October 12 -- We trace the chain of events that made this tool a hit among weekend warriors, in horrow movies and beyond.
1785:
A chain handsaw model appears in John Aitken's Principles of Midwifery, or
Puerperal Medicine. The fine serrated chain is used to remove diseased bone.
1926:
Andreas Stihl patents two-person saws: a 116-pound electric model, and a
139-pound gas one in 1929. U.S. troops bring them home from Europe in 1941 to
be imitated.
1945:
Chain saws before the end of World War II are heavy, often wheeled, two-person
devices. The development of aluminum alloys and forged steel parts leads to
one-person saws.
1947:
Inspired by timber beetle larvae, which chew both across and with wood grain,
Joseph Buford Cox invents the Cox Chipper Chain.
1949:
McCulloch Motors Corp. debuts the world's lightest chain saw, the 25-pound
Model 3-25.
1964:
Stihl introduces its first antivibration handle, which uses buffer elements to
absorb vibrations coming from the engine and chain. Two years later, "Good
Vibrations" by the Beach Boys is a No. 1 hit. (It's not about chain saws.)
1973:
Husqvarna creates the automatic chain break—a lever that stops the chain after
kickback, literally saving faces
1974:
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is "inspired by a true story" that
didn't involve Texas, chain saws, or massacres.
1980:
Husqvarna debuts the 40, which has a crankcase made of lightweight composite materials.
In '83 the company introduces the 154, which has multiple plastic parts.
2000:
Eminem opens shows wielding a chain saw. But the real Slim Shady is just
imitating—the chain is left off.
2011:
Canadian Ian Stewart breaks the Guinness World Record when he makes 94 catches
while juggling three running chain saws. Stihl's MSA 160 C-BQ lithium-ion saw
debuts; it can run for 35 minutes. You've cut a long way, baby.
2011:
Stihl's Wood Boss slices, dices, and produces 50 percent fewer emissions.
