Okay, here it is...
The contestants:
Victorinox Camper:
Total blade length is 2-7/8".
Length from first tooth to last tooth is 2-1/2" (no, I did'nt measure the cutting edge of each tooth--just peak to peak).
29 teeth.
Wenger Handyman:
Total blade length is 2-5/8".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-3/8".
27 teeth.
Schrade Old Timer Buzzsaw Trapper:
Total blade length is 3-9/16".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-7/8".
37 teeth.
Gerber Pro-Scout:
Originally I tested the Remgrit blade that came with the Gerber but it was virtually useless on the wood. So I substituted a Craftsman jigsaw-blade.
Total blade length is 2-1/2".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-1/4".
43 teeth.
The test:
The cutting material consisted of a pine wooden stake 1-1/2 X 3/4".
I cut against the grain and along the narrow portion to get a longer stroke. I timed how long it took to cut through the stake and each knife was tested three times.
After that test I measured how deep of a groove could be cut with only 10 strokes from each knife (The strokes were one direction only).
The results:
Camper: best time was 30 seconds and it achieved a groove of 5/8" in ten strokes.
I really like this knife alot but the corkscrew made for an uncomfortable grip and it would be better if the key-ring was on the opposite end of the knife too.
Handyman: best time was also 30 seconds, like the Camper, but the groove it produced was 9/16" in ten strokes.
Because it has a phillips screwdriver instead of the corkscrew, the grip was more comfortable. The key-ring placement would be better at the opposite end where it would be out of the way. Overall, the Camper and the Handyman performed very much alike except concerning the tooth-pick.
The head of the tooth-pick in the Wenger smashed against the wood while I was sawing and it broke. The tweezers survived however.
Schrade: best time was 32 seconds and the groove cut was 9/16" in ten strokes.
The Buzzsaw trapper was the overall loser and was rather disappointing considering its size and strength. But its size WAS its problem. It's too thick and inflexable. It bound in the wood much more often than any of the others.
Gerber with Craftsman blade: best time was 23 seconds and groove depth was 23/32" in ten strokes.
The Gerber's savior in this test was that the Remgrit blade could be replaced with one that cuts.
The jigsaw blade does'nt look like much competition when it's side-by-side to the Camper and the Handyman. The teeth are rather tiny and the blade is very thin too. But don't be fooled! I was amazed at how easy the Gerber (with Craftsman blade) cut through the wood. Not only did it take less time but it took less effort too.
The Gerber itself makes for a very comfotable and stable grip, and because the multi-tool is squared-off it does'nt twist in your grip like the SAKs do.
On the downside, while sawing like crazy to beat the clock, I bent the jig-saw blade to about a 45 degrees angle. I straighten it and continued to saw but it was not the quickest run.
Well, there you have it. Not the most scientific of test but it was fun.
Good luck,
Allen.
The contestants:
Victorinox Camper:
Total blade length is 2-7/8".
Length from first tooth to last tooth is 2-1/2" (no, I did'nt measure the cutting edge of each tooth--just peak to peak).
29 teeth.
Wenger Handyman:
Total blade length is 2-5/8".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-3/8".
27 teeth.
Schrade Old Timer Buzzsaw Trapper:
Total blade length is 3-9/16".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-7/8".
37 teeth.
Gerber Pro-Scout:
Originally I tested the Remgrit blade that came with the Gerber but it was virtually useless on the wood. So I substituted a Craftsman jigsaw-blade.
Total blade length is 2-1/2".
From tooth-to-tooth is 2-1/4".
43 teeth.
The test:
The cutting material consisted of a pine wooden stake 1-1/2 X 3/4".
I cut against the grain and along the narrow portion to get a longer stroke. I timed how long it took to cut through the stake and each knife was tested three times.
After that test I measured how deep of a groove could be cut with only 10 strokes from each knife (The strokes were one direction only).
The results:
Camper: best time was 30 seconds and it achieved a groove of 5/8" in ten strokes.
I really like this knife alot but the corkscrew made for an uncomfortable grip and it would be better if the key-ring was on the opposite end of the knife too.
Handyman: best time was also 30 seconds, like the Camper, but the groove it produced was 9/16" in ten strokes.
Because it has a phillips screwdriver instead of the corkscrew, the grip was more comfortable. The key-ring placement would be better at the opposite end where it would be out of the way. Overall, the Camper and the Handyman performed very much alike except concerning the tooth-pick.
The head of the tooth-pick in the Wenger smashed against the wood while I was sawing and it broke. The tweezers survived however.
Schrade: best time was 32 seconds and the groove cut was 9/16" in ten strokes.
The Buzzsaw trapper was the overall loser and was rather disappointing considering its size and strength. But its size WAS its problem. It's too thick and inflexable. It bound in the wood much more often than any of the others.
Gerber with Craftsman blade: best time was 23 seconds and groove depth was 23/32" in ten strokes.
The Gerber's savior in this test was that the Remgrit blade could be replaced with one that cuts.
The jigsaw blade does'nt look like much competition when it's side-by-side to the Camper and the Handyman. The teeth are rather tiny and the blade is very thin too. But don't be fooled! I was amazed at how easy the Gerber (with Craftsman blade) cut through the wood. Not only did it take less time but it took less effort too.
The Gerber itself makes for a very comfotable and stable grip, and because the multi-tool is squared-off it does'nt twist in your grip like the SAKs do.
On the downside, while sawing like crazy to beat the clock, I bent the jig-saw blade to about a 45 degrees angle. I straighten it and continued to saw but it was not the quickest run.
Well, there you have it. Not the most scientific of test but it was fun.
Good luck,
Allen.