Folding Saw

We touched on the subject a bit while discussing hatchets and axes. I want to cover folding saws more than what we have so far.

I imagine every one of us here have heard the praises for the Sven-Saw. Some of you may have one.

http://www.svensaw.com/

I also heard good things about Silky Saws.

http://www.silkysaws.com/

I've heard about others, though not as much as the first two.

I don't know if one is better than another and, even if one is better, I imagine the decision rests on personal preference. For example, if you tend to lose wing nuts, the Sven-Saw would not be the right choice for you.

Putting aside personal preferences, which folding saw is better?

Jeanette Isabelle

Think the best designed folding bow saw is the Agawa Canon. Nothing to lose as it's all connected. Also more of a rectangle design, so can cut thicker logs with more of the blade.

Triangular designs like the sven have an inherit limit.

https://agawacanyoninc.com/

I´d second that. The Agawa Canyon seems to accept regular blades. Many hardware stores may carry them. That is a big plus when you want to replace a broken blade or have blades for different purposes.
Triangular designs get in the way fairly quickly and they are awkward to use when you are used to make the cut with the whole blade length. The triangle tends to lift the blade out of the cut too. I do not like them for that reason.
I am a fan of bucksaws. They also are takedown and more traditional design.
When bulk and weight matter I have a Fiskars Xtract SW73. It works well. The drawback of this type of saw is that the blade is easily damaged if you do not cut with the draw only. The blade is proprietary.

I can't comment on the Sven saw, as the only two I have experience with is the Laplander and Silky pocket boy 130. I've been quite happy with the Silky though, it's noticably faster than the laplander.

I am a big Silky fanboy. I have a Katanaboy, a Bigboy, a Gomboy and a Pocketboy. The Katanaboy stay in my vehicle (handy if a downed tree blocks the road as it will go through a 20" tree pretty easily and quickly. I always have the Bigboy in my pack. I do have a Fiskars bow saw but I hardly ever use as the Silky saws are vastly superior.

+1 on Silky. Just bear in mind that they cut on the pull stroke, not the push stroke. used properly with that in mind, they will not bend.

It is also very easy to carry a second blade and change if necessary.

I´ve read that the blade an easily snap if you push too hard on the push stroke. I have a Silky Big Boy but haven´t had any use of it so far.

The Katanaboy is literally awe inspiring. It will do thing you would have expected to need a gas powered chainsaw to do.

I'm always ingtrigued by the Silkys but the spendy price makes me wince. Someday maybe.

On the more economical side, I have a Bahco folding saw, the Laplander I think, that I am quite pleased with. The blade is thicker and stiffer, so unlikely to bend, and very sharp. The only glitch is the little plastic unlock button snapped off years ago, so I have to reach in with something to release the metal tab. A minor pain but even a twig would work.

I also found a bunch of Coghlans folding saw blades on clearance for $5 each. They're actually not bad. I'm going to fashion a short fixed handle and a blade cover from scap nylon for ultralight use.

The Bahco is more robust than the Silky, no doubt. IIRC it cuts on both the push and the pull, too. However the Silky cuts better and faster despite only cutting on the pull. Certainly there's a lot of flex in the blade of a Silky and you can give yourself a scare when the blade bends/flexes but so far I haven not seen one break. Probably it's easier to break a Silky than a Bahco especially when you get into the longer ones. All that said I gave away my Bahco after using the Silky saws for a few years.

Fair enough. I have no doubt that the Silkys are better. They have an amazing reputation and I don't think it's hype. One day I'll pull the trigger.

OTOH, when building kits that will be used infrequently if ever, and maybe not even by me, the Bahco is a good choice IMHO.

Oh, no doubt! The Laplander gets the job done. But most of my camping is dispersed so I'm almost always gathering up a lot of wood. A buddy of mine has a professional grade chainsaw (a Husquarava he bought while working for the forest service) which he'll bring along if we're not hiking in. Great for those forest service/access roads that lead way back into the stick. But if I'm hiking in I like my Katanaboy.

Among the folding saws, Silky and Bahco, which is more durable? Which blade length and teeth (fine, medium, or large) is best for cutting firewood? Size is a consideration for bug out.

Edit: Looking at the Silky website, I should avoid the large teeth.

Jeanette Isabelle

I like the large-tooth saws but where I live it's all pine, Larch, etc. Finer tooth saws are good for hardwoods like Oak, etc.