West Coast Crosscut Saw Filers Gathering

by Pete Cecil of Bend, OR

As you enter the workshop, small groups of people are gathered in clusters around the room. Under bright lights, they are quietly discussing raker depth, saw set, degree of angle tooth profiles, metal hardness. Welcome to the West Coast Saw Filers Gathering, held at the Cispus Learning Center. Cispus is located on the west slope of the Cascade mountains, eight miles south of Randal, Oregon. Well-known expert saw filers Don Sanderson and John Sterling put together what they are hoping will become an annual saw filers event.

The gathering took place November 21 – 22, 2025. Approximately 45 people attended. Attendees came from all over the west coast. It was a nice mix of people new to saw filing and a lot of older, and not-so-old, experienced filers. Some of the people putting on displays were equipment collectors, while the instructors were gracious and offered a diverse knowledge of crosscut saw filing and axe techniques. Many attendees are involved in trail clearing and/or restoring structures in the back country where traditional non-motorized tools are required and power equipment is not allowed. A few attendees represented the popular high school, college, and demonstration timber sports programs. Several of the attendees and demonstrators make at least a portion of their income from sharpening user and competition saws.