Axe v. Saw?

M

msiley

Joined
Aug 19, 2006
Messages
542
Which do you prefer/Which do you find yourself using more often?
Also, do you carry a saw or axe or both in your BOB/Pack/PSK etc.

I find myself hacking away with a big knife
most of the time. But I think I'm going to start using a
dedicated tool.
 
Solid knife with a saw is my most used combo. But, when the weather is bad I use all three, knife/saw/axe. So I would say that a saw is more useful. But if I were to go out with a knife that couldn't split the wood the saw cut, then I would definitely go with the axe.
 
For general backpacking weekend trips and such I carry hatchet, I do have a saw and it is much faster in most cases. But a hatchet is so much more versitile as a hammer splitter etc.
 
I will usually bring a saw with me because it is vertually wieghtless and it makes gathering limb sized firewood a breeze. :thumbup:
 
I'm an official axe-oholic:o Love all my axes. Not big on the large choppers... but thats just me. However I always have a Opinel saw in my PSK.
 
An axe is a more rugged tool and more versatile. A saw is usually lighter and much more efficient in its role. I use both but prefer an axe for true backwoods use.
 
I used to carry a saw, after most cheap hatchets that I tried failed me miserable. Poor choppers and heavy. Then I found the Fiskars hatchet (though it was a big leap for me, since my last polymer handled hatchet snapped on the first use) and I couldn't be happier with it. It packs pretty light, has excellent balance, and has a good profile for chopping, however improvable. Nicer hatchets like the GBs or Wetterlings are quite fine, too.

This doesn't mean I don't like saws, I just think that the hatchet is more versatile if it's a quality example (just like with anything). It seems to take a bit more energy for me to get through some logs with a saw than a hatchet, though its pretty even on small sticks or limbs. I really do have a lot of concern with the saw binding and bending, however. This has happened to me multiple times, and is most prevalent when I lend one to someone else. A hatchet does not suffer from this problem.

Gathering wood (for me) is too important to be using a tool with which I'm not very confident. [This is not in any way a knock on those who choose other tools.]
 
I try to pack as light as possible, so it is a pocket chainsaw all the way for me. It is much faster than any chopper, and the links are robust enough that I don't have to worry about bending. It does get stuck occasionally, but it is always at the point where I can break the rest with a good kick or bend.

I recently started taking a kukri sometimes too, if I am expecting to be chopping through small stuff or overgrowth a lot. I just really haven't found a hatchet that I really like (my Gerber Gator is OK), and an axe is way too heavy for my version of backpacking.
 
I keep one of the "chain saw in a a can" things in my BOB with 2 hardwood dowel handles and 2 small loops of 550 for attachment. Works faster than an axe.
 
IMHO, a saw is safer than an axe and a better cutter for the weight. A Gerber Sportsman's Saw is a little over 3 ounces and a Kershaw/Bahco is a little over 6oz. IIRC, the lightest axes are around a pound. Of course an axe is better at splitting and the small ones can be batoned for splitting where they don't have the weight to carry through. My preference is to a saw. If I were in bad shape, I think the chances of whacking myself in the shin with an axe are too high, and that sure as heck wouldn't improve my situation. I lie a saw for cutting shelter poles and such. You can certainly do the same with an axe.

If you have skills you want to use or practice that require one tool over another, then there you are-- take that one. All-in-all, if you go out in the woods and you have a decent knife, and either an axe or a saw, your backside is pretty well covered for cuttin' tools. Heheh-- no one will acuse you of being under-equipped!

If you have a group on a hike, I think the way to fly is to have one person take a saw, another an axe, etc. Teamwork!
 
An axe is heavy, while saws are not. I carry a good fixed blade that can do light chopping duties, while a swede saw will cut up firewood quickly and less tiring than swinging an axe. However, most of the time a chainsaw is available, but for a back packing trip, a swede saw is a nice tool to have along.
 
I think it would be quite telling to have a couple of guys with the tool of their choosing, break down 2 evenly matched deadfalls, under scrutiny by other blade/survival heads, and see who not only finished 1st, but who exerted more energy, as both are crucial in survival situations. I say this because the ax vs. saw vs. big chopper knife question comes up alot, and yet I don't know if at any of the "gatherings" it has been put to the test, by an advocate of each method. And besides, it would be mad fun to watch and compete!!!
 
DaleW said:
If you have a group on a hike, I think the way to fly is to have one person take a saw, another an axe, etc. Teamwork!
Click to expand...

This is good advice for any equipment. Especially for someone like myself who is 6'5" but built like a stick insect and needs to cut down on weight when trekking. Any equipment that can be shared is a bonus.


As to the Axe vs Saw it depends what kind of trip you're planning and all the other variables involved including other equipment to complement it.
 
Of course there are times when an axe is so handy....

Herrrrrrrrrrrrrres Johnny!

The_shining_heres_johnny.jpg
 
I would definitly go with a small hatchet, it's more versitile than a saw. I used both hatchets and hand saws. I have never came close to hitting my shin with an axe or hatchet. Just keep your legs clear and practice controlled chopping . As with the saw, I have a habit of breaking or bending the blade. Maybe I should practice more. I couldn't imagine what would happen if you really needed a saw and the blade snapped. At least you can replace the handle on a hatchet and I have never heard of a head of the hatchet break.
 
I think if both an axe and saw were used by skilled hands they would be similar in speed etc. However in the scope of general use, the versatility of the axe is far greater than that of the saw. So in this case, axe all the way...versatility, versatility, versatility! However, a saw really doesn't weigh all that much, so tossing one onto the pack along with an axe is not a bad idea if you think you will be out in the bush for a long time and will have a base camp of some sort, or if the terrain is not too difficult.
 
I prefer a small hatchet over a saw because of its versatility, but I will be carrying a saw a lot more often due to its small size and low weight.
 
I am a long time user of pull saws in the woods. A pull saw can be of thinner stock than a push or two way saw since the blade does not buckle on the pull.

This (1)makes a pull saw lighter (2)The thinner blade does more cutting with less effort because of the narrower kerf. The thinner the cut and the less wood removed, the less effort required for any given cut.

I have a 16" blade Sharksaw brand pullsaw 10 teeth per inch. The teeth are VERY sharp. The relatively long blade improves cutting power enormously.
The handle and blade together weigh 13oz and the blade weighs 5oz. Replacement blades snap in and out with the push of a spring loaded button on the handle. It fits in a daypack with plenty of room to spare.

Even though the blade is in tension on the pull it is possible for it to buckle on the return push stroke thus breaking the blade. Replacement blades are flat and compact. Like most things, practice improves proficiency and, by this time, I hardly ever break a blade.

While I prefer the saw over an axe, I acknowledge an axe is far sturdier; almost indestructible. An axe can also split while a saw just cuts. But an axe is much heavier and bulkier. Also, with an axe there is more potential for really serious injury than with a saw and this is important, especially away from medical help. Accidents do happen.

But in the end, it's a matter of choice. People choose what appeals to them most or what they are familiar with. They become skilled with their chosen piece of equipment and that usually becomes favorite.:thumbup: Just my 2 cents.
 
THE saw of choice for most Bushcraft/Survival whatever is the Bahco Laplander or Kershaw equivalent. Most people also carry a Gransfors Bruks SFA too. So, the answer is both :)
 
If I had to choose only one, it would be an axe. I always take an axe and a saw with me camping as it is usually car camping anyway. For hiking and camping away from the vehicle, a compromise is to get a SOG Revolver knife which has both a blade and a saw. Then you can carry a small hatchet too for light cutting, splitting and pounding stakes and so forth. My latest hatchet is a Fiskar. Then I'd carry a pocket knife too.

As an aside, this sounds funny, but in the last week or so I picked up a coarse DMT folding file-type knife sharpener and amazed myself with speedy sharpening of both an axe and a machete. I have always had trouble sharpening these things with anything other than a grinding wheel. :)
 
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