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Silky unfolds compact Japanese steel saws, makes trail work even more satisfying

Silky Japanese steel folding hand held saws for mountain bike trail work
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Packrat do-gooders rejoice! Silky has upped the ante for compact, lightweight trail building and repair tools with their new outdoors-oriented line of folding mini saws. The blades, like all of Silky’s saws for the past 100 years, are hand crafted in the Ono region of Japan, made of impulse hardened steel that’s ground to a perfect blade.

They’re corrosion and resin resistant and designed for minimal friction. The handles and shaping are made to reduce fatigue, increase safety and help you cut quickly. On top of all that, the four blades on offer all fold down small enough to fit in a hydration pack…

Silky Japanese steel folding hand held saws for mountain bike trail work

Shown at top, the GomBoy Curve (left, orange handle) has a 210mm blade with 6.8 tpi (teeth per inch), 0.5lb (226g) weight and retails for $63.95. The Bigboy 2000 has a 360mm blade (14.2″) that might require one of the larger packs on the market to conceal it, but it should make short work of almost any fallen tree that doesn’t measure larger than your thigh. It has a coarser 5.5 tpi and weighs in at 1lb (450g). Retail is $93.95.

Directly above is the smallest saw in the new collection, the Pocketboy, with a 130mm (5″) blade. It uses a finer 8.5 tpi and weighs just 0.35lb (158g) without its included carrying case. Retail is $48.95.

Silky Japanese steel folding hand held saws for mountain bike trail work

In between them all is the F180, a 180mm (7″) blade with 6.4 tpi and 0.4lb (180g) weight. It’s the only one of the bunch that’ll lock the blade into two different positions to help you get into the most comfortable cutting position. Retail is $44.95.

Silky Japanese steel folding hand held miniature axe for mountain bike trail work

The Silky Ono Chopper is a mini axe is there when you just need to hack something to pieces. Firewood, obstinate roots, that pedal that won’t stop creaking, whatever. It can be resharpened. At 1.76lb (798g) it’s probably not going to end up in your pack, but your trunk looks awfully welcoming… Retail is $148.95.

Silky Saws are distributed by Sherrill, Inc., in the Americas, and available at REI.

SilkySaws.com

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David
David
7 years ago

LOVE my Silky folding saw! It’s perfect for clearing spring deadfall.

AK_Ben
AK_Ben
7 years ago

Silky makes the best folding saws, for sure. Check out the Katana Boy, cuts like butta!

mudrock
mudrock
7 years ago

Where do you buy them, in the US, say? I have a Fiskers 10″ for $22 that I got from Agway at it also “cuts like butta.”

Groghunter
Groghunter
7 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

Having used Fiskars, Corona, & Silky, there is a huge difference between Corona & Fiskars, & Silky is a small gain above the Corona. But the Fiskars never got used again once we bought Coronas. Performance difference is huge, price difference is not, so you owe it to yourself to at least bump up to Corona. I will buy Silky for certain things where Corona falls flat in their selection. Silky does a more durable folding mechanism, so I’ll opt for them on folders, & Corona doesn’t make a saw as big as the KatanaBoy, so I have one of those. Silky also offers different teeth counts, which can be a big advantage when tackling certain types of wood(Coronas tooth pattern is good all around, but excels in softer wood. a finer tooth count is better for harder, or aged wood.)

IMO, the best hand saw on the market for trailwork? a 14″ Corona fixed blade & a scabbard. small enough to still be able to be carried by bike, & non-folders are more comfortable & durable, & the price is right: http://a.co/hpxFZB4 I prefer this handle style, but I have a 14″ blade. Much better value than a comparable Silky, or a folder by either company.

To answer your other question, I’ve bought all my saws on amazon or at a local Corona dealer.

traildog
traildog
7 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

amazon generally has the best price. almost certainly won’t be able to find them locally.

Silky Outdoor
7 years ago
Reply to  mudrock

Silky is growing very fast in the US and our dealer footprint is expanding. Currently, there is a selection of Silky products on the shelf at Cabela’s, REI, LL Bean, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and a multitude of other small local and regional shops. If your local shop doesn’t carry Silky, have them contact Silkysaws.com to get set up.

JNH
JNH
7 years ago

Not sure I could bring myself to take a Silky Saw trail building. Trail building is where tools go to die in a sea of mud, stone and roots that grow in patterns not meant for the eyes of man.

Matt
Matt
7 years ago

Do they cut on the push like western saws or pull like Japanese saws?

Frank
Frank
7 years ago
Reply to  Matt

I can’t speak for these particular saw, but I have a Silky Zubat. It cuts on the pull stroke, but has a stiffer blade than a ‘traditional’ japanese saw. So us ham-fisted Americans are less likely to bend the blade, but its not as smooth and light as a traditional saw.

traildog
traildog
7 years ago
Reply to  Matt

Silkys cut on the pull

tsuful
7 years ago

Love my PocketBoy170 !
Great lil saw I carry in backpack just in case 🙂

fityu
7 years ago

I also have a Zubat, and its very user friendly compared to other saws I’ve used. A Silky folder is next on my list.

traildog
traildog
7 years ago

BigBoy 2000 XL for life! all my friends carry them. we have a lot of lodgepole up high. you can cut trees with diameters up to or exceeding the length of the 14″ blade in a pinch, and they still fit in a 10-20L hydration pack. Go XL teeth unless you have a lot of hardwood

Chase
Chase
7 years ago

@Grog-What about the Agawa Canyon Boreal21

http://agawacanyoninc.com/pages/boreal21

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