That line about the wound wood looking like you were trying to erase the branch really hits home. I had a guy show me the same thing years back, he grabbed a stub I'd left and asked me whose tree it was anyway. What stuck with me is that flushing every cut feels productive because you're doing something, but you're really just slicing into the collar over and over and the tree has to start over each time. One cut at the collar lets the tree wall off in one shot, and that tight callus you're seeing is the tree telling you it worked. The hard part is trusting it, because standing there with your saw down while a stub is still on the tree goes against every instinct when you're getting paid by the hour. But the guys who've been doing it 30 years all cut like that for a reason, and it's not because they're lazy. I still catch myself wanting to clean up a cut and have to physically step back, so you're not alone in fighting that habit.

Funny how the guy who calls you amateur is usually the same guy who's been on the same rail for 20 years and still can't beat 12 minutes. I had a supervisor tell me the exact same thing about writing down my scan times on a post-it, said real pros just feel the pace. Two weeks later I'm the one training the new hires while he's still blaming the belt speed for his numbers. A $12 timer beats 20 years of bad habits every time.