KAKEI guide
How to read the stamp on your guide bar
Where to find pitch, gauge and drive-link count on a chainsaw guide bar, and how to turn them into the right KAKEI replacement chain.
Every guide bar carries its size near the mounting end, the part that hides under the sprocket cover. It is usually a short line of numbers pressed or printed into the steel. That line is the only size chart you really need.
What the numbers on the bar mean
- Pitch
- Printed as 1/4, 3/8 LP (sometimes .375 LP or 3/8 LP), .325 or 3/8. It is the spacing of the chain.
- Gauge
- Printed as .043, .050, .058 or .063. It is the width of the groove your drive links ride in.
- Drive links
- Printed as a two- or three-digit number, often with DL or E after it. It is how many links make up the loop.
- Length
- The usable cutting length in inches or centimeters. Useful for narrowing, never enough on its own.
When the stamp is worn off
- Look at the old chain's drive links: many are stamped with a small gauge code.
- Check the owner's manual. It lists the bar and chain the saw shipped with.
- Count the drive links on the old loop. Mark one with a paint pen and count round to it.
- Measure pitch: the distance across three rivets, divided by two.
Turn it into a KAKEI loop
Put the three numbers into the chain finder on our home page. It narrows the list with each choice and shows you every loop that matches. If two results show up, the difference is the cutter: semi-chisel for mixed and dirty wood, full chisel for clean wood and speed.