The rules are simple. The team that saws through a 12-inch trunk in the fastest time – wins. In their last event they completed such a cut in a staggering 11 and three fifths seconds.
  
“Which beats the time it takes using a mechanical portable saw” said 49 year old John, which sparked off my “man v machine” challenge. Arthur (48) who lives in Upleatham Village picked up the Swiss-made cross cut – “no British saw can stand up to this type of work”, and John, of Redcar Road, Marske, took up his position opposite.
  
I clicked the stop watch and stood agape as the saw cut through the log like a wire through cheese. In 13 seconds dead the log fell to the ground. It was an oper-ation that would have taken a nor-mal being 15 to 20 minutes to complete. “The secret lies in the sharpen-ing of the saw” John told me. “And that is a closely guarded secret. Rhythm also plays a vital part.” Unlike his powerfully built partner, John is tall and slim. “It’s brains not brawn that counts” he laughed. Neither of them goes in for any special training before the championship. “We get enough practice every day” said Arthur who has been a forestry worker for ten years.
  
John, a logger all his life, picked up the mechanical saw and we were off again. This time the powerful teeth bit into the wood with a rasping snarl and I ducked as the backwash of wood chips flew over me. It took 15 seconds for it to cut through. “Usually the mechanical equipment is one second quicker,” admitted John. “And of course it can keep it up all day.”

This article originally appeared in the April 1999 issue of Now & Then Magazine