Failure of good sawback knives?

[maximus0723]

This question has bugged me for so long now....

Knife is very important in bushcrafting, cutting, chopping and hacking. Saw is amazing at slicing logs with minimal energy...why can't/aren't they combined in one tool and made into an "ultimate survival tool"

All the sawback knives on the market are garbage. The saws cut no more then few cms and cut real slow.

Yes with saw on the back batoning can be little difficult if the runs all the way to edge. But leaving several inches of space can minimize that issue. Note:: I am referring to large (6-14 inch knives here, the smaller size don't interest me that much).

So what's the issue here? Low demand or just too hard to make both into one tool since saw needs to be in real thing metal where as knife needs to have a thick spine...or something else?

 

[Leftoverdj]

This question has bugged me for so long now....

Knife is very important in bushcrafting, cutting, chopping and hacking. Saw is amazing at slicing logs with minimal energy...why can't/aren't they combined in one tool and made into an "ultimate survival tool"

All the sawback knives on the market are garbage. The saws cut no more then few cms and cut real slow.

Yes with saw on the back batoning can be little difficult if the runs all the way to edge. But leaving several inches of space can minimize that issue.

So what's the issue here? Low demand or just too hard to make both into one tool since saw needs to be in real thing metal where as knife needs to have a thick spine...or something else?

You got it. Saw blade needs to be much thinner than a knife blade, so carry a saw. If weight is important, tape just the blade of a bowsaw to your packframe. The bow part can be improvised from a sapling and a couple of nails.

 

[Dorito Monk]

All the sawback knives on the market are garbage. The saws cut no more then few cms and cut real slow.

There was a review of the SOG Team Leader Survivor posted (I believe) in the review section of BF that would disagree strongly with this statement. The reviewer demonstrated the knife sawing through PVC pipe, bamboo, limbs, etc. with little difficulty.

Pretty sure this is the same fellow I'm thinking of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiItxDsDMFI

Sawbacks are not my cup of tea, but this blade might interest you.

 

[maximus0723]

There was a review of the SOG Team Leader Survivor posted (I believe) in the review section of BF that would disagree strongly with this statement. The reviewer demonstrated the knife sawing through PVC pipe, bamboo, limbs, etc. with little difficulty.

Pretty sure this is the same fellow I'm thinking of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiItxDsDMFI

Sawbacks are not my cup of tea, but this blade might interest you.

Good but the problem is I am interested in 6-14 inches knives. But I shoulda said that b4. Now I edited my OP.

Though, regarding that knife, I am not huge fan of it's construction. When sawing,the hand can slide off and go over the blade. Also, having saw all the way, you will have hard time batoning and doing smaller work in bushcrafting. Again, this just my view on that knife.

But I appreciate you example and insight

 

[Kermit]

1)Use a bushcraft knife to make a fire.
2)Use fire to fell your tree.
3)???
4)Profit.

 

[DennisStrickland]

dorito monk is correct on the post by mistwalker. the sog is smaller than desired by the o.p. but in 30 years [to give it credit] it's the only saw that actually worked in a decent manner. years back one periodical did a definitive test on knife saws & the only workable one was on the sak. i strongly agree with the premise that a knife is a knife & saws being lite & portable should be a separate tool. although this doe'nt address the pertinent question of the op ,i suggest he goggle The Pocket Chainsaw.

 

[trukreltrog]

Here's a Homemade Sawback jobby, I think. Don't know who made this thing. Someone made out of a actual saw blade. A friend gave it too me, saw part works great. Havn't played around with it too much though.

 

[canadiantrailman]

registered user

 

[Sevorius]

Even if someone were to create a perfect sawback survival knife, the saw would require a relatively thin spine, and the saw teeth create stress risers which will make it much more prone to failure during impacts. If you want a saw you would be much better off carrying a folding saw along with a more solidly constructed survival knife. Where I live there isn't much use for a saw except for shelter construction (small branches) and notching for traps, and I've found the standard 3 inch saw on my Swiss Army Knives excel at both tasks. I suppose you could check out some Sawback Machetes, they might fit your bill.

Personally I've never understood the whole sawing saves energy thing. I understand that it may technically require less calories to saw through a given log, but personally I have chopped through pine logs up to 12 inches thick with my 22" Ontario machete and only got a little winded, but trying the same thing with a saw leaves me exhausted and my arm throbbing. Axes seem to use even more energy, but unless I'm cutting down a tree bigger than 12 inches (why would I?) I prefer my machete. at .125" thick I've found the Ontario machetes are better suited for chopping wood than the thinner offerings from other companies which are designed for brush clearing and trailblazing. I guess it really all depends on where you live and what you plan to do with it.