Modestly put the best damn folding saw on this planet! Loved by our bushcraft gang. Folding lightsabers might be better in some galaxy far, far away but this isn’t far, far behind. Big enough to handle thicker branches and fairly thick trees but small and lightweight enough to fit in your backpack. Perfect for your hiking and hunting trips but also great to have in your car and take care of those pruning jobs at home.
- Total length: 760 mm (30")
- Blade length: 360 mm (14.2")
- Closed length: 406 mm (16")
- Weight: c. 450 g (1 lbs)
- Handle color: Red
- Steel: Chrome-plated SK4 high carbon steel
- Tooth configuration: Large, 7 teeth/30 mm (6 teeth/inch)
- Handle: Rubber
- Lanyard hole
- Made in Japan
Blade
Silky Bigboy comes with a 360 mm (14.2") blade. There are also smaller and larger Silky saws available. The blade length you want depends on the diameter of the wood you want to cut. A rule of thumb is that the blade should be at least twice as long as the branch. Of course, the longer the blade, the faster the job gets done.
Bigboy is available in several tooth configurations. The larger the teeth are, the faster and more aggressively you can saw with it. Smaller teeth give you more control. This Bigboy here comes with Large teeth, which are designed for fast-growing, fresh wood with a lot of moisture. Thus it is quite perfect for bushcraft use. The blades are interchangeable within the same blade length. So, you can acquire different blades from Silky for different uses.
The precision-ground teeth have four cutting surfaces each. Unlike classic Western saws, they are "non-set", so the teeth don’t tear the wood, instead, they create a very fine and smooth saw cut. The clever design of the teeth has several advantages. You can saw faster with less power and the blade doesn’t get stuck in the wood that easily.The impulse-hardened teeth cannot be sharpened with a hand file but they last three times longer than non-treated teeth. If needed the saw blade can be easily replaced.
Materials
The saw blade is made from premium Japanese SK4 carbon steel. It has a high wear resistance so that the blade remains sharp for a long time. The core is softer, so the saw stays flexible. The chrome plating reduces friction and increases the lifetime of the blade. Furthermore, it protects the blade from rust.
The lightweight aluminum frame handle is rubber-coated. The rubber absorbs sawing vibrations and offers a good grip even when wet or while wearing gloves. Moreover, the handle feels reasonably warm, even in cold temperatures. The bright red color ensures that you’ll find your saw even in the shrubbery.
Use
Bigboy can handle large limbs, fairly big trunks, and construction projects with no problem. Yet it is small enough to fit in or on your backpack so you can take it along on hikes, hunts, and bushcraft adventures. Also a great option for your car and your yard. This and a notch smaller Gomboy are both very popular among our bushcraft gang.
Unlike the western saws, Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke. Pulling keeps the blade straight, so the blade can be thinner without feeling wobbly. They are also easier to use because pulling is easier to control than pushing. In case you need to cut branches of a fallen tree while sitting in a canoe, better controllability is something you really want.
When not in use, clean your Bigboy of dirt and store it in the closed position in a dry place.
Made by Silky
Silky is a Japanese company with 100 years of experience in the production of handsaws. They offer a complete range of saws - from folding saws to fixed saws, from curved to straight saw blades, each with a wide selection of teeth configurations. They are used by professionals and hobbyists all over the world for pruning, woodworking, bushcraft, hiking, hunting, and home use. Silky saws are manufactured in Ono, Japan.
