Bowsaw
Overview
The bowsaw or bucksaw is a manual sawing event common in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. In this event, a competitor makes a cut (sometimes multiple cuts) on a log or squared timber. It is a timed event, so the quickest cut wins.
General Rules
The competitor must make a complete cut. Jumping the gun (starting before "go") results in a disqualification.
Common Wood Sizes
Round wood from 8"-12" in diameter. Also, squared timbers ranging from 6x6 to 10x10.
History of the event
The bowsaw, also called swede saw or bucksaw, was commonly used to cut pulpwood in North America. Pulpwood is used to produce paper products and the logs are usually smaller than most saw logs cut in the woods. For that reason, the bowsaw was developed for lumberjacks cutting pulpwood. Because of its small size and design meant for one person, it was more efficient that running a longer crosscut saw to cut small logs. Its frame measures four feet long, which is the length that pulpwood used to be cut before mechanization. Therefore, sawyers could use the bowsaw to not only cut the wood, but also measure it to the correct size.