FOR CAMP OR SURVIVAL, IT’S HARD TO BEAT A GOOD FOLDING SAW

Some people would say that multitools have no soul. Lacking is that desire to sit on the couch while watching TV and repeatedly deploy our needle-nose pliers, screwdrivers, bottle opener, and small blade if it has one.

The same could be said about a folding saw. Both examples don’t have that cool factor that a folding knife or fixed blade does. However, they are often the most practical tools for many tasks in the backyard or a wilderness setting.

“Chopping comes with a great expenditure of calories to accomplish similar results produced with the smooth, quiet motion of a saw.”

Most people who first get bit by the “survival bug” get caught up in its romance rather than its likeliness. The idea of chopping through the forest with machetes and axes or getting an instant fire started often dances around in our heads. We gear up and set out to battle with nature, often with two or three of everything, just in case. Is a folding saw included in the kit?

CALORIC TRADE-OFF

Processing wood, making hunting blinds, shelters, fire, and general campcraft can be done in the survival spirit with a large chopping tool, which makes a lot of commotion, thus giving ourselves away and scaring off wildlife—both two- and four-legged.

Chopping comes with a great expenditure of calories to accomplish similar results produced with the smooth, quiet motion of a saw. The work we do must produce greater results than the calories spent. I like to think of the saw as a stealthy cutter.

The Corona 10-inch folding saw made short work of cutting through hardwood in a California survival class.

Reaching over the blade with a free hand is a safe way to use a saw. The Corona 10-inch folding saw made short work of cutting through hardwood in a California survival class.

PROPER SAW USE

A saw will easily outcut an axe or large chopping blade. A saw will not slice bread, split or chop wood, blaze a trail, or skin game, yet its attributes are just as rewarding. When using a large chopping blade such as a machete or heavy knife, it is possible to have a few bad swings that produce no results but waste energy.

However, every pull counts with a saw, and there is less wasted motion or risk of injury.

This sawing technique is called a knee-bend cut or plumbers vice.

This sawing technique is called a knee-bend cut or plumbers vice. The inexpensive Dollar General folding saw wasn’t bad and was worth trying out.

To use a saw correctly is to use a saw safely. When first attempting to cut a downed log lying on the ground, make sure it isn’t too large for the saw’s blade. When making the initial cut with the saw, place the blade where you want it, and place your free hand (left hand if you are right-handed), on the right side of the saw blade and grip the log, crossing over your saw blade.

This may seem a little awkward at first, but if and when the saw blade skips out while establishing the cut, it will only rub against the left inner forearm with the spine and be safe.

Most people will place their free hand near the saw blade when making the initial cut, and if the saw blade skips around while trying to establish itself in the log, it will leave the most uneven gash on the top of the knuckles of the free hand. I have seen more cuts on the hands of others and myself from saw teeth skipping around and landing on the knuckles than from a knife.

Use the cross-arm method until the top of the saw blade (spine) is deep in the wood, and then adjust to the more natural, comfortable grip with the free hand. We want a saw that shreds through wood, but getting cut in the process is counterproductive. Speed is of the essence, but safety is paramount.

The author cut 4-inch-diameter oak with the Corona 7-inch Razor Tooth Saw.

The author cut 4-inch-diameter oak with the Corona 7-inch Razor Tooth Saw. The ergonomic handle is comfortable with or without gloves.

Cutting branches hanging up off the ground (green or dry) can be done neatly by first holding the branch safely and securely with the free hand and making a cut on the underside first, maybe about three to four pull-strokes. Then complete the sawing from the top, and the branch will break cleanly without the bark stripping off unevenly.

Use the knee method, often called the plumbers vice, when sawing long branches and wood that is not attached to a tree. Simply kneel with one knee on the ground and place the wood in the bend of the standing leg (right leg if right-handed). This technique will help secure the wood and the free hand holding the other end.

Three Survival folding saws

Three Survival folding saws: Bohco 7-inch, Dollar General, and Corona Razor Tooth 10-inch. All were formidable tools during the author’s review.

Compared to swinging a machete, tomahawk, hatchet, big knife, or axe, using a saw is safer for the people around us. Cutting overhead with a saw is safer than with a hatchet or machete. In a book on woodcraft, I read that there are no minor injuries with a hatchet or axe; this is true, so use the saw for cutting branches up high!

SAW-OFF

I have used the same three folding saws for several years to see how they fared against each other over time. The Bahco Laplander 7-inch is considered the industry standard that almost every conversation begins and ends with about folding saws.

Additionally, I used the large Corona Razor Tooth Saw 10-inch and a cheaper model I observed featured in a saw-off video online. It was a green-handled 7-inch pruning saw from the Dollar General store and had almost no identifying marks or brands on it, yet in the video, it kept up with some of the other big names out there.

“Fast cutting is a judicious combination of the speed with which the saw moves back and forth and the downward force on the blade.”

The Bahco 7-inch folding saw

The Bahco 7-inch folding saw is one of bushcraft’s most identifiable and used saws. This lightweight folding saw has become the industry standard with its smaller teeth, providing a smooth sawing action.

My results had the Bahco as king of the smaller diameter pieces of wood due to its smaller teeth, which allowed for very smooth cutting. The Dollar General saw did well, better than expected. The teeth were larger than the Bahco, and the handle had a curve to it like all pruning saws, which gave it a fair amount of leverage.

The real wood-shredder was the larger 10-inch bladed Corona Razor Tooth. The teeth are large, and the blade is also dramatically curved like the handle. The Corona handle had more options for gripping and a very easy-to-see color. It was big but worth the extra weight and bulk, especially when used to cut enough wood for the fire in the wintertime.

 The author put his Corona Razor Tooth 7-inch folding saw against a Bahco 7-inch folding saw.

During a saw-off competition in Harriman State Park, New York, the author put his Corona Razor Tooth 7-inch folding saw against a Bahco 7-inch folding saw. The Corona had the edge on hard oak with its larger, aggressive teeth.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

My most used folding saws are those of my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Hiker and One-Handed Trekker. They are small and handy, yet very sharp and effective on green and dry wood.

A 7-inch blade version of the Corona Razor Tooth Saw also features all the same ergonomics as its big brother but in a smaller compact size. The Silky Pocket Boy was used for the saw-off, but I couldn’t give it a fair assessment because the tip broke off before the saw-off. However, it cut smoothly and would have been a great force to be reckoned with and a contender.

“A saw will easily outcut an axe or large chopping blade … every pull counts with a saw, and there is less wasted motion or risk of injury. ”

Corona Razor Tooth 10-inch

Once the saw blade has completely cleared the wood, it is safe to place the free hand in a more comfortable place on the wood.

A folding saw cuts through wood very efficiently and usually fits in a cargo pocket. Due to the way saw blades are stamped out, the spine is usually left fairly sharp and can be used to spark a ferrocerium rod.

When paired with another tool for splitting and doing light-medium chopping, most of the bases for wood processing are covered. The folding saw is the ultimate team player in a survival or camp situation.

Corona Razor Tooth 10-inch

The Corona Razor Tooth Saw with a 7-inch blade has large teeth compared to the Bahco folding saw. As a bonus, the saw has a very sharp 90-degree-angle spine for scraping bark and striking a ferro rod.

FOLDING BUCK SAW

The Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw is one tool I want to take when it’s time to head for the hills; this is no ordinary buck saw. This saw is entirely made in the USA, constructed of high tensile extruded aluminum and hardwood for a lifetime of heavy use.

Heavy-duty folding buck saw handcrafted and designed by Bob Dustrude

Heavy-duty folding buck saw handcrafted and designed by Bob Dustrude in Northern Minnesota. The 21-inch saw weighs only 15 ounces.

The 21-inch model is light at about 15 ounces, yet hard-use and bush ready. It has a very rounded, comfortable wood handle. There are only two assembly parts to this saw, no wing nuts or bolts to lose, and it assembles with one hand. Keeping things practical, the Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw accepts any standard 21-inch bow saw blade. These are only some of the features that make Bob’s saw one of today’s best folding buck saws.

SAWING WITH BOB

When using a buck saw, there is a lot of tension put on the tool, the work, and the body.

A saw frame should be heavy-duty enough to keep the saw blade straight under significant tension, and some believe it is rare to find a collapsible saw that meets this criterion. Using the Bob Dustrude saw provides comfort in knowing it’s the right tool for the job.

Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw along with a Mora 510 sheath knife and 14-inch Tramontina Bolo Machete.

Here is the Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw along with a Mora 510 sheath knife and 14-inch Tramontina Bolo Machete. Trios such as this have been used by woodsmen for at least a decade, having one tool to cut large diameter wood, one tool to split it, and one tool for carving.

When cutting with a buck saw, reach inside the bow section and grasp the wood being cut, which supports the wood and is an added measure of safety, should the saw skip and land on top of the hand and fingers. Once the saw blade is visually inside the wood, it is safe to put the support hand back in a more natural place and continue the cut as done with a folding saw.

The space between the saw blade and the aluminum frame will determine how wide the diameter of logs can be cut. If the log can be rolled freely, it can cut through twice the diameter. The length of any saw blade will indicate how fast it will cut.

A longer blade will have a longer stroke, thus cutting through wood faster. The saw I used featured a 21-inch blade; naturally, the 30-inch blade would cut faster. Use the weight of the saw first, and then eventually put some downward force with the wrist of the hand holding the saw.

Quick Buck Saw

The proper way to use a buck saw is to reach in the bow to start the cut, and then once the saw blade is deep in the wood, the position can be changed.

The late bushcraft and wilderness survival instructor Mors Kochanski wrote a great book called “Bushcraft: Outdoors Skills and Wilderness Survival,” with a very in-depth section on saw craft.

He wrote, “Fast cutting is a judicious combination of the speed with which the saw moves back and forth and the downward force on the blade. If too much force is used, you will tire quickly. A full-length stroke is worth three short ones that take twice the effort.”

Easy-to-see instructions printed directly on the wood handle

Easy-to-see instructions printed directly on the wood handle. This saw is more comfortable to use bare-handed in colder weather because the wood doesn’t conduct the cold as much as metal.

USEFUL TOOL

The Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw is perfect for canoeing, camping, horse packing, trail maintenance, backpacking, permanent camps, and wilderness travel. Each saw is handmade in the USA and is the most efficient portable buck saw out there. 


PERFECT COMBO: BIG SAW, SMALL AXE

The combination of using a larger saw in conjunction with a smaller axe, hatchet, or tomahawk is a very practical one. Larger diameter hardwood is easier to cut to size with a saw than an axe.

Not only is it faster and safer, but it makes less noise. The quieter we are in the forest, the more wildlife we may see and the less attention we will bring to ourselves. If you are like me, I like the seclusion of the woods, especially on a solo trip. I’d rather not have a lot of people meddling around my camp looking for the giant woodpecker making all those chopping sounds.

For some of you out there, silence in an escape and evasion scenario is the difference between life and death, but most of us are just out camping and not hiding from deadly forces.

SPECS

Bahco Folding Saw

Blade Length: 7.5 inches
Blade Material: Stainless steel
Handle Material: Plastic over rubber
Color: Green/black
Made In: Sweden
MSRP: $30

Corona Razor Tooth Saw

Blade Length: 7 inches / 10 inches
Blade Material: Stainless steel
Handle Material: Plastic over rubber
Color: Red/black
Made In: Korea
MSRP: $33.15 (7-inch); $37.60 (10-inch)

Dollar General Generic Saw

Blade Length: 7 inches
Blade Material: Stainless steel
Handle Material: Plastic over rubber
Color: Green/black
Made In: China
MSRP: $4

Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw

Blade Length: 21 inches
Blade Material: Stainless steel|
Handle Material: Oak/aluminum
Color: Natural
Made In: USA
MSRP: $85

SOURCES

Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw
FrostRiver.com

Bahco
Bahco.com

Corona
CoronaToolsUSA.com


Editor’s Note:

A version of this article first appeared in the Sep/Oct 2022 print issue of Knives Illustrated.