Why a saw?

K

kinskibrain

Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Messages
101
Hello, I've been reading lots of threads on SAK's and I see that models with a saw like the Farmer, Huntsman and Camper are quite popular versus, for example the, Climber, Explorer or Soldier.

I live in the countryside in Sweden and spend a lot of my time in the woods camping, making fires etc. Any piece of wood small enough to saw through with a SAK or Wave is faster to just cut off with a sharp fixed blade. If the knife is not enough a Bacho Laplander or Gränsfors small forest axe will do the job.

The scissors on the Climber seem far more useful to me.

This is an honest query, you learn by asking and being open minded. :)
 
Think notching, nothing cuts a small notch faster. Tons of useful tasks for the saw.
I'll let others chime in.
 
It'll also tackle a thicker branch than you might think. I've cut stuff up to 2" (50mm), yes I could cut it with a good fixed blade but the saw is faster. It'll also leave a better 'dressed' end.

Personally I agree that the scissors are more useful day-to-day though.
 
There is no size limit on what can be sawed through with a SAK saw, contrary to what you imply. It's just a matter of time and tenacity. The saw would do better on truly large pieces, than a plain edge blade of similar size.

I think most people like knowing it is there in case of an emergent situation.

EDIT: sorry, i would just like to add this example. Take your standard 2x4. Try cutting it with a SAK saw versus a PE knife. You'll find the saw is a much better choice.
 
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Has a great saw and scissors, and many other usefull tools, great field/camp/survival addition to your gear.
 
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a good question ;)

how do you cut a 2inch (50mm) or bigger branch with a regular blade? (just curious)

I will notch the branch/wood with the saw, then bend it to snap but it is much safer to do with a saw for me.

I also use the saw for other cutting, plastic and dry-wall (gypsum board) ;)
 
All really good replies so far, keep it coming! I suppose it's easy to notch with such a saw and when camping and not taking an axe or folding saw it would also be advantageous. I understand a vic saw seems to be good for those casual excursions.

@Dantor To cut a 5cm limb or small tree, simply bend it down so there's plenty of tension in the wood. Then with a sharp knife, preferably scandi grind, diagonally slice through the wood at the axis of the bend. With a good knife you can do this in one slice. If the wood is dry a saw will be quicker.
 
I've read up on the matter of having a small saw and I think I might be convinced. Actually, I am very convinced as I just ordered the one hand opened Victorinox Forester in pretty red/black! :D

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I was deciding between this, the Huntsman and the Outrider but I just like this one. I use a 1961 Soldier for lighter EDC, if I want pliers I take my plain edge Skeletool CX and on casual forest excursions I will be carrying this Forester. It's also good for travel as a serrated edge doesn't need sharpening in a long time. Might get the Huntsman at some point for the added scissors.
 
The saws are good for other tougher type materials like hard plastics and some kinds of rubber. I personally like having them. Almost all of my saks have scissors and a saw. I could get by without them but it makes certain situations alot easier to deal with.
 
matt1987 said:
The saws are good for other tougher type materials like hard plastics and some kinds of rubber. I personally like having them. Almost all of my saks have scissors and a saw. I could get by without them but it makes certain situations alot easier to deal with.
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That's right. And so far that's all I used the saw on my Wave for. Getting to that last bit of mustard/shampoo/soap etc before throwing the bottle away. Hard plastic is really tough! Even for a serrated blade. A saw seems to be able to grip and rip that slick surface.
 
I personally never use the saw on saks,and i do prefer scissor.. But thats because i almost never go outdoors activities anymore.. It would different if i go hunt or in the woods often. I have tried the saw and its very sharp an effectiv for the size.. Got plenty models with saw just becouse i like the design and my come handy in some situations.
 
I only use it if I don't have anything else around. It is well-designed and well-executed, but for me it isn't big enough to use unless I either don't have anything better or I just don't feel like pulling out a better tool for the job. However, for those times when I am going out with just a knife in my pocket, I usually make sure it is one of the larger SAKs with a saw just in case I need/want one.
 
I have very mixed feeling on the saw.

On one hand, like most of sak topols, it will work if you keep at it. But my only problem is that it is so short, you work harder moving that blade back and forth in just over an inch each way, that it is not that effciant on wood thicker than an inch or so. Yes, you can keep at it till you wear your way through a 3 inch thick tree branch, but it wasn't worth it to me to keep a sak with a saw on it. If I absolutly have to cut any wood that thick, I have a real folding saw in my day pack. If a sak saw was all I had, okay, I'd use it.

But on most small jobs, I find it just as easy to just use the main blade and cut a V groove around and then snap it off with the groove acting like a stress line. That's the way ourt old scoutmaster taught us to cuyt wood with our scout knives, which did not come with saw blades. But then, I'm not planning on sawing down any trees or sapplings if I'm not off in the woods. If I am off in the woods, then I have real tools on hand in my pack, like a Fiskars sliding blade saw or my old hatchet.

I have, in emergency, cut off tree limbs like one poster described, by putting some stress on them by bending them, and cutting at an angle into the wood. Even a basic sak like a bantam or recruit can cut off a inch to inch and a half diameter limb doing this. And it takes less time and effort. When I was a kid, before sak's became popular in this country, my dad got on old lady that had her car stuck in the mud, out by using his little Case peanut to cut off pine tree limbs the diameter of a thumb, to lay down a mat in the muddy ruts that the car tire could go over without bogging down. The green pine cut very easy, to be sure, and our pocket knives were all that was needed to get her car unstuck.

I think the saw falls into the kind of thing, that if you like it, go for it, and if not, the heck with it. I prefer a plain Wenger SI or Vic pioneer over a farmer, just because I can't recall a time where I really needed a saw. The time I did, I got by without it by using my head and a different technique. So my personal choice is not to have one. If I need to cut plastic pipe for a home repair project, I have the right tools on hand. If I'm out in the woods, I have a bigger cutting tool on hand in the little daypack that always goes with me.

I gave away my Vic hiker, and that was the last sak I had that there was a saw on. I guess I'll do without.

Carl.
 
Very good and interesting post jackknife. Thanks for taking the time!

I agree with everything you say. The notching and breaking is something I do all the time as well, and it works up to the size where you need a proper folding saw or axe anyway.

I'm looking forward to giving the vic saw an honest chance in the Forester.
 
I cut down a 3 inch wide, 20 foot tall oak sapling just the other day with the saw on a SAK Soldier. Worked fine. Had to cut away the branches on either side and some vines too to do it properly but over all it took me a relatively short amount of time. I could have gotten a bigger saw or knife and done the same job but it was too far to walk back to the house and it was in the way of my telescope so it had to go.

I think you can easily underestimate how good those little saws really are.
 
I've used the saws for small branches and I don't think anyone who has actually used the saw can say a plain blade can do a better job, especially on dry wood.
 
I too like the scissors, in addition to the saw. There are several models with both. Take a look at the Wenger Ranger series if you are interested in getting the largest SAK saw available - it is a monster.
 
My spiffy little Huntsman has both scissors (which have not bit me - twice) and a saw. Mmmmmm Huntsman.

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Beckerhead #42
 
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