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Andreas Stihl designed and hand built the first chain saw back in 1926. The saw was electric powered, and weighed in at 140 pounds. The Stihl name soon became popular, and also became synonymous with professional grade chain saws and would soon become the number one selling chain saw company in the entire world, a title that the company retains to this day. Stihl growth was slow initially, as the chainsaws hit the market about the same time as the Great Depression; with manpower cheap, and old two-man saws proven, there were no need for power saws. The early saws were very heavy, and often needed two men. Some outfits had a wheeled generator which had a power cord to run to the electric saw. Stihl saws saw service with the Wehrmacht particularly in Eastern Europe and Russia, where timber was cut for defensive positions.After the war the availability of cheap, strong aluminum, better designs, and more powerful engines meant that the Stihl saw came into its own.