Bow Saws VS Folding Saws

This video is about saws. I used the following saws:
►APO-1 Dealers:

► MandarinDuck Bows:

Thanks for your support! ~ SurvivalLilly

Note: Survival Lilly will receive a small commission if you buy products via these affiliate links. This commission supports the channel and enables Lilly to make more awesome videos.
This video was made and produced in Austria.

[bigdooze]

When I was ten years old some forty plus years ago I was taught how to use a bow saw. That was the go to until ten years ago. Then I stumbled across Japanese pull saws. They are now my go to and that includes my carpentry gear. For myself, as the aches and pains start to catch up it's the pull that makes life easier.

[CanadianPrepper]

Well... You I know love ya Elisabeth, but I have to disagree about bowsaws being more efficient in cutting big logs, the katanaboy 500/650 blaze through much bigger logs than a bow saw MUCH faster. The tapered design of silky saws mean that the impulse hardened teeth that are RAZOR sharp are also slightly thicker than the spine of the saw, this means that there is no binding. The blades dont need to be sharpened even after hundreds of uses due to the patented impulse hardening of the SK4 steel. The gap is a downside to the saws curvature which is there in order to make the saw cut faster, I've never heard of anyone cutting themselves like that. The katanaboys have a locking feature keeping them closed, I agree this is one area where it may be improved. Comparing the long more vigorous strokes of an extended bowsaw to little light strokes (and ineffective technique) of a bigboy 2000 is not a fair comparison. Silky advises NOT to push down on the blade and let the saw do the work, saving energy. A valid comparison would have a person do it many times to gauge the dulling of the blades. If its ergonomics you are after than you will want a pistol grip fixed blade like the Zubat, sugoi or Sugowaza. However the pistol grip is not conducive to horizontal cutting and falling trees (something bowsaws are very awkward at)The short of it is yes bowsaws are easier to sharpen because they will need to be sharpened, I've never had to sharpen a silky saw in my years. Anyways thats my rant lol, I still think you're awesome but this is an area I'm quite passionate about.

[josephallen]

Lilly, I dont see any adds on this one...just a heads up, I really hope its not because of the saws!

[Moonshinedave]

I've had the exact Silky you tested for over a year now. Yes you do have to be careful when closing, it is super sharp so being careless around it is not a good idea. The blade has two positions, one for cutting wood close to the ground, works well. I keep mine in a leather pouch, really the pouch is made for carrying welding rods, but works well. One last thing, I learned, let the saw do the work, don't try to force it, you will find you will cut just as well without tiring yourself out.

[haylee]

Hi.LillyGreat vid.Using a pull saw goes against thousands of years of sawing.It takes alot of learning, not too push.once aperson masters the pull method it is a great method and very fast.Faster than most.The trick is not to cut flat.Get your wood up in the air so youare cutting up and down, takes the pressure off the wrist.For the average user you are 100% right.Next do not drop the blade on your handit hurts like hell and the teeth make big holes and a lot of blood.

[lilliandurham]

Thank you for your very thorough review. My main appreciation is that you included everyday usage, and their ergonomic application. Others have also commented on the wrist tension with the two Silky saws which verifies the comparison to my abilities. Thank you for the detailed explanations. Love your channel.

[nomadicoasis]

I bought a 20$ pruning saw replacement blade at Lee Valley 7TPI. 14.25 inches long blade . I cut a tang for the handle, carved a maple handle, pinned it with copper wire, made a red cedar sheath . handle is at the same angle as a bow saw. it took a little work but i got exactly what i wanted & i can resharpen it when required.
9 years and counting on the real world testing & i still love it. Jared

[dennisleighton]

1:56 Hi Lilly. The real advantage of the pull style saws is they use far less calories per stroke than the push style. The reason is that the push stroke requires two things - downward pressure and forward force. The pull style, however, requires only backward pull. The teeth of the pull saw are so designed that they bite into the wood on the pull stroke and tend to dig in downwards, so you need apply no (or very little) downward pressure at all. Just let the saw do the work and keep the pulls going. Remember, it's not speed of cutting that is most important, but expenditure of calories. The forward stroke of the pull saw only serves to clean the sawdust out of the groove.
Another advantage is that pull saws never get stuck, like bow saws tend to do (rather irritatingly!). The reason is that most of them (the better ones certainly) are thicker at the teeth and thinner at the top (much like a flat ground knife blade, but upside down!).
Silky saws are also very useful for cutting selected limbs for a bundle (like hazel) without damaging the rest, where a bow saw wouldn't be able to get in.
Lastly, as one doesn't really need a long blade even for quite thick logs, Silky saws tend to be shorter than equivalent bow saws, less bulky, and don't have that pesky blade to somehow store and carry safely.
All in all, the folding pull style saw is generally much more user-friendly and easier to use, while still being able to do some pretty hefty cutting jobs.
Thanks for another enjoyable video.

[janek]

silky is the best...please use it right...

[redwhiteblue]

Silky saws are awesome... I've been through so many saws, the Silky Bigboy is the winner by far...
Silky GomBoy is another great saw.

[adamaj]

There's something else at play besides blade thickness because to me it seems a folding saw like the Silky cuts faster and more efficiently/easier than a bow saw even though it has a thicker blade. I think it has to do with the bow saw's thinner blade constantly twisting, turning and binding into the wood.

[TheOutdoorsyman]

I have a Wyoming saw I use when hunting, it is small compact and has two blades, one for cutting wood and one for butchering. It is not the best saw for cutting fair size firewood but It serves a dual purpose which is better that taking two saws. When I take this saw with me, it is because I am hunting moose. I have bow saws at the cabin and on these ones you are absolutely right. If you are stationary somewhere they are by far the easiest and efficient saws. Cheapest as well, blades are easy to find and replace. The silky big boy that I have tried  is a great saw, as safe as any others. I am not a big fan of folding saws to start with but it worked great. Hitting your leg with the BB is no different than hitting your leg with a bow or any other saw. The key here in using tools in the bush is to have good, safe working habits. Take your time, figure out what you want to accomplish and take the proper steps to do it in a safe manner regardless of time pressure. My point being I don't have a favourite saw. I used the best one for the activities I am doing at the time. That being said if you asked me "If you could have only one saw which one would you take"? I would probably take the Big Boy. Because of the sharp blade, the fact it takes very little room in a pack. Not great for butchering as the teeth are very close together and bone dust, meat and fat get stock in there and you have to clean the blade constantly. But overall I believe it is the most versatile.

[stoneyrunva]

Dad's saw: "25 years old, stable, built my entire camp with it, never sharpened it, still cuts like hell"... lol.

[canehdianoutdoorsman]

I've used bow, fixed and folding saws and prefer the fixed blade saw, particularly the Silky Zubat. For Bushcraft, and /or lightweight travel the Zubat is fantastic. I couldn't justify the higher priced Silky saws like the Sugowaza when held up against the performance of the Zubat. Silky folding saws are amazing from a design, build and functional perspective, but when you get to the Bigboy and larger versions the issue of portability becomes moot. Ideally various saws serve multiple purposes and scenarios.

[lcalcorzi]

Take more lessons on cutting with the last saw. The cutting stand and grip can use more work. You can cut yourself with any saw if you are not paying attention. Every saw has it's purpose, you have to use common sense.

[darronjknight]

Regardless of the style of saw you use, it is always good practice to keep anything you don't want to cut out of the path of the blade.

[johnfuller]

using any sharp tool be it knife, axe or saw requires that you observe proper placement of your body in conjunction with the tool that your using at that time, happy, safe an healthy holidays lily.

[nomadicoasis]

ATT: Anybody but mostly Lilly. IMPULSE HARDENED TEETH can be sharpened, use diamonds ( because diamonds are a man's best friend too ) you mentioned that you sharpen your own saws ... don't be limited to softer steels if you like a blade just get it and when it gets dull fix it with a diamond sharpener mine is 2.5'' X 3/4'' X .005''. Metric ? about 1 MM thick. it was meant for fish hook sharpening...i modified it by filing the back at a fine angle maybe 35 degrees so it will fit between the teeth down to the bottom, or close to. works like a charm. when i was younger they didn't make ergonomic portable saws to my taste so ... buy a replacement blade and make a wooden handle & sheath. you may need to weld a tang on for the handle. i wouldn't trade mine for any other. my larger one looks very much like a Silky SUGOI 360mm that Canadian Prepper does a demo on .my smaller one 7'' long blade- similar wooden handle .
I think plastic is cheep, ugly And feels like your hand got puked on by an oil drum. i like wood ! so make your own from wood.
but if you cant make things like me than use the... Silky SUGOI 360mm or similar, & a Corona folding saw 7 inch go for 7 TPI. it's nice to sharpen, more teeth is not so fun .
I hope this helps Jared

[BigPictureYT]

The Silky is a pruning saw. You reach above your head, a cut while using gravity. Your wrist is also at the correct angle for pruning. Thanks for showing the superiority of the bow saw for firewood.

[Cushingura]

I got the Tajima Folding Saw and my buddy got the Silky with the same size. They are both exactly the same when it comes to cutting branches but the Tajima only costs a third of the price. So I got the felling Silky is a little bit overrated.