Don, question on kit

Beware of the demo knives, I've seen a couple give up via the backspring . I'd go with a SAK.
 
But even if the spring breaks you still have a usable knife for survival.
 
WJC01 said:
Beware of the demo knives, I've seen a couple give up via the backspring . I'd go with a SAK.
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What year were they made? The year is on the main blade. I would be amazed if that happened on pre-1999 Camillus Folders.

Right before they looted the company? Wouldn't surprise me.

These kits are all dated 1990, 1991, and 1992, if you break one of those Demo Knives, you probably deserve to lose a digit or two. :D
 
Don Rearic said:
What year were they made? The year is on the main blade. I would be amazed if that happened on pre-1999 Camillus Folders.

Right before they looted the company? Wouldn't surprise me.

These kits are all dated 1990, 1991, and 1992, if you break one of those Demo Knives, you probably deserve to lose a digit or two. :D
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They were pre 80.
I did loose a good one crossing a creek on a rope. Now if it doesn't ride in a secure sheath it gets a dummy cord(lanyard)!
 
Looking at the site you posted Jeff, it might be cool to throw an extra blade in the kit, especially if the extra could be even longer.

I have done a lot of plastic cutting with nylon string. When you do it, some of the strings get really hot, then stick in the cut and snap. The thing you do is use an extremely long string, like 5 or 6 feet. This lets the string cool while not cutting, and slows your tempo.

Maybe a long piece of wire would do something similiar. Maybe a 4' long wire saw. Then, when it broke, you would still have as long a saw as the stock ones.
 
WJC01 said:
They were pre 80.
I did loose a good one crossing a creek on a rope. Now if it doesn't ride in a secure sheath it gets a dummy cord(lanyard)!
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Never heard of that but wouldn't be surprised to hear about breakage after the company started to tank.

As for wire saws, they suffer the twin fate of hollow handled knives. A lot of people bought shitty ones in the 1980s, wire saws and hollow handle knives and hollow handle knives with shitty wire saws included and now they hate both things and then the rest of the herd parrot them.

One of the really bad things about wire saws is the advertising - going back to the 1980s and continuing with BCB's advertising today, showing the wire saw being bent and sawing through a limb. In the vast majority of cases, it is going to break. The bend combined with the heat is going to break it.

I did the same thing in the 1980s! I was a dumbass! :D

The only difference is, I learned, some people do not and they then go on to condemn something that could be a very valuable tool if they would just stop thinking that they can treat every tool like it's a sledgehammer or a 36" wrecking bar.

These "BestWay" wire saws have been packaged two ways in the military's national stock inventory that I know of. You will see some of them in Tracon Survival Fishing Kits and that will be the slightly thicker fishing tin and the other way is in the yellow padded envelope you see on the link Jeff provided. The first USMC R-PIE SK I bought years ago had the yellow envelope with the saw in it. This time around, it had the thicker Tracon Survival Fishing Kit Tin and the saw...two blades and two handles, were in the fishing kit. This saved some space in the overall size of the SKIT as well.

On that yellow envelope is a clear illustration to use the saw as a bow saw by using a freshly cut green limb. Doing this with ALL wire saws will give you much better performance, the saw won't take a "set" from being bent and if you go slow and methodical, you will really have a great tool that can do a lot of things. If you just want to try to buzz through something like a meth-monkey, don't complain when something won't perform.

Now, the interesting thing about that website Jeff provided is the fact that they have Coping Saw and Hacksaw blades that are the same type of blade but much more robust! Coping Saw frames are light and a Hacksaw frame would not be something that would be worth carrying if you had some of these very aggressive saw blades and a few flat blades as well.

Or, you could take the replacement blades for the Hacksaw and cut yourself a green limb and notch it, then put paracord or whatever type would fit through the eyelets and still be tough enough, place the knotted cord through the slots you cut in the branch and you would really have something that could go through a lot of different materials.
 
I myself bought 2 of the kits from cheaper than dirt. Got them for the knife to add to my collection of camillus knifes. The only thing wrong in the kit was that needles were rusty. The rest was petty good gear.
 
Thanks for the heads up on these kits, might just have to get one and modify it a bit.
 
hmmm, looking at Don's post, maybe the long ones aren't a good idea. Oh well. Now everybody knows to use long string to cut plastic. :D
 
I agree with Don's last post 100 percent. That's about as good as it gets when giving information on wire saws. They ARE indeed worth having, and for the weight and size probably one of the most usable items in a kit (especially an E&E kit). Problem is most folks think everything needs a muscle bound effort to operate! But then again most folks drive a freakin' vehicle like they're running the Indy 500 so it's no surprise when they use a wire saw, it breaks , and then they start yelling about how it's trash.
 
Don Rearic said:
Now, the interesting thing about that website Jeff provided is the fact that they have Coping Saw and Hacksaw blades that are the same type of blade but much more robust! Coping Saw frames are light and a Hacksaw frame would not be something that would be worth carrying if you had some of these very aggressive saw blades and a few flat blades as well.
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Don't post when you are tired and you just got home from work! :D

Normally a Hacksaw frame would not be worth carrying but if you can get these versatile blades as well as a few flat ones, a Hacksaw might be something worth carrying now. That is what I wanted to say...
 
But that's the way I understood it even though you typed it wrong, so I guess that means to not read posts after you've spent all morning tromping through a wilderness area :D
 
You know, in a way, Jeff sort of looks like a young Ed Harris. Everyone thinks Ed Harris was very sexy, don't you Grumpy? ;)
 
The Bestway saw looks really good but like you said a bit expensive. At about the same price does anyone have any thoughts/experience with the "pocket chain saw?" Heavier and bulkier but maybe less prone to break?

http://www.pocketchainsaw.com/
 
I like the pocket chain saw a lot but not for a pocket E&E kit, simply due to the bulk and weight as you pointed it. They work great though.
 
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