Doom set the standard for every FPS game that would follow, and its lineup of iconic weapons is a big part of its staying power. Sure, the shotgun and the BFG 9000 might still be the headliners, but Doom just wouldn't be Doom without the chainsaw. As it turns out, Doom's chainsaw was inspired by a real-life bit of machinery that co-designer Tom Hall kept for all these years.
"The chainsaw in DOOM was modelled off of Tom Hall’s Eager Beaver chainsaw," according to a Bluesky post from Romero Games. "It leaked oil, and so was kept in a bowl in the id offices. Tom still has it!" To illustrate the point, the post includes a photo of OG Doom lead John Romero posing with the chainsaw in a semi-modern photo.
I say "semi" modern because this photo was first shared in a 2020 Instagram post from Romero. That post more specifically noted that Hall's "then girlfriend had an Eager Beaver chainsaw, and she let us scan it for DOOM." Well, I guess if Hall still has it, it's his chainsaw now.
Did you know: The chainsaw in DOOM was modelled off of Tom Hall’s Eager Beaver chainsaw. It leaked oil, and so was kept in a bowl in the id offices. Tom still has it!💛 #DOOM #fps
— @romerogames.bsky.social (@romerogames.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T17:05:29.248Z
That's a minor point of clarification, but it's amusing to imagine the scenario: "Hey honey, I need to borrow your chainsaw for a work thing. No, we're not chopping wood, we're going to use it to rend demon flesh." Some years back, Romero also shared a photo of the chainsaw in its little plastic bowl, and I gotta say, that oil leak does look nasty.
While John Romero and John Carmack are most commonly credited as Doom's co-creators, the game was the product of numerous other designers, too. That includes Tom Hall, who went uncredited in the game's original release, as he left id Software over creative differences on the project. These days, however, he's recognized as having served as creative director during his time on the game.
Hall and Romero would found Ion Storm in the '90s, which – after the infamous release of Daikatana – would foster the creation of the beloved immersive sim series Deus Ex. Hall's contributions to gaming history go well beyond providing the reference material for Doom's chainsaw, but it's good to know he's hanging onto that artifact regardless. I just hope the oil leak's been taken care of.
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