20 Best Folding Saw For Survival (2023 Updated)

This saw has a comfortable no slip handle. The blade lock works very good and is simple to use. The saw cuts very well and the longer blade let’s you make more wood chips per stroke. On pencil diameter size branches I use the saw like a machete and it works great cause it’s heavy enough to take it.

Compact when folded, and very effective as a cutting tool. Not quite as stiff as I’d like, but it cuts on the pull stroke as well as the push stroke, so stiffness is less of a factor. I think I may get a 2nd one for the backpack and leave this 1st one in the garden shed for trimming around the place.

It cut up the discarded X-Mas tree in short order.

Wow, this makes short work of chewing up wood branches, very sharp and cuts through the back stroke as well, cut up 1, 2 inch tree limbs as well as trimming up stuff, very steady and good grip, recommended.

First one broke first try about 2 inches up from the base of the blade. Returned to REI for warranty. I’ve broken the tip of the 2nd saw twice so far on two outings. I use hand saws for work to trim trees around high voltage electrical lines.

This saw is ridiculously easy to break. Going to try to return for refund today.

These are greats saws for field and shop use. I use them professionally almost everyday for both; working outdoors in habitat restoration, tree pruning, as well as for hobby woodworking. As long as I keep the blade out of the dirt, it holds it’s sharpness seemingly forever.

Even when a blade gets old and somewhat dull, they still will cut adequately in a pinch. I’ve had mine for years, and only recently replaced the blades. The large tooth blade makes fast work of limbs and trunks nearly as thick as the blade’s length.

The fine tooth blade is great for pull cuts in the shop, or outdoors on small limbs. Really light weight, too. great for backpacking and hunting trips. The blades are replaceable. a little pricey, but well worth the cost!.

The F180 is my most used saw, it is great to carry, well made, and because it has its teeth set inside the width of the blade can cut with light effort. (secret revealed) If you try be forcefull it will snag if you relax and draw the saw lightly it will glide through dry hardwood.

The Laplander will just ride over hard woods and need some force to get the shallow teeth to cut, once the coating wears off the Laplander it starts to drag when cutting. The F180 or Laplander? Look at a thick cut bow and look at the Silky cut compared to Bahco, the Silky can make cuts at cabinet maker level, the Bahco just can’t.

A little background I volunteer for Search and Rescue in BC and as such I am constantly on the hunt for better gear to outfit my search bag. This fit the ticket right away. It is light, folds down small and compact, doesn’t rattle when folded, and when assembling it snaps together firmly.

When in use the saw is tight and firm and cuts like butter. It deploys rapidly for clearing trail or getting firewood ready for the night. Some people have commented on the plastic handle being “a weak link” that is not accurate, I have used this saw in all weather conditions from -28c to +35c.

Snow and water and mud. The handle is tight and firm and snaps into place no issues whatsoever three years of use. What to remember is it is a pack saw not a chainsaw so let the saw do the work when cutting and that’s it buy one and keep for years to come.

I recommend the yellow as it stands out more in the bush than the green but that’s my opinion.

A good example of great design. Very very simple to convert from the closed to open position and back and once in position its as rock solid as any fixed frame saw. I didn’t try the all purpose blade as I bought the Rancher blade after watching a youtube review or it cutting seasoned ironwood in half the time.

Seems little reason to use the all purpose over the rancher but i’ve not compared and won’t use it on green wood much. It might suit your use better.

I bought the Silky Pocket Boy saw to take with me for camping out and bushcraft because of its small, packable size. Its a pull-saw, cuts extremely smoothly and takes little time to process firewood or cut poles to size.

The blade is replaceable should it become blunted but will last a long time if looked after. I definitely recommend including one in your pack.

I have once been able to buy Silky PocketBoy 130mm in our country, but it was only one time offer and no other Silky saws were sold in our country from then. The saw was exceptional. Almost no effort was put when sawing/pruning a tree.

One only needs to get a feel how Japanese saws work (they saw only in one direction, which is a really smart design as this protects saw from bending or breaking). And even though they saw only in one direction they are much more effective than other 2 way saws.

After short amount of time, my father was able to break the saw. TWICE! The first time only the tip was broken off and the second time it was broken in two pieces. This was because he was not listening to my advice on how to saw with a proper Japanese saw: only in one direction! And another advice he did not want to listen to is that you should make an undercut with saw when sawing (especially bigger branches) (this is also safer cut for a tree) as this prevents saw from binding, bending and breaking! I was then unable to find another Silky saw in our country, so I tested some other “Japanese” saws (e.

g. ARS), but they were really horrible. The blade did not stay locked, the teeth crushed away after normal and proper use, some strange/weak metal was used for blade, the teeth were not the widest part of blade (more resistance/binding when sawing), the Blade holding screw was unscrewing, the handle did not feel robust (very light/weak material).

I could not stand it so I checked on eBay if I am able to source Silky Saw and I found a bigger one: PocketBoy 170mm, which is for my needs an ideal size. When the saw arrived I immediately went out and sawed a tree branch and the feeling of a quality made Japanese blade came back.

Zik, zak and 10cm diameter branch is cut :).

I love this tool. Use it for pruning and hedgelaying. It’s so smooth and sharp the pruning cuts are very clean leaving less chance of infection to my trees. I like it so much and use it in conjunction with my billhook; that I’m making a sheath for them to use together.

It does come in a protective box which attatched to the belt, although it can detach at the clip so a leather friction sheath is much better. This is a truly beautiful tool to use and used with respect I think it will be good for many years.

My sheath is not finished but I’ll include a pic pre staining and finishing anyway to show how well it fits.

I needed to remove an old, leggy, tangled, overgrown juniper shrub but it was in a tight spot. It was growing in a gravel bed between two large shrubs and under a pear tree. The space was too confined to use my limbing saw and too tight for my lopping shear.

Ordinary pruning shears would not faze the tough old wood, so off to Ace I went. They had an excellent choice of trimming tools including bow saws, bilhooks, axes and loppers. I chose this Corona for its compact size, easy to use in a tight spot.

The handle is well shaped for upward or downward cuts. The blade locks open or closed with a secure click. I was NOT prepared for how quickly and easily it cuts. This thing is so sharp that it requires less effort than expected, and I was able to do the job more quickly and easily than planned.

Glad I bought it.

Great little saw; compact, sharp (it lives up to its name) and very capable. Read a lot of reviews all over the interwebs before I decided on the Corona. Every one of them said that this saw will last you multiple seasons of heavy usage and that pound for pound, is a solid competitor to the higher priced folding saws out there.

Thats coming from the people who have owned silkys and bahcos. Only thing Ive read that was a con involved the nylon nut needing some loctite. First thing I did when it arrive (which was lightning fast, btw).

Very happy with it so far, going to be putting it to the test out in the bush.

This is my second Laplander. No, I did not go through the first one (I do not think you can do that) my first one was “borrowed” and never seen again. I think he liked it so much he could not get himself to return it.

Enjoy it mate it is indeed the nicest little saw you can have in your kit! So I am sold on this saw. Now to the important point: I am sold on COE. – Fast service, it seems I was just wishing to have another Laplander and and the courier knocked at my door with a COE box for me! 🙂 – Nice packaging a little box with the saw and a bit of paracord I ordered.

Snug and safe. 🙂 – Receipt in the box with a personalized handwritten thank you note, a smiley face and a Maple leaf Canadian stamp. 🙂 Way to go guys and gals at COE! a.

Having looked at the cheaper, and more expensive options, I chose the Laplander based on a number of things. Its compact, the locking mechanism is out of the way but easily operated by a single gloved hand.

It cuts on both strokes and this is useful when cutting in awkward positions. I have a Silky and as they only cut on the pull stroke it limits its flexibility. I use my saw for bushcraft so the coating gets abuse.

This is my second as my first one has been adopted by my missus and her one still has 95% of the coating after 3 years hard use. If need be the teeth can be sharpened, though I never had to and the teeth have always been sharp.

The locking mechanism locks the blade in both open and close positions, something the Silky doesn’t do as only locks in the open position. The Silky katana is a great saw and I do use it, but the Laplander is more adaptable and secure.

I bought this a year ago for when we go to primitive cabins in the winter and need to collect wood for heat and cooking. I’ll admit I thought long and hard about getting one that folded into place like many YouTubers have.

I decided to go with this saw because of simplicity and I’m so happy. My favorite part besides the aggressive and sharp blade is the fact that you can hold it bellow the blade due to the handle’s extension.

This provides incredible leverage that allows you to easily cut using the entire length of the blade from end to end. If for any reason it gets difficult you can always put your second hand on the apex or top of the saw and use two hands to make short work of any job! So happy I have this and honestly can’t imagine it being any better!.

Mine is 40+ years old. If you’re in the back country and can, you can transform some flat area into a viable campsite with this saw, and have a nice fire as a bonus. I’ve put this saw through it’s paces on both car camping and backpacking trips.

Rips through modest diameter wood in seconds. After about 25 years, I sharpened the blade by hand with a Dremel. I’m planning to buy another complete saw – I’ll be leaving them to my grandkids! Seriously, this is no “cheap import” – made like they used to make everything.

Almost indestructible.

This saw is awesome for back packing/hiking and camping. It is also useful at home for trimming trees and shrubs with branches/limbs too large for pruners/loppers. I find it far superior to the saws that fold like a pocket knife.

The saw gives a longer stroke which requires less work to complete the cuts. Even though it does that it folds easily into a small compact, light weight, easily stored/carried tool. The Sven is an excellent saw and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a saw for any use.

Keep in mind that for under 10 bucks you have to keep your expectations under control about this saw. It’s a good, functional, light duty camping saw for cutting up firewood, small saplings and things of that nature.

It’s comfortable to grip, it locks in the closed position and locks in the open position which is a very nice safety feature. The grip is just plastic, not a high quality polymer but the rubber grip is a nice touch and contours to your hand.

If the plastic breaks after some use, so what, it’s under 10 dollars, buy a new one. That’s another nice thing about this super cheap and useful camping saw. I recommend it for the price point.

I use to have several pruning saws until they got stolen. I bought this one as one replacement of those. The first time out it was cutting great. But then, the lever that opens and closes it broke off.

I wasn’t being hard on it or banging it around. It just broke off. Now the blade flops around and doesn’t lock open or shut. The saw blade cuts good but the lever is made very cheap and doesn’t hold up after one use.

NOT a good purchase. Now I have to replace this replacement.

Great little saw. Fits in your pocket or a small survival kit. You can get all kinds of fire wood with this saw. You will not cut down giant trees with it. You will be able to get large enough trees to build a lean to or brush shelter, make a table, make a chair, or any number of traps.

Good for kids to as it is shorter on the stroke and they can handle it better.

Awesome product. Easy to assemble, lightweight, compact, and sturdy. Cuts through most branches you would need for a good campfire (~5 inch diameter or less) like butter. Leave the axe at home and no need to buy this guy/gal in the larger size.

The 15 inch saw is more than enough. Also, no need to buy an extra blade. Unlike the foldout saws, where the blade is not supported on both ends thus easy to bend/break, this saw’s design makes it nearly impossible to bend/break the blade.

This will be my first full season with this badboy and I don’t plan on leaving home without it!.

I received this saw yesterday and took it out for a spin. This product has a lot of advantages. First, I like the blade, it cuts well. I’m impressed with the way the handle extends below the blade which allows me to use the power of both my hands/arms while pruning at odd angles.

The red color of the aluminum appears to be permeaated throughout the alloy(don’t quote me on this) so the saw should retain it’s color regardless of use or scratches. I chose this product because it is short enough to be fully contained internally by my day pack and also the blade is snugly secure and in no way will harm other items in the pack.

I was able to perform several cuts successfully and then travel to the grocery store without having to answer questions from security about what I was carrying and why. So far so good.

I have had the 21 inch version for 45 years. Been used on innumerable camping trips. Of course I have replaced the blade several times. More recently it has been used around the property for tree trimming.

Works flawlessly. It is light, compact, very efficient and can take a lot of abuse. This saw eliminates the need for a hatchet – I also find it much safer to use than a hatchet.

I use a limb saw extensively while hunting, I couldn’t live without one. It is built very sturdy and the blade is very sharp. It is great for cutting shooting lanes and building or brushing in blinds.

You will not regret buying this. The rubberized handle feels right at home in your hand. The thick high quality blade snaps securely into place and is held there with a great lock mechanism. The offset teeth cuts thru limbs like a breeze.

Solidly built and worthy to own!!! This saw is awesome!.

Have processed two moose with this saw and it handle the pelvis and brisket nicely. Used to have a Browning saw but it got destroyed when loaned out. Browning discontinued the saw and replacement blades.

This is very similar to the older browning version.

I craft custom, natural tree fork slingshots, and wanted something small to carry with me that was better than the little saw blades you see on Leatherman tools. This saw is easily carried in it’s own camo belt pouch, has a nice lockback blade feature, and will do what I need it to do, but is not a heavy duty cutting tool.

If you’re needing something very light duty, then this is your saw, but if your cutting anything bigger than about 1/2″ to 3/4″ in diameter, get something else. IMHO, this would be a perfect little saw if it had the same tooth pattern as the Corona RazorTip saw you get at Lowe’s.

in fact, I’ve thought about ordering the replacement blade for one of those, and take the Flip-N-Zip blade out, use it as a template and make a new blade from the Razor Tip saw blade.

This is one handy little saw! I have had numerous other folding type saws over the years and so far this is the BEST for deer hunting applications. It’s super slim and fits nicely into a daypack or pocket.

It has a nice orange finish that can be seen easily if dropped and has A rubber type coating that keeps it from making noice while in your pack. The blade is plenty long for trimming small trees and branches and is shato and very effective.

Makes a great tool for those who like to use climbing stands. Also great to have when ATV riding or 4 wheeling should you need to trim a trail.

I have an older one and the blade is thicker and easier to use. Not sure why they made the blade thinner. I wish they had continued with the thicker blade!

Very good value. Essential to have. Lightweight. Folds easy. No effort at all to use. I would definitely recommend. I have finally got rid of four trees from my Garden. After three years of trying.

After having tried endless ways to cut down our ivy without any success, a friend recommended this product. As soon as it arrived I used it and managed within 5 minutes to saw the thick ivy root. We also tried it on a branch and the cutting was done in an instant.

Excellent value for money. A tool every gardener should have.

Having, in the past, had pruning saws that didn’t live up to their promise >I was a little sceptical about this one but I didn’t need to be. It delivers everything it promises and more. It easily copes with branches up to 10cms in diameter and maybe more.

It is comfortable to hold and cuts cleanly and quickly. I recommend it highly.

I have now used my Gomboy on two trail maintenance outings. I have also carried out on a pleasure hike. It’s great for low hanging branches that less than 3 to 5 inch diameter or smaller. It has a very smooth cut.

The blade is also flexible and durable. The handle is comfortable to hold. I was worried that I would not like the carrying case and how it clipped to my belt, but after a few uses, I really like the design of the case.

Using the case, the saw is easily accessible for quick work as you hike along the trail. I hope you enjoy the saw as much as I have.

Saying that I found out after buying mine(they are not cheap) that I could buy a much cheaper saw made by Fischer(Gerber). It cuts great saying that I think about breaking the blade whenever I use it and having to pay for new blades which arent cheap.

So I use my cheaper one which cuts just as well and you get replacement blades much cheaper. The only thing that really makes this saw stand out is the holder and blade locking system. This is in my EDC so I will say that I am putting my life and my familys life in this saw.

I love this saw. The quality is off the charts. It’s almost shocking how fast you can cut with it. The curved blade makes it easy to stay on cut, and the coated handle makes it easy to maintain your grip.

The only negative is that it’s easy to hit the position release on the top of the handle when you’re gripping the handle closer to the blade. That’s not dangerous per se, but it’s disconcerting. The purchase process was fine, with the exception of a sticker that Cabela’s put onto the case that took the better part of an hour’s hard work to get off.

I suppose it might have looked like packaging to the person packing the order, but it was a bit of a thoughtless oversight. Overall, top notch product, perfect weight and size for camping or bushcraft, easy purchase decision.

I’ve owned a few of this type of saw, but I usually go for the smaller ones under $10. Because I use them a lot I thought I’d get an upgrade, but I’ll be going back to the cheaper ones. This saw is not very sharp and it takes a lot more effort to saw through small branches than it does with the smaller pruning saws.

The size is awkward, and the blade doesn’t seem to be attached to the handle that well, as it didn’t want to go straight back in even after only one use. Just not worth the extra money.

Cuts great but the blade started rusting after the first use, which was just on a tree. Wanted it as a backpack saw to use instead of an axe. Just a bit too heavy for my back pack and actually too large for that use also.

So it is now my around the house pruner, tree trimmer and small tree remover.

Extra length allows for longer stroke and more leverage, even on small dia logs/brush etc. and that helps cut speed and effort. Design is marginal, especially lockback feature where saw blade doesnt track to handle when closing.

Similar to the $6, 7 varieties you can buy at harbor freight china stores but has longer blade. Putting in my camping box.

I have a Rose of Sharon that has a lot of old wood. I have pruned it for three seasons. Today, I wanted to do it again and remembered this saw that I purchased a few years ago. I was pretty brutal to trim back.

But this saw made it so easy, with bigger muscles doing the work instead of my hands. I love Gardeners.

This is my first actual pruning saw so I don’t have anything else to compare it with. It cuts through branches nicely, folds to slip into a deep pocket. The blade does have a slight flexibility but this might not be a bad thing; it just surprised me when it flexed while I was using it.

I previously had a similar knife with a shorter blade and handle. It felt very sturdy and i felt safe using it on a thicker branch. This knife worked well on smaller cuts. However, the blade wobbled or wiggled noticeable on a thick cut and made me feel like it might slip and I would get cut.

however, for the pirce, it is a good knife and value but just be careful when making thicker cuts.

Once you own you will not know what you did without it. Solid unit that I have had for sometime now. Description states it fits all blades which it doesn’t. The thicker blades of which are more durable that I use in my Sawzall will not fit without filing them down in thickness.

Also the wood blades with the little hook at the tip are very hard to pull out when the saw has been folded closed. Milwaukee needs to slightly alter the design of the unit as I am not willing to use different blades on the jab saw vs my sawzall.

This is the reason I gave it 4 stars.

Good tool. Straightforward, tough, and simple to use. Way overpriced at HD for $18. 97 (seriously?). And, go ahead, I dare you, try to find this tool on the HD website without using the word “folding”.

Took 20 minutes and a Google search bc of the stupid name.

I like using this jab saw for very small jobs on drywall. Whether it’s cutting out drywall to put in a junction box or doing an inspection behind the wall, this jab saw comes in handy. You can connect any blade designed to be used on a reciprocating saw which makes it very versatile.

Being able to cut by hand I can easily minimize the amount of dust that gets kicked up from cutting drywall.

The Good. The saw is sharp and has an excellent tooth pattern that includes a tooth that clears the path of the saw on the back stroke. The bad (kind of) Where the handle attaches to the blade assembly is a little loose due to the design.

Also the blade is on the flimsy side of things but this is an inexpensive saw. The blade locking design will take some getting used to for me personally. You get what you pay for. I knew this going into the purchase.

If I really like the blade I will re build the handle to my liking with wood instead of plastic.

Overall a great saw. Fold up nice and small, Using this in combination with an axe you can easily cut down a small tree in minutes. This saw cuts through tree branches in matter of seconds, I received this as a gift and was sceptical but it really does work quite well.

I even use it to cut through a 2×4 when i don’t feel like dragging out the power tools. Not the quality that would last for years upon years but for occasional use when backpacking or camping its my go to saw.

Only used this on pine and cedar wood.

Good folding saw that is durable and lasts. I already own 2 others that are in my day pack for camping and my BOB. The reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because the product arrived in the mail with the package ripped open like it was already returned.

If I wanted a used and opened product, I’d go to a garage sale. At least the product wasn’t damaged so I’m keeping it.

I purchased this saw to bring backpacking up the North Shore as it’s allowed to cut down dead wood for fires. The saw ripped through trees with ease and several were up to ten inches in diameter. It was lightweight enough to consider bringing and large enough to supply us plenty for cooking and enjoyment.

We even hiked out in a thunderstorm and being able to cut into a larger cedar tree to get to the dry inner wood allowed us to warm and dry up before bed. It also allowed us to make rocket stoves for cooking when a full fire was unnecessary.

I would definitely buy another one or two or three.

This 500mm, 19. 8 inch blade with 4 teeth per inch is almost intimidating. The overall size is 46. 3 inches long and can pretty much handle anything you throw at it. I was impressed with the overall versatility with it as well as a quality carrying case.

The case is made of material that is nothing but quality and lasted through the many hikes and rides in the back of the truck. The saw was able to cut down a 6 inch tree with ease in around 10 strokes.

It worked well for clearing bear sites and the larger task of fire wood. I highly recommend this saw for anyone not concerned with weight or size packing into areas. A 5 star rating would have been a sure thing if not for the tightening screw that took time to tighten and loosen allowing the blade to swing in and out.

A solid 4 stars! Field Tested by Nathan – OMM Outfitters from Maine.

The finest pull saw/pruning saw I’ve ever owned. Comes in a nice carry back with adjustable strap, and has a high quality mechanism for folding/unfolding the blade. Rugged & durable Rubberized handle makes for a solid grip.

A work of art. As for its performance, this saw will cut through 4″ trunks and branches within seconds. I can only assume this large saw can cut through any wood up to 12+ inches. I am not exaggerating.

Both live wood and dry wood can be cut with minimal effort compared to any store-brand pruning saw I’ve used.

This saw is comfortable in the hand, has locking blade both open and closed. Very sharp teeth, cuts well, compact design. Great for camping or backpacking where space is limited. Also good for yard work, pruning trees, shrubs.

Would recommend to others. Nice little saw.

It’s a good little saw, does the job well. Just don’t get it wet, it will rust. I bought one for me and one for my girlfriend. She left hers on the outside table, it rained and got a little wet. A little rust formed.

We’ll see how they do long term.