OUR STUFF
Home PageForums
Search
PUBLISHED ITEMS
The LibrarySubmission Guide
GET TO KNOW US
About UsThe Team
Site User Manual
The Lounge
Contact
Site Map
Lightweight Cutting Tools
Submitted by An Outdoor Idiots Team Member.
Wilkinson Sword Retractable Saw Review
Note
The saw reviewed was purchased in B&Q. For non-UK readers, B&Q is a hardware/DIY store. It cost £10. There was a larger, longer but otherwise identical version also on display, costing £17. For some reason, the longer version mentioned a 10-year warranty on the packet, whereas the shorter version we purchased made no mention of this. The shorter version was chosen, as the blade length is very similar to the blade length of the popular Bahco Laplander folding saw, and because we wanted something small and light.Anatomy and Usage
When closed, it is 20 centimetres (almost 8 inches) long. It comes with a nifty belt clip:
You can probably work out how it works by looking at the picture. It's a nice design. However, when wearing it on the belt clip, if you become particularly excited and spend ten full minutes jumping wildly up and down, it is easy to imagine the saw popping off the clip. That means the design is unsuitable for someone like Bear Grylls.
To open the saw, you unscrew the orange knob a little, then push it all the way to the end of the slider, then screw the knob down again to lock the blade in place. Here's the blade:
The blade is about 16 centimetres (just over 6 inches) long. It is completely flat - none of the teeth flare outwards. That means it is possible to produce completely smooth cuts which will be the envy of any tree surgeon. The teeth are designed so that the saw cuts only on the back stroke.
The blade is very thin, and bendy:
In use, you need to be tremendously careful not to bend the blade. Not because it is thin - it's about the same thickness as the popular Bahco Laplander saw. It seems, though, that the metal of the Wilkinson Sword retractable saw is not as great for the job as that of the Bahco saw. On the push stroke, if the blade is not aligned perfectly with the cut, or if the blade catches on anything, the blade bends. We have found it does not take much force to permanently bend the tip of the blade in such cases. It's happened twice. One time, an attempt to bend the blade back resulted in it snapping. By contrast, the Bahco Laplander saw has been exposed to the same hideous bending forces, but has yet to become permanently bent. Bahco seem to have been very clever with their choice of metal, so well done to them. Wilkinson Sword should take note and do it better.
It seems Ray Mears was right to recommend the Bahco
Laplander folding saw, and we are sure it will be of great satisfaction to him to learn
that the people at Outdoor Idiots.com agree with him. He can now sleep
easy.
Comparison with Heavier Counterpart
Compared to the more substantial Bahco Laplander Folding Saw, here are some pros and cons:Pros
- It is about half the weight, in spite of having a very similar blade length. The saw weighs 95 grams (about 3½ ounces), or 105 grams including the belt clip. The Bahco Laplander weighs 185 grams.
- The belt clip is much more useful than the leather strap that comes with the Bahco Laplander saw.
- The blade produces cleaner cuts than the Bahco Laplander folding saw. The Bahco saw produces very clean cuts, but the Wilkinson Sword saw produces stunningly clean cuts.
Cons
- The blade cuts only on the backstroke. The Bahco Laplander saw cuts in both directions, and so is quite a bit faster. It's not twice as fast, but it's faster.
- The blade can be damaged far too easily for our liking. In order to help prevent this, we recommend either sawing very slowly and carefully, or taking very short rapid strokes, to prevent the blade coming too far out of the wood.
Page 3 of 5 Previous Next [Top of Page]
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Frosts Clipper Knife
Page 3: Wilkinson Sword Retractable Saw
Page 4: Fiskars / Wilkinson Sword Handy Axe
Page 5: Lightweight Cutting Tools: Bench Test
Page 2: Frosts Clipper Knife
Page 3: Wilkinson Sword Retractable Saw
Page 4: Fiskars / Wilkinson Sword Handy Axe
Page 5: Lightweight Cutting Tools: Bench Test
© Copyright 2007 Outdoor Idiots.com (Steal our stuff and a puppy gets it!)
This site is best viewed at a resolution of 1024*768, and with your eyes.