silky versus corona handsaws

I agree with guy too. At first the silky cut very good and smooth but within a month I probally could have switched back to my corona and not have noticed the difference. The only plus I have for the zubat is the end of the handle doesn't have a shaarp curve on it. The coronas handle always use to catch my rope on my leg. I don't like the hook at the end of the saw either. Liked using the end of my corona to finish cuts in tight spots with the tip but unable to with my zubat.
 
that is y i dont like the hook at end of blade....sometimes that is all ou can get in to make a cut with.

I tend to like the hook on handle. Makes it more secure in hand, and sometime I throw a finger or 2 from other hand there for extra force. But I do agree it catches on alot.
 
Link doesn't work Treeco. But a buddy of mine sharpens all his blades. I think he gets to sharpen his blades twice before he replaces them. Not as good as a new one but for the price of some replacement blades it is definitly worth it.
 
The level of dullness or when the saw's sharpness flatlines is higher with a Silky than other saws...at least that's what I have found.

I tried to sharpen my Fanno tri-edge blades a long time ago. All I got for the effort was a blister on my hand...wasn't worth the effort since Fanno would sharpen them so cheap.
 
I spend December working at a christmas tree lot for fun... I carry my zubat on my hip and the other guys share a couple 18" bow saws and 3 fanno 12" curved saws, those other saws are brand new Dec 1, my Zubat blade was replaced last march, my saw outcuts those other 2 to 1 if not more, and some of them have only been in use a week. we cut the stumps off trees for clients before sending them on their way, I bet I have had at least 10 people (guys usualy) say, "wow, what kind of saw is that?"
I like silky, the price is worth it if you use a hand saw regularly unless... you have a habit of losing or breaking blades, if so, stick to fanno or corona.

same deal as Felco pruners vs cheap knock offs, if you lose them, but the cheapos, if you take care of your tools, buy the Felco and you will have them for a long, long time.
 
On top of all that's been said here, I like my zubat better because it is a beefier blade. I have never had one buckle in a cut if it got jammed. I have never broken one (not a challenge--I am sure someone could). When I am using my silky, the cut is smoother and more comfortable because there is less vibration from flex in the blade. Coronas and Fannos do the job, but silkys are nicer to use, cut after cut. I use my handsaw for probably 85% of my work. It's worth it to me to make that work a little smoother and easier.

I use the same philosophy as with my saddle. I could get a $80 saddle and it would allow me to do my job. But for $250, I can get a saddle that makes my climbs more comfortable and enjoyable, day after day. Even if the expensive saddle wears out just as fast as the cheap one, it is worth it to me because I'm going to be hanging in it a lot. Over a few years, the prorated price is not that much.

As for the hook on the tip (blunt on the zubat, but with an edge on some saws), I didn't like it when I first got one. I've found it's nice to have, though. When I'm finishing a cut, I can just plan to let the tip hit another branch. Because of the blunt end, it won't damage the tree and I can be a little more aggressive in the final strokes (Yeah, I know, that's what she said). But if I really didn't like the hook, I would grind it off and use my silky without it, because it is worth a little trouble.

If you do decide to switch, it's worth thinking ahead about what you plan to use the saw for. I have a "Tree Tiger" as well as a zubat, but I only carry it on removals. When pruning, I want a nice, clean cut. The more aggresive teeth on the Sugoi do not deliver the same precision as the zubat.

k
 
I like the totally different sound a Silky blade makes as it slices through the wood. It has a unique pitch.
 
If you want a saw with straight blade try Gomtaro 300. No hook on the tip and a straight beefy blade that won´t buckle. Silky blades can be sharpened with a slightly rombe shaped file, not as good as new but better than dull.
Svein
 
i go with Silky; the silkier cut less fatiguing and leaves a sharper/ cleaner cut on the wood; more properly i think. i think sharpening any of'em with a feather file is a PITA; i even took 1 in to a pro and he didn't want to do anymore; though it was better when he was done.

The curve is of benefit to get more shoulder on top of the saw, with out you having to be higher over it. And without angling the saw; whereby there'd be shoulder over the saw on 1 end of sweep. Also, easier to see cut at angle i werk it at.
 
[ QUOTE ]


Yeah Samurai are ok, but they're still the 'poor man's Silky'

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't liked the Silkys I've tried. I prefer the Ichiban Samurai. I think they're actually better saws.

And I'm not poor.
grin.gif
 
Doesn't anybody use the Barnel saws at all? I never see any mention of them yet they come from the U.S.

http://www.barnel.com/prosaws.html

I've been using the Z13 for some time now. I'd be curious to know how others find it compares to the Silky saws. Ive been told that there's not a lot of difference apart from better slightly better finishing by the people in Australia who sell and use them both. They both use SK4 steel but here the price is $30 for the replacement blade for a Barnel Z13 and $80 for the blade for a Silky Nubat (very similar length and curve by the look of it)
Pete
 
I found the Silky to last a lot longer. Even after the occasional abuse doing roots, but now I've enough handle/scabbards to relegate one to root pruning early.

Tom spoke of a fall off curve in sharpness. I believe he was concentrating on a single blade. My experience is that a Silky blade last go 2-3 times longer than the other ones I remember using. So, how does one express that in useage? Plot a shorter cycle of a cheaper blade.

New-> Sharp -> Working -> Hey, better look to get another -> Replace.

If I go through this cycle three times on a cheaper blade, I'm spending a lot more time in that "Hey, better look to get another", while tiring out and taking extra pulls to get the same cuts. Yes, $20+$20+$20 does = $60, but I can count on only having to be in that final stage before replacement once. Or rather 2-3 times a year instead of 8-9?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't anybody use the Barnel saws at all? I never see any mention of them yet they come from the U.S.

http://www.barnel.com/prosaws.html


[/ QUOTE ]I met the Barnel guys at Expo and ordered their telescoping polesaw. He told me they were big in Oz but unknown here. Marketing and buyer psychology is really weird.

Before the Dunlap gang documents their curve studies they should try the new and much improved Coronas.
There must be a way we can hook these things up to machines and gauge their dullness after 10,000 strokes. My money is on the Corona. Who wants to buy a flatlining zubat?
santa.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom