I know many of you already know this, If so this post is not for you but for someone who may not have used one of these.

I usually take a folding saw, but I recently picked up a few of these BCB wire saws and wanted to see first hand how useful one might be tucked into a pocket somewhere. No point taking it along if it's no good after all.

I was on the mountain bike trail yesterday and figured it as good as any place to give it a test. Here is what I learned from using one of these saws:

1. By itself, this saw was terrible. Every pull would make it bind and pinch no matter how it was angled. Even using the weight of the branch to take the weight off the cut it would bind. I ended up pulling the ring completely off of the saw by pulling the metal ring apart.(never did cut the branch) Right about here the saw was about to be thrown ino the woods as far as I could physically throw it, with the remainder to be thrown in the trash later that night after pointing and cursing at them some more. (don't worry Nursemike, no comic book conventions to express my profanity this time)

My multi-tool quickly repaired the saw. I pressed the ring so it overlapped this time.

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This was the recommended way to use the saw.(Pulling back and forth on the rings) However, somewhere I recall reading about using a bow to enhance it's cutting ability. Bow attempt # 1

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This was way too weak to hold the wire tight. Almost as bad as using it with no bow at all. Attempt # 2 was much better, using a stronger branch.

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What a difference. It cut through the first branch with ease, and several others up to 3-4 inches in dia. Nice clean cuts. (green wood)

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(dead wood)

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To make the test fair, I used my normal EDC knife to baton through a length of the same pieces of wood to see what was A. easier B. faster and C. safer

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The saw was faster, easier, and safer (depending on the user I suppose) than the knife. but only with the bow attached.

If you do decide on adding one of these saws to a kit, may I add a few points that may or may not help in your decision.

1. Do not remove the rings to save space as many books will say (unless you have another means of attaching the wire to make a bow)

2. Don't even bother with the saw by itself, make a bow. It's 100 times more effective. It also makes a 2 hand task become a 1 hand task. The other hand can now hold the branch being cut so it doesn't smash you in the face.

3. Wear gloves. That wire gets really dammed hot

4. I have read that the saw can also be used as a snare. If so, I fail to see how. It's far too gritty to run smoothly against itself. I am obviously missing something with the whole snare thing.

5. They will rust if not taken care of.(this brand anyway)

6. They saw is very abrasive, and may puncture small holes in lightweight items packed tightly against it. (condoms, zip lock bags etc)

7. If you don't EDC a multi-tool, you may want to pinch the rings together with pliars before putting the saw away.


It probably won't replace my Gerber exchange-a-blade folding saw anytime soon. But if space or weight is really limited you most certainly can make use of this tiny wire saw.

Hope this info was of use to someone.

This was an interesting post and it contains a lot of useful information and good pics. Thank you for posting it.

What brand of wire saw was this? My personal favorite,although much more bulky, is a 21" Sven Saw - cuts like a dream.....

Thank you byrd, I figure since I am out taking pictures anyway, I may as well post some here.

I know, I know....I should get a life but I love this stuff. Like a weird hobby.



Hikermor - I lied, I posted BCB for some reason (I got other stuff from them) But these are the Pro force commando brand. My bad...

I agree, nothing compares to a full sized saw. Besides my folding gerber I have a break down bow saw (gerber as well) that cuts like a chain saw. I can drop a 6 inch tree in 20 seconds flat with it. Break down as it may be it's still too large for most of my needs. I never tried a sven, but most people speak highly of them.

Nice post and pics. I've pretty much given up on those saws, and even the heavier "chain saw" type. I agree... you can make them work with proper technique and a bow. But I have just stuck to whatever size wood I can saw with the saw on my multitool or SAK, which are EDC for me in the woods. In my pack and in my camp I use a Fiskars sliding saw, which I love (particularly the belt clip).

http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Yard-an...-Pruning-Saw-10

I use a Sven saw to informally clear trail in spring hikes with Scouts.

There are some improvements on the wire saw to consider besides bending it into a bow: a couple years back someone made a compact saw using sturdy chain saw chain and well constructed loop handles on either end - I bought one of those and it does indeed cut really well through tolerable sizes somewhere between lopper size and 6-10 inch logs. It folds down into something the size of a multitool or two, so its pretty compact and doesn't have any of the disadvantages of heat or flimsy construction. And I know we've used it a few times, usually setting a couple scouts to saw off a downed tree, and the actual cutting is a little slower and more awkward than the Sven - but the chain saw chain model hasn't broken and it definitely works. So they got that part right, but basically this is in competition with my trust Sven saw which has been lightly trimming trails for 3 decades now (I think I might have kuyped it from my Dad actually, who cleared trails and Left Lots of Trace way back to the 40s), so it doesn't really get used much. And if I ever used it a lot, I'd have to consider sharpening, which may be a little tougher on detached chain saw chain than I'm used to on my Stihl.

I don't remember where I got the chain saw chain model but I think it was local to WA somewhere, interested folks could look for earlier posts on this forum as I'm pretty sure we discussed it.

I use a "chain saw" tool quite a bit. I don't remember the brand and the container is long gone. However there is quite a bit of variation between the brands. Look at several and choose carefully. I would have to look at them together to see the differences (can't remember) but there are obvious differences.

Most of the old time woods guys I know carry a couple or three standard bow saw blades fastened to their pack. They make what they call a "H" frame when needed. That is the type of frame with two vertical bars and a center horizontal bar like a capital H. The blade fastens to the lower end of the vertical and a rope goes between the top ends of the vertical. The rope is a loop and a stick goes in the loop. Twisting it makes the rope shorter and puts tension on the blade. The stick is long enough so that it can be hooked against the center bar to keep it from unwinding.

I have seen a guy make one in about 5 minutes. When done he has a fully functional full size saw and can do some serious cutting. Well worth the 5 minutes to make.

Nomad

Thank you Stephen for the great info.
I'll definitely try your technique.

NAro - thanks, the blade on that looks almost identical to the exchange-a-blade I usually carry. One thing I realy like about it is that you can swap the wood blade for a finer toothed blade which works well on bone or other hard stuff.

Lono - The sabercut saw maybe? I see them from time to time. One of the models cuts in both directions unlike a homemade type which will only cut in one direction. I think it's the saber. I have never used it to be honest.

Nomad - I would love to see a picture of that if you had one. Sounds like something I watched Ray Mears construct on some show or another(I think it was Ray Mears anyway) Looked like a good idea.

Quietly learning - Thank you. I have to add however, this is not MY technique. I did not come up with the idea for this. I don't recall where I read it, but I was simply testing out each method.

Thanks Stephen. I gave up on wire saws years ago, for all the reasons already listed. I do like their size and weight though, and your post is a great reminder of their potential. I may have another go with one now. Thanks!