After considering the main players in the flexible saw market, I’ve decided on the Ultimate Survival Technologies SaberCut Saw as my pick for the best flexible saw. It’s better than the others – including one overhyped model that’s sold on TV informercials – and its features and performance make it the logical choice when you’re in the market for a flexible backpacking or survival saw.
Stores in a small package
The SaberCut Saw is a handheld chainsaw. So it’s not quite as flexible as a wire saw, but it’s close enough. Wire saws are mostly useless for cutting wet or sap-filled wood, and I can’t recommend them for anything other than their novelty value.
The SaberCut has handles made from webbing. Compared to some low-cost competing designs which use stiff wire handles, this saves space and weight. It also feels a lot better on your hands.
The carrying pouch is perfect for storing the saw in your pack. It’s tough enough to keep the saw teeth from tearing through anything they shouldn’t, and it holds everything securely.
Fast two-handed operation
Flexible saws are fast. You can go through a 5-inch log in around 30 seconds if you really start rocking and rolling. But this is assuming you’re working under perfect conditions. Read on…
The main drawback of flexible saws is they require two hands. it’s difficult to hold a branch steady while you cut through it with a flexible saw. This is a design flaw inherent in every flexible saw, not just the SaberCut. It’s the tradeoff you make for the reduced weight and bulk of a flexible saw as compared to a good Folding Saw designed for hikers.
While two-handed sawing is OK for cutting down a small tree or lopping off some branches, it’s awkward to the point of being almost unworkable if all you want to do it cut up some branches on the ground. So yes, you can cut fast and furiously (especially with two men), but it’s difficult to get everything set up just right.
Unlike powered chain saws, the SaberCut features bidirectional teeth which cut both ways. The only problem with this is the teeth can bind in the wood if you let the saw twist. But once you get used to working with the SaberCut Saw, you shouldn’t have any problems with the saw blade binding in the cut.
Finally, let me say a word about the danger inherent in this sort of saw. You can easily slice your hand open if you get tired and careless. When your hands get too close together, the saw teeth are dangerously close to your unprotected flesh and bone. Even though it’s not a powered chain saw, you still have to devote your full attention to it.
For cutting larger branches and logs
If you need to prepare a lot of larger branches and logs, the Ultimate Survival Technologies SaberCut will serve you well.
But if your main cutting task involves working with smaller-diameter branches, this saw will frustrate you.
The teeth are around 3 inches apart, which means you’re only cutting with a single tooth at any given time when the branch diameter is small. And, as you can imagine, single-tooth cutting is inefficient. More importantly, flexible chain-saws are all problematic when the branch diameter is low, simply because they don’t work well in a tight radius. (Tight-radius cutting is probably the one area where wire-saws outperform handheld chain saws.)
A backwoods workout
When you need to prepare a lot of wood, a flexible saw gives you a serious workout. It’s definitely a lot more energy intensive than using a more traditional folding saw. You can’t ‘let the saw do the work’ with one of these. Instead, you’ll soon realize that you’re the one doing all the work.
These saws work best if you keep the handles as far apart as possible. When they’re too close together, the saw starts to bind (plus it becomes dangerous).
So, while it’s fine for a short while, it soon becomes tiring. If you don’t have strong back muscles, you’re not going to get much work done with a hand powered chainsaw.
Easy to take one along with you
The SaberCut really shines as a survival saw. And what I mean by that is it’s best as a saw that you take along with you just in case. Like I mentioned earlier, if you know you’re going to need to prepare a lot of wood, this might not be the best choice. But if you just want to be prepared for eventualities, it’s a great way to have a light-weight, compact saw along with you at all times.
Check out additional specifications and user reviews for the Ultimate Survival Technologies SaberCut Saw at Amazon.