Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Sportsmans Industries Folding Saw Review

Here is a YouTube link to a short video I did on cutting through an elk skull with the Sportsmans Industries Folding Saw

It has a 10" blade with coarse teeth that are no doubt intended for wood

In this case bone is what I want to cut.

Case and saw weigh less than 15 oz. And for $20 shipped from Amazon it seems to be a decent tool.

I give it 4 our of 5 stars because the lock failed one time during the test.

The cut time was under 2 minutes

https://youtu.be/blAxzDPagnw

In the end do you like that saw and use it?

I wonder how well it cleans itself on fresh bone rather than dry bone?


Casey

Thanks. I might pick one up. Not a bad weight.

It's the same blade used on a lot of pruning saws. They work but not as well as a real bone saw. Well designed packable bone saws are hard to come by, though. For an elk a year, it does the job, just a bit slower.

Boy, ain't that the truth.....

You guys will laugh, but I still use the old "Big Buck" folding saws with a flexible bone blade and wood handle. They don't make them anymore......dang it.


Casey

The up side to this saw is it's size

A full 10" blade on a light weight folding saw is what got my attention

The elk skull I used is dry and very hard. I bet on new bone this saw performs even better

It should also be mentioned that the saw has a 5 year warranty

10" is a good blade length for an elk. Many of them are too short and the tip pulls inside the cut making it hard to push forward.
The curve is made for tree limbs to keep the cut in both sides of the wood. I don't know how well it'll work on a head.

You didn't watch the video?

111 seconds through dry bone

$20 and less than a pound with a 5 year warranty.

I'll put it to work

I think he means on a head with hide, tissue, and brains.

I use a knife before I use any saw....even a battery reciprocal

Try a Wyoming saw you'll be a lot happier!

I can't see it working any better than under 2 minutes

Does the Wyoming saws handle clear 16" eye gourds?

I've used several different saws with the same teeth on elk. It goes a lot slower with a fresh head, even after skinning it. It does get the job done, though, and this saw would be easy to pack and use. Too bad they don't make this saw with a bone blade.

Two other saws under $20 that may be worth some consideration are the Myth fixed blade, and the Hunters Specialties folding saw with bone blade. The former is about 1/4 pound and the latter 1/2 pound.

Do they sport a 10" blade?

Most saws max out at 7......this makes large skulls tough to saw

Wyoming saw with an 18" blade is way better than the saw you reviewed and cuts way faster!

Faster?

Heavier....no doubts

The saw I reviewed made the cut in just over 90 seconds

That is anything but slow

Of course the only way to tell would be with a head-to-head test, but I have a hard time believing that any 10-inch hook saw with a wood blade could best an 18-inch bow saw with a bone blade.

A real bone saw will have teeth shaped like a hack saw but larger. It's made to be self cleaning so meat & chips won't clog it up. They're directional so they only cut in one direction, even in a bow saw. All of the folding saws will be made to cut on the pull stroke.

I've used a Sierra saw with the wood blade to cut antlers off a number of elk. It works ok, as will about any of the folding saws, but a real bone blade would be faster. I think that 95% of the cutting that gets done is on wood so most guys use a wood blade for multipurpose rather than buy or carry 2 saws.
My opinion is that blade length is more important than blade type. A wood blade will get it done but a blade that's too short can be a real PIA. If the tip is pulled inside the skull on every pull, it can greatly increase the cutting time.

I think the OP saw would work fine for a multipurpose saw. It's got good length and is light weight. If you had to do a number of elk, you'd want something different but for 1 or 2 a year, it'll work.

I've had 2 Gerbers with bone blades but with both, the saw handles failed, not the blades. Gerber makes some real junk.

this is a bone blade for a meat bow saw

In high school I worked summers for a tree service and used both types daily. The other advantage of a bow saw (besides blade length) is leverage and hand position. With a hook saw your hand is aligned close to the blade and your wrist is straight. With a bow saw your hand is up above the blade so you can push down, and your wrist is cocked back so you can get more into each push.

There won't be an 18" saw in my pack....ymmv

I only have one use for a pack saw and that's cutting out the scull plate

At camp or home it's AC or DC

Yes the Wyoming Saw will clear 16" guards as you put it. Even the short saw if you pick your cut right. It will also match your time pretty well. Although I'm not sure why speed is a deciding factor. I work next to Wyoming Knife Company. Every saw I've got from them came with metal, wood, and bone blades. Don't pack them all except the bone. Weight is negligible imho

I'll let them know they need to be faster and lighter though....

Mine either. But since I can't haul a whole bull out in one trip, leaving it in the truck works just fine.

Faster....no

Lighter....yes

I'm going to make a lighter Wyoming saw this year by putting the frame and handle on a Bridgport diet

Sounds interesting, I'll volunteer to field test it.

I'll have it in your state several weeks this year

18" stays in camp my 14" which is no longer made stays in my pack and weighs 15 oz's, and I'll say it again it cuts way better than the saw in your review .........and I don't have to worry about the blade lock failing...... but you only need to make yourself happy!

True....I am very happy....and I have no use for any saw with a tag in my pocket....zero

And I will add....I'll loose no sleep over your favorite saws or the two free ones I was given by Sportsmans Industries to test.

Have a nice day

OK, drop one off at the house here. If you could make an aluminum frame and handle for it, that'd be awesome.

Does it come in a brighter color?

Bright colors are good, for MANY pieces of hunting gear. Try finding a camo saw, knife, or compass in a pile of dry leaves.

So true!!

I've even painted hammers, saws and most of my tools through the years blaze orange so I can spot them on the ground at the job site

Tent stakes get painted too

No one expected you to loose any sleep over a saw, just thought you might actually be looking for more quality...........

Funny.....it was free. X2

I own a Wyoming saw...and a half dozen others

They all lack something