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A Cut Above:
Collection Shows Evolution of the Saw
By Cindy Ladage
Sometimes it seems that since rural dwellers have more room for storage, they use it for their collections. They use sheds and barns to store treasures that just won't fit in the average garage. Jim Holzhauer, rural Sorento, Ill., is a classic example of that kind of collector.
Jim collects old construction equipment, irons, hair receivers, garden tractors and farm memorabilia. The bulk of his collection, though, consists of saws. Jim has more than 400, everything from chain saws to log saws.
Jim's home and mini-museum entryway hold his collections of farm memorabilia and other odds and ends. But the garage and basement play host to his saw collection. The garage, which includes a work area, is home to a forest of 'tree trunks' which are covered with saws.
Two-man chain saws are more valuable than one-man saws, he said. Collectible chain saws range in price from $30 to $500, with two-man saws at the upper end.
"It's not like gas engines, where there's a set price," Jim said. "The cost is just kind of thrown up in the air. The prices depend on the condition, size, what they are, and the make."
Geography also plays a role in availability and popularity.
"What was popular in one part of the country wasn't popular in another part," he said. "Henry Disston, an early maker, was popular in this part of the woods (the midwest), along with Mall and McCulloch chain saws."
His Mall 2 MG saw is a unique piece.
"You could take a clutch loose, and 20 different attachments could be used," he said. "One outfit is to pump water. I have the literature and parts manuals for it. One attachment even had an outboard motor."