Saw Point

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Wayland

Hárbarðr
Recently I took a new look at the saws I was carrying into the winter woods. For a long time I just carried a Laplander and a light weight wooden snow knife that I made based upon an Inuit design.

I own a classic Camp Snow Saw but rarely carry the thing because it is so heavy and only really has one use.

What prompted me to re-evaluate the choices was looking at a few YouTube vids on the subject of building igloos which I am planning to try on my next trip.

Most of the guys that seemed to know what they were doing were using ordinary panel saws to cut the snow blocks. I could see that the shape made the job easier but a full panel saw would be problematic in packing. We have to fly to get to any decent snow from this country.

Saw-Point.jpg


I ended up looking at this stubby saw from Irwin. It has a good length and a wide blade. The teeth are coarse enough for green or dry wood and the handle big enough for working in mittens. Weight wise it sits between the folding saw and the Camp Saw but out performs them both in terms of usefulness.

So that and the snow knife have earned their places in my luggage for the next trip. What do you folks use?
 

Tony

White bear (Admin)
Admin
Apr 16, 2003
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www.bushcraftuk.com
Would not a bigger folding saw do the job? Although I appreciate that it might not cut as square as a panel saw... Now and then Io've wonder if my insulation saw would cut out snow blocks ok... although a bit big as per the panel saw. what about something like the Hultafors Mineral wool knife?
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Every few winters, I get a 7' drift in the back yard that I can walk on, over the fence and into the neighbor's yard. Good block snow.

I trashed a nice handsaw doing a soapstone roughout. Hit an unseen band of little pyrite crystals which took every edge off the blade. Maybe 1 tpi and I can whittle that steel into a good snow knife. 1.5 - 2" wide will be plenty. I'll take my instruction from the online examples at UBC/MOA.
 
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Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
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The Arctic Kit for F35 pilots has a Japanese ARS folding saw for cutting snow.
The other snow specific piece of kit I think is a shovel.

6gj9I7N.png


Video pic was from
 
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