This sure did a great job this year. Ended up clearing a bunch of trails with it. Best light-weight folding saw I've ever owned. Easily. Very dependable and scary sharp.
Silky makes some nice saws. Not sure that I would pack one on a backcountry hunt unless I was using a wood burning stove though.
I used a small SOG multitool to clear a trail for my mule deer hunt. Not the ideal tool, but good enough. I do carry a lightweight saw for skull caps but don't cut wood with it.
I have one of those folding saws. It was a gift and probably brand X. I thought it was going to be junk so it stayed in the drawer for a long time. Finally I gave it a try and was surprise by how durable and effective it is.
Here are a couple of examples of camps I have built using "that cheap" junk saw. It has never failed.
Last edited by KC; 02/19/23.
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
Shag; Good evening to you sir, I hope the weekend was kind to you and you're well.
The saw I've used most over the years has been this old Coghlan's Sierra Saw which were made in Japan and had no kerf to the teeth so worked fantastic for bones.
Many years ago after chipping a couple of teeth cutting skull plates off or cutting leg bones, I was able to get a replacement blade and then they just quit bringing them in.
There's some made in China ones that look close and I've had some other saws which looked sort of the same but weren't.
Silky saws are highly thought of by arborists and such up here. I'm not sure if they work on bones though, but came close to picking one up a year ago so perhaps I'll yet find one and then find out.
I will say this about that - mine is 180mm/7" and I'd like to get the next one maybe a bit longer like a 210 for wood.
Silky makes some nice saws. Not sure that I would pack one on a backcountry hunt unless I was using a wood burning stove though.
I used a small SOG multitool to clear a trail for my mule deer hunt. Not the ideal tool, but good enough. I do carry a lightweight saw for skull caps but don't cut wood with it.
Just for the record...straight vs curved blade. The ergonomics experts say that a straight blade is best when cutting at heights between your knees and your shoulders. A curved blade works best above or below that. I really haven't noticed much difference except when cutting the skull cap off of an elk. A straight blade is best for that.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
[quote=BC30cal]Shag; Good evening to you sir, I hope the weekend was kind to you and you're well.
The saw I've used most over the years has been this old Coghlan's Sierra Saw which were made in Japan and had no kerf to the teeth so worked fantastic for bones.
eaglemountainman; Good morning to you sir, well afternoon if you're out east I suppose, I hope this finds you well.
Our Sierra Saw would have been from the early '80's too, likely when we first moved here to BC in '84 if I'm not wrong.
They - Coghlan's - has a black handled version of it out now, but I do not believe it's made in the same place - Japan.
To answer fshaw's query about skull caps, that's the saw we used on many mulie skull caps over the years. I'd always skin it first as it was easier to see where I was cutting that way and I have a hunch the hair dulls the teeth faster than bone does - but that's a guess.
After my post I was contemplating a Silky 210 from a cutlery place up here I've purchased from on multiple occasions, but like you said, "one of these days" but I didn't last night..
I got introduced to Silky saws when I pinched a chainsaw bar in the backcountry and was fortunate to find a University researcher manning a chopper landing site who loaned me his Silky saw. I wasn't optimistic, but I got that saw unstuck pretty quickly considering.
I bought a Pocketboy 170 right away, and now I always have it in my pack when I'm outdoors. The blades have kept an edge, but I have cracked them. Good news is that they're replaceable and available from multiple sources. Bad news is they're imported so they're pricey. Sometimes it's more economical to buy a whole saw rather than just a blade.
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Silky saws are highly thought of by arborists and such up here. I'm not sure if they work on bones though,
Sikly's blade come in three or four tooth sizes. The fine or med worked for skulling a deer. I've not worked other type of bone with my Silky.
Another Silky owner here- the 180 for day trips when I know I'm going to be making fires, 130 for backpacking trips when weight really counts
Large teeth for cutting dry wood, fine for bone- I bring both (the extra blade weighs a few grams) blades when hunting.
I've also got honking Katana Boy that rides behind the back seat in my truck, no worries about gas & oil spills/smells and can clear pretty large trees that happen to fall across a road
I got introduced to Silky saws when I pinched a chainsaw bar in the backcountry and was fortunate to find a University researcher manning a chopper landing site who loaned me his Silky saw. I wasn't optimistic, but I got that saw unstuck pretty quickly considering.
I bought a Pocketboy 170 right away, and now I always have it in my pack when I'm outdoors. The blades have kept an edge, but I have cracked them. Good news is that they're replaceable and available from multiple sources. Bad news is they're imported so they're pricey. Sometimes it's more economical to buy a whole saw rather than just a blade.
Quote
Silky saws are highly thought of by arborists and such up here. I'm not sure if they work on bones though,
Sikly's blade come in three or four tooth sizes. The fine or med worked for skulling a deer. I've not worked other type of bone with my Silky.
I recently had a work mate break the blade on my Felco 600, the replacement blade turned out to be more expensive than a complete saw.
I am interested in knowing if someone has physically used and compared the Silky Saw range with the Felco 600.
Added. I ordered a Silky Outback and shall test it myself at work.