Light weight saw recommendations

[Shonryu]

I'm an UL backpacker and my heaviest base weight is usually under 10lbs for 4 season. I say all this because its important to me to keep the weight of a saw down because I'm considering it to be a luxery item. I perfer to have an open fire when I'm on the trail and have gotten to a point especially in winter time of perfering to use bigger pieces of wood that I could cut up. Throwing small sticks in after awhile is starting to get old and the whole log folding. Anyone have any recommendations of a good saw that is light weight?

[TrippLite]

Silky saws are the way to go.. I have the Silky Accel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J62dLyVPpU0) saw, weighs 7oz ...

[perrito]

The Little Buck Saw
http://www.qiwiz.net/saws.html
is probably what you're looking for. I don't see how you can get any lighter.

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[HeartFire]

http://www.amazon.com/Rothco-8312-Commando-Wire-Saw/dp/B000E96CZ4/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_text_y

[Gambit McCrae]

if your an ultralight hiker then you wouldnt be considering using a saw imo buuut if you are wanting to break down and take a saw here is my two cents:

The problem with the saws above is that the first one the blade is going to snap off the handle once you have packed it in all those miles and now haev to pack out weight you never got to use

The nechlace looking chain ring thingy sounds like a good idea but considering its not a "blade"? Then your going to be spending all your time see hawin and not enjoyin the fire lol

now the mcgyver lookin saws look like it would work but it also looks time consuming and not fail proof.

This is what I use, not sayin its the best but, its the best.

http://www.svensaw.com/

its light, rugged and collapses into itself so no open blade, and easy to pack :) thanks!

[Wise Old Owl]

+1 ON THE Little BUCK with Qiwiz!
Silkey or pruning saws as a second choice...

Wire saws leave a lot to be desired - try one in the back yard in a survival situation its aweful- you will quickly toss it.

I like swensaws but I use it for back of car camping now...

[HooKooDooKu]

Ever since I had a hiking partner show me his Gerber Saw, I've had one ever since.
Basically, the blade is super sharp and makes quick work of even thick wood. You only have to make sure you are careful that you don't get in a hurry and risk bending the blade.

There is the folding type (http://www.rei.com/product/840194/gerber-exchange-a-blade-saw) labeled at 6.5oz
There is the sliding type (http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/gerber-bear-grylls-sliding-saw/pid-760759?N=300365094&Ntt=gerber&Ntk=All) labeled at 5oz.

I've also got a svensaw. It was my first saw but I found it to be too big and bulking (21" version). But both sizes are in the ball park of a pound. Not a saw for an ultra-lighter unless you need to be cutting LOTS of wood (like a trail work crew). I would be more durable that the Gerber (much less likelyhood of bending the blade). But for basic back-packing, it's too heavy.

[Starchild]

I have used a saw similar to the silty saw and found it worked very well, it was sturdy, non binding, cut easily and quickly.

Never used the little buck, Qiwiz does make does interesting products, and as a former thru hiker, he has a good sense of what is needed. My hiking partner Spash loved his wood stove design and pleased with the quality. I do see some potential for stress points in the little buck, but that would depend on the strength of the materials used which I hope QiWiz would have chosen material strong enough for this task. Hopefully someone who has used one can comment.

Never used the cable saw but heard they are unreliable and tend to break near the end loops.

[QiWiz]

The Little Buck is the lightest saw of any design with a 15" blade that is sold by anyone anywhere. Some people like folding saws with shorter blades, but even they are generally heavier than the Little Buck. Based on feedback from a user, I have recently improved the way the cross tube attaches to the upright tubes and the way that the Spectra cord is attached.

Always tinkering here at the QiWiz laboratory of UL gear. ;)

24404244052440624407

[msupple]

I converted to a wood burning stove last year mainly because I don't want to worry about running out of fuel AND simply because I enjoy the whole process. I have since purchased two saws....one a Silky and the other a retractable Gerber. The Sikyboy is far and away the higher quality of the two but at a weight penalty. The problem with any of these little saws is the risk of breaking the blade. I've come close to snapping both simply because I am in too much of a hurry and consequently bearing down on the blade too hard. Blades break on the forward stroke. Most of these saw blades cut on the draw stroke not the forward stroke. There is no need to press hard on the forward stroke and therefore risk breaking your blade. Knowing this can eliminate almost all broken blades. I'm never cutting anything over about two inches in diameter so there is really no reason to be in a hurry. I will probably start off using the Gerber because of the lighter weight and see how it goes.

[ShadeeLane]

I've really been impressed with this chain saw (http://www.amazon.com/Chainmate-CM-24SSP-24-Inch-Survival-Pocket/dp/B0026OOS60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381417153&sr=8-1&keywords=24+in+chain+saw) that I picked up from Amazon. It's inexpensive, goes through arm-thick limbs in well under a minute, and only weighs about 6oz.

[Franco]

I have used the chain saw posted above, a Sven type saw (my own, smaller than the original version) and a pruning saw very similar to the Bahco Laplander on similar wood.By far the worst was the chain saw (a lot of hard work...) the best the pruning saw.
A mate that had that chain saw and raved about it has since purchased the Bahco...
However I would look at the Little Buck for more frequent use.

[winger]

For winter camping, I'll take a small axe (fiskars or gransfors) even with the extra weight, over a saw. Check out Ray Mears website.

[Mooselook Marty]

The Coghlan Sierra Saw is a light (5.5 oz) and inexpensive ($15.99 plus shipping) folding saw that works well for occasional use:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___22144.

It cuts well and has stayed sharp over the years for me. The only problem I encountered was that the end of the blade bent, which reduced its cutting effectiveness to a small degree. If you are looking for something for heavy duty use, then I would suggest something a bit more durable.

Marty

[HooKooDooKu]

I found basically this same discussion on this other forum (http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-47710.html) under the title "who makes a good folding saw".

While this wasn't a backpacking type of forum, the overwhelming response was "Corona". There is a 10-in Corona available at Lowes for $20 (http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=10452-63731-RS+7265D). I can't find an exact weight for it, but based on other Corona Folding Saws (http://www.coronatools.com/folding-saws), I would guess it would be about 10oz.

[grateful 2]

I have owned the little buck saw from QiWiz for a couple of years and I love it! I have carried it for 150 mile section hikes on the AT, in the Cohutta Wilderness fording the Connasauga River, and this summer in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. It is the best cutting, fastest, and lightest of the backpack saws. (I have at least a half dozen backpacking saws and they all stay at home when I backpack in favor of the Little Buck.) It is amazingly sturdy when put together. It packs down very small, yet I have cut 6-8 inch logs with ease. A straight cut is very important when batonning wood for starting a fire. You won't go wrong with this saw. BTW - QiWiz, I really like the pictured improvement on the cross tube. Occasionally I have a problem with that area and it looks like you have solved that issue. How much to replace those two pieces?

[Rolls Kanardly]

"If a man speaks in the woods, and there is no woman there to hear, is he still wrong?"
Could be, Maybe, I think so, ehhh what do I care. If I am in the woods it is her problem.
"Rolls"

[Tipi Walter]

if your an ultralight hiker then you wouldnt be considering using a saw imo buuut if you are wanting to break down and take a saw here is my two cents:

The problem with the saws above is that the first one the blade is going to snap off the handle once you have packed it in all those miles and now haev to pack out weight you never got to use


You may be right about this. Saw blades do break as I've had several bowsaw blades break over the years.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2011/Cranbrook-School-Backpacking/i-RCQVQXF/0/L/TRIP%20120%20269-L.jpg
While not ultralight, this Corona folding saw is very sharp and resists breaking and is an excellent saw for all-day trailwork when in backpacking mode. I've had the blade get twisted and bent, seriously bent when sawing, and it never breaks and springs back to shape good as new.



Ever since I had a hiking partner show me his Gerber Saw, I've had one ever since.
Basically, the blade is super sharp and makes quick work of even thick wood. You only have to make sure you are careful that you don't get in a hurry and risk bending the blade.

There is the folding type (http://www.rei.com/product/840194/gerber-exchange-a-blade-saw) labeled at 6.5oz
There is the sliding type (http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/gerber-bear-grylls-sliding-saw/pid-760759?N=300365094&Ntt=gerber&Ntk=All) labeled at 5oz.

I've also got a svensaw. It was my first saw but I found it to be too big and bulking (21" version). But both sizes are in the ball park of a pound. Not a saw for an ultra-lighter unless you need to be cutting LOTS of wood (like a trail work crew). I would be more durable that the Gerber (much less likelyhood of bending the blade). But for basic back-packing, it's too heavy.

The Corona seems to be a bigger version of the Gerber. Both seem to have a fantastic cutting edge. The Corona is widely available at Lowes for $20.

[peakbagger]

I like my sawvivor, great for cutting up wood quick and I like it far better than Sven saw. Pruning saws are just too likely to get jammed and the blade bends

That said, I went 5 weeks in april and early may one year and had fires ever night and never needed a saw. For big dry stuff, I always could find a couple of trees or sometimes a shelter to use leverage to snap chunks of wood. The biggest trick I found that worked was to get my wood 5 or 10 minutes up or down the trail from the shelter. Most folks don't walk that far. I use a 1' nylon strap with buckle and lay it on the ground then fill it up with wood with the butts facing one end then cinch up the strap around the butts, take a couple of wraps with the other end around a stick for a handle and drag the bundle back down the trail to the campsite. A couple of runs like that and I had a nights worth of wood. The stuff that would not snap I would burn in half. Usually someone would leave big chunks of poorly seasoned half burnt wood in the pit and I would try to encourage the fire to consume them. Usually in the AM I would haul out any tin foil from the ashes and haul it out.

[QiWiz]

I have owned the little buck saw from QiWiz for a couple of years and I love it! I have carried it for 150 mile section hikes on the AT, in the Cohutta Wilderness fording the Connasauga River, and this summer in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. It is the best cutting, fastest, and lightest of the backpack saws. (I have at least a half dozen backpacking saws and they all stay at home when I backpack in favor of the Little Buck.) It is amazingly sturdy when put together. It packs down very small, yet I have cut 6-8 inch logs with ease. A straight cut is very important when batonning wood for starting a fire. You won't go wrong with this saw. BTW - QiWiz, I really like the pictured improvement on the cross tube. Occasionally I have a problem with that area and it looks like you have solved that issue. How much to replace those two pieces?

Glad you like your Little Buck. In terms of getting the new design for cross tube attachment, you will need longer Spectra cords as well as the new attachment "nub". One option is to send me your tubes for reworking (less expensive); another is to get two new tubes (more expensive). Either way you will also need a pair of new Spectra cords for the windlass. I'll PM you the details.

[Slo-go'en]

I'll admit a saw can be handy, but mostly for clearing blow downs from across the trail. If you need a saw for fire wood, then you likely need a splitting axe too to make it burn because it's too big. If you can't break up a branch in the usual caveman manor, then it's too thick or not dry enough.

Like peakbagger said, having a strap to drag wood from a ways up the the trail is the most handy thing to have. At the end of the season, most campsites are picked clean of burnable (and not so burnable) wood and you have to go a ways to find any. With a good long strap of 1" nylon, you can drag back a pretty good bundle of small tree branches.

[Shonryu]

QiWiz I've purchased several items in the past from you and they have worked well for me. My titanium windscreen still looks brand new. ^-^ I also remember that I had ordered a few things from you and not realized the discount I could get by bundling things together. I was shocked when I looked in my paypal account and saw a refund and that I never even asked for. Awesome products and integrity. Just for those reasons ill be ordering a little Buck in the next couple of days. I also like the idea of using nylon strapping to haul wood. These are all gteat ideas. Thank you everyone who contributed.

[The Cleaner]

+1 on the Sven saw....

[QiWiz]

QiWiz I've purchased several items in the past from you and they have worked well for me. My titanium windscreen still looks brand new. ^-^ I also remember that I had ordered a few things from you and not realized the discount I could get by bundling things together. I was shocked when I looked in my paypal account and saw a refund and that I never even asked for. Awesome products and integrity. Just for those reasons ill be ordering a little Buck in the next couple of days. I also like the idea of using nylon strapping to haul wood. These are all great ideas. Thank you everyone who contributed.

Thanks for the love. For those who might want a 24" buck saw, the MEGA Buck design has been improved in the same way as the Little Buck (new way to attach cross tubes that is easier to use and more secure; Spectra cord windlass now pulls precisely in center line of saw instead of a bit offset).

Can you dig it?

[QiWiz]

Some of you may know that I have used Trailblazer 15" blades for my Little Buck saws. Trailblazer (maker of Sawvivor and other tools) went out of business but I had gotten a supply of blades from them just in the nick of time. I've now only got about ten left. For some time, I've been hunting for a high quality blade to use when I ran out of the Trailblazer blades. After fairly extensive testing, the best solution is to cut down a longer high-quality blade to a 15" length, as there are literally no high quality 15" blades available on the market anymore. This works fine, but the attachment at the cut-down end will be a folded back titanium "pin" rather than steel rings (which are still used on the other end). This works just fine and actually saves a couple grams. Here's photos of the saw and new blade attachment method. I will start shipping Little Bucks with this mod as soon as I run out of the Trailblazer blades and have already started to use this method for the rare request for a replacement blade.

3000330004

[Tipi Walter]

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Tipi-Walter-Upper-Slickrock/i-6M43BP7/0/M/TRIP%20145%20057-M.jpg
I really like my Corona folding saw since it's 20 bucks at Lowes and can be replaced when needed. Plus it folds up fast to place in my shirt while I'm backpacking and need to cut while moving.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Tipi-Walter-Upper-Slickrock/i-dLP7ZTR/0/M/TRIP%20145%20109-M.jpg
The Corona in fold up mode.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Backpacking-Bryan-DeLay/i-tJKGF5g/0/M/TRIP%20148%20404-M.jpg
The saw in action on the BMT with the pack dumped for some trailwork.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Citico-Wilderness-Trailwork/i-KPVns9D/0/M/TRIP%20149%20061-M.jpg
Cutting a fairly large blowdown on the North Fork trail.

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Test-Gallery-For-Trip-150/i-bV5hzQF/0/M/TRIP%20150%20368-M.jpg
This nasty blowdown impeded easy backpacking so I threw off the pack and pulled out the saw.

[750ml]

The Corona saw from Lowes works very well!

[Maui Rhino]

I bought the Corona saw Tipi Walter recommends a couple weeks ago, and am really impressed with it. I've used and broken several folding saws over the years, and the Corona cut the easiest and fastest of them all. You can't go wrong with it.

[sethd513]

When I process wood for camp I use the corona for my go to saw. Then ill use my cold steel srk to split everything up. These two pieces of equipment add up considering that the corona weighs just under 7 oz and the srk in sheath weighs just under 12 oz. I have 18.3 for the both on my scale but it's a roaring fire made easy.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10/25/e19776ac676b12848451beaa6a41f045.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dochartaigh]

21" SVEN saw for me. 13.77 ounces, and takes maybe 20 seconds to setup. Easy to get replacement parts too (although I've never needed them). I only take it to a couple camping places which I know are cleaned out of firewood and I'll need a saw to get anything decent to burn.

[poolskaterx]

Another vote for the SVEN saw.

[squeezebox]

I carry a 18 inch gas powered concrete saw . You never can tell when one of those damn rocks will get in the way.

[Old Hiker]

I carry a 18 inch gas powered concrete saw . You never can tell when one of those damn rocks will get in the way.

Couldn't you have opened up the Lemon Squeezer a bit more? Or was 18" the limit?

[squeezebox]

Couldn't you have opened up the Lemon Squeezer a bit more? Or was 18" the limit?

Yea I did bring a lemon squeezer in my kitchen stuff, but it didn't work.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I carry a 18 inch gas powered concrete saw . You never can tell when one of those damn rocks will get in the way.

There's your mistake. A UL portable jackhammer will probably work far better for you when dealing with those rocks. Make sure to bring it when you go through PA.

[squeezebox]

I think it's called a sledge hammer. UL go for an 8 lb hammer. IMHO

[Franco]

One very good compact saw similar to the Corona but more expensive, is the Felco type.
So far that is the sharpest pruning saw I have used.
A bit over 4 oz.