Here in Colorado the Mountain Pine Beetle has killed most of the mature lodge pole pine trees.  This is what took a tree that was in my front yard and was the center piece of the barnyard area.  When I decided to cut it down I left the stump at 7ft tall in hopes that some day I could get it carved into a bear or something similar.

In the fall of 2010, I meet Chris Atteberry through a mutual friend. Within a short period of time Chris began chainsaw carving my cut tree stump (7ft. high 30 inch diameter).  Because it was a stump and could not be turned around or laid on its side he did most of the high work off of a scaffold and a ladder.  He was careful at to get the features in the correct places and to the right size.  His work was meticulous!  The ears, nose and eyes were just carved into the wood, no paint or buttons, and these touches give the bear personality.  The arms of the bear come together in front and the legs are portioned to the size of the rest of the bear.  Chris left the bear standing on the tree stump.  I like this because you can see at a glance that it was carved out of the stump of the old tree, not a block of wood and hauled in.
It is a fitting end to the (100 year old) "Center Piece Tree" that was located here my whole life. The carving was a lot of work and Chris did a perfect job at a reasonable rate!  He would be my first call for any fine chainsaw work in the future.  In short, THANKS CHRIS, I LOVE MY BEAR!!!
Travis Milway
Routt County Colorado

- Travis Milway

I had been talking to Chris about his bears for a couple of years, but I lived in a small apartment with no place to put one. This past summer, I bought a house with a front porch. And the first thing I thought of was that I now had the perfect spot for a bear.

 The next time I saw Chris he mentioned “this sweet pine log” that he had ready for his next project. He spoke of that log with the passion of an artist sitting in front of a blank canvas, ready to start his next masterpiece. I jumped at the chance and, right then and there, commissioned my bear!

 We talked about want I wanted – a black bear or a brown bear. Chris showed me pictures of each and I chose a black bear. He gave me a delivery date and I left everything in his capable hands. Chris gave me pictures throughout the carving process, showing me the transformation from log to bear. And each and every time we spoke, he was as genuinely excited about my bear as I was.

 When it came time to finish off the base, Chris explained his normal process. I asked him for something a little different – to leave it more rough cut – more natural. He gladly complied, and it turned out even better than I expected.

 Now my bear stands beside my front door, ready to greet my friends and family. It is literally the first thing they see when they arrive. Everyone loves my bear… a few of my friends are even thinking of getting one of their own.

 I couldn’t be more pleased with my bear. Thanks, Chris.

- Steve Robinson

We ordered a chainsaw bear for my dad's 60th birthday.  He is not a many of many words, but he can not stop talking about how unbelievable his bear is! He said that this is just the start of his collection.

- Meghan

- Julie