I have been lucky enough to be given my first pieces of kit by Fiskars UK.
The first piece I’m going to look at is a retractable hand saw. Often cited as a vital piece of kit for bushcraft, it allows you to work with medium size pieces of wood for a minimum pack size and weight. The main thing I’ll use this for will be cutting small logs down to size for fires and for getting the raw length of branch when I make spoons.
If you’ve not heard of Fiskars before, Here’s an excerpt of what they have to say about themselves:
“Established in 1649, Fiskars is the oldest company in Finland. We have worked with tools, cutting and steel forging ever since we first started operating 360 years ago. Our roots are in the Fiskars village, an idyllic center of art & design, where modern aesthetics meet old crafting traditions. Fiskars launched the world’s first plastic-handled scissors in 1967. Since then, these orange scissors have sold more than 1 billion pieces worldwide and their iconic status has resulted in the Fiskars orange being synonymous with scissors across the world. Fiskars is the world’s number one scissor brand.”
The saw itself is well made and feels solid. The blade has an orange knob that twists to unlock the blade, which is then pushed out and locked in place by retightening the knob in a small depression at the other end, holding it securely in place.
The blade is 6 inches long (there is also a 10”version and a more traditional folding type as well). When retracted the blade is completely within the housing. The main body is made of plastic (I’m not sure what type, the range is listed as: ‘fibrecomp’. It looks and feels like high impact ABS).
The saw is a steel blade, designed to cut on the pull. With large wide teeth for cutting green, resinous or dead wood, it is (and I mean this) wickedly sharp.
On my kitchen scales it weighs in around 90 grams, so it’s light and is about the same size as the long grip found on some walking poles.
Would I buy one of these?.. Yes. I’ve considered getting a retractable or folding saw for some time, and would have been handy on last years wild camps, so I’m glad I got it. It is a welcome addition to my kit list, small and light enough to go on the ‘might need’ part of my kit lists.
