Folding Saw Blade TPI Advice?

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SeaxyBeast

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Feb 2, 2011
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Am looking to buy a smallish folding saw for general purpose use that would also be convenient for survival needs. Currently leaning towards either a Silky Pocketboy 170 or Gomboy 210 but am really torn on choosing between a medium (8.5 tpi) and a fine (17 tpi) blade on either. First project I have lined up is cutting up some rattan poles, which has me leaning towards the fine blade, but I'm not sure how much more work that would translate into when cutting through softer woods processing deadfalls for a campfire. I usually don't mind a bit of extra work, but that could change rapidly if I were to end up having to do it for more than a couple days.

Better to go with a finer blade for better ability to cut harder materials at the loss of some efficiency or to go with the more aggressive blade for efficiency and hope it will be adequate for slightly harder materials? Buy a fine and plan to get a second blade in 7 or 8.5 tpi later for versatility?

(Just discovered Silky saws while looking at a Bahco Laplander. The Silkys look really well made.)
 
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Ordinarily I would advise the coarse blade. I have such a bow saw and it eats wood like nothing. Green, dry, no matter. Easily better than my finer blade pruning saw. The only time finer is better is on small diameters (<3/4" or so). Or when a prettier cut is needed.

Rattan though is fiberous and a coarse blade may tend to get snagged as the fibers snarl into the wider gullets.

The question becomes, what will you be cutting the most?
 
have you looked at foldable jab saws or pockets saws? there are several that use universal sabre saw blades that you can switch out. this will give you a lot of options for different or one time uses. the down side is that i have not seen any that don't use a six inch blade. you can still use longer, just no folding when you do
 
I know I've seen folding saws with interchangeable blades&#8212;one for wood, and the other for bone. Gerber, perhaps?
 
Course for fast easy cutting of thicker x-sections of wood

What do you need a fine cut?
you have a knife
You are not doing carpentry...
 
Quick update - ordered a Pocketboy 170 with the medium blade. Arrived today. Fantastic build quality and cuts like mad with very little effort. I tried it out on a dry rattan pole I had lying about and it went through no problem and created a fine enough cut that I can't imagine the fine doing a cleaner job. It caught a couple fibers at the start and finish, both of which could have been avoided with a little masking tape, but otherwise went through as if it were a much softer, less fibrous wood and not a fibrous palm.

Great little saw. Very packable and capable.
 
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