Silky KATANABOY Professional 650mm Folding Saw XL Teeth (710-65)

The Silky Katanaboy 650 is an outstanding tool for the woodsman. The saw is easy to use, working almost effortlessly through logs. I bucked two five-foot cherry logs roughly 18 inches in diameter with it and was amazed at quickly the rounds rolled off. The folding/locking mechanism is intuitive and easy to secure. And you want to make sure you lock the blade, because the Katanaboy is razor sharp. The ergonomics of the handle give great purchase and help prevent fatigue. It's easy to get into a smooth rhythm while using the saw - just let the Katanaboy do the work. I have a chainsaw that has seen better days, but was not eager to spend $500-plus on a suitable replacement. I enjoy processing firewood the old-school way - I used axes-only to drop a few trees last month - and I thought the Katanaboy 650 might be a chainsaw substitute. I still have to test it in falling work, but I plan to use an axe for the face cut and the Katanaboy for the back cut, wedging as I go. We'll see how it works. One thing I do know is that the Katanaboy will be much easier to carry into the woods than a chainsaw, gas and bar oil, especially with the nifty sheath/sling. While it's not really relevant for cutting firewood, I am amazed at what a smooth surface this saw leaves behind on the end of the log. A precision tool, to be sure. I can't comment on durability, as I've had the saw only a short time, but the components and hardware seem to be high-quality, with the possible exception of the plastic knob to loosen/tighten the locking mechanism. I can imagine that breaking if I don't pay close attention. I'll update the review after extended use.UPDATE:After nearly a year of use, I continue to give the Silky Katanaboy 650 five stars. I have had zero problems with the saw, and it has proved to be highly durable. After lots of cutting work, the teeth remain razor sharp. I have used it in felling work, as I had envisioned in the earlier review, and it has worked great. I open the face cut in the tree with an axe and then make the back cut with the Katanaboy. Given the blade size, it's easy to add a wedge behind the blade to prevent pinching in the cut. I have even experimented with making the face cut with the Katanaboy. It certainly works, but I prefer an axe for that application. You may be wondering, why would you use an axe and a handsaw to fell a tree if I could use a chain saw. Here are my reasons: 1) weight when carrying gear to a work site; 2) noise while working; 3) physical, mental and spiritual fitness; 4) a love of old-school woodsmanship. If those things don't matter to you or are irrelevant to your situation, then a chain saw would be a better choice.I made a comment above about the Katanaboy being irrelevant to firewood processing, which isn't entirely true. I have certainly used the Katanaboy to buck logs to great effect. The problems that can arise relate to ground clearance and stability of the log when sawing the final rounds. Propping up the log can solve the first problem, and another person holding/sitting on a log or wedging it between two standing trees or in a v-notch (if low enough to the ground) can solve the second. (I do wish the saw had an additional locking position, like the Silky Bigboy does, to eliminate the ground-clearance problem. Just a few degrees past horizontal would do the trick.) As others have noted, the saw cuts on the pull stroke, which may require some adjustment in your cutting mechanics if you've mainly used push-style saws. Also, with a blade roughly 25.5", I find the maximum log diameter for effectiveness to be about 20". If that becomes a problem for you, there's always the Silky Katanaboy 1000 as an option!

I'm using for trail maintenance. I cut an 8" dia log across a trail with about 20 strokes (it was a dry pine) as my first use. Getting the hang of the pull stroke took a bit of practice.I'll leave the chainsaw at home.Well balanced, easy to carry in the open position.The carry bag could be a 1/2" bigger because the knob has to be all the way in to get it back in the bag .

We use this as our emergency saw in our truck just in case when we go out into the woods. Very compact and easy to store.

If you ever considered yourself the sharpest knife in the drawer, this would be your clone, except its a saw. Taking the tool out of the case gave me shivers. The lock to keep it open is strong. The saw is not excessively weighty. Your arms will wear out if you saw something above your shoulders for more that a few minutes. It cuts through wood like butter.I sent a e-mail message to the company's customer service mailbox with questions about the saw before purchasing it but they don't seem to answer all messages they receive. Customer service is optional for some firms. I hope I never need to contact them in the future.BE VERY WARNED when unlocking the blade as it will swing close very quickly and slice your fingers gripping the handle. Be sure to unlock the blade with it pointing down!! If you make the mistake of not doing that, you with either have a coronary on the spot, or you will need to change your nickname to "six fingers" and pack your disconnected fingers located now on the ground with ice and seek medical attn.The saw is very pricy but so far is very much worth it. It will cut anything a 18" chainsaw would be used for. I could not find any other company with a similar product so no competition to lower the price. In the future when gas is a distant commodity, you will want this product in your toolkit. Do not wait for a better deal and also heed the dire warning about the collapsing blade.

Arrived well packaged, can't wait to try it out. The teeth look like they will rip through anything, extremely sharp.

Great solid, sharp long saw! I’ve used it to take down several trees over 70 feet tall.Expensive but handy and worth it when a chainsaw is not an option.

Very sharp, works very well, should be in every bushman's arsenal.

650 millimeters of pure joy, no really. It takes a couple of days to figure out exactly how much pressure (very little) it takes to get this saw going but once you learn the cadence it really is fun to cut wood.A mixture of oaks, maple, service berry, pine, and birch, each has a different pull. Now a dream about cutting wood.Lesson 1: make a sawbuck and use two hands. You don't want to let this perfect blade touch dirt. Maybe it will still go several years without sharpening but I don't want to chance it. I want it to cut a year from now just the way it cut up a cord of wood this morning.At first I thought it was a bit pricy. After using it, worth every penny.