dstefan
Well-known member
Geeze …. I have the Katana Boy 650 and I thought that was huge! That 1000 is a monster. How long did that 30 incher take you?
Folding saw
- Thread starter PlacidWaters
- Start date
Alloy
Well-known member
2hrs for each 30" cut.
dstefan
Well-known member
Whew —Thats a lotta sawing! I was hoping it didn’t take that long, but 30” is big for a hand saw to cut, even the best.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I bought my Sven saw in 1994 and it's still working fine. Love stuff that just does what it's supposed to do. Just go for the 21" and $45 for something that's been made in USA since 1961 and your kids will inherit isn't bad. It'll chew through all kinds of lumber.
Yeah, bow saw blades aren't at every Home Depot but they last years, can be found at some regular hardware stores or Cabela's/Bass Pro/army-navy surplus/camping store and aren't proprietary per se on a Sven. You can move the fastening bolt over to any regular raker-tooth bow saw blade. But Sven sells a Swedish-made one already set up for $13 and they have a bone saw blade you can fit if you're a hunter.
svensaw.com
Yeah, bow saw blades aren't at every Home Depot but they last years, can be found at some regular hardware stores or Cabela's/Bass Pro/army-navy surplus/camping store and aren't proprietary per se on a Sven. You can move the fastening bolt over to any regular raker-tooth bow saw blade. But Sven sells a Swedish-made one already set up for $13 and they have a bone saw blade you can fit if you're a hunter.
Sven-Saw | The Famous Campfire Folding Saw
Sven-Saw is the perfect folding saw — perfect for camping, backpacking, hunting, and yard work. Proudly made in Minnesota since 1961.
svensaw.com
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Tudor Tanase
Member
A few ideas here. No.3 is easy enough to make from scratch if desired, I remember seeing a metal one made exactly the same design, which has a lot of advantages, is simple, field fixable and can de disassembled in a few seconds (just release the tension and you're left with a handful of sticks lol. https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/machinery-tools-supplies/best-bow-saw/
ThundahBeagle
Well-known member
I'm not knocking the Silky saws. But honesty, there is no need to overspend here. I love Japanese steel, have some real good Spydercos, but honestly, its not a matter of "special ops" tree branch cutting - it's a hand saw to cut 4 inch sapling size wood.
I used to have an old curved (Corona? Fanno?) wood handle with a friggin' wing nut to hold the curved blade in place open or closed. All I ever needed and wish I still had it.
The new red Corona will do you fine. Wood handle Coronas still available and cheap on some forestry equipment websites and even Amazon. Like $15 to $25and still at least part made in US
I was looking for a new wood handled pruning saw at Home Depot last week. Seems like they don't want to sell inexpensive but reliable items anymore. Found a couple different Fiskars folding saws, one labelled Pro with 2x cutting power so I got that for $36. Used it on the oak branches that the electric company cut back away from the power lines to my house - cut and dropped. It did fine and now lives in my truck next to my US made Estwing Sportsman's camp axe.
Gonna get a cheap wood handled one soon as I can
I used to have an old curved (Corona? Fanno?) wood handle with a friggin' wing nut to hold the curved blade in place open or closed. All I ever needed and wish I still had it.
The new red Corona will do you fine. Wood handle Coronas still available and cheap on some forestry equipment websites and even Amazon. Like $15 to $25and still at least part made in US
I was looking for a new wood handled pruning saw at Home Depot last week. Seems like they don't want to sell inexpensive but reliable items anymore. Found a couple different Fiskars folding saws, one labelled Pro with 2x cutting power so I got that for $36. Used it on the oak branches that the electric company cut back away from the power lines to my house - cut and dropped. It did fine and now lives in my truck next to my US made Estwing Sportsman's camp axe.
Gonna get a cheap wood handled one soon as I can
ThundahBeagle
Well-known member
I find these a little overly complicated for a simple hand saw, but I've seen them. They do work. And kudos for US made. May pick one up on general principleI bought my Sven saw in 1994 and it's still working fine. Love stuff that just does what it's supposed to do. Just go for the 21" and $45 for something that's been made in USA since 1961 and your kids will inherit isn't bad. It'll chew through all kinds of lumber.
Yeah, bow saw blades aren't at every Home Depot but they last years, can be found at some regular hardware stores or Cabela's/Bass Pro/army-navy surplus/camping store and aren't proprietary per se on a Sven. You can move the fastening bolt over to any regular raker-tooth bow saw blade. But Sven sells a Swedish-made one already set up for $13 and they have a bone saw blade you can fit if you're a hunter.
Sven-Saw | The Famous Campfire Folding Saw
Sven-Saw is the perfect folding saw — perfect for camping, backpacking, hunting, and yard work. Proudly made in Minnesota since 1961.
View attachment 801355
jgaz
Adventurer
For me a saw is as much ease of carry as how well it cuts.
This is the rig I use doing volunteer trail work.
Carries 3 quarts of water and I almost never take it off even doing heavy work.
The Bahco rides nicely in a surplus military pop flare pouch. The saw seems to last longer than some of the Home Depot saws our ranger buys.
Note: The pop flare pouch idea came from a former member on here that no longer posts.
I can add him to the list of quite a few others that I thought posted good content but left the site for various reasons.
This is the rig I use doing volunteer trail work.
Carries 3 quarts of water and I almost never take it off even doing heavy work.
The Bahco rides nicely in a surplus military pop flare pouch. The saw seems to last longer than some of the Home Depot saws our ranger buys.
Note: The pop flare pouch idea came from a former member on here that no longer posts.
I can add him to the list of quite a few others that I thought posted good content but left the site for various reasons.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Indeed it is true that it's not a true bow saw so compromises are made. I find that mine (21") clears about an 8" diameter completely in the middle of the peak.
But it's really no different than a regular bow saw. It's an inherent limitation in the design of any saw that supports the blade at both ends that eventually you run into the frame.
And there exists a triangle bow saw similar to it specifically to solve a problem, that being the ability to jam the nose into tight spots. It's known as a pruning bow saw and I'm not sure the shape of the Sven isn't intentional for the same reason.
The backbar on the Sven is 5/16" thick, which compares to my 1960s vintage monster 36" Craftsman's frame at 13/16". The open space in the Craftsman is 10.5" from the blade to the frame. But that thing gets ya a decent sized Christmas tree in 3 good strokes, so it's in a league of it's own.
Point being is it's not quite equivalent to regular bow saws but it's not a serious compromise for the saw type in light of its intended use and benefit that it stores into a fairly convenient form. If you're sawing a big pile of stuff >6" in diameter you'd probably want a chain saw anyway. For breaking down arm-sized or so fire wood or a carcass it's completely sufficient.
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DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Also remembered that I have another folding bow saw, a Coghlan's that's also a 21" blade. The frame says "Made in Canada" and the blade "Sweden" FWIW. It's a little cheaper feeling, some of it's plastic and a bit more crude in design but when assembled the blade is taut and cuts fine. I would have assumed it was less a less expensive saw but I see it's $45 on Amazon.
There's a couple of things I like about it over the Sven. It folds open and just latches, no putting the bolt through and no wing nut to lose. Replacing the blade doesn't require removing roll pins. It's held in with a screw.
But when it's folded it's a little more bulky and relies on several rivets in its construction. Mine kind of falls open and it's not been heavily used. I don't care much for how the blade is kept in the frame while stowed. It relies on a finger tightened socket cap screw.
The Coghlan's weighs 346 grams and the Sven 377 grams (this is with my spare wing nut on the strap).
Pretty much two similar tools. I'm not sure why I have both because if I had one I wouldn't see any reason to buy the other, so maybe it was a gift situation.
There's a couple of things I like about it over the Sven. It folds open and just latches, no putting the bolt through and no wing nut to lose. Replacing the blade doesn't require removing roll pins. It's held in with a screw.
But when it's folded it's a little more bulky and relies on several rivets in its construction. Mine kind of falls open and it's not been heavily used. I don't care much for how the blade is kept in the frame while stowed. It relies on a finger tightened socket cap screw.
The Coghlan's weighs 346 grams and the Sven 377 grams (this is with my spare wing nut on the strap).
Pretty much two similar tools. I'm not sure why I have both because if I had one I wouldn't see any reason to buy the other, so maybe it was a gift situation.
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DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
OK, yes that's true. Good thing in Communist America you have choices, for a while more anyway. I think it's a clever saw and apparently there's enough other fools to keep them in business.
It seems like a lot easier cutting firewood with any of them than with a handheld Sawzall blade.
I 100% agree an Esker is an improvement in all ways except in size and weight. It's done the job since Moses first started chasing beavers for their pelts in the New World. They're obviously not cheap but $150ish for them isn't unreasonable for the quality. They're real nice tools.
Esker Outdoor Tools
Discover Esker's premium Canadian-made outdoor tools, designed for durability and sustainability, perfect for all your wilderness adventures.
eskeroutdoors.ca
So maybe the ideal is a 21" Tuff Saw? Never tried one so can't say. Seems like it would be fine. It costs $20 more than a Sven but looks like you could fabricate your own copy. The 21" has a 7" cut space so I'd imagine it bests the 21" Sven on logs >4" without too much question. The option to get one for 24" or 30" blades is nice, longer running length helps, too.
The downside is trying to fit it in to trim off closely spaced branches. I guess having several types, a quiver of saws in a waxed canvas roll, could be #OLAF.
Tuff Camp Saw - Spring Creek
The “Tuff” Folding Camp Saw by Spring Creek Manufacturing is the most durable, lightweight, and easy to use folding bow saw on the market. Made in the USA
www.springcreek.com
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NORDFORD
Active member
Thank you for this reply. Seriously.
The one thing I hate about this forum is how every little thing becomes about how much $ you can spend.
My Corona has cut hundreds of branches in Nebraska, Colorado and Alaska. No signs of slowing down. Hands down one of the best purchases I’ve made.
A 30” Silky, I’m sure is great, but I’m not Richard Proenneke, trying to carve out my place in the bush.
Side note, if you don’t know who Richard Proenneke is, google it. We don’t know hard or tough - Richard did.
ThundahBeagle
Well-known member
Just one man's opinion, of course, but thank you.
Do you have a wood Corona or a red handle?
DoKarider16
Observer
I do a ton of trail work and have used many folding saws. My favorite is my folding curved blade plastic handle Corona. The curve of the blade helps hold it on a limb if you are far reaching and the plastic handle has a bulb on the end that makes it really easy for even one hand use.
When building trail I have used it for cutting deep big tree roots where you are literally shoving the blade in the dirt. Even with that abuse the blades last a long time. If you look long enough you can get two packs of replacement blades as well.
When building trail I have used it for cutting deep big tree roots where you are literally shoving the blade in the dirt. Even with that abuse the blades last a long time. If you look long enough you can get two packs of replacement blades as well.
NORDFORD
Active member
Red handle. Now that I know wood exists - I’m looking…