I realise this is something of a ‘holy grail’ but sometimes you really do need to be able to saw some pieces of firewood down to size and you may need to have carried a saw to do so – or you are not going to be very warm tonight.
This was (nearly) our situation on a recent walk out to Mt Feathertop, and is a situation we have also encountered in NZ backcountry huts and elsewhere.
As I only ever have a fire when I really need one I am loath to carry heavy cutting implements just in case, so I have been working at and thinking about this problem.
I have made some suggestions in some previous posts such as Ultralight Saws and Ultralight Saw Experiments and DIY Ultimate Ultralight Saw.
The Fiskars Xtract Garden Saw (at 120 grams) is very good but does not have a replaceable blade.
I also really like the Bosch Sawing Handle which weighs 97 grams without the blade. You can fit any 6″ demo saw blade inside it (two actually) or if you need a longer blade (you probably do) then Kango (for example) make excellent 9″ and 12″ pruning saw blades which will fit on it (but not in it).
If you have no DIY skills then I recommend you buy this saw (<US$24 on Amazon, May 2024) – and the <$1 blade protector below.
My first DIY attempt was this one (from DIY Ultimate Ultralight Saw) at just one ounce – including the blade:
And it folds:
It works fine but could be a bit more robust (and easier on the hand).
For the second version I have added a second piece of aluminium ‘U’ channel which I have secured with two 1/8″ bolts using wing nuts to secure it and the blade so it will be easy to dismantle etc in the field. I have one bolt/nut at each end so I can reverse it if the attachment works a little loose from too much work.
The outer ‘U’ channel is 7″ long by 16 x 12 x 1.6mm aluminium and the inner is 1 cm wide channel.
This 7″ arrangement weighed 47 grams without the two bolts and nuts – then add the weight of your chosen pruning saw blade – pictured is a 9″ Kango one. The total shown in my arthritic hand is around 85 grams.
I realise the saw could be lighter but I wanted it this long so there was plenty of grip and the bolts did not wear a hole in my hand. Feel free to experiment.
PS: You could just as easily use a bone saw blade if you want to use the saw for hunting.
The blade protector (I have mentioned before) is a Report Cover Spine (<$1 from Officeworks) which weighed 8 grams before I cut it down to the appropriate length. The protector could have been made for this purpose. It stays on amazingly well.
You can easily duplicate this saw with just a hacksaw and a drill – a few minutes work at most – and at a very modest cost. Good luck.
See Also:
Do you like wire saws? I’ve never used one and have some doubts. But with a wood bow handle, maybe they are ok.
I’d still like to experiment with wood handles for a pruning saw blade. The saying is that wood is a natural composite. So it is quite stiff for its weight.
Silky Gomboy 210mm weighs more but probably cuts faster than pruning saw blades would. It’s on my want list.
I have a ‘pocket chain saw’ which is useless for cutting firewood. A gimmick. If you are going to make a bow handle might as well use a bow saw blade as in the post Improvised Bow Saw. Doesn’t work well though as compared with the Fiskar Xtract at 120 grams. Anything else need to be measured against the Fiskars both as to price and practicality/weight. The Bosch saw comes in a little under it and you can carry a spare blade – as you can with my DIY alternative at at least half the weight. Cheers, Steve.
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