Buckster Bow Saw BBS-1

Purchased this for canoe camping after getting tired of a folding saw to have it do that...just fold and bend. Canoe camping legend and author Cliff Jackobson said a full size buck saw is the right tool to take. Folded down this isn't much bigger than a folding saw and being aluminum this one is lighter. After figuring out the assembly it takes less than a minute to assemble and take down. I like the foam grip handle. I used it on a 3 night canoe trip this fall to process firewood. Compared to any folding saw, It's solid and great for cutting 4-6 diameter wood. I will change out the blade as the one it comes with has the notches in the blade that are used for cutting green wood. I forget what they are called by they clear the cut material/saw dust which isn't necessary with dry wood. You end up getting more cutting notches with a dry wood blade. It's great for my use but might be a bit big for backpacking. Great general outdoor saw that's fairly compact and durable, but if your a serious wood shop person this may not be enough saw for you. A couple annoyances. All the parts slide around inside the tube which may just be the case for these types of saws. The little metal clip at the bottom of the holding side of the saw flaps around when sawing. You could remove it easily but that just increases the risk of it getting lost. Neither annoyance is enough for me to not highly recommend this as a great general outdoor saw.

Picked up this saw a number of years ago and it's never let me down. I kept finding the original blade to be a bit short and was never fond of it being proprietary. As another reviewer did, I customized it to accept any run of the mill, off the shelf 21" bow saw blade. It's nice to having a longer blade while also not having to worry about it being proprietary. Much better now.

I love this saw! I've used and beat the crap out of mine for over a year now. I toss it in my camping bag, take it out in the woods and cut up all the wood I need for year-round campfires. Mine gets tossed around, both assembled and packes away, left in the dirt, chucked in the snow, hung off my belt, caught up in a pile of wood in the back of my truck, and keeps on cutting with zero issue. The blade is still plenty sharp and probably will not get replaced when it breaks because the cost of replacement blades is ridiculousness. I'll either buy a whole other saw or switch over to one of the larger silky saws.

After using the saw a few of times, I feel comfortable rating it. On the positive side, it's nice to be able to get two hands on the saw for dry wood and larger logs. It's also relatively easy to set up and is quite stable so far. I'm not as bothered by the propriety blades as some, but I'm a little concerned about the plastic locking pieces... we'll see. I ordered a back up set. The engineering is clever and fun. The color is good for around camp so you won't lose sight of it. Drawbacks: Like all bow saws, it has a limit to the size logs it can cut. It takes a minute to set up, which is fine for camp but annoying if you're doing something like trail clearing. All the parts make it possible to lose something. It would be hard to jerry rig a fix on this in the woods if anything was lost or broken. Lastly, but importantly, it's surprisingly loud. All the aluminum parts bang around a bit in the bag and when you're cutting, I thing the hollow aluminum tubes amplify the vibrations. It's noticeably louder than my wooden bow saw and my folding saw. All in all, I think it's clever and a good camp saw. I'm not unhappy with the purchase, but if I had it to do again, I'd probably go with the agawa canyon if I wanted a camping bow saw. I'll get something else for trail maintenance.... maybe a larger folding saw.

Works great. Love how it collapses down into a small light single tube. If you are out in the woods doing bush craft survival stuff for fun then this is a great product. Just bring some extra blades along just in case.

Great for motorcycle camping... A little finicky, but the form factor is worth it... Could improve the locking wire that keeps the stuff in the tube when not in use.

This is the best backpacking saw ive ever had. Lightweight. Easy to put together. All components fit inside tube. Blade is sharp, sturdy and withstands buckling.

Great design, love how it packs away inside the handle. Very sturdy construction, I've been using the blade it came with for a long time and it hasn't broken or lost its edge. One minor downside is that it can be quite fiddly to put together - particularly the first time you use it. If you want something you can set up and fold down again quickly, this probably isn't your first choice of saw.