Hand saw/ pruning saw

[JFKinYK]

For light trail use I have a Coghalns Sierra Saw. Yes it's a piece of crap and must be used lightly, but it's about $9 and weighs around 6-7 ozs I think. It will do most camp chores if you are nice to it. I wouldn't use it for home duty though, and think you might be better off with two saws instead of one.

[lonehiker]

Recently acquired a Silky Katanaboy 650 (~25" blade). I used it last Tuesday and removed 42 trees (55 cuts), some being at least 10" diameter. I think that, comfortably, I can do 12" diameter trees but would probably limit it to 14"....? Picture is tree with about 9" diameter.

IMG_0595[461].jpg

[JiminSC]

Silky F180 for backpacking, Silky Big Boy 2000 stays in the truck at all times.

[cmoulder]

For local trail maintenance I have a Silky Gomboy 240.

I don't carry a saw for backpacking.

[BlackCloud]

I carry a Sawvivor when I head out to work my AT boundary line in Maine and usually in the spring/early summer to do some quick blowdown removal. https://www.rei.com/product/689759/t...r-sawvivor-saw. Sadly they are out of business. Luckily I have plenty of spare blades. I find I can cut a bigger blow downs with a frame saw than a folding blade type saw. Of course no saw will last long without paying attention to physics, if you cut on the wrong side of the branch when its under compression, the blade is going to get pinched (same with a chainsaw) With a folding blade type saw like the Fedco, you may bend the blade whne it pinches while with a frame type saw its far less likely to bend the blade but is more likely to just plain get stuck. Sven Saws https://www.rei.com/b/sven/c/camp-sa...wd-25553611252 would be my second choice and are a long term favorite of many canoe campers. It has a bit less capacity than the Sawvivor due to it throat depth but still has the same benefits. One thing to keep in mind it that most of these blades are intended to be replaced when dull. If you stick to clean wood they last a long time but cutting dirty wood with soil in the bark is going to wear out a blade. I have run into far too many sven saws over the years with dull blades and they sure can make things miserable. I strongly suggest buying spare blades when you buy the saw.

Out of business! This is the best saw ever! It weighs nothing and cuts through wood like a champ. Glad I have a spare blade like yourself.

[peakbagger]

I picked up two saws in hopes of replacing the Sawvivor. The first was a folding Gerber Freescape saw. It looks slick and well built but the blade that it comes with is darn close to useless. Its has minimal set to the teeth so it cuts thin kerf and then jams. If I coudl find a better blade it might be worth it as it about the same size folded up in pack as Sawvivor. The other saw is 21" Spring Creek TUff Saw https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Creek-...07PHNV12R?th=1. It does not fold up as short or as compact at the Sawvivor but the extra length means faster cuts. The supplied blade has some set to it so it doesnt jamb unless its pinched. A definitely thumbs up for trail maintenance for those who cannot find a Sawvivor. Spring Creek also sells replacement blades. Gerber does not list spare blades on their website. I did find a Nicolson product that may fit but didnt go to the hassle of buying one. Its for plywood which would be less aggressive set.

[cmoulder]

Out of business! This is the best saw ever! It weighs nothing and cuts through wood like a champ. Glad I have a spare blade like yourself.

14oz is nothing?

Okey dokey.

[BlackCloud]

14oz is nothing?

Okey dokey.

It's that heavy? It feels weightless as it cuts through wood. I never take a saw backpacking, but for a camp saw it's unparalleled.

[peakbagger]

For trail maintenance, a saw has to be combination of light, durable and easy to set up. I havent found any lighter alternatives that meet the criteria.

[cmoulder]

It's that heavy? It feels weightless as it cuts through wood. I never take a saw backpacking, but for a camp saw it's unparalleled.

According to spec in the link...

Technical Specs


[COLOR=rgba(12, 11, 8, 0.75)]

Best Use	Camping
Max Blade Length (in.)	21 inches
Closed Length	23 inches
Blade Construction	Swedish steel
Handle Material	Aluminum
Weight	13.7 ounces

[/COLOR]

As saws go that's pretty light, but *for me* a single item weighing 14oz certainly triggers the "need vs want" debate inside my gram-weenie-wacko noggin. Usually the answer is no, I don't need it.

However, on a recent trip to the Adirondacks my hiking partner carried an 11oz MSR stake hammer. Conditions were such that there wasn't enough snow for my usual deadman sticks for pitching the tent, and the ground beneath was frozen so that stakes were nigh impossible to place by hand, and small rocks, which I'd normally use, were very hard to find under the snow. That stake hammer was just the ticket, and I offered to carry it for the rest of the trip. Worth it in this instance, so I now have one for such occasions. I guess we'll take turns carrying the hammer!

[BlackCloud]

Swedish Steel

Who knew?

[MtDoraDave]

I clicked on this thread thinking it was going to be a "you don't need a saw" sort of thread.

But, for trail maintenance and for clearing downed trees/ limbs, then a good folding saw would indeed be worth having a thread about.

I have never used a "good" folding saw. The cheap ones always seem to fill up/ clog with sawdust and lose their efficiency quickly.

I have seen videos on youtube where the Silky saws were spoken of quite highly. If I was going to pick a "good" folding saw, I would choose the Silky saw of the size and weight that fit my need.

[peakbagger]

My friend who maintains a long remote trail in the whites carries a Silky folding saw but If I go with him with one of my larger folding 3 sides saws we tackle much larger stuff. His trail is in wilderness area and the US forest service in understaffed. He can supply them a list of stuff too big for Silky and the FS will get to it eventually (or sometimes a caretaker for a tent site helps out) but cutting the bigger stuff that is in the PITA zone (too low to go under, too high to step over), really makes a difference to the folks using the trail. No doubt the trail runners really like it.

[OhioHiker]

I backpack with this Opinel, not sure I would recommend it for around the house sized jobs but it works well for backpacking. Admittedly I have kind of gotten out of the fire making business while backpacking unless I have friends or kids with me. When that happens I am mostly snapping things by hand or mechanical advantage by using a V notch in a tree.

[turtle fast]

Another Sven saw user…perfect for larger blowdowns and trail maintenance. I also use a Gerber or a Fiskars pruning saw but for things under the 4” mark.

[OwenM]

The smaller of my Corona pruning saws weighs 179g/6.3oz. I used it to remove about a dozen small trees overhanging or partially obstructing a FS road this week, and it's enough for anything I'm likely to tackle on a trail.

I'm always doing reviews and tutorials that noone else will ever see...

[Gambit McCrae]

Owen that is great work sir!

I am surprised Tipiwalter hasnt chimed in, he is a proud sporter of hand tools on trail

[Mockernut]

Tipi is likely out on a 30 day hike while we are sitting inside looking at our phones....so jealous.

[peakbagger]

A small fold up saw and competent user can really clean up trail pretty quickly as the photo shows. In this case it was a lot of small stuff, but a lazy hiker may find a go around until it is cleaned up. What I try to concentrate on are the larger diameter logs that are across the trail, too high to step over and too low to climb under. I can go up to about 8" diameter, but it is really depends on the how the log is loaded. If there is lot of compressive stress along the length of the log they can be problem. I really need to start carrying some small plastic wedges to deal with those logs as otherwise the saw kerf can close up.

[Tipi Walter]

The smaller of my Corona pruning saws weighs 179g/6.3oz. I used it to remove about a dozen small trees overhanging or partially obstructing a FS road this week, and it's enough for anything I'm likely to tackle on a trail.

I'm always doing reviews and tutorials that noone else will ever see...

GREAT PICS OWEN! When new the Corona cuts thru wood like butter but after hard use the Kerf is lost and the blade must be replaced. Due to heavy cutting I have to get a new Corona 10 inch saw every year. Your pics remind me of my Before and After pics too.

I like the Corona brand cuz it's available locally plus the Silky is heavier in equivalent size.

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Here's a nasty clump on Brush Mt trail and so I dump the pack and start cutting.

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Voila an easy walk thru---and much safer for body and gear.

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Here's a large blowdown on the Nutbuster trail.

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Big stob fixed.

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A tremendous mess on the Warrior's Passage trail.

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I judge the difficulty of the blowdown by how many cuts required. This one had about 40 separate cuts and took 30 minutes.

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Finally, a simple hemlock cut on Kirkland Creek trail.

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