Coghlins has the well deserved reputation of taking very basic items and reverse engineering all quality out.
There is one wire saw worth having, and one only; the BCB original whose origin was as WW2 escape kit for silently and slowly cutting seasoned timber, ie Stalag Luft 17 barracks & bed slats ( tunnel shoring.)Carried concealed in a dress tunic collar or Altoid tin, they are still the lightest sawing option.
And ironically, while some survivalist's have sold surgical bone cutting wire saws to the gullible public( to whit, they are awfull on anything but fresh bone) the BCB does a credible job of cutting game bones.
They are slow and require TLC. And if they are the only tool still better than hacking away with a knife to exaustion or chilling by perspiration. When you are cold or tired, the deliberation of carefully sawing shelter poles is much safer than hackiing with a knife. A basic shelter, a squaw fire and then you can tackle bigger chores.
The saws on the various SAKS ( your surplus german pocketknife was supposedly spanish or swiss made, depending on who is talking) should be good with european woodworking history. And for making small, precise notches such as deadfalls, shelter lashing cuts and field packframes or snowshoes they are splendid.
For serious wood processing the sawvivore should be the best.
It has the advanced rakers, cutting teeth and gullets found on the finest of crosscut saws. If you pick up a manual on crosscuts, that blade can be tuned for even better performance and less 'jump' in the initial cut.
And finally a word on field maintenance. Sap will indeed 'sap' any saw to uselessness in short order.
The old timbercutters carried a oil can of kerosene to strip the blades clean periodically.Kerosene isn't something I care to pack with any foodstores remotely nearby. But a small alcohol wipe from a first aid kit, boiling hot water or just a wipe with any protective oil can help greatly.
Edited by Chris Kavanaugh (05/16/09 05:00 AM)