I finally got why some guys swear by hand pruning over power tools

I was talking to this old timer named Jerry at a job site in Portland last month. He was trimming this big oak and using just a handsaw while I was dragging out my pole pruner. He said something like "you hear the tree better without the noise" and I kind of laughed it off. But then I tried his method on a smaller branch and felt the cut way different, cleaner and more controlled. Made me think about how much I rely on noise and speed instead of actually feeling the wood. Has anyone else had a conversation that changed how you approach a basic task like cutting?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_susan2mo ago

Jerry's got a point. It's the same thing with cooking, everyone reaches for the food processor when a decent knife tells you more about what you're cutting.

nathan1932mo ago

Picked up hand carving wood last year and realized my power sander was just making noise while a simple gouge let me feel every grain and knot. Same deal with that Jerry guy, sometimes the quiet tools teach you more.

theabarnes2mo agoMost Upvoted

Simple gouge" got me thinking about my granddad's whittling knife that's older than me.