Chainsaw: A Brutal History

A chainsaw is a small, handheld machine used for cutting wood. It has sharp teeth attached to a moving chain that spins around to make quick, powerful cuts.

The first chainsaw was invented in 1830 by a German doctor named Bernhard Heine. He created a medical tool called the “osteotome,” which was designed to cut bones during surgery. This early version of the chainsaw was mainly used for medical procedures, including helping with difficult childbirth and was not originally intended for cutting wood.

Later, in the late 1800s, inventors began improving the design so it could be used for cutting wood instead of bone. This marked the beginning of the chainsaw transformation into the powerful tool we know today. By around 1905, the first mechanical chainsaws "Flexible saw" were being used in the timber industry, helping workers cut down trees faster and more efficiently.

Early chainsaws were large and required two people to operate, but by the 1950s, lighter one-person chainsaws became available. Continued improvements in materials and carburetor designs made modern chainsaws lighter, faster, and easier to use.Today, chainsaws come in many sizes from small electric models for home use to large, professional saws for forestry. They are used not only by loggers, but also by firefighters and military engineers. Although gas-powered chainsaws have been the most common type for decades, battery-powered models have become increasingly popular in recent years. Companies now produce full-size electric chainsaws, and some regions such as California are even moving toward restricting gas-powered tools to reduce pollution.

The joke about chainsaws being invented for childbirth is partly true. The very first versions of chainsaws were made to help doctors during a medical procedure called symphysiotomy, where they had to cut through a woman’s pelvic bone to make more space for the baby to be born. The funny part of the joke comes from how disturbing that sounds compared to how we now use chainsaws to cut down trees.

The real story is Chainsaws were first created in the late 1700s by two Scottish doctors. John Aitken and James Jeffray. It was a small, flexible saw made from a fine chain with tiny teeth, held between two wooden handles. Aitken designed it for use during childbirth surgeries like symphysiotomy, a surgery done when a baby was too big to fit through the mother’s pelvis. Back then, this was seen as a safer option than some other childbirth surgeries that were even more dangerous. During a difficult birth, doctors would use the small, hand-powered chainsaw to carefully cut through the pubic bone, making the birth canal wider. This allowed the baby to pass through more easily, though the procedure was very painful and risky because it was done before modern anesthesia and infection control.

While Jeffray used it for removing diseased bones. Jeffray later explained that his saw, which looked like a watch chain, helped surgeons make smaller cuts while protecting nearby muscles and blood vessels. Although symphysiotomy proved too risky for most doctors, the chainsaw became more accepted for bone surgeries after the introduction of anesthesia.

Over time, people realized the same cutting design could be used for other materials, not just bones. The idea was later adapted and made much larger and stronger, turning it into the wood-cutting chainsaw we use today in forestry and construction.

The joke works because it’s shocking it connects to a tool we think of as loud and used for chopping trees with something as delicate and human as childbirth. The contrast between those two images makes the story both dark and fascinating.

Today, chainsaws are used for many different jobs, not just in forests. They help with ice sculpting, clearing bushes and overgrown plants, cutting through concrete, and even creating detailed wooden art and carvings.

Modern chainsaws have come a long way from their early medical versions. Thanks to new technology, they are now lighter, safer, quieter, and many are battery-powered, which makes them easier to carry and better for the environment than older gas-powered ones.