How to Cut Down a Tree
A lot of the things we did as kids involved the use of small trees and saplings for making our forts and various weapons. We would use things that we could find on the forest floor but sometimes we would need to cut down some trees to make what we wanted.
Take note that I am not talking about fully grown trees here. I am talking about skinny saplings and small trees no bigger than 6 or 7 inches wide. And because we are talking about such small trees, I am assuming that you will be using things like hatchets and maybe machetes for the smaller trees.
Any time you are swinging anything sharp you need to be careful to not hit yourself or anyone else. Make sure other people or animals are clear of your reach so that you don’t accidentally hit them and make sure your legs and fingers will not be hit if you miss or your hatchet bounces off the tree when you hit it. Basically just be smart and always know where you blade is going to end up when you swing it.
Cutting the tree
To start off, start swinging down into the tree at about a 45 degree angle. By doing this you are cutting into the natural grain of the wood and making it come apart easier. A lot of times people try to swing directly into the tree with a horizontal swing, this is a lot harder because you are not going with the grain.
Keep cutting into the tree until you are able to push the tree over by pushing away from your cut. After the tree is fallen, take your blade and swing directly down into what is still holding the tree together and it should soon come apart. Again, be careful during this part because if you miss the tree you swing could carry you blade into your leg and that’s no fun for anybody.
So there you have it, a tree to use for a piece of a wall, a raft, a handle for a spear, or a sword or staff or anything else you can imagine to use it for. Remember that anytime you are using anything sharp to have the proper respect for it and be smart in the way you use it. Stay creative!