Old school logging

[Old2stroke]

Back in the days before chainsaws and diesel powered everything, wood had to be man-handled and there were some tools to make the job easier. Some of them were specific to use in the boreal forest (spruce, pine, fir) to help produce 8' pulp wood logs for delivery to a paper mill. Recently I helped a family turn trees into firewood and brought along a few tools that they had never seen but were vey impressed with how useful they were.
My 4' cant hook was out on loan so had to do with a smaller one. Basically if you want to roll a log, use a cant hook. If you want to move around a large block without picking it up, use a pickaroon. If you have to pick one up, the pulp hook makes it easier. These tools use to be common in any country home but you can't walk in to any hardware store and expect to find them anymore, however still available on Amazon.

 

[HumBurner]

I prefer a peavey for rolling logs, and a cant hook for moving cants; peavey works too, but then you're biting instead of gripping.

Edit: log-carriers/log-lifters are also pretty handy, especially if you only need to pivot a log, especially a long or awkward one.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Around here back in the day they had big U shaped contraptions with wheels and tires and the picked big log ends up and pulled them out with horses or old Oliver 77's or something. I would like to have one , but have no idea where or when they were last made. I could pull a 10,000 pound log if I could get the end up, but not trying to plow with it.

 

[1hp]

https://www.baileysonline.com/logrite-junior-skidding-arch-ja016.html

 

[OM617YOTA]

The pickaroon sure is a force multiplier. Not having to bend down to grab a round sure makes my back feel better at the end of the day. Doesn't take long to figure out the right flick to stick, and another flick to release.

Main tip is to use the whole handle. I have a buddy who chokes up on the head and can't figure out that he's throwing away most of the advantage of the tool by not using the whole handle.

 

[HumBurner]

Main tip is to use the whole handle. I have a buddy who chokes up on the head and can't figure out that he's throwing away most of the advantage of the tool by not using the whole handle.

Kinda like how people love to swing an axe/maul, instead of raising it and letting it drop

 

[sean donato]

I love log rite my can't hook, very handy. Only downside is I wish I got the model with a longer handle, but it's sure make rolling a log a lot easier either way.

 

[Squareground3691]

Woodchuck tool pretty good for moving big rounds or logs , those are 40” plus

 

[Gord404]

ya my big old hickory handle peavey always goes along with me- welded about 3/4 inch on the end of the hook because I generally cut douglas fir and it would be pulling the bark off insead of getting through it, a little grabby getting it off sometimes but it works, another thing I do is throw some bright red or orange paint on my take along tools, heads - etc and chain hooks, makes them easier to spot

 

[fields_mj]

I built a Peavy with some 1" pipe and some odds and ends of scrap steel. It's been extremely useful, especially since I handle most of my firewood in log form. I do need to redo the hook though. It never really wants to bite in very well. I normally have to tap it in with the bit on my axe.