Saw Blade on A Slipjoint Question

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winchester73

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Jan 6, 2008
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So I was looking at an old Schrade slipjoint with a sawblade as one of the three blades. Could someone tell me of what earthly use it would be? Seems to me to be too small to be of use for anything except as a novelty.
 
Saws on pocket-knives are very traditional, and historically, they have had all sorts of uses. I like one on a hiking knife, useful for cutting a stick or staff, or for trimming a dangerous branch. I find the saw on my my Vic Mauser so useful that I often use it for small jobs in the house :thumbsup:
 
I've used them to cut pvc pipe and other hard plastics. I've even cut 2x4's with them. They're much more useful than you give them credit for.
 
Was it a saw, or a serrated blade? Schrade made a few stockman and jack knives with a serrated sheepfoot blade. Some folks like a serrated edge for cutting rough materials like rope.


serrated schrade.jpg
 
The saw on SAK's are some of the best I've used and they strike a fire steel very well also.--KV
 
If I needed to cut a cane, staff or crutch I would much rather have a slipjoint saw than just about any other folding knife blade I can think of. Also good for making small, precise notches and such.

I think of saw blades on slipjoints a bit like corkscrews. I'm not likely to use either very often, but if I do need them nothing else will really do.
 
A saw on a SAK is kinda one of those things that you don't realize how useful it can be until you need one and have one, or need one and don't have one. I prefer the saw on my Leatherman though, since I like to keep my SAKs minimal. I've cut down overly long handles at work, used it to MacGyver ill-fitted pieces of things together, etc. One night late at work a girl (a rather hot girl) pulled into our parking lot because the landscaping truck in front of her lost a big chunk of mesquite branch and got tangled under her car. I was able to saw the branch loose and send her on her way. She said something like "wow, I'll have to get one of those for my boyfriend". D'oh.

Often a "proper" saw would be the better choice, but those won't fit in your pocket. Other times it's nice to have something small and maneuverable.
 
Like has been said, the small saw blade on a SAK is not really appreciated until you have a use for it. It's so small that it adds very little bulk to the tool, but if it's needed, it's really needed and nothing else will do as well. It's always there in the pocket, like the rest of the small tools on a SAK or scout knife, so you won't be standing there with that "I wish I had a screw driver/saw/whatever" look on your face.

Small tools on pocket knives are like derringers. Not everyone wanted or needed to be walking around with three pounds of hogleg on their hip, but a small pistol in the pocket would do in a pinch. When you need it, you tend to be in circumstances that you need to right now. I can remember whittling down a few saplings on a cold snowy morning to make a litter to carry out a friends wife, when she slipped on some ice on an early morning hike. A SAK saw would have been very nice to have.

Never under estimate a pocket size tool in a pinch.
 
I use the saw on the my sak to make saw dust for catching sparks. I've cut a 2x4 with it just to try it and it worked pretty well.
 
I used the saw on my SAK Huntsman to cut off a plug for a salt shaker, after I carved/whittled it down to fit.
I've used it for other projects as well.

I need to put a wood floor in my bicycle trailer, since I don't have a proper full size wood saw (and I am too cheap to buy one, anyway) I plan on using the Huntsman to cut the 1 x 6 boards to the proper length.
:)
 
I use the saw during hunting season constantly. It's great for clearing small branches that get in the way of your tree stand or removing just enough brush to give yourself a good shot
 
Once I had to take down a branch and the saw on my Farmer was the only tool that would serve. The branch was hard up against the garage. The little blade was the only thing that would fit behind it; even a Fiskars folder was too big for the space. The main trunk of the tree kept me from getting at the front side.

The little saw worked better than I expected, and took out the branch it about a minute. My wife mocked me all the while for "playing", as she often does when I take my machetes to brush and weeds around the homestead.
 
I usually have a Farmer in my pocket when I'm out mowing. I use it all the time to cut small limbs on trees or larger ones I find on the ground that are in the way. I've tried carrying a saw with me but it's easier just to pull out my SAK to cut them really is a nice little saw
 
Just used the saw on my SAK Farmer tonight to enlarge a hole in the flimsy board on the bottom of our " entertainment center" to allow for more cord access...also use it during hunting season to help clear shooting lanes. Oh yeah, also used it a couple days ago to cut some wooden stakes to size for use as pepper plant supports.
 
winchester73 said:
...Could someone tell me of what earthly use it would be? Seems to me to be too small to be of use for anything except as a novelty.
Click to expand...
As you can see there are many uses for the little saws on pocket knives. I am somewhat in your camp in terms of the saw, but if I am camping I carry a Vic One-Handed Trekker which has the saw blade. It's there if I need it to make a clean square cut or a notch. Have on occasion used one to cut small branches out of the way when I am taking outdoor pictures. Hunting, I carry a larger folding saw (Silky) for clearing brush if I need to.
 
They can dome handy quite often if you like to take walks in the forrest. Last time I used my SAK saw was to make pole for marking land in the forrest. Nobody had knife there except me of course. :D
 
I tried using the saw on my LM juice, Charge, SAK OHT, and Fieldmaster on a 3" tree limb that I was cutting down. They all have slip joint saws and all could do the job... Although it took what seemed like forever in comparison to a 10" saw. They work, but like any dedicated tool vs a multi tool, a dedicated saw will do much better.
 
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