What kind of folding saws do you find most useful on the trail?

Grease

Grease

Joined
May 10, 2012
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I'm looking in to getting a decent sized folding saw for carrying on hikes & backpacking trips, but I've never used one before. Short of buying tons and using them all, I'm not sure how to find one I like. So, instead, which ones do you guys like? Maybe that can narrow it down a bit for me...
 
If you want the best cutter bar none, get a Silky pocketboy.

I also like my Opinel saw, it works well and is light for easy carry.
 
I too am looking at folding saws

The saw on the SAK Farmer works surprisingly well for up to 2" wood
I could see being able to cut little pieces of 2" then light battoning for kindling for fire starting
And half cutting larger than 2" to break them, then batton
But once 2" is burning well it will ignite larger than 2"

The SAK Huntsman seems to have a different set on the saw blade with the teeth offset, it looks like it is a manufactuing fault
But it hardly cuts, which is a shame because that is why I purchased the Huntsman for backpacking to have all the bells and whistles including a saw that cuts

I cannot get Silky here....Perhaps I will have one sent, but the ARS I just bought is excellent

I went to a tool store and purchased a folding pruning saw
It is 150mm and made by ARS, a Japanese company
It has a 7 tooth per inch hardened chromed steel blade
With the blade thinner at the top
It cuts very well, does not bind
Light and sturdy

I have a Sven 15" folding saw, and it is a very good cutter, way beyond I need in my neck of the woods
But I highly recomend this as a folding camp saw,

I have a Gerber Folding saw, I do not recommend it as it binds and the lockup on it broke, although it came with a useful pouch


I have an Opinel in the mail as it is so small but a dedicated saw to backpack and use the SAK Farmer as backup
 
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Ditto on the Silky saws and they are pricey but have outcut every other saw I have tried. After that the Bahco Laplander is an inexpensive but solid performer.
 
I used a Bahco and it does well, but I do want a Silky.

Mine gets used mostly for clearing trails while hiking. Not intention hike to clear or I would have something bigger. But it is nice to be able to clear obstacles at times when going around means heavy brush or steep slope. We day hike bits of the AT and plenty of folks on there with packs, makes it tough to crawl through treetops across trails.

Bill
 
I've only tried a Silky once, and really enjoyed it. But it wasn't exactly hard use. Although I have heard a ton of positive stuff. I guess I should be getting one sometime now..
 
TheGame said:
But it wasn't exactly hard use.
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Folding saws are the least durable tool for cutting wood. To be honest I don't think folding saws are right for everyone. At least not as your main wood processing tool. You have to have the right temperament to use a folding saw. Too many people try to muscle them and guess what...you muscle a folding saw and it WILL break on you. I had a buddy who broke my fiskars because he muscled it and that was AFTER I told him to stop and explained to him he was using too much force. Full strokes at a moderate pace with light pressure. If you can't do that then look at a different tool IMO. Frankly I don't recommend saws to most people. It's only when someone asks about them specifically that I recommend silky. Compared to the gerber and the fiskars I've used, it's way ahead of them in terms of toughness.
 
If I am carrying a saw for any distance it is the Pocket Boy or Laplander, they weigh close to the same. For car camping I like the inexpensive ones from Home Depot as long as they have LARGE TEETH. I make all sorts of things with a saw, hatchet, and rope!!!

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I personaly saw two silky saws fail (one tip snap one blade snap).
I would not trust a silky saw in a survival setting. they are great for pruning though.
 
I don't always carry a saw. But when I do, I choose Silky. Stay silky, my friends. :D


Ok, so I'm not the most interesting man in the world. In fact, I'm sort of grumpy.

<rant>
I think the issue of saws in the backcountry really, really depends on your local conditions. I've got kin who own and manage wood lots and they feel free to cut their stuff as they see fit but they get pretty touchy about people walking into their lands and cutting their stuff without permission. And it does happen with 4 wheelers and skiers looking to cut and brush out trails without permission.

And the public lands I hike on in New Hampshire (and once upon a time, in Sierra and Big Sur areas) had so much traffic that cutting out brush and stuff just hammered, I mean hammered the beautiful places. So grumpy ol' me grew weary of junk fire pits and deforested campsites long before bushcrafting became popular on the internet.

I'm not 100% opposed to campfires or the harvesting of wood in all cases but I'm pretty dang close to it in terms of the lands I hike on. I just don't want to see it and it's just not at all needed to be safe in the backcountry.
</rant>

If you do need to cut and the land management regime on the lands you go to allow it, I think the balance to be struck is between weight/portability in a backpack and functionality. For twig fires in many 3 season conditions, it's sufficient to rely on breaking small branches for a small comfort/cooking fire. A pocket knife suffices for shavings. IMO, a saw only comes into play if you need to cut logs thick enough to have dry centers (which then need to be split). The other place saws come in handy is making litters. I find the right balance to be the Silky Pocketboy. Out cuts small pocket tools like a Wave, big enough to handle small fire wood, not so big that it kills pack weight. I'll carry mine on winter ski tours but it's a luxury item and only under the right circumstances.

Here's a shot of a spring ski touring location. Nancy Brook is named for a young woman who fell into this brook in the winter while looking for her fiance who skipped town with the savings. She froze to death. I've had 2 partners fall into winter streams both around 0F and we've been able to handle the situations without needing to make fires or shelters.


Nancy Brook 2012 - Brook by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
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Shotgun said:
Folding saws are the least durable tool for cutting wood. To be honest I don't think folding saws are right for everyone. At least not as your main wood processing tool. You have to have the right temperament to use a folding saw. Too many people try to muscle them and guess what...you muscle a folding saw and it WILL break on you. I had a buddy who broke my fiskars because he muscled it and that was AFTER I told him to stop and explained to him he was using too much force. Full strokes at a moderate pace with light pressure. If you can't do that then look at a different tool IMO. Frankly I don't recommend saws to most people. It's only when someone asks about them specifically that I recommend silky. Compared to the gerber and the fiskars I've used, it's way ahead of them in terms of toughness.
Click to expand...

Excellent points by Shotgun. Saws such as the Silky are not brute force instuments and require that proper technique be used in order to benefit from them. They only cut on the pull stroke and work best with light pressure and takes some practice to master but when used properly they are extremely efficient. I have no doubt that many Silky's have been broken and declared unworthy. They aren't for everyone or for every situation.
 
Had the Sven for a long time a realy liked it. Been using a Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw lately for canoe camping and the thing is a machine! Takes the big stuff down to managable pieces in no time. Not necessarily "compact" but light weight and easy set-up - can't beat it.
 
pinnah...I agree with you 100%. I see the same things as you do.

I'll make one suggestion on choosing a Silky model....something to think about. I own many Silky saws, but one thing to consider is the material the frame is made out of. The Pocketboy130 (the smallest Pocketboy) has a steel frame and weighs 5.9 Oz (without the carrying case that comes with it). Another popular saw is the Silky Super Accel 210 with an aluminum frame that weighs 7.0 Oz (no sheath/carrying case comes with it).

I prefer the Super Accel 210 over the Pocketboy because of the larger handle, the larger blade (3+inches more) and with only the weight penalty of 1.1 Oz.

In my opinion only and through years of trail maintenance, the longer 8" blade will not wear out as fast as the 5" blade. Your mileage may vary. I also prefer the largest teeth in general (Large/Coarse).

Listen to Brisket and Shotgun above if you wind up with a Silky. It's a pull saw, not a push saw. If your the type that gets in a hurry doing tasks you'll break the saw. It's also pretty easy to bend the blade enough that you notice the bend and naturally try to bend it back straight. This will weaken the saw. I have made every mistake with these saws. I am much better now but not perfect.
 
Silky Gomboy. I appreciate the longer blade because you can push and pull more easily, it goes faster, can handle larger sized timber. Doesn't take up too much room in the pack - it's long but very thin. I only take it when I think I'll want big pieces of wood though (big fire) or I go somewhere remote in someone else's car where I think we might get blocked by a fallen tree.
 
I agree, but a tool that isn't bomb proof isn't useful for me as a survival tool. Under stressful situation even experts can make mistakes... A broken saw is pretty much useless.
I have yet to see a broken laplander saw.
 
As a tree climber and ISA certified arborist, I make a living with saws. A Silky is the world's best saw, but I would recommend a Zubat. At 13" overall, this non folder weighs in at less than a pound, with sheathe, and the extra length, larger teeth, and fewer moving parts means less to go wrong. I've been through dozens of replacement blades, and have only broken one, and I broke it at work, not at play. If you're on a budget, Fanno makes a great (but not as good as Silky) saw the same size as the Zubat. The Zubat runs just under 70 $ brand new; the Fanno is less than 30 $. The Silky saws stay sharp about 3 times longer than the others, but they cost 3 times as much, literally. They cut faster too, but, unless you're a tree climber or production arborist, you may find the Fanno a very accessible and affordable alternative.
 
I don't use a saw often. If I am truck camping, I have a chain saw with me. If hiking, then I take a Sven saw. Never found much use for a saw though. I prefer an ax.
 
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