Pit Sawing
The original method of sawing lumber using a two-person pit saw.
About This Technique
Pit sawing was the primary method of producing lumber before water-powered sawmills. One sawyer stood above the log on a scaffold while another worked below in a pit. Together they pushed and pulled a long two-handled saw through the log.
Historical Context
Practiced in Appalachia from the earliest settlement through the early 1800s. Some remote communities continued pit sawing into the 1900s where sawmills were inaccessible.
Tools Required
Pit saw (two-man saw), sawpit or scaffold, log dogs, chalk line, wedges
Advantages
No machinery required, can be done anywhere, creates unique saw marks
Considerations
Extremely labor intensive, very slow, physically demanding
Modern Relevance
Demonstrated at living history sites; occasionally used by traditionalists seeking authentic historical lumber.