Unusual chain

[dslade05]

Has anyone seen chain like this before? It has this 'vertical' cutter between every normal cutter; it came in an Oregon chain box but no saying if that was the original box. The pattern is left chisel cutter, 'vertical' cutter, right chisel cutter, 'vertical' cutter, repeat. I've got it on a 24" bar & with my mildly ported jonsereds 920 it seems to cut as well as any other chain.
Can't find anything online about, curious to see if anyone knows what it might be for?

 

[Franny K]

https://www.arboristsite.com/thread...igh-in-mt-st-helens-chain-_____.281741/page-3

 

[Cornykid]

Ice? Milling?? I'm interested myself.

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[av8or3]

Bet Philbert would know

 

[farmer steve]

@ray benson or @Philbert. Any thoughts? I never saw one.

 

[Karrl]

Does it stay sharp longer than your other chains? I remember reading that thread that franny posted about the Mount St. Helens chain and it was supposed to be great for dirty wood.

 

[Old2stroke]

Whatever it is, there is a lot of wear on it, not much meat left between the rivet head and the bar rail.

 

[huskihl]

It’s called Kolve chain. It was designed for use on the Mount St Helens fire because it stayed sharp longer in the ashy conditions

 

[Philbert]

See the post that @Franny K referenced, or search for 'Kolve' chain, as @huskihl notes. It comes up here every few years, and there should be several links in those threads.

Occasionally, it is described as a 'miracle chain' that 'OSHA banned' in conspiracy threads. But if it really worked better, versions would still be around. There are instructions on filing / sharpening it in some of the older threads, if you want to try it. Otherwise, hang onto it as a conversation piece.

Philbert

A few more Arboristsite threads (some photos lost due to age and hacker attack):

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/old-chain-id.267988/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/anybody-familiar-with-this-chain.9241/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/chain-talk.104840/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/looking-for-a-chainsaw-chain-type.129533/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/what-kind-of-chain-is-this.44710/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/butterfly-chain.8333/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/what-is-this-chain.207793/
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/a-wacky-chain.50420/

Patent Links:

http://www.google.com/patents/US4426900?cl=en

 

[heimannm]

The Kolve chain did work better in abrasive cutting conditions than conventional chains and may have been designed for that purpose but I don't think it was specifically developed for the aftermath of Mt. St. Helens. Kolve evidently decided to stop manufacturing when they were required to design in low kick back features.

I picked up most of what I know about Kolve chain from a long time dealer in the Sioux City, Iowa vicinity who sold a lot of that chain. I guess it also worked well when cutting timber in the flood plain since the flooded timber was always heavily coated with soil and sand.

Mark

 

[BrettS]

Occasionally, it is described as a 'miracle chain' that 'OSHA banned' in conspiracy threads.

You said cOnSpIrAcY ROFLMAO

 

[dslade05]

Looks to be exactly what the "mt. St. Helen's" thread was about a while back. I'll sharpen it up & throw it on the wall of oddball / old tools that's slowly growing as i inherit random stuff like that.
The 920 isn't on the wall though, that's just too much fun to run.

Thanks for the help, i figured I'd get an answer here quick but not as much interest as there seems to be!

 

[dslade05]

Ice? Milling?? I'm interested myself.

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It does cut ice decently, but i think any aggressive chain would go through this late season ice like butter so that's hard to judge.

 

[dslade05]

Whatever it is, there is a lot of wear on it, not much meat left between the rivet head and the bar rail.

Yep, that's probably partially the bar's fault; I've flattened the bottom of the bar back out but the top is still badly worn & makes the chain look worse than it is. Not saying the chain isn't all sorts of tired, just that it's not being helped by the bar at all.

Don't need to use the chain so it's going on the wall as something interesting.

 

[Cornykid]

It does cut ice decently, but i think any aggressive chain would go through this late season ice like butter so that's hard to judge.

I've just watched folks that go sturgeon spearing cut ice like nothing I've ever been able to do.

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[simonmeridew]

I've just watched folks that go sturgeon spearing cut ice like nothing I've ever been able to do.

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Good way to fill your boots with water

 

[heimannm]

On the Kolve chain, all of the cutters are sharpened at 90 degrees, certainly makes that task simpler.





Mark

 

[Canyon Angler]

I like the looks of it and would love to give a loop a try (lots of quartz sand around here). Off to ebay...

 

[dslade05]

I like the looks of it and would love to give a loop a try (lots of quartz sand around here). Off to ebay...

Good luck finding it, just be careful when you do! The vertical cutters reach out & grab anything, and they're exceedingly sharp.

 

[dslade05]

I've just watched folks that go sturgeon spearing cut ice like nothing I've ever been able to do.

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The chains I've seen for ice are WAY too aggressive for wood; rakers basically gone & skip chain to get the shavings out of the way. They'll rip the saw out of your hands on a log but ice cuts like butter.