Plus harder to badly hurt yourself .
Opinions on SILKY Saws?
- Thread starter sharpknives23
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$159 over there at the moment for the 500. Tempting...Ah - fair enough.
I waited for years before buying a Katana Boy but when I saw it for $200 shipped from Jeff Bezoar I grabbed it. Has gone through some pretty big downed trees. Not chainsaw fast but certainly chainsaw capable if you have some time. Plus no gas/oil/chaps/helmet/noise.
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- May 23, 2021
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I should've specified the use, my apologies. I plan to put the saw into a backpack to go venturing into the wilderness with (backpacking)I have only one . A Hayate telescoping pole saw .
Expensive but well made in Japan . Worth it for my use .
Best ? That all depends on what you need and how you use it .
As others have said above , these are thin blades and used only to pull cut .
You have to learn to use them properly , for best results and to avoid damage to the tool .
Will they beat a chainsaw ? Nope !
But for a lightweight , human powered saw , they cut with impressive ease and speed .
It's still a Silky saw and the general principles of how they work are all similar , or so I expect .
Putting a Silky blade on the end of a 21' pole only exacerbates any problems , like having the blade get caught due to binding in the cut .
A backpacking sized Silky would be much easier to use .
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Mine folds up and is roughly 16" in size when folded up, isn't that back pack size? Or should I opt for something smaller?It's still a Silky saw and the general principles of how they work are all similar , or so I expect .
Putting a Silky blade on the end of a 21' pole only exacerbates any problems , like having the blade get caught due to binding in the cut .
A backpacking sized Silky would be much easier to use .
Just depends on what you need to cut vs. how much you are willing to carry .
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- May 23, 2021
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Well my concern was to not buy a saw too small that would impede whatever branch/tree I intended to cut, but not too big either that it would burden me to carry it around. I got it on sale, so I think that was the reason I purchased it when I did.Just depends on what you need to cut vs. how much you are willing to carry .
From what everyone here tells me, I can't go wrong with Silky, so I think I made the right choice
MolokaiRider
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Here is one of mine that has a lot of miles. The tip snapped off from me being tired and slacking on technique.
Still cuts great.
Still cuts great.
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- May 23, 2021
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That has a LOT of rust, no kidding on the miles aspect!
I should definitely get a spare blade or two.
Mark Knapp
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Dec 20, 2009
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They are the best I've ever seen.
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- Apr 7, 2003
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Silky saws are great. If you don't want them to be shiny, they have three models in their "Outback" line designed explicitly for outdoors folks now.
silkysaws.com
Gomboy Curve Professional 240mm - Outback Edition
The Silky Outback Edition hand saws feature a handle made of arbor composite which provides excellent grip and control for wet, cold and game-processing conditions. The blade can cut bone and
silkysaws.com
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I had a Silky F180, but after seeing a Survival Russia video where he used a larger Silky Saw to remarkable effect, I thought about investing in a larger bladed saw.
I bought a BigBoy Outback which is utterly phenomenal, and a good partner to my GB Small Forest Axe.
I then got a Gomboy Curve Outback to join my GB Mini Hatchet, Mora Companion Heavy Duty Stainless, Victorinox Huntsman SAK and Leatherman Micra as the edged tools component of a compact emergency bag I'm putting together.
The teeth on the Silky Saws are beyond incredibly sharp, which with their outstanding design and high grade materials and manufacturing, makes for a highly efficient cut without expending large amounts of energy.
I'd rather saw than chop!
I bought a BigBoy Outback which is utterly phenomenal, and a good partner to my GB Small Forest Axe.
I then got a Gomboy Curve Outback to join my GB Mini Hatchet, Mora Companion Heavy Duty Stainless, Victorinox Huntsman SAK and Leatherman Micra as the edged tools component of a compact emergency bag I'm putting together.
The teeth on the Silky Saws are beyond incredibly sharp, which with their outstanding design and high grade materials and manufacturing, makes for a highly efficient cut without expending large amounts of energy.
I'd rather saw than chop!
hhmoore
Gold Member
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I've got the Silky Professional Series Super Accel Hand Saw 210mm
It works well, and has stood up everything I've put it through (including being dropped out of trees a few times). I paid $33 for it in 2019, and consider it money well spent. (it's 45 on the river now)
View attachment 1766161
It works well, and has stood up everything I've put it through (including being dropped out of trees a few times). I paid $33 for it in 2019, and consider it money well spent. (it's 45 on the river now)
View attachment 1766161
Last edited:
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In almost 12 years of doing tree work professionally, I have never seen a broken silky saw blade. I've broken dozens of fanno, Corona and lesser brands. The only thing that comes close for performance is ARS. They make a damn fine blade too. but for bucket and climbing work though, I won't buy anything but silky.
Edited twice because I had to really about how long I've been in the industry.
Edited twice because I had to really about how long I've been in the industry.
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My only interest in a folding saw is for backpacking, so size and weight are big considerations.
I chose the Corona Professional RS 7041 over the Silky F180 for a variety of reasons, though they were all based on having just looked at them, as I didn't buy both.
-The Corona's teeth are a bit more aggressive, so it should cut a little faster. It does not have finger grooves or the "humps" in the handle, which might be irritating if they don't gel with your hand/finger size, and cause hotspots in more extensive use with bare hands. The Corona's blade locks in the closed position, which the Silky's doesn't, and it's also less expensive.
Since I haven't used the Silky, I don't know if I'd actually see much difference in actual use. It appears to be more solidly constructed(bigger pivot and better lever for the locking mechanism, anyway), yet an ounce lighter if the claimed weight is correct.
Either would probably be fine for me, but I do know that the Corona hasn't disappointed in either performance or durability, as I've used mine for some pretty big jobs for such a little saw.
I'm always doing gear reviews and tutorials in my head that I never follow through on, but here's a couple of before and afters from when I've had enough spare daylight to do some trail maintenance:.
I chose the Corona Professional RS 7041 over the Silky F180 for a variety of reasons, though they were all based on having just looked at them, as I didn't buy both.
-The Corona's teeth are a bit more aggressive, so it should cut a little faster. It does not have finger grooves or the "humps" in the handle, which might be irritating if they don't gel with your hand/finger size, and cause hotspots in more extensive use with bare hands. The Corona's blade locks in the closed position, which the Silky's doesn't, and it's also less expensive.
Since I haven't used the Silky, I don't know if I'd actually see much difference in actual use. It appears to be more solidly constructed(bigger pivot and better lever for the locking mechanism, anyway), yet an ounce lighter if the claimed weight is correct.
Either would probably be fine for me, but I do know that the Corona hasn't disappointed in either performance or durability, as I've used mine for some pretty big jobs for such a little saw.
I'm always doing gear reviews and tutorials in my head that I never follow through on, but here's a couple of before and afters from when I've had enough spare daylight to do some trail maintenance:.
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- Apr 15, 2012
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Pull-Saw Question:
With the performance and popularity of Silky Saws (pull saws in general), is there a place where non-professionals (non-arborists forums) discuss & detail these saws are discussed in detail?
I have many times past, and again today searched the forums here to find little discussion (considering the performance value of this tool).
The reason I mention "non-professionals" is because I generally believe pros, arborists, carpenters, tradesmen in general, etc. would be more apt to focus on fixed saws. pole-saws, etc. vs folding versions much the same way my 30-40 year old carpentry pull saws are of fixed designs and or two-piece w/ removable handles.
One example of the type of info I have had hard time locating is accurate comparisons of blade thickness and kerf thickness of all blades from a single source comparison (spine aka back vs teeth aka front and from heel to toe). I have only seen one comparison document and the values do not match measured values.
Appreciate any leads.
thanks,
With the performance and popularity of Silky Saws (pull saws in general), is there a place where non-professionals (non-arborists forums) discuss & detail these saws are discussed in detail?
I have many times past, and again today searched the forums here to find little discussion (considering the performance value of this tool).
The reason I mention "non-professionals" is because I generally believe pros, arborists, carpenters, tradesmen in general, etc. would be more apt to focus on fixed saws. pole-saws, etc. vs folding versions much the same way my 30-40 year old carpentry pull saws are of fixed designs and or two-piece w/ removable handles.
One example of the type of info I have had hard time locating is accurate comparisons of blade thickness and kerf thickness of all blades from a single source comparison (spine aka back vs teeth aka front and from heel to toe). I have only seen one comparison document and the values do not match measured values.
Appreciate any leads.
thanks,
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Nothing to direct you to that has all that info, but I just grabbed my calipers and a few Silkys (couldn’t find my son’s Pocket Boy) and here’s what I found:
Katanaboy 500:
Kerf ~.7”
Spine at pivot ~.6”
Spine at tip ~.5”
Super Accel 21 and F180:
Kerf ~5”
Spine (tip to pivot, no taper) ~.3”
My calipers are cheap so that’s why I didn’t give more precise numbers.
