One more time --- Hot Saws 'N Carhartts

This is the one you've been waiting for...let the chips fly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The finale....the final day of the Buckley Log Show! What's it all about? Power, sheer power. Whether it's horse power measured in, well, horse power or man power, measured in sweat and tendon popping strength...that's the log show finale. It's the day everyone gathers at the arena to cheer on the competitors and their machines.



Good family names like Clinkingbeard and McBride and Frick take the center stage and show their mettle. Here Ty Hanson is finishing his first place climb in 3:14.93, only 7 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Ty had to climb a 75-foot spar tree (no branches) and saw through the top notch in a 7 inch log. The time stops when Ty's chip hits the ground.



One thing's for darn sure, there isn't a pair of Levis or Wranglers within five miles of this log show. Standard issue "Made-for-the-Woods" jeans are Carhartts. A good 6-7 inches are usually cut off the bottom so a chainsaw doesn't do it for you and eat your leg in the process! Add a heavy duty pair of suspenders, a hickory striped shirt or a t-shirt with attitude and you kinda look like a logger. A ball cap with a greasy stained sweat band, advertising your logging company, adds to the look. Lastly, a can of chew accessorizes the ensemble. Yes, this is fashion, in it's roughest, burly-man sense!





I love this guy's t-shirt. There's no need to explain how he feels about things. It says, "If it thinks, don't eat it!" Sweet.



Dueling Hot Saws are the reason many come to the log show. In Hot Saw Limited, guys use their own stock power saws to cut through the log. Admirable, but so hoo-hum.

Modified Hot Saws --- now we're talking a little out of the ordinary. Two men teams cut through a log using double-ended chainsaws. The trophy goes to the fastest time, which was just 18.45 seconds for Bud and Ty Hanson (again).

Check out the group of serious timers behind the contestants, crouching to get at eye level with the action. No one wants to say, "Uh, guys, I didn't get my watch started. Could you do that again?"



The end of the day comes 'round. The crowd starts to press toward the ropes that separate the boys (and ladies) from the men. It's Hot Saw UN-limited time. Get ready folks 'cause if you blink you'll miss the whole thing.

The defending champion is the Binford. Not your basic Stihl or McCullough, the Binford is a hand-crafted Hot Saw on steroids. Built from a Buick V-8 engine it makes mincemeat of big logs, in seconds.



It takes 4 men to carry the Binford to the starting line but only 2 men are allowed to hold onto the beast as it devours the log.



NASCAR has nothing on this. The roar of the engines, the sweat and money and training of the contestants. Where else can a crowd be covered with wood chips and be ecstatic about it?







Just like butter, the Binford cuts through the log in a record setting 3.03 seconds! The crowd cheers. High-fives all around.

What do you bet more than one spectator stopped by their garage later that day to glance at their ole Buick, minus the wood chips --- shook their head, and grinned?