SilkyKATANABOY Professional 500mm Folding Saw XL Teeth (403-50)

This purchase was part of my quest to find durable and environmentally-friendly alternatives to common power tools. In the case of the Katanaboy, I was looking for a hand-powered substitute for a chainsaw. After about 18 months of owning and using this tool, I can honestly say.....it does not replace a chainsaw! If you want a tool that turns trees into firewood quickly and with little effort, buy a chainsaw. If you are like me and want to get a bit of exercise while doing chores, don't mind spending a little extra time outdoors, and appreciate effective tools, the Katanaboy is a fantastic choice. It is my primary firewood cutter, as I do not own a chainsaw. I cut a cord of old, hard elm in about an hour, with frequent breaks, although the more I use it, the fewer breaks I need. Most of the branches were under 8 inches in diameter, but I cut a couple of sections that were twice that size (it wasn't easy, but it was fun). I bought a second saw from another vendor for use at work, where part of my job is management of a nature preserve (which includes trail construction and maintenance). In the nature preserve (and at home), I prefer to avoid the noise and pollution of a chainsaw. Trail work volunteers are envious of my "samurai saw" and argue over who gets to use it first.Volunteers almost always bend the blades of my pull-cut saws, but none of them were able to bend the Katanaboy's blade. In fact, after extensive use, I haven't even come close.The saw's handle is comfortable enough. Since it's a pull-cut saw, most of your effort will be on the pull, so a straight handle works just fine (like a tug-of-war). If you pull by bending at your waist or even rocking back and forth on your feet, you can give your arms a nice break. The teeth are extremely sharp, but the locking mechanism has sort of a half-cock safety that minimizes the chance you'll get your fingers caught between the blade and handle while folding the saw. Interestingly, the back of the blade is a pretty effective machete and is good at cutting grass, non-woody weeds, and small dead branches (although this is obviously not its intended use, so be careful). It's fun to pretend I'm swinging around a real katana sword!If I had a big job to do, I would opt for a chainsaw. While I'm confident I cut bigger logs with the Katanaboy (or more than one cord, if I were in better shape), I really don't want to try. I prefer the Katanaboy for small jobs that can be completed in the time it would take to get a chainsaw ready, and for medium jobs that won't take too much time or wear me out. I also prefer its low maintenance, silence, small environmental footprint, and its aesthetic (the experience of using a quality tool, smelling cut wood rather than burnt oil and gasoline, and the sound of birds rather than a two-cycle engine). I am seriously considering buying three more for the family so we can have a nice family outing while getting a larger amount of firewood (and overcoming the saw's main shortcoming when compared to a chainsaw).

The Silky Katanaboy 650 is an outstanding tool for the woodsman. The saw is easy to use, working almost effortlessly through logs. I bucked two five-foot cherry logs roughly 18 inches in diameter with it and was amazed at quickly the rounds rolled off. The folding/locking mechanism is intuitive and easy to secure. And you want to make sure you lock the blade, because the Katanaboy is razor sharp. The ergonomics of the handle give great purchase and help prevent fatigue. It's easy to get into a smooth rhythm while using the saw - just let the Katanaboy do the work. I have a chainsaw that has seen better days, but was not eager to spend $500-plus on a suitable replacement. I enjoy processing firewood the old-school way - I used axes-only to drop a few trees last month - and I thought the Katanaboy 650 might be a chainsaw substitute. I still have to test it in falling work, but I plan to use an axe for the face cut and the Katanaboy for the back cut, wedging as I go. We'll see how it works. One thing I do know is that the Katanaboy will be much easier to carry into the woods than a chainsaw, gas and bar oil, especially with the nifty sheath/sling. While it's not really relevant for cutting firewood, I am amazed at what a smooth surface this saw leaves behind on the end of the log. A precision tool, to be sure. I can't comment on durability, as I've had the saw only a short time, but the components and hardware seem to be high-quality, with the possible exception of the plastic knob to loosen/tighten the locking mechanism. I can imagine that breaking if I don't pay close attention. I'll update the review after extended use.UPDATE:After nearly a year of use, I continue to give the Silky Katanaboy 650 five stars. I have had zero problems with the saw, and it has proved to be highly durable. After lots of cutting work, the teeth remain razor sharp. I have used it in felling work, as I had envisioned in the earlier review, and it has worked great. I open the face cut in the tree with an axe and then make the back cut with the Katanaboy. Given the blade size, it's easy to add a wedge behind the blade to prevent pinching in the cut. I have even experimented with making the face cut with the Katanaboy. It certainly works, but I prefer an axe for that application. You may be wondering, why would you use an axe and a handsaw to fell a tree if I could use a chain saw. Here are my reasons: 1) weight when carrying gear to a work site; 2) noise while working; 3) physical, mental and spiritual fitness; 4) a love of old-school woodsmanship. If those things don't matter to you or are irrelevant to your situation, then a chain saw would be a better choice.I made a comment above about the Katanaboy being irrelevant to firewood processing, which isn't entirely true. I have certainly used the Katanaboy to buck logs to great effect. The problems that can arise relate to ground clearance and stability of the log when sawing the final rounds. Propping up the log can solve the first problem, and another person holding/sitting on a log or wedging it between two standing trees or in a v-notch (if low enough to the ground) can solve the second. (I do wish the saw had an additional locking position, like the Silky Bigboy does, to eliminate the ground-clearance problem. Just a few degrees past horizontal would do the trick.) As others have noted, the saw cuts on the pull stroke, which may require some adjustment in your cutting mechanics if you've mainly used push-style saws. Also, with a blade roughly 25.5", I find the maximum log diameter for effectiveness to be about 20". If that becomes a problem for you, there's always the Silky Katanaboy 1000 as an option!