Saw test

enki_ck · **Reply #30 on:** December 01, 2012, 07:54:08 PM

Quote from: kmanct3 on December 01, 2012, 05:57:59 PM

I have always found Vic saws whether it be 111 or 91 mm superior. Even the wenger saws are not the best

Which Wenger saws? 85mm, 120mm or 130mm? I did some testing this summer with various saws and the 85mm did quite well.

enki_ck · **Reply #31 on:** December 01, 2012, 07:56:43 PM

Quote from: SAKnight on December 01, 2012, 07:28:45 PM

... 91mm vic saw, swisstool saw (same as 91mm saw... ), ...

The swisstool saw is thicker than the 91mm saw. and that's not an advantage in my opinion. More material has to be removed with every cut.

kmanct3 · **Reply #32 on:** December 01, 2012, 08:06:08 PM

I'm not saying the Wenger saws were bad, I just thought the Vics and Leathermen were better. The 85 mm Wenger is better than the Wenger Ranger. Could have been what i was trying to cut through at the time.

Mercury · **Reply #33 on:** December 02, 2012, 06:56:47 AM

Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:37:08 PM

Quote from: Mercury on December 01, 2012, 07:22:27 PM
Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:08:33 PM
I was out in my garden today doing more to the dollshouse and used the charge Ti's wood saw on some thin strips of wood and it worked a treat,although i used the waves alot over the years and never minded the discomfort , although the charge fell off the table outside and my heart sank i really must think of this as a tool as i did my wave for years

I like the Charge/Wave saws as well, other than the handles digging in on the wave it's a fantastic saw. I have been carrying my BO Wave for a long time now and really like it.

The more I drop it and ding the finish the more I like it. It is starting to look a little used, and that just enhances how awesome it looks.

Ive never had a BO MT but i do like the look of them rubbed up and scratched the charge is kind of blingy but i must remember its a tool i never gringed in the old days with my old wave infact i never oiled it ever but these days i even clean them

I try to beat the hell out of my wave and it still resists. this thing is indistructable!

Zed · **Reply #34 on:** December 02, 2012, 09:53:53 AM

Quote from: Mercury on December 02, 2012, 06:56:47 AM

Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:37:08 PM
Quote from: Mercury on December 01, 2012, 07:22:27 PM
Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:08:33 PM
I was out in my garden today doing more to the dollshouse and used the charge Ti's wood saw on some thin strips of wood and it worked a treat,although i used the waves alot over the years and never minded the discomfort , although the charge fell off the table outside and my heart sank i really must think of this as a tool as i did my wave for years

I like the Charge/Wave saws as well, other than the handles digging in on the wave it's a fantastic saw. I have been carrying my BO Wave for a long time now and really like it.

The more I drop it and ding the finish the more I like it. It is starting to look a little used, and that just enhances how awesome it looks.

Ive never had a BO MT but i do like the look of them rubbed up and scratched the charge is kind of blingy but i must remember its a tool i never gringed in the old days with my old wave infact i never oiled it ever but these days i even clean them

I try to beat the hell out of my wave and it still resists. this thing is indistructable!

yeah thay can take it for sure

my old wave got a beating and never looked too bad for it and the same with my newer wave,im sure the charge will get a few knocks

it was covered in silicone yesterday

of course i cleaned it after

Mercury · **Reply #35 on:** December 06, 2012, 05:24:44 PM

Quote from: Zed on December 02, 2012, 09:53:53 AM

Quote from: Mercury on December 02, 2012, 06:56:47 AM
Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:37:08 PM
Quote from: Mercury on December 01, 2012, 07:22:27 PM
Quote from: Zed on December 01, 2012, 07:08:33 PM
I was out in my garden today doing more to the dollshouse and used the charge Ti's wood saw on some thin strips of wood and it worked a treat,although i used the waves alot over the years and never minded the discomfort , although the charge fell off the table outside and my heart sank i really must think of this as a tool as i did my wave for years

I like the Charge/Wave saws as well, other than the handles digging in on the wave it's a fantastic saw. I have been carrying my BO Wave for a long time now and really like it.

The more I drop it and ding the finish the more I like it. It is starting to look a little used, and that just enhances how awesome it looks.

Ive never had a BO MT but i do like the look of them rubbed up and scratched the charge is kind of blingy but i must remember its a tool i never gringed in the old days with my old wave infact i never oiled it ever but these days i even clean them

I try to beat the hell out of my wave and it still resists. this thing is indistructable!

yeah thay can take it for sure my old wave got a beating and never looked too bad for it and the same with my newer wave,im sure the charge will get a few knocks it was covered in silicone yesterday of course i cleaned it after

Mine got its first arc yesterday, my cigarette lighter plug was messed up in my rig. I use a splitter to charge two different units all day, and the one my company issues is a piece of crap. The same thing happened to this one that happens to all cheap splitters, the end cap worked it's way loose and when I pulled it out the fuse stayed in the socket with the cap. I got the fuse out but when I went to grab the plastic cap with my pliers, I missed the plastic and grabbed the contact and touched the wall so a nice little spark flew out. Now there is a tiny notch in the tip of the pliers that wasn't there before.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #36 on:** March 16, 2013, 06:57:36 PM

My next round of saw tests.

I set these tools in order of their saw length (as measured from first saw tooth to last saw tooth, not overall tool length).

What we have here:
Berkley Mini Fishing Tool, Husky 14-in-1 Multi-tool, the 'Bear Grylls Strata' from the Ultimate Survival Pack, Leatherman Juice CS4, Wenger EVO S17, Victorinox Farmer, and returning as the benchmark the OHO Trekker.

The first surprise I had was with the Berkley Mini Fishing Tool. See that dinky saw? Guess what? It works. It doesn't work GREAT, and I swear I could have gnawed through the branch faster, but it DID cut, and didn't go dull, unlike the saw on the SAK-Alike knives. Shocking.

The Husky seemed like a dream come true to cut with after that Berkley, but it was still slow and terrible. There was a slight improvement when i moved up to the 'BG Strata'. It was an obvious jump in quality going from the Strata to the Juice CS4. That saw cut like a frickin' lightsaber compared to all before it.

And from that point on, all of the saws cut extremely well. The Juice was a bit better than the Wenger EVO S17, I think, but not by lots. Among Leatherman and SAKs, it mostly just seems that the longer the saw, the faster the cut. One doesn't cut better than another, only faster due to longer stroke length.

As far as ergonomics, the Berkley was terrible, the Husky was profoundly uncomfortable, being a huge chunk of metal. The Strata was okay. The Juice was incredibly comfortable. The screwdriver on the EVO was somewhat annoying. The farmer was probably the best of them all, and minus the OHO protrusion on the Trekker, it would be perfect. As it is, it's about on par with the EVO.

Like my original test, this was done on an oak deadfall branch.

The Oak branch

After Testing

Nhoj · **Reply #37 on:** March 16, 2013, 07:09:04 PM

I can't believe I've never found this thread before. I really like the saw on my wave but I am still a little surprised a 91mm vic saw is longer than it.

enki_ck · **Reply #38 on:** March 16, 2013, 07:15:45 PM

Lynn, we have to get you a 108mm SAK (GAK) to test and compare.

Gareth · **Reply #39 on:** March 17, 2013, 12:25:39 PM

Good stuff Lynn.

nuphoria · **Reply #40 on:** March 17, 2013, 02:59:29 PM

Thank you for that

I have some of the the same tools myself (or similar) and my OHT would definitely be 1st choice for it's saw

Cupboard · **Reply #41 on:** March 18, 2013, 12:12:51 AM

I think the Leatherman OHT's saw would be a bit of a joke in comparison to the Vic OHT

SwissArmy Zippo · **Reply #42 on:** March 18, 2013, 02:04:26 AM

Quote from: Lynn LeFey on May 09, 2012, 09:50:01 PM

A brief saw test.

Do u have this test on video? I'd like to see it if u do. Thnx 4 sharing

SwissArmy Zippo · **Reply #43 on:** March 18, 2013, 02:08:19 AM

Using the LM Wave Saw. Worked fantastic on a 3/4 hardwood (poplar) dowell.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #44 on:** March 18, 2013, 02:09:21 AM

No, no video version, sorry. Watching me sawing an old branch sounds pretty horrifying to me as a video.

"And here I am..."
Vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..... vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..
(Fast forward 4 minutes)
"And that was the Berkley. Pretty slow. Let's try the next."
Vfff... Vfff... Vfff...
(Fast forward ten minutes)
Vfff... Vfff.... Vffff...
(Pause video, go get beer... drink beer, read a few e-mails, surf I-Am-Bored... come back to video)
Vfff.... Vfff... Vfff...

EDIT: yep, I liked the Wave saw too.

J Mackrel Jones · **Reply #45 on:** March 18, 2013, 03:23:05 PM

Thanks for the testing Lynn. Sensible and realistic as always.
Here is a saw test from The Swiss Army Knife Owner's Manual (with Mr. Young's permission):

"In a test of 30 seconds cutting with sharp wood saws on 1 ½ inch square redwood the new-design Wenger was the winner, barely ahead of Victorinox; then the Chinese and the Spanish Aitor about tied, just ahead of the old-design Wenger; the German Korium proved to be rather ineffective. On 3-inch plastic pipe the Victorinox saw was the winner. The only saw to cut worse than the old Wenger design was the Spanish Aitor. The German Korium placed in the middle of the group. The modern-design Wenger was almost as good as the Victorinox, just beating out the Chinese."

bleedingthumb · **Reply #46 on:** March 18, 2013, 05:29:33 PM

Quote from: Lynn LeFey on March 18, 2013, 02:09:21 AM

No, no video version, sorry. Watching me sawing an old branch sounds pretty horrifying to me as a video.

"And here I am..."
Vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..... vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..
(Fast forward 4 minutes)
"And that was the Berkley. Pretty slow. Let's try the next."
Vfff... Vfff... Vfff...
(Fast forward ten minutes)
Vfff... Vfff.... Vffff...
(Pause video, go get beer... drink beer, read a few e-mails, surf I-Am-Bored... come back to video)
Vfff.... Vfff... Vfff...

EDIT: yep, I liked the Wave saw too.

Um, I'm pretty sure I would watch the whole thing.

SwissArmy Zippo · **Reply #47 on:** March 18, 2013, 08:04:04 PM

Quote from: Lynn LeFey on March 18, 2013, 02:09:21 AM

No, no video version, sorry. Watching me sawing an old branch sounds pretty horrifying to me as a video.

"And here I am..."
Vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..... vfff, vfff, vfff, vfff..
(Fast forward 4 minutes)
"And that was the Berkley. Pretty slow. Let's try the next."
Vfff... Vfff... Vfff...
(Fast forward ten minutes)
Vfff... Vfff.... Vffff...
(Pause video, go get beer... drink beer, read a few e-mails, surf I-Am-Bored... come back to video)
Vfff.... Vfff... Vfff...

EDIT: yep, I liked the Wave saw too.

Ummmm yes I'd watch it!

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #48 on:** January 19, 2014, 09:54:04 PM

Another round of tests.

Same test 'subject' as all the previous. I found a deadfall branch off of our oak tree, about 1/2" (13mm) to 3/4" (19mm) through the solid wood section, not including the bark.

The contestants today were the Leatherman Sidekick, Wenger Handyman, Victorinox Spirit X, Victorinox Farmer (coming back as a standard for comparison), and the Wenger Ranger 58. In the first pic, I arranged them by saw length, shortest on the left. If I recall correctly, the Wenger Handyman and Vic Spirit's saw are so close to the same length that I can't tell the difference.

Sadly, I don't currently have a Vic 111mm to compare against the Wenger Ranger, but I have a Rucksack on the way, and hope to do a head-to-head when it arrives.

So, I think this is the first time I've done this kind of test, and not had a junky saw in the bunch.

The second pic is approximately in order of how they performed. No different from the initial organization. I think this leads me more strongly to believe that among good saws, length is the real determining factor. With a couple caveats.

The Sidekick has a pretty good saw, and the tool was comfortable in-hand, with a nice large handle to grip on. I wasn't super thrilled with the pull-only cut of the blade, though.

The Handyman cut the same as the previously tested Eco S17, except it has an annoying chain flopping around, and really enraging me. Also, I didn't remember it from the previous test, but the handle seemed REALLY hard to hang onto. The grip and chain are the only two things that set it below the performance of the Spirit's saw, IMO.

The Spirit X's saw, despite being a good deal wider than the Wenger 85mm saw, cut just as well. With more tool to grip onto, and maybe I was just less afraid of using it aggressively, particularly on the push stroke. I wasn't afraid of busting up plastic scales.

Farmer. Wow. Great grip, solid. No fear of banging it up, I just let 'er rip, and it cuts so amazingly well.

The Ranger was a beast. It cut SO fast. I am rather excited to give it a run against a 111mm Vic. I suspect the Ranger will clearly take the match. As I recall, the Trekker was a tad better than the Farmer. The Ranger was clearly better. I had some concerns about the OHO 'loop' on the Ranger's blade possibly getting in the way, but it didn't seem to cause a problem. The grip on the tool while cutting was so solid.

The only issue here is... how much weight do you want to cart around for a good saw. I think for the weight, maybe the Farmer is winning? Sure, the Ranger is better, but it's a LOT heavier, and more bulky, where the farmer slips right in a pocket. So... Hmmm... Still testing.

I also noticed today that the test, on a stick, pinned to my railing with one hand, and cutting with the other, might not be the best test for the bigger saws, where it might be possible to get a lot more force applied. I might see if I can find a little tree around to cut on to really push them.

Huntsman · **Reply #49 on:** January 19, 2014, 10:35:41 PM

Hi Lynn
Glad to see the Wenger Ranger finally made it into the test

I think the combination of the longer blade with the very comfortable handle makes it a clear winner for sawing.
Although I take your point about the size weight etc

If you know you have some serious cutting to do (eg backpacking trip when you will cut lots of wood for a fire) then the Ranger is what you should have in your pack/on the belt.

When I got my first Ranger I thought the handles were too big and a bit ridiculous.
Now I have had it a while, and used it for jobs like this I can see why they designed the handles the way they did.
As you say - it fits so comfortably in the hand.
It will beat all the others on this criteria...
Then add in the longer length = quicker cutting time = Winner

Thanks for taking the time to do the test and making the post.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #50 on:** January 19, 2014, 10:52:44 PM

Thanks. It's been a long time coming to get to the Ranger. This thread is almost 3 years old.

neillcurrie · **Reply #51 on:** January 20, 2014, 02:59:14 PM

A few years ago I modded a saw blade to fit in the jaws of my Crunch securely: the Dremelled slot in the end of the blade is ground till the wire cutters close perfectly into it, preventing rotation of the blade.
I also made a sheath for the blade, even chose the blade length to fit the Crunch's sheath perfectly, if you have it with you when you need it it might be useful...........though a longer blade would probably be better at cutting.
Obviously there's quite a variety of blades out there. I chose one called "Remgrit" which is supposed to be able to cut through pretty much anything.
The negative factor with using a saw blade in the Crunch's plier head is that the "handle" part of the saw(the Crunch, opened), isn't very ergonomic. Either wear work gloves, or restrict sawing to short bursts.
http://blogericious.blogspot.com/2013/06/leatherman-crunch-saw-mod.html

Spatha · **Reply #52 on:** January 20, 2014, 05:27:42 PM

Excellent test, Lynn!

I'm interested to see how the Ranger does head to head against the 111mm Vic.

Last week I was tidying the front garden a little and I was sawing up some branches, so I took the opportunity to compare the saws on the several different tools that I seem to have amassed. I too found that the Farmer seems handle really nicely, in particular I found it was binding up very little compared to the others. The wood I was cutting was pretty green, for what it's worth.

Steinar · **Reply #53 on:** January 20, 2014, 09:56:47 PM

Just a

for actually doing the experiment and sharing the result with us. Thanks!

SolomonKane79 · **Reply #54 on:** January 20, 2014, 10:09:30 PM

Like for the scissors tests, i can only say: thank you!

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #55 on:** January 23, 2014, 09:23:03 PM

So, I got a 111mm Victorinox with saw (Rucksack) the other day, and decided to go out in the back yard to do a final head to head against the Wenger Ranger 58.

I'd also gotten a Rebar in, and decided to give it a go against the (virtually identical in size) Sidekick.

So, here are today's participants...

I was using a thicker branch than I'd used before. I wanted one to give a better test to the longer saw blades. Unlike previous posts, I was wearing gloves during the test, because it was frickin' cold. This may have some effect on my perception of the ergonomics of each tool, but I can't say how much. I was also being more aggressive with my cuts. It was cold, and I was 'highly motivated' to get back inside, so I was bearing down much harder than previously, and the gloves allowed it with a lot less wear on my hands.

And the findings:

The Rebar and Sidekick were identical in cutting ability. And I was shocked how well both of them cut. I ripped through the oak branch pretty easily with each. The difference in blade position (one being inside open, one outside open) didn't make a difference. The handle on each tool also gave a good grip. the pull-cut teeth appear to like the more aggressive cutting technique.

Next up was the Rucksack. It was even MORE comfortable in-hand, with longer saw blade, but the lighter weight made it easier to handle. It was awesome.

And finally, the Ranger 58. It... uh... Hmmm. I really expected it to do better than the Rucksack. I'm not sure if the saw blade cut noticeably better. What I AM certain of is that it was a much heavier, more cumbersome tool, and for some reason, the size of the grip made my hand cramp.

Okay, maybe I'd just done all that OTHER cutting, and it was messing with me. So, back to the Rucksack, and... no. No problem with the Rucksack. Huh.

I think the extra width of the Ranger was causing me problems. The much higher weight of the tool was certainly an issue. In any case, if the blade was cutting better, the benefit was offset by the worse ergo.

I have to give this round to the Rucksack.

It might be different for people with larger hands, that find the size of the Ranger a more perfect fit. It might also be that a vic 111mm with a lot more layers would be less comfortable in-hand, or that a Ranger without the safety blade layer would have been more comfortable. In any case, for me, the added length of the Ranger blade didn't make up for the discomfort of the tool in hand compared to the Vic.

And, finally, here's a look at the 'test subject', the branch that was used. It's oak with a solid center about 1 1/4" (32mm) thick, and a total thickness, including bark of about 1 3/4" (44mm)