The original chainsaw looked more like a modern-day kitchen knife than what we would call a chainsaw nowadays. In the 1780s, in a bid to make the removal of the pelvic bone easier and less time-consuming two doctors named John Aitken and James Jeffray invented the chainsaw. In 1883, a patent for a chainsaw for cutting boards was passed and then subsequently more and more chainsaws developed.
The original chainsaw was invented and used by two Scottish doctors in the 1780s. So while the first chainsaw was initially used for medical purposes reminiscent of Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, we can be thankful that it no longer is the case. Interestingly, it’s also the first Stihl chainsaw because the first wood chainsaw was invented by Andreas Stihl – the founder of the Stihl chainsaw company. Emil Lerp, the founder of Dolmar chainsaws, is said to have invented the first gas chainsaw in 1927. The first one-man electric chainsaw was invented by Dolmar chainsaws in 1935 and was called the DB 35. Stihl also claims to have invented the first chainsaw for use by one person in 1950 – check out all the Stihl chainsaw years made for more info. For more chainsaw history on Fire and Saw, see our post on the Stihl 090 Chainsaw or discover where Husqvarna chainsaws are made.
Now people are obsessing over the origins of the chainsaw, after TikTok user hellomynamesjon shared a video saying it was first invented to help with childbirth, which sounds more than a little terrifying. Yes, the first chainsaw really was invented to be used in childbirth – though thankfully it was a far cry from the electric-powered monsters people cut down trees with today. Modern chainsaws come in many sizes, from small electric saws intended for home and garden use, to large “Lumberjack” saws.
Even though chainsaws faded out of the medical practice, many people quickly realized that if it can cut through bone, it can cut through other hard materials, like wood. After Bens patented the electric chainsaw, further developments exploded across the United States and the world. Equivalents of the modern chainsaws we typically think of were created.