Pferd Stump Vise

The Pferd stump vise is a portable bar clamp you tap into a stump or round, then tighten onto your chainsaw bar. It holds the saw steady so you can sharpen chain properly in the field instead of balancing it on the tailgate.

Sharpen on site, not in the shop

Chain dulls fast on a tree job. Grit in the bark, a nicked rock at the base, or a few hours of bucking all take the edge off. The quickest fix is a touch-up right where you are working, and the stump vise makes that practical. Tap it into a fresh stump or a round, set the bar in the jaws, tighten, and the saw sits steady while you file. It is also handy for quick bar dressing and chain checks at lunch.

A steady bar means consistent angles and even cutter lengths, which gives you a chain that cuts straight. Balancing the saw on your knee or the tailgate rarely gets you there.

Setting it up

Drive the vise into solid wood, not punky stump, so it does not wobble. Clamp the bar near the middle with enough chain exposed to file, and rotate the chain around as you work. Keep the chain brake on and the engine off while filing, and wear gloves. Pull it out of the stump when you leave so it does not end up in the chipper.

Pair it with the right round file for your chain and a flat file for depth gauges. Our wrenches and files section has both.