What's more useful, a hatchet or a saw?

Put me down for the knife&saw combo.

I prefer the saw because they're smaller, lighter and (for me at least) go cut wood a lot faster and with less energy.

I have a Silky PocketBoy (extra large teeth) and it's awesome :)
 
The saw has many advantages as fore mentioned, and I will add safe use in the dark too.

However, for survival, I would take the hatchet. Here is some of my rationale... You want to make a rabbit stick or a brush shelter with a saw or a hatchet? You want to make fire in wet weather with a saw or a hatchet? Folding saws or those like a Sven have multiple parts that can break. Saws are difficult to sharpen wear a hatchet is not.
 
abo4ster said:
Here is some of my rationale... You want to make a rabbit stick or a brush shelter with a saw or a hatchet? You want to make fire in wet weather with a saw or a hatchet? Folding saws or those like a Sven have multiple parts that can break. Saws are difficult to sharpen wear a hatchet is not.
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Not that I am doubting your rational, you have much more exerience then I.

But most of the lean to or debri huts I made didn't require a saw or hatchet.

The rabit stick is easily made with the saw and you can sharpen it with your belt knife.

In my area, fire in wet weather is easily made with evergreen twigs, but if you need to split wood, a saw can be used.


If I had no belt knife and my choice was between saw and hatchet, then I would choose the hatchet for all the reasons you mention and more.

By the way, when did you change your name?
 
tonym said:
In a survival situation, if I had a 4" FB and I would have my choice of hatchet or saw, I'd pick the folding saw. It will go through 5" diameter wood quicker and cleaner than the hatchet and take less energy. You can split would with it as well.

I always have a saw with me, its lighter and safer to use...
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I think this covers it.

I love to use a saw as well, for some reason it puts a smile on my face.
 
tonym said:
In a survival situation, if I had a 4" FB and I would have my choice of hatchet or saw, I'd pick the folding saw. It will go through 5" diameter wood quicker and cleaner than the hatchet and take less energy. You can split would with it as well.

I always have a saw with me, its lighter and safer to use...
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Knew I wouldn't be the only one.:D
 
dawsonbob said:
I would think that the requirements would be a lot different in the North Woods than they are here in Southern California. Around here, a knife and saw works well. Where you are, things might be different.
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Its really not, there is plenty enough dead wood around that a stout knife and folding saw can make any shelter and fire you would need.

I've just got tired of taking a large axe and knife in the woods. Im not keen on that, so the folding saw (Fiskars) and knife (Grohmann #4 or RC-6) are the norm now, thats even on SAR missions. Honestly though, the fixed doesn't even come along on SAR times.

If Im car camping, or even spending some time on a canoe where the extra weight isnt a problem then Im game, but those guys that can carry an axe around with them all day, power to you, I started with a 30lbs pack, and Im down to a 15 pounder max, but thats me.
 
abo4ster said:
The saw has many advantages as fore mentioned, and I will add safe use in the dark too.

However, for survival, I would take the hatchet. Here is some of my rationale... You want to make a rabbit stick or a brush shelter with a saw or a hatchet? You want to make fire in wet weather with a saw or a hatchet? Folding saws or those like a Sven have multiple parts that can break. Saws are difficult to sharpen wear a hatchet is not.
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I wouldn't make those with a saw, but if you going to have a knife with you its not a problem.

Remember, this is if you also have a knife

If I had a knife and a saw good, with no knife then its going to be the hatchet.
 
I agree, Fonly. If I'm car camping, one of my axes goes with me. But if I'm hiking in, a lighter folding saw does the trick. When I was young I used to pack all kinds of weight, and think nothing of it. Over the last fifty years or so, I've lightened my load.
 
dawsonbob said:
I agree, Fonly. If I'm car camping, one of my axes goes with me. But if I'm hiking in, a lighter folding saw does the trick. When I was young I used to pack all kinds of weight, and think nothing of it. Over the last fifty years or so, I've lightened my load.
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Thats the thing, there really isnt anything you can do with a hatchet that cant be done, in some way with a folding saw and knife.
 
Fonly said:
Thats the thing, there really isnt anything you can do with a hatchet that cant be done, in some way with a folding saw and knife.
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Yep. I may just want to build a quick shelter and get some firewood. I don't expect to be building a log cabin. Even if the saw broke somehow, a good knife will still see you through.
 
Fonly said:
Honestly though, the fixed doesn't even come along on SAR times.
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:eek::eek: Fonly - say it ain't so!

I'm a hatchet man myself. Agreed you can do all the same things with a knife and a saw. Then again that is two tools. All the things you can do with a saw and a knife you can do with a hatchet.

That said, I like the saw + blade on occasion. Usually, the saw I have with me is part of the SAK I'm carrying. I really do like a big full sized buck saw but they are just as heavy as a hatchet.
 
If I only had one or the other and no knife, I woulds take the hatchet. If I had a knife, even a folder, I would take my Silky saw or Laplander.
 
udtjim said:
If I only had one or the other and no knife, I woulds take the hatchet. If I had a knife, even a folder, I would take my Silky saw or Laplander.
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I agree, Jim. If there were no knife involved, then the hatchet would be a no-brainer. But when you have the knife, it's a whole different story.
 
Hatchet.
- near impossible to break
- easy to sharpen - long lasting
- double as other tools in a pinch (knife / hammer / weapon etc)

really the saw is only good for so long, and then?
 
What will you actually carry? There's a difference between somehow being miraculously placed in a survival situation with a choice and what you carry with you regularly. From looking at knife and survival forums for some time, it's obvious that some folks just like to chop stuff up, so they'll have some sort of chopping tool. For me, it's a waste of calories to be burdened with not only the weight of a hatchet, but having a less efficient tool to make firewood or cut shelter material.
 
klammer said:
really the saw is only good for so long, and then?
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Just how long do you expect to be out there? There's a difference between a survival situation that may occur while camping, and homesteading a plot of land. If you can manage to wear out a Silky saw in a year, I'll be amazed.
 
It would make a difference it were a very long term stay, in that case I would take the hatchet. I quess it iis true, although you sometimes don't plan on a long stay, it can sometimes turn out that way. The saw will last fot quite a while though and although I carry both when driving, only the saw would go along for a weekender and such. And a knife of course.
 
I like these threads for the speculation of what I might do.

In reality, I have a fiskars saw in the trunk of my car, along with a BOB, a R-10 and other needed survival gear. I almost always have a folder and small PSK on me, sometimes with a small FB too. For car camping I will take a big knife or hatchet. The saw stays in the car. I like using the bigger tools over the saw--just my preference.
 
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