Opinions on SILKY Saws?

[scdub]

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:.

You should really try a Silky if you can. I’ve used a similar Corona side-by-side with a Silky and there was a noticeable difference in ease/efficiency of cutting. The blade on the Silky was noticeably thinner which is probably the main reason for the difference.

Edit to add: I use a Ranger Band (little bit of bicycle inner-tube) to keep the F180 closed - see pic in above post. Also FYI, on a small saw, smaller teeth can actually cut just as fast on hard/dry wood as larger teeth on green woods. My Super Accel cuts dry wood quickly.

 

[Guy McVer]

Will they beat a chainsaw ? Nope !

It depends on how you look at it. They don't use fuel. That is a massive advantage in my opinion. They're human powered, so they run on carbs and fat. This measns you don't have to carry fuel, or the weight of the motor itself.

Also importantly, they're not extremely loud.

But these aren't things that everyone necessarily values.

 

[DocJD]

It depends on how you look at it. They don't use fuel. That is a massive advantage in my opinion. They're human powered, so they run on carbs and fat. This measns you don't have to carry fuel, or the weight of the motor itself.

Also importantly, they're not extremely loud.

But these aren't things that everyone necessarily values.

Sure enough . I use manual driven hand tools whenever practical, for all those reasons .

Second choice , battery powered .

But for big jobs with a deadline looming , gas powered is still the king .

 

[Hotshot10]

I have a couple of Silky saws and love them. They're good value for the money. I also like how the handle will lock in place past 180 degrees, which is more ergonomic for some cuts.

It depends on how you look at it. They don't use fuel. That is a massive advantage in my opinion. They're human powered, so they run on carbs and fat. This measns you don't have to carry fuel, or the weight of the motor itself.

Also importantly, they're not extremely loud.

But these aren't things that everyone necessarily values.

Totally agree when it comes to using an axe or maul to split wood or a reel mower to cut the grass, but the chainsaw is one gasoline-powered tool for which I have a lot of appreciation.

 

[Spey]

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.

To OP (sharpknives23),
You should really try one for comparison. "Best" I would say needs to go along with the context of the specific applications of use. Example: I am a little disappointed in the coated XL blade only being available in a curved format, also the XL teeth can be a little jumpy in dry and/or hard wood. I knew this before purchase (what took me so long to pick up this latest version).
Pull saws are an interesting option to saws that cut on both push & pull. I have been using Japanese pull-saws since the 80's in both carpentry applications and pruning.
For woods use/applications, I grew up with a bow-saw, and later carried a What-A-Saw (collapsible bow-saw) w/ green-wood, dry-wood, and metal blades (in its blades storage holder) on my pack for years.
Beware though, the teeth on a new Silky are extremely aggressive and very sharp (will leave you with a really nasty cut quickly), and can bend and/or snap a blade easily if you are not paying attention to what's going on during use. typically, if a blade bends or breaks, there will be enough useable blade to get you through until repairs/replacement can be made. Bent teeth, many times will be the beginning of a crack. I have straightened a number of teeth on friends saws and have yet to have one fall off, but have seen cracks developing at teeth base. Some Silky blades can be re-sharpened, some supposedly not.
I posted a video (link below) into this forum showing some application use where a new Silky made the grade in my mind, when I had seriously questioned the tool for the task.
Silky Bigboy Outback - 1st Wood

scdub,
Thanks, really appreciate your taking the time for some reference measurements!

I have slightly edited your numbers below to what I assume you meant (previously missing the tenths place).
I will edit this post later to include numbers for my Bigboy Outback XL, Gomboy 240L, Katanaboy 500 when I get a chance.

Katanaboy 500:
Kerf ~0.07”
Spine at pivot ~0.06”
Spine at tip ~0.05”

Super Accel 21 and F180:
Kerf ~0.05”
Spine (tip to pivot, no taper) ~0.03”

EDIT: Spey Additions to scdub references
("at Heel" below means just fwd of where blade grind starts)
Bigboy Outback XL:
Kerf/Teeth at Heel ~0.0665 "
Kerf/Teeth at Tip ~0.0600 "
Spine at Heal ~0.0630 ”
Spine at Tip ~0.0480 ”

Gomboy 240L:
Kerf/Teeth at Heel ~0.0480"
Kerf/Teeth at Tip ~0.0455"
Spine at Heal ~0.0410 ”
Spine at Tip ~0.0365”

 

[scdub]

I have slightly edited your numbers below to what I assume you meant (previously missing the tenths place).

Oh - haha - yes thanks!

Derp.

 

[Hammer67]

L to R:

Silky Pocketboy 170, Silky F180, Silky Gomboy 240

They're all awesome. The F180 is my most recent saw purchase, and I really like it. Longer blade and more handle than the Pocket Boy, while being significantly lighter. The handle is a high-impact polymer with a rubber overlay. Tough and very gripping. I think it's the ideal backpacking saw when weight matters.

 

[Dav1]

Excellent saws (I've 2) and as a carpenter the blades are excellent and don't snap if you know how to use them. Let the saw do the work and always pay attention to what you're doing.

Never had a breakage after heavy extended use.