A saw I seen

DaleW

DaleW

Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
2,194
kgd said:
It looks like a smaller version of one of these:

http://www.wscsurvivalschool.com/wsc/wsc_products/sos6003.html

I have the above one and think it is amazing. A full sized, functional buck saw that stores in a tube which easily fits in a backpack. Happy bidding!
Click to expand...

I was actually looking for a Trailblazer when I came across the "Commando" rig. The Pack Saw Plus is another variation on the theme. Any of these buck saws should be great *IF* the joints stay tight in use. Some use proprietary mounts on the blades which is a minus for me. If they take blades with simple holes in the ends, you have all kinds of replacements available, including carbide-- my point being that you can upgrade the blades if the frame is good.
 
DaleW,

That is a good point about whether blade replacements need to be proprietary ones or not. The trailblazer blade uses a plastic notch on one end to secure it to the frame that is not common on standard Buck saw blades. You would need to buy a spare blade from the company and thinking about it, it may be difficult and perhaps not possible to squeeze the spare into the tube with the rest of the saw (it is a pretty tight fit).

As far as functionality goes, the trailblazer blade is held with as much tension as any other buck saw that I have used and works well at cutting logs. Ergonomics are not quite as good as a standard buck saw which has that nice bow shape that allows multiple placements for the hands, and placing one hand on top of the bow for stability. The squarish nature of the trailblazer is definitely less comfortable and causes faster fatigue. I always felt this was an acceptable compromise considering the packability.

One last final critique is that there is a bit of trick to breaking the saw down and repacking it. During heavy use, the blade seems to tighten itself and it sometimes requires a bit of an effort to take it apart. As I recall it usually takes a few minutes to package it all back into the tube as well. Kind of like how it is sometimes difficult to stuff your thermorest back into its original sleeve. There is a little trick to putting the components back into the tube in how you order which piece go in first. Of course I forget this sequence just about everytime I start to break it down.

That said I think it is a great product and allows me to bring a full sized saw on a backpacking trip. Great for weekend backcounry camping.
 
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