In the midst of all the depressing news this week, a bunch of issues of The Chain Saw from 1975 published by the Power Saw Association (PSA) were sent to me by Robert Dykes of Thornhill, Stirling.

The PSA was the representative body for around 12 Full Members, all chainsaw distributors (strangely Danarm, manufacturer of the ubiquitous DD8F saw was not a member). There were 30 Associate dealer members, of which most have disappeared but the likes of Ron Smith & Co, Honey Bros and George Carr were involved.

Notably all the Full Members (apart from E P Barrus and Spear and Jackson) are no longer active. Stihl was distributed by Thomas Niven, Husqvarna by Hyett Adams, Homelite by Trojan, McCulloch by Chainsaw Products and Oregon saw chain by Spear and Jackson.

In the February 1975 issue, the magazine and members were much exercised by a survey and resulting editorial on the state of the UK chain saw trade which appeared in the Agricultural Machinery Journal (AMJ) in November 1974. It asked "Is the chain saw business in this country being run by people who are basically ignorant of practical timber working, and who regard the chain saw operation as being a bit of frivolous extra business to their bread and butter lines?" 

This raised the hackles of those involved and prompted spirited responses in subsequent issues of The Chain Saw (which I unfortunately do not have).