SAK saw question

I think the saw on the SAK is great if the SAK is your only tool. IME if you're carrying something like the BK9 you're not going to need the saw at all. It can come in handy for cutting the notches in a bow drill set or some detail projects if you're into woodcarving but otherwise I think you'll find you wont use it. And those projects can be done without it. I switched from the Famer to the old style Soldier (basically a Farmer without the saw and lanyard ring) and haven't looked back.
 
The one handed (non-serrated) Trekker is the one I would choose. It is big enough to actually use. But as far as saws go, if you have a larger folding saw, you will always use that first. But as a backup, the Vic Trekker would be my pick.

I process dead wood with a saw in camp. Axes, hatchets, and big knives don't work as well unless that is all you have.

I would get the knife and give it a try. It is not like you are spending a fortune on the thing.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys, you're helping out.

Anyone have a size comparison on the Trekker vs the Farmer? It just looks so much larger. And like I've said, this knife wouldn't be used JUST to saw things, but also around camp for other work and things like that. And I guess I'll have to look around more to see if I can find one of those old GAKs, and see how much they cost. If they're much more expensive than the Farmer, then I'll likely just go with the Farmer instead, as I don't want to spend tons of money on this.

And yes, the large saw and the BK9 will be doing all of the large work for sure (Saw for processing, BK9 for splitting it if I need it). I'll also have some sort of midsized fixed blade with my usually (mora, BK17 (when it comes out), etc).
 
Instead of a Farmer I have a similar Pioneer Harvester. The saw is quite agressive so it works well even with short strokes within the limits of its size. The saw on a 111mm SAK is a bit longer too. Think Trekker, WorkChamp, WorkChampXL or similar.

If you want a small but useful saw you might check on the two different sized Opinel folding saws. You can replace the blades on the larger of the two.
 
ocnLogan said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys, you're helping out.

Anyone have a size comparison on the Trekker vs the Farmer? It just looks so much larger. And like I've said, this knife wouldn't be used JUST to saw things, but also around camp for other work and things like that. And I guess I'll have to look around more to see if I can find one of those old GAKs, and see how much they cost. If they're much more expensive than the Farmer, then I'll likely just go with the Farmer instead, as I don't want to spend tons of money on this.

And yes, the large saw and the BK9 will be doing all of the large work for sure (Saw for processing, BK9 for splitting it if I need it). I'll also have some sort of midsized fixed blade with my usually (mora, BK17 (when it comes out), etc).
Click to expand...

The Trekker & Forrester are 5" or so long compared to the 3.5" farmer.
IIRC, GAK's run about $10-15 or if you want to play with one to see what you think, I have one with a well worn main blade but nearly unused saw I can send you to try out.
 
I've used the saw on my SAK Hiker and Swisschamp, which are the same. They work fine. I've used them on branches up to 4 or 5 inches thick. It can take a while, but they cut through. Don't discount them because of their size. They feel better to me than the similar-sized ones on the Leatherman tools. I would prefer a larger saw if I needed a saw as a primary tool, or for larger branches, etc., but the SAK saws are excellent as a backup, or if it's the only saw you have on you, to cut things of reasonable size for their length. The one I carry most now is on my Swisstool Spirit. They can also cut things like PVC pipe, etc.

Jim
 
The Camper is good too...

sakcamper01.jpg
 
The saw will surprise you. I run an archeology field school in the summer. The last 3 summers we've been working on a heavily wooded site. That means that students are digging their units among trees and they have to deal with a lot of roots. Even though we have "better" tools for the job, many students will come to me and ask to borrow my SAK, becasue the've seen me use the SAK to remove large roots with ease. Once they've used the SAK saw, they often come back to borrow it again, because they found that it worked so well and they prefer it over the larger cutting tools we have available.
 
If you look for a SAK with a bigger saw, you have to look after Wenger, like the Wenger RangerGrip 178.



At the top is the standard saw, in the middle the saw of the Vic 111mm model and at the bottom you can see the Wenger.

The saws are no fullsize saw, but for their size they are extremly useful. I never go out without a SAK.

Kind regards,

Andre
 
I use the SAK saw extensively in the bush (Farmer, Camper, or OHT depending on mood). It won't build a log cabin, but it'll do everything you need to do to build shelter, gather wood (lots of neat wood splitting tricks can be done with the SAK saw), make tools, etc. Big performance in a small package.
 
I was digging posts a few weeks back and there were lots of roots in the way, some about 1" thick. The saw on the Camper was excellent at clearing these, particularly in the tight space within which I had to work.
 
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