first folding saw?

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Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,390
640
50
Wales
Once starting to get into the larger Silkys the price opens a lot more and better options imo.

Boreal 21" folding bow saw, for example, £3-£4 for a replacement blade as opposed to the over £20 for replacement silky blade.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Professionals use Silky Saws.
Nothing wrong in liking your Laplander either.

I know a lot of 'professional' bush crafters, and many of them use laplanders.

Nowt wrong with the silky, it's a very good tool, in the right situation…..but for most that's not in the half gloom of a sodden wet evening trying to get camp set up and the fire going, and it's your only saw on uncertain timber.

Jared's got a good point too though, but they don't pack down small into a small pack.

Tantalus ? :approve:

M
 
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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
Op, you wont go wrong with a laplander. I use large fixed blade silkys for my tree work and they are fantastic no doubt. But you will go further with a laplander and a bow saw for less money as a super accel


Oh that boreal saw looks good, don't think it beats a bob destrude though, the destrude is cheaper too iirc
 

Muskett

Forager
Mar 8, 2016
131
3
East Sussex
Bob Destrude are good, I have one. The Boreal Saw looks another take on it and probably very good too. The Boreal handle looks very nice and similar to many of the better Bowsaws. One negative with folding bow saws is they aren't quite so rigid as a good one piece standard bow saw. They are really for portability and occasional use.

For sustained use then a full sized one piece rigid standard type are best. A Bacho standard steel bow saw are between £15 and £25, weigh very little, very robust and nice and rigid. Nothing much to go wrong with them and choose whatever blade works for you. They are the size they are and spare blades need to be carried separately. They have the odd small part that can get lost, but rarely ever are. Most modern blades are disposable and not intended for resharpening, but are thankfully very efficient.

Geting the right tension on the blade and a slow and flowing technique goes a long way to successful cutting. Trouble is most of us, me included, want to go at the speed of our chain saws, so technique goes out of the window!
Bob Destrude:

IMGP4178.jpg


The rule of thumb with saws is that the size of wood they can tackle should be 1/3 the blade length. The other real limiting factor to size of wood is what can you carry, haul or drag? One person not a lot. Two a bit more. Rope and tackle then quite a lot; takes time though. How big do you actually need? What is it with making tidy log piles for a camp fire?
For home use wood burners then to produce sensible quantities of sized cut wood requires full sized tools, and today that means power tools.

For occasional saw cutting then my Victorinox or Leatherman has a saw that does all the small neat stuff. The next size up is a pocket saw. Last is a pack saw and thats personal choice. There is plenty of choice at various ticket prices, though some are more efficient than others.
 

gregs656

Full Member
Nov 14, 2009
125
0
West Sussex
Get a Silky, they are just a superb tool and worth every penny. I have a Gomboy 270.

My advice is to buy from Japan via amazon.com. A Gomboy 240 will cost less than £25 shipped, so not any more expensive than a Laplander but you get a far superior tool.
 

Muskett

Forager
Mar 8, 2016
131
3
East Sussex
Did this just for you guys! Surprising how many saws I have now!! Again I like my Silkys for their portability and efficiency.
Credit too for the Opinel, paired up with a Opinel knife its perfect for the walking the dog coat pocket in the woods.
Credit again for the Swiss Army Knife saw and the Leatherman; both are superb and good little saws.
I do like a fixed blade saw in scabbard for work with the chainsaw though. There is a hefty price premium for packability, gukki kit, but its a hobby and your cash.

What all these have are they are efficient with the correct technique.

IMGP7588.jpg

IMGP7594.jpg


Here is some safety tips by Four Dogs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hgx6yPQUT8
 
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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
Get a Silky, they are just a superb tool and worth every penny. I have a Gomboy 270.

My advice is to buy from Japan via amazon.com. A Gomboy 240 will cost less than £25 shipped, so not any more expensive than a Laplander but you get a far superior tool.

Did you get stung for import duty?......seem to remember something about import duty with evernew stuff
 

Muskett

Forager
Mar 8, 2016
131
3
East Sussex
Big boys toys, just love'em!

Friends just bought a mobile saw mill for planking up trees. His estate has all the kit. I'm very envious.

Bit chilly for willy wagging, button flys are faster! And not for the "edged tools" section me thinks. I've got the bands ready... Wow we are bored...
http://horsleywholesale.com.au/sheep-and-goats/castrating-and-dehorning.html

Must get outside more :D

Joking aside Sunndog did you get a Skrama?
 
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woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
I have 3 silky saw's, which I use in my profession as a gardener, doing tree work etc. I've had a silky zubat(fixed blade) for a couple of years, & use that in a saw pod(look it up) an f180 folder that goes in the cargo pocket, & I've just got the big 500 temagaki, now that's a beast !.
But in my bushcaft bag is a Laplander, & a Bob Dunstrum folding bow saw. Bahco's are tough & if you bend it just hammer it straight with the back of you axe or a rock or log.

I like them all but silky for work, & anything for leisure time as I'm in no rush. What I would like though, is a cheap decent belt pouch for a folding saw !.

Rob
 

Muskett

Forager
Mar 8, 2016
131
3
East Sussex
Woof, try a British Army bayonet frog; cheap. Firm push fit but with some gentle heat should be able to loosen up a bit; not a drop in fit:
IMGP7356.jpg


Here is converting one to molle compatible. They fit belts as is and the popper system is quite convenient:
IMGP7578_1.jpg
 
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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
I have 3 silky saw's, which I use in my profession as a gardener, doing tree work etc. I've had a silky zubat(fixed blade) for a couple of years, & use that in a saw pod(look it up) an f180 folder that goes in the cargo pocket, & I've just got the big 500 temagaki, now that's a beast !.
But in my bushcaft bag is a Laplander, & a Bob Dunstrum folding bow saw. Bahco's are tough & if you bend it just hammer it straight with the back of you axe or a rock or log.

I like them all but silky for work, & anything for leisure time as I'm in no rush. What I would like though, is a cheap decent belt pouch for a folding saw !.

Rob

Almost the same kit as me mate, i had a zubat then went to a Natanoko but missed the curved blade so i'v given that to my dad and got a sugoi in the post
I'v often thought of upgrading my laplander but i only use it for crafting tasks and if its firewood an axe is usually most efficient or if its really big stuff i want a proper full size saw

Muskett, yep gotta love big boys toys :D the next tree work for the jcb is one end of a skyline for fetching two mature ash trees out of a garden
I can drop to the floor while the ground men strip and walk lengths straight into a wood pile
 

Bishop

Full Member
Jan 25, 2014
1,716
691
Pencader
sorry if this has been asked before but I could not see any recent threads

Im looking for something not too expensive but still good enough that I wont break it or get frustrated with it

what are my best options?


Well.... these are pretty good but there's a waiting list for the red ones :eek:
attachment.php


Seriously though any of the budget priced pruning saws are more than enough to begin with. I picked one of the Lidl £3 specials as spare and sure it's a little chunky but you're not going to break one easily. It folds, it locks, it cuts and aside from the fact it's screaming bright yellow it does the job.
 

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woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
Woof, try a British Army bayonet frog; cheap. Firm push fit but with some gentle heat should be able to loosen up a bit; not a drop in fit:
IMGP7356.jpg


Here is converting one to molle compatible. They fit belts as is and the popper system is quite convenient:
IMGP7578_1.jpg
Thanks for the tip.

Rob
 

robevs73

Maker
Sep 17, 2008
3,025
200
llanelli
I jus bought a silky katanaboy 500 , it's awesome but big and expensive.
Laplander s are great and I use mine all the time but if I was to have the one saw (perish the thought) I think I'd go for a silky bigboy with medium teeth, I'm now a silky convert!
 

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