Bushwalk Australia

Hi Everyone

First time posting on here

been looking at getting a folding saw to use for camping and hiking, when i go hiking i like to not carry to many bulky items and usually carry a heavy hatchet. although reading more and more about these silky saws they seem great. with not having to exert much energy to collect firewood and light enough to no even think about packing. just wondering if anyone has one and what size to go with?
been looking at the Silky Big Boy but it does not come with a sheath so i would have to try make something up. on the other hand there is the Silky Gomboy and Pockeyboy both come with a plastic sheath if you could recommend which one to go with, any advice would be great. thinking of ditching the axe all together and just bringing a saw. posted the links to the ones i was thinking of getting.

https://www.eliteoutdoorgear.com.au/pro ... ium-tooth/
https://www.eliteoutdoorgear.com.au/pro ... oth-black/
https://www.eliteoutdoorgear.com.au/pro ... rge-teeth/

I've got a medium tooth big boy that lives in my camper trailer. It's an awesome Japanese made saw. However, is not something that I would ever take hiking. But if you currently carry a hatchet then maybe ok for you! I got mine from Drifta and they have a great range of saws and accessories, plus lots of info and videos. I saw on there somewhere about avoiding eBay ones as although Silky brand they are often another range made at lower price point for Japanese domestic market only.
https://www.drifta.com.au/product-category/silky-saws-and-blades/

Why do you need a saw at all? Collect sticks if you need a fire. There is always deadfall of various sizes.

I own a couple...

Silky pocketboy 170mm LT(large tooth)...thin flexible blade, cuts on the 'pull' stroke. Rips through timber easily.
Nice grippy handle.
Bahco PG72 190mm, finer teeth, stiffer thicker blade, cuts on both push & pull strokes. Slower, more effort required.
Hard smooth plastic handle.

Used to use them for off track camps with a small fire in state forests, but since there's plenty of fallen timber or flood water timber piled high & dry and they're easy enough to snap & break, so I don't take them any more...regulated to garden use now.

Car camping... I bring my own fire wood & axe to keep the natural vegetation as intact as possible.
National Parks...I don't use them there, keep it pristine.
If anything, maybe a pair of secateurs for those nasty wait-a-while vines we have here in Queensland.

https://www.forestrytools.com.au/index.php?id=23

Some other threads that maybe of interest...

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10561&p=140800&hilit=silky#p140800

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8490&hilit=silky

Zapruda wrote:Why do you need a saw at all? Collect sticks if you need a fire. There is always deadfall of various sizes.

I don't do campfires, but on the last walk was wishing for a decent small saw, to do a little maintenance on the obscenely overgrown track I was trying to follow.

Another cheaper easily available option with a good blade length to weight ratio might be the Fiskars Xtract garden saw available from Bunnings. 220-250mm blade at 230g. I'm considering putting one in my motorcycle kit for if I come across a fallen leafy thing on a track, but I have also come across fallen trees on hiking trails that a small saw could have taken care of without much problem and could prevent further damage by keeping the track clear and not having to go around it

Zapruda wrote:Why do you need a saw at all? Collect sticks if you need a fire. There is always deadfall of various sizes.

Yep. I have a small metal fire pit for car camping and always find an armful of sticks for a few hours fire. Most people look for big stuff but there is plenty around a foot long. Same for kindling, spend a few minutes collecting small twigs.

I do carry a Bacho handsaw in vehicle for sticks I can't snap easily, either I'm going soft or just cleaver (or both).

A short toolbox type handsaw would be pretty light but really you shouldn't need a hatchet or saw unless you're getting into bushcraft. Meanwhile fireban fireban everywhere!