Husqvarna 4 in Climber's Wedge

The Husqvarna climber's wedge is a small 4 in plastic wedge sized to clip to a saddle and use aloft. It keeps a kerf open on a top or leader so the bar does not get pinched while you finish the cut.

Why climbers carry a small wedge

A pinched bar halfway up a tree is a bad place to be. A small wedge tapped into the back cut keeps the kerf open and helps tip a top in the direction you planned. Full-size felling wedges are too heavy and long for this, which is why climbers carry a short one like this 4 in Husqvarna wedge.

Because it is plastic, nicking it with the chain will not damage the cutters the way steel would. Clip it to a gear loop with a light tether so it is not dropped on the ground crew. Other parts and accessories are in saddle parts and accessories.

Using it well

Set the wedge as soon as you have room in the back cut, and tap it with the flat of a hand saw handle or a small mallet rather than the saw. A small wedge helps with lean but cannot overcome a heavy back lean on its own; plan the cut and rigging for the piece you are taking.

Climbers on removals reach for one most often when taking a top with little lean or a slight back lean, or when a leader starts to sit down on the bar partway through the cut. Having the wedge on the saddle means you do not need to send a line down for one. Carry two if you are taking several tops in a day.

Replace a wedge once it is badly chewed, cracked, or mushroomed. Work aloft only with proper training and a tie-in system that meets ANSI Z133.