Hand saw for trail Maintenance

Bahco Laplander is a popular choice

I bring much smaller ones backpacking or “just in case”, but if I’m planning to do trail work, I bring a name-brand pruning saw.  A folder like this if I’m traveling a ways:

$20.  One pound.

Or a fixed blade in a sheath if the size isn’t an issue.

Up to 3 or 4 inches, I definitely prefer a pull saw like that over a bow saw.

A tool-box-sized, carpenter’s wood saw with modern teeth (Stanley, Fat Max, $12, 1 pound) does a surprisingly good job for a push saw, in part because of the stiffer blade – size doesn’t matter, stiffness does :-).  It was hard (coming from a family of hoarders), but I realized it was better in every way than any of the 20- and 30-year-old rip- and crosscut saws and tossed all my others.

+1 on the Laplander.

I have also heard great things about Silky saws. The Pocketboy model, for instance, is smaller than the Laplander but almost as quick. Might be a nice and small option for attacking 3 inch branches.

Weight isn’t really an issue, we typically never carry tools more than 6 miles-so with little regard for weight, what would you chose?

In that case I would recommend the Corona 18″ Razor Tooth or Bahco 14″ pruning saws. They have a longer stroke than the folding saws and require less effort. I have the Bahco 14″ and Laplander saws which weigh 8 oz and 7 oz respectively. I expect the Corona is heavier but more efficient.

Thanks for all of the help.

Silky saws are by far the best I have used and that includes a laplander and several others. They are increadibly sharp, cut like butter and are reasonably light. I have a few in various lengths and having nothing but good to say about them.

You have to get the motion down properly for them to really rip through wood but once you do it’s impressive.

What Eric says.

Silky Gomtaro 300(12″)

A straight blade in a holster.

For real work whilst moving around, a saw in a holster by your side is far more useful than a folder.

If travelling, a folder like the Laplander is nice as it’s light and packs easily, but it soon gets old using one for more than a few minutes.

But in 25 years of treework, I’ve yet to see any other pruning saw beat a Silky on greenwood. Some start as good, but lose their edge(s) sooner.

balco folding … cheap, fairly light and works

ive cut 5-6″ just fine with some work … 3″ is childs play for it

;)

I use a classic 21″ Sven Saw. It has some extra tension on it and some extra kerf on the blade. It will cut in both directions, chews up 6″ logs easily and will do 8″ with some work. Two or three strokes for 3″ stuff…very efficient for all day use.
Oh yeah, it weighs 14oz and folds into itself, a bar about 21″ long. Placed diagonal against my back, it makes a fair frame.

I decided to go with the Silky Gomtaro 300.  It will be here in time to try it up in the Allegheny National Forest on Sunday.  Hopefully NCT users won’t be stepping over and around so many blowdowns after this weekend.  Thanks for all of the input.

I have used the Bahco and now have a Felco.

Both very good , not sure which is better because I never used them side by side.

If weight isn’t an issue, I’d get Bob Dustrude’s Quick Bucksaw. Bob’s getting up there in age, so I picked one up for a base camp item.

http://fourdog.com/bobs-quick-buck-saw-21/

SVEN SAW – a good folding saw that has been around for decades. Replacement blades are easy to find.

Slight thread drift: How about a saw recommendation when weight is an issue? The Silky Pocketboy* look great. At a bit under six ounces (160 grams) it not bad at all. But what about something a little lighter? Maybe around three ounces. I’m thinking of something I wouldn’t hesitate to bring for every day hike, and maybe even half of the backpacking trips.

* Then there is the issue of teeth. I am in the Northwest, which means Alder, Pine, Fir, Douglass Fir, Cedar and so on. Fresh and old wood. I really don’t mind making extra strokes, and far prefer that over getting snagged. I’m thinking medium.

Another +1 for Silky saws.  Those are what the rangers in GNP are issued.  Very smooth and quick, much faster cutting than my Gerber saw.

For those interested in lighter weight and are primarily cutting small branches from larger trees that are blocking the trail I would recommend the Unbelievable Saw at 4.7 oz. (132 gms).  The sawing action pulls the load toward you so it would not be very good for cutting firewood unless it is well anchored or heavy.  Think chain saw chain with a handle on each end.

Yeah, I’m thinking trail maintenance. That is why I want a light saw. If I’m out hiking (or this time of year skiing) it is nice to pull out a saw and fix the trail up a bit. But if the saw is heavy, I might just leave it in the car.

I was out cross country skiing yesterday and was glad I had my little saw. It isn’t a great saw — it is a Felco — so my guess is a Silky would be a huge upgrade. I do use the saw a lot while skiing, and it occurred to me that convenience is huge in this regard.

I’m wondering about going with a small fixed blade with a sheath. Nothing I cut yesterday was much over an inch (just a lot of Alder that was pushed over the trail by the snow). I like the folding motion as it fits really nicely in my pocket, but it tends to snags my ski gloves when I put it away. I could push the blade with an open hand (thus protecting my glove) but that would mean pushing a blade towards the hand that is gripping the handle. This is probably perfectly safe (the blade doesn’t move that easily) but I just don’t feel comfortable doing that.

So anyway, any recommendations for a small fixed blade saw with a sheath? The sheath is almost as important as the saw, as I would like to just put in in my pocket when I’m done. When I encounter a few branches, I tend to encounter more a few minutes later, and taking on and off my pack is a pain in the winter.

For larger limbs, am partial to the Dustrude saw, because it holds the blade very taut, and is the easiest folding buck saw I’ve found to fold and unfold.
https://www.duluthpack.com/bob-dustrude-quick-buck-saw.html
Weighs about a pound.
Like it better than pruning saws, the Sawvivor, and definitely better than the Sven.
Now if only they made a lithium power saw under a pound, or maybe a lithium powered elbow.

Sam F.,

I really like that Bob Dustrude folding buck saw. A bit more weight than my Sven saw that Duluth Pack also sells but much better for larger logs and limbs.  Thanks for putting up that link.

Gotta say the Sawvivor.  It stays in my pack.

https://www.rei.com/product/689759/trail-blazer-sawvivor-saw

Gotta say the Sawvivor.  It stays in my pack.

Fantastic saw … I’ve use one for trail maintenance for 5-6 years.  But unfortunately, it is not manufactured anymore, hasn’t been since 2013 or so according to info at http://bushcraftusa.com.   I’d love to have the larger model (18″) … easier to find blades that size.

I do a lot of trail work on the PCT here in the NW.  We have thousands of limbs to cut each season, prior to bucking the trees that have come down on the trail.  When the vehicles pull up carrying the equipment no one grabs the buck saws.  Their design gets in the way of cutting branches.  Sometime you can only get a 2-inch stroke because the vertical portion of the saw is hitting another branch, but you can’t get at that one until you get rid of this on…and so on.  Buck saw = yuck!

We all go for the Silky Katanaboy, 500 mm

http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Folding-Straight_2/KATANABOY-with-500-extra-large-teeth#sthash.EoStlFOM.UiuZVrf8.dpbs

This saw cuts limbs like they were butter.  The handle design is very comfortable and safes your shoulders.  You can comfortably grab it with both hands and use your body weight more efficiently.  The design allows you to reach into deep branches and cut them with no interference.  Heck….I bought my own, because there’s never enough of these to go around!