About

JP fixing a saw on his traveling table.

   JP Mercier has been involved with lumberjack sports for a long time. J-P’s father, Napoleon Mercier owns a small engine shop in Quebec, and working with his father J-P has amassed a great deal of experience in repairing chain saws and all small engines. J-P continued his education after high school and received an electronics degree. He then worked 19 years for a Canadian firm specializing in microfilm and mail handling equipment.

   In 1973, J-P decided to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a lumberjack competitor. His father Napoleon, had a reputation as being one of the best saw filers in the 1970’s. In 1986, J-P decided that he would build his own crosscut saw. His father Napoleon, and Richard Slingerland from New York State, gave J-P the necessary information to begin his endeavor. Richard Slingerland was the first man to build modern day peg and raker saws that were competitive with the m-tooth saws coming across the Pacific Ocean. Richard is well known as the father of the modern day peg and raker racing saw. In 1994 J-P and his wife Sylvie won the Jack & Jill Word Title at The Pacific National Exhibition held in Vancouver B.C. In 1995 J-P and Napoleon won the World championship double buck event at that same show, breaking the previous 24 inch western white pine record of 13.47 seconds by over 2 seconds with a time of 11.18 seconds. J-P and Napoleon won the World Championships again in 1996. In 1997, J-P paired up with Dennis Daun from Round Lake Illinois, and set a new record in 24 inch cottonwood with a time of 11.78 seconds. In 1997 J-P and Dennis won every major competition they entered in North America, including the World Championship at Hayward Wisconsin.

   With so many wins under his belt it wasn’t long before competitors were asking J-P to build them saws. There was such a demand for Mercier Racing Saws that in 1998 J-P decided to quit his job and start making and repairing saws full-time. In 1998 Rick and Penny Halvorson won the Jack&Jill World Championship, and Rick, with partner Jeff Crago, won the Two Man World Championship. Mercier Racing Saws were used in both of these New World Record cuts. In 1999 Dave Jewett won his first Single Bucking World Championship with an amazing record time of 12.67 seconds to cut a 20 inch white pine. The saw he used, and continues to use? A J-P Mercier Racing Saw!