I haven't seen any threads dedicated to portable camp saws. I own a few and thought I'd share my thoughts on them. I typically keep this first one in my rear door pocket for quick access. It's made by Silky and its a Gomboy 210 (the number referencing the length in mm). I've owned two of these since around 1994 and only because I lost the first one after leaving it behind at a campground a year ago. I was so bummed after realizing my mistake that I immediately bought another one (price in 1994 was $24, now they are around $40). My first one had a medium tooth blade, but I bought the coarse pattern for my replacement. I wished I'd bought the medium tooth blade again after using for a little while now. The coarse teeth tend to hang up more and I find myself flexing the blade more than I care too. That said, it's still my go-to saw for trimming low hanging branches on the trail. The 21cm blade is just long enough to take care of most 2-3 limbs and you will find no better blade than these. This is not your typical Coghlan or Gerber saw.
http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws...210mm-MED-Teeth-Hand-Saw#sthash.WdaoiMmh.dpbs
My other saws are both campfire type saws. The buck-saw that I own is even older than my first Silky. I think I got it in the late 80's and was a gift from my dad. He traveled a lot back then and always ducked into tool stores and surplus stores when he was out. No telling where it came from, but the only one I've found similar is the also-discontinued Trailblazer 18" and 24". [Actually a few similar options at the links at the bottom of this post]
Mine is anodized red aluminum and is around 24" packed and the Trailblazer model appears to have some minor design improvements. Mine has both bone and wood blades vs. Trailblazer's single wood blade. Everything is contained within the longer tube when packed up. This cuts 6-8" logs with relative ease. If you have a second set of hands on the other handle, even better. I like the depth of the bow on this saw because you can get a longer stroke on bigger logs.
The last saw I own, I only recently acquired but its been in the family for a long time. Might have been purchased by my dad around the same time as I got the Buck Saw.
The Sven Saw comes in two sizes 15" and 21". http://www.svensaw.com/ It's in the sub $40 price range. What's nice about the Sven saw is the quick setup and articulated design with fewer parts to keep track of (compared to the Buck Saw). One drawback is the smaller bow which means smaller strokes or you will need rotate your log if its on the large size. Another reason I prefer the Buck Saw is that the angle of the handle is more vertical and I tend to get a better push/pull stroke than the Sven which has a ~60 degree angle as well as a wingnut on the handle.
Here's a couple more good looking camp saws I found too.
http://www.upgradeinnovations.com/camp.php $42
http://www.bensbackwoods.com/pole-and-paddle-folding-buck-saw-24-bahco-blade/ $45
This one appears to be discontinued but looks like a phenomenal saw with a 24" blade and deep bow. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LW1Q1E/?tag=ihco-20
What do you use and why is it your favorite?
http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws...210mm-MED-Teeth-Hand-Saw#sthash.WdaoiMmh.dpbs
My other saws are both campfire type saws. The buck-saw that I own is even older than my first Silky. I think I got it in the late 80's and was a gift from my dad. He traveled a lot back then and always ducked into tool stores and surplus stores when he was out. No telling where it came from, but the only one I've found similar is the also-discontinued Trailblazer 18" and 24". [Actually a few similar options at the links at the bottom of this post]
Mine is anodized red aluminum and is around 24" packed and the Trailblazer model appears to have some minor design improvements. Mine has both bone and wood blades vs. Trailblazer's single wood blade. Everything is contained within the longer tube when packed up. This cuts 6-8" logs with relative ease. If you have a second set of hands on the other handle, even better. I like the depth of the bow on this saw because you can get a longer stroke on bigger logs.
The last saw I own, I only recently acquired but its been in the family for a long time. Might have been purchased by my dad around the same time as I got the Buck Saw.
The Sven Saw comes in two sizes 15" and 21". http://www.svensaw.com/ It's in the sub $40 price range. What's nice about the Sven saw is the quick setup and articulated design with fewer parts to keep track of (compared to the Buck Saw). One drawback is the smaller bow which means smaller strokes or you will need rotate your log if its on the large size. Another reason I prefer the Buck Saw is that the angle of the handle is more vertical and I tend to get a better push/pull stroke than the Sven which has a ~60 degree angle as well as a wingnut on the handle.
Here's a couple more good looking camp saws I found too.
http://www.upgradeinnovations.com/camp.php $42
http://www.bensbackwoods.com/pole-and-paddle-folding-buck-saw-24-bahco-blade/ $45
This one appears to be discontinued but looks like a phenomenal saw with a 24" blade and deep bow. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LW1Q1E/?tag=ihco-20
What do you use and why is it your favorite?
