My guess is not posed..But looks like they stopped sawing for the picture. Gun probably for protection from bears. Axe used to help cut face in the tree to get the tree to fall in the right direction. Not axe heads-wedges and hammer to get the tree to fall in the direction intended. Would guess water not alcohol. Never knew a logger dumb enough to drink alcohol when falling timber.

Buzz on 24th October 2017 @ 7:22am

Somewhat posed. Everything is arranged too neatly and no sawdust.
Notice the cork boots. And the pipe in the mouth used to be a common scene.

I assume this is one of the glass negatives in the cigar box? I can't get over how clear they are.

L.E. on 24th October 2017 @ 7:40am

Looks like there are a couple of metal hooks screwed into the tree on the left side and something attached to them and wrapped around towards the back of the tree.

Longshot on 24th October 2017 @ 8:45am

Why the other hands on the saw blade, and the bend in the saw blade - unless this is staged?

nels on 24th October 2017 @ 11:06am

Isn't the bend in the saw blade, to cut down to the cut that you see below the saw, and making the face cut?

L.E. on 24th October 2017 @ 2:09pm

Agree this picture is posed to the extent that all still photos are posed. They quit sawing and were still when the picture was taken. You couldn't saw with the blade bent like that and you would be using two hands to pull on the handle. The face cut is on the other side of the tree and they have started the back cut.. That is the reason for the gun and hammer and wedges on this side of the tree. The wedges will be used to force the tree to fall the other way. No sawdust showing because they haven't made much of a back cut yet. If this photo was 100% posed for why would anybody pick up the sawdust first.

Buzz on 24th October 2017 @ 3:54pm

Looks to me like a perfectly normal timber falling operation and they stopped sawing long enough to have their picture taken.

Buzz on 24th October 2017 @ 3:58pm

good info Buzz. I have had only limited experience with a "misery whip" but that was enough to convince me it is appropriately named. an absolute team effort.

Arlen Sheldrake on 24th October 2017 @ 4:17pm

The bottle likely contained kerosene, used to lubricate the saw and prevent pitch from sticking. Two guys in the woods all day would need more water.

JB on 24th October 2017 @ 5:08pm

I say it is turpentine in the bottle, not any of the above mentioned. Most water was carried in large fabric covered metal containers. Why the photo in the first place?

Bill P

Bill Pattison on 24th October 2017 @ 9:48pm

You are probably right on what is in the bottle.

Buzz on 25th October 2017 @ 6:51am

I'd agree that the bottle either contains kerosene, turpentine or oil of some kind as a lubricant and pitch cutter for the saw. The saw is probably bent because the sawyers did pause for the photo. They would likely be blurred otherwise. Sometimes a felling saw would be bent because one of the sawyers wouldn't know what they were doing. That person would be quickly corrected with some well-chosen and forceful words. When you're cutting all day, nobody wants to work harder than they have to.

Jon Herman on 30th November 2017 @ 11:21am