Competitive woodchopping and sawing developed in New Zealand from the pioneer years - when men cleared their farms with just an axe and saw. After the advent of machinery, sawing and chopping carried on as a sport instead of a vocation.

"It's a good clean sport," says Bruce. "It's good for the young ones - keeps them out of trouble."

The school's really taken off - he's had a steady flow of young, and the not so young through his farm gate - all keen to learn the arts of chopping and sawing. Bruce says he'll take anyone from the age of eight to eighty if they're keen.

Brains beats brawn

Chopping is not as simple as it sounds - the aim is to get through a log of wood as quickly as possible - but it's more about technique than brute force. The key to success in the sport is easy, says Bruce. "You've got to be keen and willing."

To become a good sawer or axeman good technique is vital, and the only way you can learn that is through practice, he reckons. Fitness and strength are also good attributes. "Like anything - if you're prepared to put the time in it you'll get something out."

A line-up of saws: peg and raker on the left and "m" tooth on the right. Image: Puke Ariki. 

As with all sports good equipment is vital - Bruce gets his axes and saws from New Zealand's only manufacturer of racing axes - Tuatahi Racing Axes and Saws in Marton. Modern day racing axes and saws are specialised instruments - and not cheap - an axe sells for around $500 while a saw can cost $1400. If a saw tooth is broken, as can happen if there's a nail hidden in the log, it'll cost $400 to repair.

There's a line-up of saws on Bruce's shed wall - the old style "m" tooth along with the more commonly used "peg and raker" saws. In boxes below are the racing axes - shiny and sharp enough to shave with - if you're brave enough.

Among them there's a little axe with a well polished head. "This is an axe that my father used," says Bruce. "The new young fellers start with little ones like this."

There's different weighted axes "little ones for the little tackers" up to ones weighing two or three kilograms for the older axe pupils. Handing a child a razor sharp axe would result in a few lost toes so Bruce takes it easy to begin with. "For the start they do stuff where they can't hurt themselves - it's quite a while before they actually chop properly. As they get older and better they get onto some of these bigger axes."

Axe "people"

There's about 15 trainee axemen at the school - though that's a broad term - some of them are axewomen. Claire Edwards and Marlene Lewis have been sawing for only nine months - and they're already going for gold. They're aiming to qualify for the Easter 2006 axemens competition in Australia. They took up sawing because it looked like fun - and it's turned out to be - though hard work.

Claire Edwards (left) and Marlene Lewis practice watched by Bruce. Image: Puke Ariki.

Others like Andrew Lewis, Michael Johnson and Shane Jordan have already achieved that goal. In September 2005 they joined the New Zealand under-21 team and competed at the Melbourne show. Michael and Shane sawed their way to third place in the double hand saw, Shane took out the 250mm standing chop and Andrew won the 375mm open single hand saw. Bruce is proud as punch of them all.

"I've been lucky because usually if you get one good student out of 15 that keeps going in the sport and does well you're lucky. Well I've had four of them! And there's more coming on."

Providing enough timber for 15 students is a fulltime job Bruce reckons. The school goes through around 40 blocks of wood a week and he has a hard time tracking down enough. "I travel up to half an hour now to get blocks. A lot of the locals who have wanted to get rid of trees, I've skinned them out!"

It can't just be any tree either - it's got to be at least 250mm through - up to 600mm, not riddled with knots and straight as a dye. "Any sort of tree: poplar, pine, willow, lawsonianas - anything!"

Chopping through all that timber results in a lot of firewood - piles of chips and round slabs that look like wooden wheels. Bruce sells it to raise funds for the school's trips away to competitions.

The show cicuit starts in October in Palmerston North and runs through till May of the following year, stopping at places like Stratford, Hawera, Wanganui and Foxton.
Bruce and wife Shirley hook up the caravan behind the car and head off to support the students. "We're never home! We've been away every weekend since October!"

Chopping away the years

You wouldn't know it by looking - but Bruce is 71 - a retired farmer.

Bruce's father was a bush feller in the back blocks of East Taranaki. "That's where I grew up and learnt how to use an axe.  Dad showed us how to chop and got us going. We travelled round all the sports days - there used to be a hell of a lot of them in those days: Whanga, Waitara… and out to Uriti and Urenui… today they're (chopping competitions) only run at the shows."

Bruce Reichardt competing in early days. Image: Reichardt family.

That was in the days before chainsaws - so Bruce and other competitors had to get all the timber for cutting by hand. "We used a cross cut saw - no flash gear in those days!"

Chopping was really strong as a sport - all the little districts had their own clubs - but sadly they've all fizzled out and nowadays competitions are run by the Taranaki Axemens Association.

The wall of ribbons and cups is proof that he's been successful in the sport. "I seem to do alright," he says modestly. That's a bit of an understatement - in recent years Bruce has been overseas with the New Zealand Veterans team, has competed in every Masters Games since they started and: "me and my mate won the double edged sawing at the Stratford Show the other day - we're both 71 - so we're not doing too bad."

Bruce Reichardt (left) and Brian Williams are sawing "cobbers". Image: Recihardt family.

Bruce has also been a handicapper for 30 years. Handicapping is worked on entry fee money and prize money, he explains, every $50 a competitor wins they are docked one second off the starting time.

Sometimes competitors can get a bit sneaky - if there's a big chop or saw coming up they'll ease back on their times - reducing their handicaps so they have a better chance on  the big day. "The only problem with that," laughs Bruce, "is that sometimes they all do it - only one of them's going to win!"

Bruce plans to keep going with the school - there's some good young ones coming on - until he can no longer wield an axe. As for competitive chopping and sawing he's having a break but is keen to try out for the New Zealand Veteran's team again next year. After that - who knows?