Then there's also the illusion that heating with wood is sustainable and everyone is happy. But if everyone did that, our forests would only last until mid-2025. That's the catch with a niche. It only pays off as long as it's a niche.
Don't worry about firewood or the forest. Sure, right now an above-average number of new people are starting to make firewood, but I'm pretty relaxed about it. Let them process the first 3-8RM of wood, then most will be sore all over and give up. In the last 25 years, I've seen so many come and go. Only very, very few stick with it long-term, over years.
There are 2 categories of new "self-firewood gatherers."
a) The hardcore penny pincher, buys a saw at the hardware store for €100 or finds an old one in great-grandpa’s attic. Of course, only self-mixed fuel goes into this powerhouse of a saw; it’s cheaper, and sometimes even used oil is used for chain lubrication. He chases every little twig and is very motivated at first, but nothing is allowed to cost anything—after all, he wants to save money. Despite his increased motivation, he soon realizes that progress is difficult this way and after the first season he goes back to dismantling one-time pallets from the local tile dealer and collects all the old wood he can get from within a 300m radius in the neighborhood. That works quite well with his toy saw and is even cheaper than buying firewood bundles.
b) The well-earning middle-class guy with some thriftiness, but not quite so stubborn. He usually owns a house, has a family, and as the man of the house, now has to make his own firewood too. Since he tends to do things properly, he mostly buys his equipment after advice in the specialist trade. Saw, fuel, axe, protective gear, etc. are all included, top quality, almost exemplary. In the forest, the still-originally packaged saw is unpacked from the box first, and the search for the holy grail, uh, the power button begins. After some starting help, he actually manages quite well, processes his 3-4RM, and is proud. By the end of his work, previously unknown muscles and bones start to complain. Everything hurts; for the next 2-4 weeks, physical strain is out of the question. He recovers by the warm stove at home and decides that he has now made firewood, and since he can do it and knows how, that's enough. For the coming season, he gets it delivered at a reasonable price through newly made contacts, and that's good.
So category a) can sometimes be annoying. They think they know everything better and mess around, sometimes doing things that even look dangerous. Category b) is actually quite nice, grateful for tips or help, and generally very amicable. I get along well with them because you can sometimes buy their saws after the first season and 10 operating hours super cheap. :-D
So, now you may stone me; my stove runs all day in winter and I think that’s cool :cool: