§ How-To
How to Read the Stamp on Your Guide Bar
Most bars are stamped with everything you need to reorder. Here's how to find and decode the markings — pitch, gauge, length, and part number.
Before you reach for a tape measure, look at the bar itself. Manufacturers stamp the specs — and often a reorder part number — right into the steel, usually near the mount (the slotted end that bolts to the saw). Reading that stamp is the fastest, most reliable way to buy the right replacement, because it removes any rounding or counting errors.
Where to look
Wipe the bar down with a rag near the mounting slot. The stamp is typically on the flat face within the first few inches of the tail. On older or well-used bars it can be faint — hold it at an angle to a light so the raised/recessed characters catch shadow.
What the numbers mean
A typical stamp reads something like:
3/8 .050 72DLDecoded:
- 3/8 — the pitch (here, standard 3/8”; you may also see
3/8 LP,.325,.404, or1/4). - .050 — the gauge (groove/drive-link thickness).
- 72DL — the drive-link count the bar is designed to run.
Many bars also stamp the cutting length (e.g. 16" or 40cm) and a manufacturer part number or bar code such as 168RNDD025 (Oregon) or an OEM number.
The fastest path: the part number
If the bar carries a part number, search that directly — it resolves to one specific bar with no ambiguity about mount pattern, length, pitch, or gauge. This is especially useful because the mount pattern (slot shape and oil-hole position) isn’t something you can read off a simple pitch/gauge stamp, but it’s baked into the part number.
If the stamp is worn off
Fall back to measuring — see How to Measure a Chainsaw Guide Bar. You’ll need the cutting length, pitch, gauge, and drive-link count.
Matching the chain to the stamp
The bar stamp gives you pitch and gauge directly. Add the drive-link count (either from the same stamp or by counting the links on your old chain) and you have the complete chain spec. Then either grab a matching loop from Saw Chains or, to skip gauge-matching, a bar-and-chain combo.
A note on cross-brand fitment
The stamp tells you the cutting specs but not which saws the bar bolts to. If you’re shopping by saw brand instead of by an old bar, start from the Brands page and confirm your exact model in the listing’s fitment list — a STIHL-mount bar won’t fit a Husqvarna even if the pitch and gauge are identical.
§ Parts
