Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Finally, A Great Backpack Saw...

I've experimented with an enormous variety of pack saws over the years, and think I finally found my huckleberry. From Opinel of France, it's a "real" saw that locks open and shut. Has a 4.75" blade, folds 6.5" shut and only weigh's 3.6 oz's. Handle is large enough for a really positive grip. Based on their over 125 year old knife design, once again what's old is new again:

How would it do on bone?

Curious about that as well. I tried a similar, but less expensive saw on bone, and it was miserable enough, I started carrying a wyoming saw which while heavy does the job quickly.

It has the same type of blade as the old standard Sierra saw which comes in a hundred versions. This one might have better metal, though.
It does ok on bone but there are better blades. You can spend 15 min taking the rack off of an elk with it. For removing antlers from a large animal, though, a 5" blade is too short. A real bone saw will have finer teeth, more like a plywood saw. If you want the best blade for the job, you can get saws with extra blades, a wood blade plus a bone blade.

Sierra saw


bone saw teeth

A good inexpensive saw is a Stanley folding saw that sells for about $10. What makes it good is that it uses standard reciprocating saw blades. You can carry several different ones to match the use. The extra long ones are best for antlers but they do stick out the end of the handle when folded.

All of this type of folding saw are designed to cut only on the pull stroke.

Guess I should clarify, I don't use a saw for bone, I use it for wood. I take an elk apart with a knife only.

I've messed with the Stanley, pretty cheap/flimsy. Same with the Sierra. Even my heavily modified Sierra weighs nearly 2 oz's more than the Opinel. The Sierra doesn't pack well either.

The Opinel isn't a bone saw, it's a wood saw... for that it's about ideal for backpacking.

If I have an antlered elk tag the skull plate is the reason I bring a saw. I can't get an elk out in one trip so lots of times the saw stays in the truck until I bring out a load of meat, and I like the Wyoming saw with a bone blade for skull plates.

Brad, for your bulls do you just sever the neck and pack the whole head, or??

Smoke, I like Euro mounts so don't like cutting skull plates. I take the head off with the knife, skin the head, and remove the lower jaw.

Nice pic, looks like you had good weather for that one.

Brad have used one for several years...also like their knives.

I was hunting Caribou right at the arctic circle late 80's and all the guides used Opinel knives.

lefty C

Lefty, I use an Opinel knife for summer backpacking (camp chores/trout knife). They're excellent. May have to give it a try as a hunting knife.

Someone asked how it would work on bone and I was answering. Yours has teeth for wood and should work fine for cutting wood for a folding stove.

I like the looks of that saw but I will stick with the Corona.

Which Corona? They're very nice but quite heavy... generally 12+ oz's.

I have used a couple of the Corona 7" saws hard for a few years. The blade stays very sharp for a long time and is overall quite durable. Replacement blades are inexpensive. Not sure on the weight, heavier than the Opinel for sure but still very lite. I like the price as well, around $23 on Amazon. Corona also makes a wood handled similar version.

http://coronatoolsusa.com/rs-7245-razor-tooth-folding-saw-7-in.html

Corona 7" is just under 7oz.

Nice saw, I think it should work just fine.


Thanks for the info.

Nice. Still, 7 ounces is essentially twice as heavy. I'm an ounce parer, especially as I approach 55 in a couple months. The Opinel was part of my ounce shedding quest in every area.

Backpacking is all about ounces.

I like the old-school looks and light weight of the Opinel.

Would a saw that size have a specific chore, or more for misc light sawing?

Is that enough saw for processing firewood for a small Ti type stove?

It's plenty big for general firewood gathering, either open fire or packable/Ti-style stove. Really, it's "just right."