Hello all, seems we are all taught that a knife is an invaluable survival tool and we should never go into the woods without one. Well I've changed my mind on this!! I've started carrying a small folding saw, and if I was stranded in the bush I'd rather have this than a knife. I still have a hunting knife for skinning, but as far as survival goes I'd use the saw for everything a knife could do. The same can't be said of the knife. Have you ever tried cutting a branch to make a shelter with a knife, doesn't work. And deadfall doesn't work as well as live wood for shelters, even at that deadfall still has to be trimmed occasionally. I can cut cord with the saw but not with the knife. I have a couple saws but the one I carry is by opinel of France it locks positively, is sharp and the smallest folding saw I have found. I've used it 3 yrs now and still awesomely sharp, and it's been through the pelvises of 2 white tails without missing a beat.
I can take down a 4" diameter sweetgum tree in about 1 minute by hacking at it with my Microtech LCC folding knife. I'm sure bigger trees would be no problem for a bigger fixed blade.
any branch that's thicker than I can brea by hand. I bow hunt and make a lot of ground blinds so I cut a lot of branches. I've totally given up using a knife. Ya you can hack through a redwood given enough time but a saw is always faster.
