There is an old thread on the WWI forum about the tall and short wooden tripods https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/...tands-tripods/
My opinion is that both types were manufactured that way, not later cut down. While I'm sure some of the tall tripods were cut down by civilian shooters post war, the short one I have and have seen were obviously made that way as the fit and finish is far too good to have been done by bubba.