Cut a coppice stool in the dormant season, 5-15 cm above the ground, with a sharp saw or axe and a clean sloped top that sheds rain. Take the stems one at a time, never together, cut bent stems from the side because they spring back when released, and keep your legs out of the arc of any blade swung at ankle height.
Part of Coppicing & Fuel Management
The cutting sequence for a coppice stool: timing, height, angle, tool use and the hazards of tension and ankle-height blades.
The Parent’s Cutting Rules
The parent article sets these out. When: late autumn through early spring, in the dormant season, to leave the stool the most stored energy for regrowth; summer cutting weakens the stool. How: cut the stool within 5-15 cm of the ground; angle the cut to shed rainwater, which prevents rot; use a sharp saw or axe, since clean cuts heal faster than torn ones; leave the stool surface smooth, not splintered; and if there are several stems from one stool, cut each one individually rather than felling them together.
What You Need
- A sharp hand saw, billhook or axe (Sharpening, Axe and Hatchet)
- Stout boots with a firm sole, and gloves
- Eye protection for chopping and sawing
- A helmet where overhead stems or branches may fall
- A second person within call, and a first-aid kit
Method
Step 1: Look over the stool. Note the lean of each stem, which ones are bent under the weight of others, and where the stems will fall.
Step 2: Clear your footing. Remove brash, stones and stems you will trip over, and plan an exit route as in Felling Technique.
Step 3: Start with the free stems. Cut stems that are not under tension first, one at a time.
Step 4: Release bent stems from the side. A stem bent under another’s weight stores energy. Stand to the side, not in line with the bend; make a shallow relief cut on the inside of the bend (the compression side) first, then cut through from the outside (the tension side). Be ready for it to move.
Step 5: Cut low and sloped. Finish each stem 5-15 cm above the ground, on a slope that sheds water.
Step 6: Trim the stool. Pare any splinters with a sharp knife or billhook so the surface is smooth.
Step 7: Move the cut wood off the stool and clear the coupe as you go.
Common Mistakes
- Cutting several stems at once so the weight shifts unpredictably.
- Swinging a billhook toward your own legs. The blade carries on after the cut.
- Cutting from the tension side first. The stem can split up the trunk and kick.
- A dull tool. It slips, tears and demands force.
Safety
Ankle-height blades, springing stems and falling wood
A billhook or axe swung low cuts feet and shins. A bent stem or a springy stool can whip back when cut. Keep your legs out of the swing path, wear boots, stand to the side of any bent stem, cut only with a clear space around you, and never cut alone. For a severe cut, apply direct pressure and see Bleeding Control and Tourniquet Use. Burning green-cut wood in a closed stove produces far more carbon monoxide and chimney tar than seasoned wood.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Seasoning & Drying — what to do with the cut wood
- Combine with: Biology of Regrowth — why these cuts work