Today, the fiat mines had no claim on me. The stillness made room for the sound of my late-70s/early-80s Stihl 041AV, 4.1 horsepower, 61cc, “anti-vibration”, calling my name. I’ve postponed answering before, but today felt like the right time to pick up the conversation again.

This saw isn’t just a tool, it’s a lineage. Passed down across four generations and through the hands of two previous owners, it carries more than steel and screws. It carries the fingerprints of those who used it before me. That’s the kind of inheritance I value, the sort that deepens with time and use, yet it’s become increasingly rare in a disposable, consumerist world that builds to replace rather than repair.

The 041AV is from an era when money was backed by gold and products were built with the assumption that they’d be repaired, not discarded. This one’s been run over by a tractor, and shrugged it off. It’s over 40 years old now, and I have no doubt that once dialed in, it could last another 40 without breaking a sweat. It has the muscle to match today’s top-of-the-line saws, and I’d stake sats on it outlasting anything you can buy new.

Yes, it’s heavier, thirstier, louder, and entirely lacking in safety features. But those are complaints only a modern “man” would make. Today’s physiques…and maybe our spirits, could benefit from heavier tools. The weight isn’t a flaw; it’s a challenge. Don’t be soft. Build yourself to match the work, not the other way around.

I’m no small engine mechanic, just a pleb with curiosity, but there’s only so much mystery in a machine like this. Given enough time, I could keep it running indefinitely. Right now, I suspect the carb just needs some adjustment to clear its throat and sing like it used to. Worst case, I come out with more skill than I went in with.

Today’s progress: it wouldn’t idle when I started, but now it does. It bogs a bit on full throttle, which might be solved with a few minor tweaks. I also discovered the chain tensioner is bent, so I ordered a replacement. Until it arrives, I’ll resist the urge to keep tinkering; better to pause than to press forward and cause harm.

Tools like this remind me: longevity is a choice. It’s in how we build, how we maintain, and how we value what lasts. And maybe, in the process of keeping it alive, we remember how to do the same for ourselves.

https://blossom.primal.net/617615fac9e26d4c61fd50accf9e6ca21eebdad277b6797199189340b9fec0b8.mp4

https://blossom.primal.net/c05ffb73c4f50ee5d4914c111f4ce17484c3a0a30c77bee00dbb5d05c6d93a9b.mov