Small Survival Saws

I knew that I was going to be sitting beside the river all afternoon and evening today so I took a bunch of small portable saws with me to play with. This test was completely unscientific and just involved me using each tool to determine which one I liked best; I am constructing a new pocket Personal Survival Kit and needed to know which one to include.

The saws were, in smallest to largest order:

-Coghlins 8 strand "Commando" wire saw with wrist straps.
-Carbon hacksaw blade (the teeth are fine, about 24/inch)
-Reciprocating saw blade (10 teeth to the inch)
-Leatherman TTi saw (not in photo, Duh)
-Swiss Army Knife (SAK) Farmer model
-German Army Knife (GAK) Saw (old model)
-SAK Rucksack model Saw
-SAK One Handed Trekker model saw
-Bacho Laplander Folding saw
-Sawvivor Folding Saw

The tools can be seen in the image below:

Small Survival Saws (sorry about the flash spot)

I tested the saws on green poplar and dry cherry. About the size of wood you would use to make a lean-to shelter, 2 - 3 inches in diameter.

I started with the wire saw, and even though I have had luck with them in the past it was a complete failure today. It bound-up and cut very poorly, only cutting in about 1/2" before it got very tough to pull. The crimped-end connector then broke; so I constructed a bow saw out of it but it did no better, I will not put these in a PSK again.

The wire caw is not to be confused with the flexible "Chainsaw in a Can" type saw which I know cuts great, I just could not find it in my storage area today to include in the test.

The hacksaw blade and reciprocating saw blade also did poorly, they would have cut better with a proper handle, but they did not bite into the wood well and the teeth got clogged. Poor choices.

I expected the German Army saw to do better and it did, but the kerf was a little too wide, the blade short, and it only cut on the pull stroke; it was still not great.

The Leatherman and all the Swiss Army Knives (SAKs) can be lumped together. They all cut well for there size, the longer the blade the better they cut. They all cut through 2" of dry cherry with minimal effort, very functional tools for small material, short term use.

The Bacho Laplander folding saw was amazing compared to the smaller saws, it cut through a 6 inch dry cherry limb with little effort. Excellent tool.

I am a little undecided on the Sawvivor, it cut well once I got the cut started but tended to bounce in the beginning due to the coarse teeth. I think it would have performed better if the wood was held more securely, I need to test it some more.

In conclusion; the wire saw, utility blades and especially the German Army knife were disappointments. I will now need to reconsider my proposed PSK container to accommodate a larger tool, either the SAK Farmer or Rucksack I think.

As always everything we use is a compromise, function vs portability.

Mike

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.

I mostly use the Bacho Laplander saw when I go hiking and camping and am considering getting a Sven saw too.

www.crosscutsaw.com these folks have been around for at least 30 years.

I have a SAK Farmer with my RSK. Size wise it's a good match. Any SAK with a saw will do for short term use.

that what i thought about the wire saws,you need the best and have to work slow.the last time i used one was in the 60's-Scouts--and not since then because it was such a hassle to get to work. the SAK saw is a wonder.i never had one untill my wife gave me a Farmer model for my birthday and since then i use it to cuts sticks for the dogs to chase and was surprised the first time i used it--it really works!..Sven makes a short model of their saw and i take it on canoe trips.it will buzz thru fire wood size sticks in no time and i have cut some good size dead fall from portage trails with it..now if someone made a SAK style and quality saw that was a bit bigger than the one that comes in the knife that would be a choice bit of gear.the folding pruning saws are close to that quality--has anyone looked at the saws from Japan?.they seem to have some that cut both ways.

Hi All,

Chris, I have never tried or even seen a BCB wire saw, it would have to be better than the Coghlin's, maybe I will buy a kit from England with one included.

I was also given my first SAK when I was a Scout and I still have it today. It was my EDC for about 10 years and I used the saw to trim branches while using a climbing treestand, the SAK saw is amazing for it's size.

CANOEDOGS you should try the Bacho Laplander saw as it does cut in both directions, it was money well spent.

I have a couple other saws to test; a Wyoming saw (the meat saw is excellent but I have never used the wood blade), a Trailblazer saw (collapses into a tube) and a "What-A-Saw" that folds down.

I also had a Mora Clipper knife with me yesterday and it was quicker to cut 2" green poplar with it buy bending the stem down and shearing it off. Of course this would not work at all on dry or larger wood.

Mike

For a larger SAK type saw OPINEL has one available ( expensive.) It has very aggressive teeth. The handle retains the comfortable shape and locking rings of the knives. The blade is actually more flexible than a SAK and enjoys a deeper belly.

And it work's. Oh yes, it works.

Expensive is a relative term. If you look after it, you will only ever buy one. As apposed to however many cheaper saws.

Good info Mike. My lowest level of saw would be on a Trekker SAK. They work well on smaller stuff. The Bacho Laplander is what I carry if I have any "real" sawing to do. It is worth the extra weight and size. One resides in my box camping kit, one is in my ATV. One is in my day pack/larger pack. I have used these for years without disappointment.

I haven't seen one of the Opinels in years- it was one of the items that disappeared after my grandfather died. They do work very nicely. I'm thinking about getting a Laplander or the Kershaw version.

I EDC my Supertool rather than one of my smaller classic PSTs because it has that saw. I use it much, much more than I do the file. It is the same kind of saw you find in a SAK, and if I'm going off the blacktop without my LM, I have a Huntsman for the saw.

Test them all again on 12" logs at -40c and you may find that the one you missed, i.e. a Standard Bow Saw is best.

There's no doubt that as far as small folding saws go, there are some decent options (SAK, Leatherman) that are a whole lot better than the wire saw.

However, as Bruce just pointed out, the real problem is elsewhere. I love the saw on the large SAKs and even my Leatherman Wave. They work great for what they were made to do - occasional (light) sawing branches or small trees (3" max.).

But in reality, if you ABSOLUTELY need a saw in the bush you'll need it for much bigger chores. I don't need a small folding saw to cut shelter poles. A big sheath knife will do a much better job. I can cut shelter poles or trim branches with a USMC Kabar a lot faster than I could with the saw on my SAK. A small axe is even better. With my GB Small Forest Axe I can easily chop down pretty sizeable trees. Let's say anywhere up to 8" with relatively little effort and a good deal bigger than that if I really had to. Good luck trying to cut down a tree that size with your pocket knife or multitool saw.

In my experience, saws have only one serious use in bushcrafting - cutting down fairly sizeable trees into construction material (eg. making an advanced shelter, ultimately even a log cabin) or firewood (short sections that can be easily split with an axe). Both are legitimate and sometimes extremely important tasks and cannot be achieved efficiently with any other tool. If you need a saw for serious work however, a folding saw with at least an 8-10" blade is the absolute bare minimum IMHO. A bigger saw (heck, even a chain saw if possible) will save you a world of sweat and frustration. Anything smaller is pretty much a toy/last ditch option. As far as all the other tasks go, you'd generally be better off with a large sheath knife, machete, Woodman's pal or a small axe than a saw.

+1 on Chris' points about the BCB wire saw. They have done quite well in my tests. You can get them here from the great folks at Best Glide.



Good luck fitting that axe into a palm-sized survival kit.

The Laplander is identical to what I see on the west coast of the USA as a Sierra Saw. I do not EDC them or take on a day hike but any camping trip or real back country trip for sure. I use my Gerber version almost daily for pruning my palm tree fronds. Walmart actually sells a Ozark brand model that isn't half bad less than $6.

Who says survival items have to be palm-sized? Why limit oneself to miniature tools with less than optimal performance?

Which is why I went to packing a chainsaw in my packs a long time ago. I'm not talking about the motorized type, but the ones that fit in a shoe polish tin and can cut up to 16" logs. They are faster, more portable, generally more durable, and easier to get into tight places. IF you don't like pullling on a chain, then cut a sapling or two and fashion it into a bow saw.

The BCB wire saw goes into my Altoids tin. The SAK with saw a pocket and bowsaw and Hudson's Bay axe the slots on my german rucksack. It's called layering people, just like clothing or firemaking redundancy. Once in awhile that wire saw is actually handier for some cuts.
And more often than not, it's like all the cutlery and firearms backing each other up and never used.
Unless you are in a survival situation, or what could quickly TURN INTO ONE, please think woodsmanship first.
Choose your trees with the eye of a tree trimmer or forester and leave the forest a little healthier.
Again, I recommend the crosscut saw manual from the website I listed above. If you understand the very sophisticated technology of a quality handsaw the optimal use of everything else is better understood.

No argument that a 24-30" bow saw will beat all of these. Then again, give a choice between my pocket folder and my broadsword at an unpleasantness, I want the broadsword (if I can't bring something with a bit more oomph). This was a comparison of SMALL saws, which I'm more likely to toss into my pack for a day's hunt or an overnight camping trip than a full sized sword.

Now, if we are going to talk larger saws, what are people's thoughts on carrying just the blade of a bow saw, and scrounge a bow from the woods when needed (and using the smaller, fine work saw to make it).

Small saws are properly addressed along with full size for the same reason some people think a space blanket is some magic kit from the folks at NASA.
I've carried just bowsaw blades in the past. But the wieght impact of a handle is negligable and properly packed it will not hang up on brush. And sometimes, even in a resource rich environment finding the right raw material can take far to long.
I took a naysayer for a hike to show him Miner's Lettuce after talking about wild edibles. My route has always been a haven for the plant. I couldn't locate a single specimen. I told this to my chumash friend who turned beet red. So I asked my redfaced redman what was up? He had hiked the route the previous week and harvested every plant for a local elemtary school talk.

I have bought 3 Coghlin Sierra Folding Saws and they all cut well until the plastic handle broke at the hinge, I find the Bacho (Kershaw) Laplander to be stronger.

Mike

A bow saw blade is definitely more packable than a bow saw en toto, but how easy is a bow saw blade to use without the ability to make a frame for it? The chainsaw I carry can make into a bow saw in the field almost as easily as a stiff bow saw blade can be, but is also just as useful without a frame to attach it to, and still much more portable than a stiff blade in a survival pack would be. I have and use stiff blade saws on everything from my Leatherman Wave to 30" bow saws and I claim that my little pocket chainsaw is just as effective as the big bow saw with frame and all, and even better in some cases where clearance is an issue, and definitely the most portable saw I own. I don't understand why it receives minimal consideration considering how functional it is in a survival situation.

Hey Ben,

I agree with you that the "flexible chainsaw" is a good, functional tool, I just could not find mine in my storage room to including it in this brief test on small survival saws.

I think I will do another test to include slightly larger type saws (bow saws, flexible chainsaws) as they are surely more effective than the small ones.

But it is snowing here today and I have been working in the field for the past week, so this test is going to have to wait till a nicer day!

Mike

Are we talking about the 'saw in a can?' They work very well for rough cutting firewood and making shleter poles. If you are notching deadfall traps, field made snowshoes or improvised pack the little SAK saws make very nice precision cuts.

You are correct Chris, these 2 types of saws have different functional uses.

Mike

I really like the sven saw. It will not fit in a small kit, but folded up is very slender and can slide right down on the inside of your pack and not take up any space. It folds out into a decent size bow saw and is fairly stable to saw with. I have used this many times to aid me in quickly constructing a small ground blind of already fallen timber while hunting. It can also be kept in an outside side pocket of your pack and held in place with compression straps.

http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/Saws&ToolsProducts.htm

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