Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Trail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw Review

For years now I have carried the same set up for wood cutting and processing. Other than specific knives, it has been comprised of a Kershaw folding saw (it appears to be identical to a Bahco Laplander saw) and a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe. This set up has served me well.

Lately however, I have noticed some troubling patterns in my tool use. More often than not, when collecting wood, I am relying almost exclusively on my Kershal saw. I simply find that either because of lack of skill, or design, I can do the same cutting task much faster with the saw than with the Small Forest Axe. The axe mainly comes into play when I am splitting wood and carving.

As a result, I have started to rethink, the cutting tools that I carry. If I am relying so much on my saw, perhaps I should carry a more robust saw. Consequently, I purchased the 24 inch Trail Blazer Take Down Buck Saw.

The saw, disassembles completely, and all the parts fit quite nicely in the main handle tube. The whole set fits into the 25in x 1in tube.



In addition to all the components, there is even space for an extra saw blade.



The saw assembles in about a minute without any tools. Here I have taken a photo of it next to my Small Forest Axe for comparison purposes.



The assembled saw is quite large and robust. The saw weighs 1.55 lb. It is heavier than what I was hoping for, but it is still much lighter than the Small Forest Axe.

The saw is sold in an 18in length as well as the 24in that I got. I chose the 24in version because I wanted to get the largest saw I can carry within my back pack. For me that is 24in. Any larger would stick out of the pack. The saw retails for anywhere from $25 to $40.

A lot more testing would be required to see if this saw is worth carrying. It will probably be a part of a complete rethinking of my tool use. I will keep you updated. The only thing that I can say at this point is that this looks like a good robust tool. Time will tell if it is right for me.