Woodlore Buck Saw

[Beowulf]

Does anyone have first hand experience with the Woodlore buck saw? This one seems to be extremely well made, but I always try to get first hand feedback before spending the money.
http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/503-Woodlore-Folding-Buck-Saw/

Here is a great article written by Jonathan detailing the Woodlore Buch Saw and its perfect companion...the Gransfors Forest Axe.
http://www.overlandexpo.com/overland-tech-travel/2011/8/6/swedish-steel-meets-english-wood.html

Of course the bag is gorgeous and hold a small forest axe nicely as well.

 

[Beowulf]

As it always happens after posting this I find this other saw for a third the price.

http://nwwoodsman.com/Product/Tools/EdgedTools/WoodsmanFoldingBucksaw.html

 

[Beowulf]

Videos on various buck saws.

http://test.video-hned.cz/bucksaw/

 

[RHINO]

the thing i dont like about them is the vertical grip, there are a few out there, same design but shorter tensioner so you have angled grip, much more comfy to use.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I have the Woodlore saw and I love it. It's made one at a time by Chris Boyton, an English longbow maker - not often any more you can name who made a piece of your gear. The canvas case that holds a Gransfors Bruks saw is a bonus. I did a writeup here:

Woodlore Saw

I don't find the vertical grip uncomfortable at all. The only real disadvantage of this type of saw is that it won't fit between two close limbs. It's a fine companion to a smaller folding saw such as the Gerber.

Edit: After looking at your photos it appears you've already seen that writeup!

 

[Quill]

You could make your own and it will be more valuable to you.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Undoubtedly. I do all my own leatherwork. But how many of us have the skills and time to do all these things?

 

[goodtimes]

Undoubtedly. I do all my own leatherwork. But how many of us have the skills and time to do all these things?

Fortunately, with the internet being what it is, it's getting easier to get the base knowledge from which to develop the skills for all sorts of random stuff. :ylsmoke:

Now if I could just find more time. :sombrero:

 

[Beowulf]

I'm with you on the TIME to do anything. Most of us on this forum are extremely skilled in a wide range of craftsmanship. However, I just don't want to allocate my time to building something when I should be trying to spend more time with my family and hopefully more time exploring. When I factor in how much I normally make as an hourly wage and the cost of even basic material, that homemade saw would have to give me money back to make it worth my while over buying one.

Now yes, the Woodlore saw is more than I would normally pay. But, the NW Woodsman saw is not.

All that aside, I have to say, after searching the web, I have seen some absolutely gorgeous homemade versions. There are some videos of people just taking a Saw Blade and some Cord to just build their own while in the field with sticks. There are not always pretty, but I appreciate the fun that entails.

Anyways, let's get back to the pro's and con's of a buck saw.

 

[Beowulf]

Jonathan,

You are correct. I did indeed see your post and was the inspiration to start this thread. I was not sure it was ok to cross post so I did not include a link. I will now post a link to your well written article in the first post.

http://www.overlandexpo.com/overland-tech-travel/2011/8/6/swedish-steel-meets-english-wood.html

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

No worries . . . thanks for the link.

I think the Woodlore saw carries a bit of a premium thanks to its association with Ray Mears. On the other hand, Ray is one of the few real deals out there in celebrity survival expert land, so he deserves it. Compare his stuff with some of the mediocre products being mass-produced and flogged by Gerber under Bear Gryll's name. Ray is clearly not out for the fast buck.

The Northwest Woodsman saw looks to be a fine product. I'd like to hear what you think of it.

 

[Beowulf]

Not that a carrying bag matters, but the fit and finish of the woodlore bag looks impressive. The NWWoodsman bag seems to be nice waxed canvas, but the woodlore is a work of art.

Jonathan,

How does the woodlore fold up? Do the uprights stay connected to and fold over the blade when broken down? Or, do they need to be completely removed?

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

How does the woodlore fold up? Do the uprights stay connected to and fold over the blade when broken down? Or, do they need to be completely removed?

The uprights do stay connected to the blade. Once you de-tension it and remove the upper strut, the end pieces fold over the blade and mostly shield the teeth.