"Horses for Courses";
Tim, what I think Ekka is trying to say (and myself), is that different trees in different circumstances follow a different course of action. Don't get me wrong, I was taught to cut down 1st and then in to meet the 1st cut to make the scarf, but I find that it easier to make this cut in reverse, if you will. Making the top cut secondary, allows you to justify your angle of hinge a little bit easier. That is to say, how and where YOU want it to fall. I think. Like I said, when I was taught, it was in a forest near cumbria felling small sitca spruce. These were relatively straight standing and only stood 50foot max. So making the top cut first, was the only option.