Chainsaw carving

History and Development of Chainsaw Carving
– Oldest chainsaw artists in the 1950s: Ray Murphy and Ken Kaiser
– Chainsaw carvers started using trucks as traveling galleries
– Art Moe gained exposure for chainsaw carving at the Lumberjack World Championships
– First Chainsaw Carving World Championships held in 1987, won by Barre Pinske
– Development of the Cascade Chainsaw Sculptors Guild and the first book on chainsaw carving

The Carver Kings
– Chainsaw carving becoming a worldwide phenomenon
– Carver Kings Paul and Jacob performing on HGTV’s Carver Kings and OLNs Saw Dogs
– Creating large-scale semi-abstract centerpieces
– Carvings displayed in major states
– Gaining popularity through the internet

Chainsaw Carving Today
– English Open Chainsaw Competition in the United Kingdom draws thousands of visitors
– Duncan Kitson, the first successful British carver representing Wales and the UK
– Matthew Crabb carving the largest wooden statue of the Virgin Mary in the world
– Harry Thomas of Thomas Carving highly respected for bear carvings
– Pete Ryan’s chainsaw carvings decorating the town of Hope, British Columbia

Chainsaw Carvers Guilds
– Cascade Chainsaw Sculptors Guild (CCSG) founded in 1986
– CCSG publishing a bimonthly newsletter, The Cutting Edge
– United Chainsaw Carvers Guild established in 2002
– United Chainsaw Carvers Guild publishing a quarterly newsletter, The Chainsaw Letter
– Both guilds promoting chainsaw carving as an art form

Evolution of Chainsaw Carving
– Special chainsaw blades and chains developed for carving
– Guide bars with small noses enable detailed carving
– Modified chains for efficient cutting at the tip of the bar
– Carving bars manufactured by Cannon, GB, and Japanese companies
– Safety advantages of carving bars, minimizing kickback and reducing risks Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainsaw_carving