often did not see the tree shift, buckle, spin, or suddenly fall unexpectedly. That lack of attention cost many a man his life or limb. Trees that were suspect of being dangerous to "fall" were called "widow makers".

Loggers usually put oil on the saw to help it glide through the tree. It was hard, labor intensive work, that called for high energy people. Loggers prized their saws and watched over them like any other hard to find too. Watching two good loggers saw down a big tree was watching poetry in motion.