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Silky Saws

When you absolutely, positively have got to saw everything in sight. 

by Martin Hackworth
 


Photos: Martin Hackworth, JR Hackworth



Silky Saws
Choose your weapon!

Silky Saws
Top to bottom: Katanaboy, Bigboy 2000, Ultra Accel, Pocketboy
     If you spend much time riding trails in the woods you are going to need a saw. Sometimes it's possible to ride over, under or around down trees but a lot of the time you have to deal with what's in front of you. 

     Here in Idaho where the forests are increasingly stressed, the days of clearing trail with chainsaws early in the riding season then enjoying clear trail most of the summer are gone. These days it is very likely that one will encounter downed trees every time the wind blows - even a little. One day this past summer, while sawing trail for the Tour of Idaho, I ran a gallon of saw gas through my chainsaw in one section of trail only to discover new trees that had fallen down behind me on the way back out. I actually had a tree fall on my bike this past summer. 

     For most of us it's just not practical to ride with a chainsaw all of the time - even a really great compact saw like my Dolmar 3410 or Stihl 193. This summe, while working with various trail crews across the state on the Tour of Idaho I discovered Silky Saws. Once you've used a Silky, there's no going back. Silky Saws are light, exceptionally well-made and cut furiously. Some of the larger saws cut like human-powered chainsaws. You need a Silky.

    We called Silky to inquire about a selection of folding-type saws to evaluate for trail riders. Irene DeMaio, our Silky rep, suggested four saws: the Pocketboy, the Ultra Accel, the Bigboy 2000 and the Katanaboy.

     All Silky saws are made in Japan with high-quality steel and other premium grade materials. Silky high-carbon steel blades maintain impressive sharpness after long periods of heavy use. The blades are stiff enough for aggressive sawing but not brittle. Chrome hardening resists scuffing, corrosion, resins and reduces sawing friction. These are serious tools for sawing.
     Silkys exude quality. You'll look and feel like a Ninja - especially waving a Katanaboy around in the air. I triple-dog dare you to resist doing this. 

     The Pocketboy, as the its name implies, is a compact folding saw that fits easily in the pockets of 
KLIM Dakar pants and others as well. The blade is 6.7 inches long with 6.8 teeth per inch. It's about the same size as a Corona Razor saw, but beefier. It's also slightly heaver, but when you discover how well the locking mechanism works and feel the well-made, ergonomically correct handle as you saw you'll understand the value of the extra heft.

     The Ultra Accel is a slightly larger saw than a Pocketboy. The Ultra Accel features a blade length of 9.4 inches with 6.4 teeth per inch. It cuts much faster than the Pocketboy and can handle larger diameter logs.

     The Bigboy 2000 is my favorite Silky Saw. It's got a whopping 14.2 inch blade with 5.5 teeth per inch for a very fast cut. It cuts through impressive diameters of wood like butter. The only drawback of the Bigboy is that the blade does not completely fold into the handle (see photo above). An accessory sheath (one custom made for the Bigboy is available from Silky) may be advised.
Silky Pocket Boy
Pocketboy.

Silky Accel
    Even though the teeth are not fully exposed the exposed part of the BigBoy blade is can still cause some issues. The Bigboy cuts much faster than the Ultra Accel or Pocketboy and can handle larger diameters. The Bigboy 2000 is the main saw that I carry for long rides in the woods. I'm never without it. This saw will perform flawlessly for years and years and you can cut small stuff more quickly than your riding buddies can even get their chainsaws out. If you were going to buy just one hand saw for your woods riding the Bigboy 2000 would be the one.

   
Finally, when you absolutely, positively have got to saw everything in sigh, there is the Katanaboy 2000. Forget about superlatives and just examine the facts: 19.7 inch blade length and 4.2 teeth per inch. It's like having a friendly, log-chewing T-Rex at your disposal. Once deployed, it's the most entertainment that you can have with a saw in the woods.
     
Silky Saws

The Good: All Silkys cut ferociously.
The Rad: Exude quality.
The Gnarly: Makes your $500 chainsaw look puny if you've got the biceps to make them work.

Silky BigBoy 2000
BigBoy 2000.

Katana Boy
Katanaboy

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