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Saw back Knives (opinions)
- Thread starter killstew
- Start date
jeepin
Gold Member
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- Jul 20, 2003
- Messages
- 17,459
I think they are handy thing to have providing they work. For me the main use would be trap notching etc.
What I often see that appears wrong to me are knives with the saw edge down toward the front of the blade, to me they should be up near the handle for control and also to enable the blade to keep a flat spot up near the front for battoning.
The Spivey Sabretooth would be a good example of one that's right if only it didn't have the swedge at the front !
Dang I really miss my sabertooth knife
5" Tops Steel Eagle sent to me as a test knife. After posting it's results, I sent it to my knifemaker, PMoore,& convexed it. The saw surprised me. At 3/16" thick it went through a 1 1/2" green sassafrass very easily. I awed a seasoned 1" pecan limb fairly easily, but the Barbwire test made me grin & a little glad I have it. But seriously, on a survival knife it may hinder you more when slicing & skinning .I use my Godzilla by PMoore, so I don't need a saw
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2010
- Messages
- 38
I agree with most everyone on here, the saw does not belong on the back of a knife. They work poorly at best. Just get a quality folding saw made for sawing, and a knife for cutting.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2011
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- 775
The original ripper teeth on the back of the Jet Pilot Survival knife where there to help get out of a thin aluminum airframe.
As the years have gone by many have taken this to extreme levels of silliness.
Saw backs knives are poor and dangerous saws, and make your knife a less useful tool.
Compare saws and knifes and see that they are very different tools with very different handles.
If you need a knife use a knife.
If you need a saw use a saw.
Big Mike
As the years have gone by many have taken this to extreme levels of silliness.
Saw backs knives are poor and dangerous saws, and make your knife a less useful tool.
Compare saws and knifes and see that they are very different tools with very different handles.
If you need a knife use a knife.
If you need a saw use a saw.
Big Mike
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2001
- Messages
- 2,869
Good thoughts Big Mike!
If you have a well designed blade you can cut metal with it, especially the thin light material used in air plains. I wrote an article about a man who cut his way out of a heavy duty Kenworth sleeper. For many the lesson taught is "don't abuse a knife" some follow this rule even if it means death. Joe Szaliski cut a car hood with a knife just testing to find the limits of his steel and heat treat.
If you have a well designed blade you can cut metal with it, especially the thin light material used in air plains. I wrote an article about a man who cut his way out of a heavy duty Kenworth sleeper. For many the lesson taught is "don't abuse a knife" some follow this rule even if it means death. Joe Szaliski cut a car hood with a knife just testing to find the limits of his steel and heat treat.
Hi all,
killstew, I like um when they are the double cut design.
Just this afternoon I dropped off this knife design
at the shop here in town where I live to have the double cut saw teeth milled into
the spine 3.25" worth anyways. That saw design works great for making notches
in wood for trap trigger parts.
Bryan
killstew, I like um when they are the double cut design.
Just this afternoon I dropped off this knife design
at the shop here in town where I live to have the double cut saw teeth milled into
the spine 3.25" worth anyways. That saw design works great for making notches
in wood for trap trigger parts.
Bryan
Don't know if anyone is actually reading this thread anymore but for what it's worth, the only saw back knife I own (and paid for BTW) is a military issue FKMD Combat Survival Knife. This knife isn't meant for civilian usage, of course it can be but primarily designed as a "one tool" for soldiers. So all of you saying a regular saw is better; a hatchet; a big knife etc etc, it's not about making a comparison, it's about saw back knives, are they useful and or effective? There are many urban materials a soldier might encounter that to cut straight lines with just a blade will not be possible. For example: hard plastic sheet, plastic LBC's, fibreglass; plywood and other processed timber plus soft metals. All nothing to do with using a saw backed knife for outdoor stuff. Of course like Carney C demonstrates a skilled use of one for outdoor usage plus cutting the odd barbed wire (if your saw back is of the notched wire cutter type design). All of the above materials clear very well from the design of the FKMD Combat Survival knife (BTW can easily be retrofited to a bayonet mount- it was designed as such); cutting on both forward and reverse stroke. However, it struggles somewhat with green live timber as the saps tend to clog the teeth and once in a while you must tap it clean to continue sawing effectively, but it works and it's knowing what u can and can't do with it is what counts.
Brian Jones
Moderator
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- 7,560
One word: no. 
No sir. The day before that pic was taken I almost severed those two fingers off., finally went to surgeon two weeks later. Severed joints, all ligaments & nerves and was still chopping. I love ground aggressive scales
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2007
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- 3,494
Big mike nailed it!!! saw back military knives the saw is to saw your way out of a aluminum plane not for wood processing. most commercial knifes are copying those with out asking if it is truly useful
Roy
Roy
Yes sir they have