meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
99% Invisible

The Wilderness Tool

99% Invisible

SiriusXM Podcasts and Roman Mars

Design, Arts

4.828.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2023

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The rise, fall, and unexpected second life of the crosscut saw is also the story of how America created the very concept of wilderness.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is 99% invisible.

0:03.0

I'm Roman Mars.

0:05.0

Every year, park rangers and trail workers across the U.S. take part in a kind of scavenger hunt on their days off.

0:15.1

They're looking for a particular tool, one that's often over 100 years old, but to them

0:20.8

it shines like a diamond.

0:23.7

And with the right combination of strategy and luck, they might spot the perfect one on the

0:29.2

wall of a local cracker Barrel Restaurant.

0:32.8

That's 99 P.I. producer, Lasha Madon.

0:35.4

Because this hot commodity is an antique steel blade cross-cut saw.

0:41.4

Imagine one of those old-timey lumberjack photos, the kind where two men in Plaid are working

0:45.8

away at a tree holding opposite ends of a huge human-length saw.

0:50.9

That is a vintage crosscut.

0:53.0

Oh gosh.

0:55.0

The first saws I named, I named all with a King Arthur theme.

1:00.0

So I had Arthur and Guinevere, of course, and then along came Lancelot.

1:05.0

This is Dolly Chapman. She's worked on trail crews for more than three decades,

1:09.0

building and maintaining trails with the US Forest Service.

1:12.0

And Gareth and Lynette, who were... maintaining trails with the US Forest Service.

1:12.6

And Garrett and Lynette, who were a couple,

1:16.0

and Elaine and Percival.

1:19.9

And of course, I have Excalibur is my favorite axe.

1:25.0

Dolly is an expert at finding, using and maintaining these coveted saws.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from SiriusXM Podcasts and Roman Mars, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of SiriusXM Podcasts and Roman Mars and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.