What in the world is a Sampson Pole?

[@newagelumberjack]

This was so cool. You taught me so much. Thank you

[@Jeff-sl8xz]

Seen my dad do this many times when I was younger and I've even used it a few times myself

[@kenhanes7564]

Used a push pole often clearing trees for a high tension power line in Southern Michigan

[@alexcarr8503]

I tended to cut a push pole from a standing dead softwood. You don't need one to hold a horse just a man pushing on it. The lighter the better. 12 to16 foot. When pushing on a push pole your hand is on the end of the pole and your hand on your hip. No upper body strength used. Just your legs to lean into the pole. When working an area you would cut a push pole and a pry pole before you needed it. When your saw is stuck it's to late to cut a pole. Now in the winter I use a felling lever and the rest of the year a wedge. But it is still handy to have a push pole available. Instead of knotching the tree high up, if there are no limbs to push on you could stick your pulphook in the tree, up high as you could reach, then push on that.

[@boydpoindexter7741]

Sweet!

[@coldsteel1991]

Very informative - never heard of a Sampson pole before. Stupid question, but how do you cut notch in the tree to receive the pole? It looked higher up than what you could reach from the ground.

[@ERLong-ww7yn]

He reached up with the tip of his chain saw bar. The tree pole could also be braced under a big limb.

[@ericwfriesen]

Great video. Thanks for sharing this knowledge and demonstrating it so clearly.