r/Bushcraft • u/big_dick_chaddydaddy • 4d ago
Saw recommendations
Im looking to start a new bushcraft project soon and am after a better bushcraft saw. I currently own a Gerber freescape which is good but struggles at cutting larger bits of wood, I’m also after something a little cheaper somewhere in the $50 range or preferably lower?
My local hardware store has this Fiskars one for pretty cheap.
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u/wildmanheber 3d ago
A Corona folding saw has been my go-to for 30+ years. I have looked at other saws, but these have worked so well for me, I saw no need to "upgrade."
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u/-Black-Stag- 3d ago
You could always just make your own bucksaw. Blades are cheap, wood is cheap, and a wooden bucksaw you made yourself is far more in the spirit of bushcraft than a plastic mass produced option you bought with (more than likely) an insane markup in price
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u/desrevermi 3d ago
Also smart in regards to bushcraft by being resourceful enough to make a saw oneself.
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u/thekinslayer7x 3d ago
Corona is vastly underrated by this sub
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u/Steakfrie 3d ago
They have been for years, regardless of Project Farm's test. I got downvoted for linking it again LOL! Branding seems to be more important here.
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u/Ancient_Walnut 4d ago
Fiskars is okay but Silky Big Boy is where it's at. You'll be happy you spent the extra money for added efficiency and ease of work.
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u/EggCollectorNum1 3d ago
Get the Boreal 21 folding saw, it’s much more robust than that Gerber.
I would also get a Silky if you prefer that shape. I prefer the Boreal for processing firewood as I find it’s easier in my wrist over time. I find I also can process more wood with less fatigue.
I also always bring my fiskars hatchet to clean the sawing space.
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u/Sus_Mushrooms 3d ago
OP I'll second this recommendation - the Boreal has been my go to for at least two decades. The thing is effectively bulletproof, lightweight, compact, comfortable to use, and blades are easy to find/fit. Depending on the task I may also carry a Bahco laplander for quick limbing or if longer-term base camping a small forest hatchet.
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u/EggCollectorNum1 3d ago
That’s amazing! I’ve had mine for about a decade now and it’s still basically new. Prior to the boreal I was using a colghans folding saw which I still keep in my garage.
The boreal always comes in my bag when I go out on a xc ski trip in winter. It’s the best.
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u/NationalValue6250 4d ago
Bahco Laplander
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u/fallopianmelodrama 4d ago
This is the answer. Truly awesome bit of gear, as helpful out bush as it is in the backyard.
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u/happydirt23 4d ago
I have silky big boy. About 6 years old now, sees medium use. Still sharp and quick.
Gave one each to my two boys, teenagers - they have withheld the abuse from numerous Scout trips
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u/alaskanarchy 4d ago
I've got an older fiskars pruning saw where the blade slides out of the handle vs folding out and I love it. I take it everywhere I go when camping.
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u/Mmusic91 3d ago
I've owned a Svensaw since I've gotten into camping and have never needed another one.
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u/jacobward7 3d ago
Pruning saws are ok but you are better with an actual folding bow saw if you are doing much cutting. The Boreal21 saw (there is also a 24" version) cuts faster and with less effort than any pruning style saw I've used and folds up just as small. Blades are easily replaceable too.
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u/Basehound 1d ago
What this man said ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️. I have the gomeboy , the big boy , and an older sawviver ….. the sawviver is way more efficient for big use … or lots of cuts .
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u/Basic-Cauliflower-71 3d ago
Bacho laplander if you want a good saw for cheap. Silky if you want the best.
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u/Comfortable_Fruit_45 4d ago
My experience is that there’s a lot of broken tips and blades with the silky saws, whereas the Bacho Laplander seems to take the beating way better. However the Silky might have a better bite to it. Silky is undoubtedly more expensive, Bacho or Fiskar is cheaper but sturdy, which might be important for your decision. Nevertheless you’ll be doing great with whatever you choose. You do you and use common man sense.
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u/Steakfrie 3d ago
Corona. A great, durable performer I've used for about 10 years.
Project Farm on YT ranked Corona #1, Silky #4, Bahco barely makes top 10 at #9 out of 17 tested.
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u/Yawkramthedvl 3d ago
I got one of the top rated ones from Amazon...6 years ago It still works fine
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u/bassjam1 3d ago
I haven't been impressed with the sharpness of fiskars saws that I've had. They've all had stamped teeth, and I assume this one is too but it's hard to tell from the picture. My folding Corona with cut teeth is wickedly sharp though (I once hit my thumb and it cut to the bone).
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u/ipokestuff 3d ago
Silky Gomboy Curved - pick a size that feels right for you. For me, nothing else beats it and I have tried a variety of hand saws, even the gimmicky "hand chainsaw".
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u/_haha_oh_wow_ 3d ago
Silky is great (I have a Gomboy and it has served me well), Sven saws and Bahco are well regarded, and Fiskars should work just fine, but I would also throw out the idea of making your own takedown bucksaw, this is r/bushcraft after all!
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u/ScienceOfSurvival 3d ago
May I suggest getting a full sized bow saw blade (they are seriously cheap) and then building a bucksaw? It is a fun project for a takedown saw and is just as good as a metal frame saw if handled somewhat carefully.
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u/TacTurtle 3d ago
Corona saws a cheap, durable, and tough AF - they are what we use on the family citrus and avocado orchard for pruning limbs.
Only reason we have to replace the Corona saws is workers leaving them out in the rain and mud (for weeks) or 'losing' them.
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u/CyBORG647 2d ago
How about the Bahco Laplander? Maybe not as premium as a silky but at the price, being basically just as good and not snapping on you, I see no reason not to get it.
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u/curiousdudeA 1d ago
Have a fiskars retracting (super lightweight and safe) totally decent performance.
Bahco for afford, robust dependability. Not the fastest, but they take serious abuse. Good locking mechanism.
Silky: processes wood at scary impressive speeds, takes the effort and sweat right out of it. Pricey, and more careful operation involved.
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u/Otherwise-Subject127 4d ago edited 3d ago
If you want the absolute best then Silky Zubat. Anyone with straight Gomboy knows the handle sucks when it is straight. Aim for at least 330 in length
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u/Colour-me-interested 3d ago
Laplander is very good and comes recommended by ex army people, bushcraft instructors and lifelong bushcrafters so that’s my go to.
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u/qwibbian 4d ago
The sleeper pick here is the Coghlan's Sierra folding saw (not the pocket version), surprisingly high quality, super light weight and dirt cheap.
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u/Alarmed-Strawberry-7 4d ago
Fiskars is fine, Silky is the gold standard around here but pricy.
If you want a budget pick, may I recommend Samurai saws? Another really good pick is Corona, perhaps even better than Samurai depending on what the prices are like in your area. I'd just get whichever one of these two is cheaper if I was in your situation. Both of these are better than Fiskars, in my opinion.