Field Notes: Chainsaw Guides & Technical Insights

Skip Tooth vs. Full House: When to Use Skip Chain in Australian Hardwood
Most chainsaw chains you buy off the shelf are "Full House" (Standard). This means there is a cutter on every available link pair. But if you look at the saws used by professional arborists or millers running long bars (24" to 36"+), you will notice something missing: Half the teeth are gone. This is Skip Tooth chain. And if you are cutting big Australian timber, it might be the upgrade you didn't know you needed. The Logic: Chip Clearance is King A chainsaw doesn't just cut wood; it has to transport... Read more...
Ripping Chains vs. Crosscut Chains: Do You Really Need a Special Chain for Milling?
Chainsaw milling—turning a raw log into beautiful slabs of lumber—is growing rapidly in Australia. But if you try to slab an Ironbark log with your standard firewood chain, you are going to have a bad day. The finish will be rough, the saw will vibrate violently, and you will be exhausted. The solution is the Ripping Chain. But what exactly is a ripping chain? Is it a magical different type of metal? Or is it just a standard chain filed differently? At Alpine Chain Co, we believe in demystifying the... Read more...
The Metallurgy of Durability: Why "Hardest" Isn't Best
In the world of tool steel, there is a seductively simple myth: "Harder is Better." It seems logical. Harder metal resists abrasion. Chainsaws cut wood by abrasion. Therefore, the hardest possible chain should be the best chain. This logic drives millions of sales of "Carbide and Extra-Hard Chrome" chains every year. But in the Australian bush, this logic falls apart. Why? Because in engineering, Hardness is the enemy of Toughness. At Alpine Chain Co, we don't chase the highest Rockwell Hardness number on the spec sheet. We chase the "Fileable Sweet... Read more...
How to Measure Chainsaw Chain: Pitch, Gauge, and Drive Links Explained
There is no "universal" chainsaw chain. Walking into a shop and asking for a "standard 18-inch chain" is like walking into a tire shop and asking for a "standard round tire." It doesn't exist. Chainsaw cutting systems are precision-engineered loops where tolerances are measured in thousandths of an inch. If you get these measurements wrong, the consequences range from a chain that simply won't mount, to catastrophic damage to your clutch drum and bar rails. At Alpine Chain Co, we encounter this issue daily. This technical guide will teach you... Read more...