review: stanley fatmax saw.

JV3

JV3

Joined
Mar 17, 2010
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i always wanted to try a sawvivor but the $30+ price tag (plus a few negatives as well) always prevented me from getting one. i've been on the lookout for a real saw for awhile now but never found anything i liked until i was at lowes recently and spotted this stanley fatmax...ergonomic rubber handle, 15" blade length, very slick teflon-like blade coating - all for $16!

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size comparison with two of my best choppers.

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quick test in the backyard with a 3" thick sycamore branch - under 10 secs, not bad. but how will it do against a real log where axes are king? stay tuned.

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it's only about 4" longer than the junglas.

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but it's lighter than the junglas with sheath (1.11 lbs vs. 2.06 lbs).

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quick way to secure the sheath but eventually i want a kydex for it :eek::D

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there's this dead fall from a previous trip that's a good test for the fatmax.

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this pic was from a previous trip as well. i think it took me 20 min (maybe longer since i took breaks to prevent sweating since it was near freezing) to chop one piece off.

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same log, different trip...the fatmax cut through it in 2 min 26 secs :eek:

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izula for size comparison.

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in 1 hr the fatmax processed enough wood to last me 5+ overnighters - this was only 3/4th of the load. it took me a lot longer dragging these back to camp and i ran out of daylight so i left the others for next time. it's crazy efficient i might not even use my axe anymore - except for picture threads!

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JV3 said:
it's crazy efficient i might not even use my axe anymore - except for picture threads!

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Nice write up thanks. Canadiantrailman also spoke of this saw I believe. I want one. :thumbup:
 
Something to consider. Do you know how to sharpen your saw? Do you have the proper files for the job?

I think it might be neat to include a file pouch on your kydex saw sheath.
 
Proper wood saw files can be hard to track down, and with set teeth you need a setting tool. While it's possible to field sharpen a wood saw I think you'd be better off just leaving those tools at home. Those things don't dull down too quickly.
 
Very cool, who cares what it looks like, the point is it works..:thumbup:
 
Chris Pierce said:
Something to consider. Do you know how to sharpen your saw? Do you have the proper files for the job?

I think it might be neat to include a file pouch on your kydex saw sheath.
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What's the cost of those files/setting tool? Is it safe to say that he'd be able to buy one or more of the saw to replace this one? I know we generally would like to prevent from having to replace a tool. I'd compare this saw to a Mora - if it breaks, you buy a new one. By the time it get dull, you'd get a new one. I had one old school Stanley saw w/wood handle for years, never sharpened her.
 
Nice kit. If that beautiful GB took 20 minutes to get through that trunk, something's gotta be wrong-either the edge isn't sharp, your technique is wrong, something is wrong. Problem with these double-cut sawblades is you need one of those tiny little tungsten files to get even close to the size you need for filing those teeth. My dad uses them for detail work on bike parts groupos and they cut like crazy, but man... that would be tedious work, especially in the field. I wonder what the immediate and long term benefits are over a stereotypical hand saw and one of these folding frame saws...
 
Saws are generally more efficient than axes for cross cutting larger pieces of wood. Those saw teeth are impulse hardened and are not meant to be resharpened. Much easier to buy a new one. I have come to prefer the Japanese pull-type saw for most of my cutting. Once you get used to the pulling motion they cut real nice.
 
my father trained to be a saw file but he became a preacher insted. he taught me how to file a saw. you need one of these http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/coarsesawset.aspx and one of these http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WARRENSVILLE-Three-Square-File-5XKH8?Pid=search.
The first thing that you do is to count how many teeth there are per an inch (your saw looks corse, i would guess 7) and you a just the dial on the setter to that number. If you look you will notice that the teeth are offset, every other tooth points in the same direction, that forms a line or groove between the teeth, that line should be straight when you are done. To test it some people roll a marble down it and if it falls off it is not straight, others put a string in the groove and see if it is straight.You first need to look down the blade and make sure it is striaght before you start sharping, if ther are any bends in the blade you can lightly bend the saw in the opposit way to get some of the bends out. You put the saw in a vice and set the teeth starting with the one nearest to the handel that points away from you then do all the remaing teeth that point away from you. As far as how to use the set i dont know how to tell you how to use it other than you put it over the tooth and pull the handel and a rectangular pice of metal pushes the tooth. If you push it to far it might break. Just try to make it look like it did when it was new. After you finish one side turn the saw to the other side and set the teeth that are now pointin away form you. Usualy if the saw is new it wont realy need to be set but you can look and tell if a tooth is out of line. You will need to go to a hardware store and find a 3 sided triangle file that fits inbetween the teeth of the saw. The teeth will have angeled bevel on one side of the tooth that angle will be the same on all the teeth it is like a chisel grind on a knife. With the saw in the vice find the angle on the teeth that are offset away from you hold the file so that it maches the angle on the tooth. hold it flat and push the file away from you while holding it at the right angle and flush against the metal. this will remove metal and make the tooth sharp. You do that on every other tooth on that side, the ones pointing away from you. Make sure to file each tooth equealy ( if you do one stroke on the first tooth, do one on all of the teeth, it depends on how dull it is to how many times you file it. a good way to tell is when the angled part of the tooth looks flat and shiny.) Then turn the saw around and do the other teeth. after that it should cut like a new saw if the blade is striaght, set right and filed right. It is not really that hard it is just hard to tell someone, it would be easier to show them. I hope that this helps you and you can make some sense out of it. i apoligize for any spelling misstakes.
Nathan L
 
Interesting bit of kit. I prefer saws too for the same reason you have discovered. To my shame it did take me a while to stop clinging to the simple machines with “what if” scenarios, but I couldn't go back now without considerable frustration that I'd brought the wrong tool. The one you have there has a clear advantage over my little bow in that it would be excellent for cutting snow blocks. That's not so relevant to me here though 'cos we don't tend to have good snow for that. But at the same sort of weight even though it is a tad longer it looks like it would be even easier to pack. Mmmm.
 
Those Types of saws aren't meant to be sharpened. At least not with traditional saw sharpening tools. Stanley used to sell a kit to sharpen them. It included a Straight triangular file(no Taper) and a small piece of metal with a notch cut into it. You held the notch in between the teeth and filed. It did not do a good job and was very awkward to do.
The teeth on those saws are usually hardened and different than the rest of the blade. If anybody remembers the older ones before the coatings on the blade became popular the teeth were black and the rest was shiny. I think you would risk snapping teeth if you tried to set them.
I do not know about that particular coating but others I have seem start to wear away in some parts and actually caused drag.
My grandfather taught me how to sharpen saws 20 years ago, one of the best things I learned from him.
 
Does anybody but me think it would be funny to see a kydex sheath for that saw?
 
Yeah, it only needs a triangular section bit of pipe split along one corner to use as an edge guard. Bit of hose pipe and a Stanley knife would knock up something good enough too.
 
I have packed small carpenter saws like that winter camping, they really outshine folding saws if you can handle some extra weight and bulk.

If your going to process a lot of wood they are way more ergonomic and less tiring for repeated cutting, safer with the D handle as well.
 
DrivebyTrucker said:
This thread has gone on long enough without a picture of the kydex sheath made for it. Or leather. :D
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hehehe. if i already had all the equipment to do it, sure for $5its and giggles but man, it's going to cost me $50 easily from one of the makers here...i'll splurge a bit and wrap the cardboard sheath with gorilla tape though :D
 
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