let's talk about sawbacks

S

Skytorn

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Jan 22, 2010
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Sawbacks. I only ever see them on the backs of hollow-handled rambo knives and never do I see a high-end knife company put out a piece with them. The one exception might be Aitor's Jungle King line but even they are hollow-handled pieces that most knife enthusiasts generally scoff at.

Why aren't they popular? It seems to me like a very good idea, in theory. Having a sawback means you've got one less piece of equipment to carry, and you don't have to worry about using the back of the blade to baton since that work should be done with the saw.

Can someone explain why they're never seen on serious knives?
 
they get in the way of chopping- you might cut yourself.
Also, Batoning wood is impossible without cracking off all the teeth
some say that you don't need to baton when you have a saw, but i find batoning easier.
if you really need a sawback knife, you can do it yourself- check around the internet.
however, like you said, not many good companies make sawback knives
gerber makes a very nice sawback machete, though
it's cheap and it functions well
http://www.botachtactical.com/gegama.html
 
I think it's a case of people thinking it's trying to make one tool do two different jobs, and that it compromises the tool. That so many junky flea-market style knives all jumped on the trend probably didn't help matters.

Most report that sawbacks don't work well on wood, which is what most people would want to cut, the more serious sawback knives seem to be marketed to pilots to cut their way out of an aluminum and plexiglass cockpit. Maybe the saws are well designed for that I don't know, fortunately never had to deal with that problem.

Chris Reeve is a noted quality maker of hollow-handled knives, some have sawbacks if you are interested.
 
A saw can also be usefull for cutting thin branches with less noise then chopping them or batoning. I use the saw on my swiss Trekker all the time and find it pretty handy to have. Because I carry my swiss with me in the woods I have not bothered yet with a Fixed blade saw back. The saw can also be used for putting notches in wood and is probably a bit safer then trying to use the blade to "cut" them in.

Al Mar, Randall and Sog also offer knives with saw backs.
 
I have a Spivey Sabertooth knife (not exactly "high end", but not junk either) and found the saw particularly handy for sawing a dead Joshua tree. A buddy and me were collecting firewood in the high desert, a rare commodity, and when we tried to chop into it, all we did was ding the damn thing! Very fiberous stuff. As the gimp pointed out, sawing is quieter than chopping, if stealth is your goal. There are pictures of the Sabertooth being batoned into wood, but I don't remember where exactly. The front 2 1/2" or so on the top dosen't have saw teeth, FYI.
One more thing; the saw is cross-cut type, not a "notcher".
 
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other than the s.a.k. the only saw that works is on S.O.G. team leader. mistwalker did an extensive test about 7 weeks ago . maybe 3 months ago.
 
MassMatt: I think it's a case of people thinking it's trying to make one tool do two different jobs, and that it compromises the tool.

Bingo. Saws and knives work differently. An outdoor camping or survival knife has to have a certain thickness to stand up to vigorous use - too thin and it will break. A saw wants to be as thin as possible for the material being cut, because thicker means more effort (cutting a wider kerf) and higher chance of binding.

Also, saw teeth are usually set (bent out to wider than the blade thickness) to reduce binding. Green wood, the frequent survival cutting material, requires more set because the fibers are wet and flexible, less likely to clear the kerf, more likely to bind the blade.

So what makes a good knife and what makes a good saw are not only two different things, but often opposed to each other.

Parker
 
Would it then be better to carry a small hacksaw and a few replacement blades in your kit?
 
Skytorn said:
Would it then be better to carry a small hacksaw and a few replacement blades in your kit?
Click to expand...

Definitely! Even the small saw on a SAK will outperform most sawback knives, because the sawteeth on the spine are poorly executed. It might not be as cool but more useful to carry a separate saw.
 
Skytorn, yes if you saw things frequently. Most hacksaw blades are about 14 or 18 teeth per inch, a little fine for green wood but good for bone. Pruning blades are available for some, or you can fit your own by drilling proper holes. Also I've seen folding bow saws, goofy looking but quite effective. Some folks like ring saws, which take a little practice to get good with.

Having the blade tensioned between two points of attachment allows it to be thinner than supported only at one end.

Parker
 
Skytorn said:
Sawbacks. I only ever see them on the backs of hollow-handled rambo knives and never do I see a high-end knife company put out a piece with them. The one exception might be Aitor's Jungle King line but even they are hollow-handled pieces that most knife enthusiasts generally scoff at.

Why aren't they popular? It seems to me like a very good idea, in theory. Having a sawback means you've got one less piece of equipment to carry, and you don't have to worry about using the back of the blade to baton since that work should be done with the saw.

Can someone explain why they're never seen on serious knives?
Click to expand...


I bought two Camillus USMC serrated blades with the sawbucks on them. I used one of them once, and the teeth got caught on the branch I was cutting. It really did a poor job, and was unwieldy. I would go with a folding saw if you need a saw.
 
SOG makes the Team Leader Survivor which ive heard function pretty well. Mistwalker, who's a member on BF, did a review of one not so long ago. Do a search for it, its good reading.

SOG-TL02-SOG-Team-Leader-Knife.jpg
 
A saw-back knife is not a saw. Personally, I've never seen a saw-backed blade that actually saws well.
 
You don't even have to carry the saw. They are called "bow saws" for a reason. Carry the blades, which weigh almost nothing, and fabricate the bow from a green sapling when you need it. Blades are available in a variety of lengths at any hardware.
 
kmm said:
SOG makes the Team Leader Survivor which ive heard function pretty well. Mistwalker, who's a member on BF, did a review of one not so long ago. Do a search for it, its good reading.

SOG-TL02-SOG-Team-Leader-Knife.jpg
Click to expand...

this looks respectable, the full flat grind would reduce binding... tear up a baton, though.
 
It seems possible to slip off the handle and cut yourself pretty bad on a grippy saw back. It's almost as if the better a sawback saws the better chance of sliding your hand onto the blade because the saw teeth grab so well.

Almost a catch 22
 
I have a Randall "survival knife" with sawteeth on the back. I think that counts as a relatively "high end" knife, but I've never used the saw.
 
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