Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Folding Saw - 7.5 Inch Blade, 7 TPI - Compact & Durable for Camping, Hiking, Bushcraft & Outdoor Survival

Wow. I am astounded by the reviews of this item, now that I actually have it. For what it is, it's not bad. I cannot believe anyone who is planning on doing pruning with a saw would choose this item. It's reasonably built for what it is. It's a bring-it-along-in-case-we-might-need-a-saw. My Swiss army knife has a thicker saw blade and cuts better. I'd use that on something up to around an inch diameter before I'd use this Bahco. If I had a lot of small stuff to cut, I'd use large pruning shears. The teeth have a set toward the handle, so although the description says it cuts on push and pull, it's functionally maybe 40/60. Keep your steadying hand well clear of the blade, because it's light and when it doesn't cut, it will jump if it doesn't bind (because the blade is so thin). Mine came well assembled - no problems. The lock works in both directions. A plastic button releases a metal liner lock deep inside the handle. The handle is not a great shape for long use. It's long enough to hold with both hands. Mine came with a leather rawhide string that I'll probably replace with paracord. When closed, the teeth are completely covered by the handle, unlike the other brand I was considering. I was surprised how I could not find any folding saws in any store around me in this large city - not department stores, hardware stores, nor sporting goods stores; so I bought this from Amazon. The vendor delivered in fine shape and acceptable delay. So, again, if you intend on doing pruning, get a proper fixed blade pruning saw, because you'll likely be disappointed with the performance of this item. I have not used it enough to say anything about how long the blade stays sharp enough. My 40 year old wood handled 13" fixed blade pruning saw is many times a better tool than this. But to carry in a camping pack where there's a possibility you might need something bigger than a SAK, this should be okay. And it's made in Sweden, not China. If I knew I'd need a folding saw, I'd get something better, but I don't know what - the complaints of all the ones I researched steered me to this one for the price. I'm not returning it, but it's not my regular go-to tool either.I think perhaps my expectation was a bit too high but honestly pretty much a Walmart / homedepot cheap folding saw will be a better purchaseAfter an ice storm hit my home town and I was left without power for a week in -30°C (-22°F), I became far more interested in basic, primal tools and survival/bushcraft. I never had the opportunity to be in the scouts, so this has been a learning experience for me, and I'd love to share what I've learned with you, because my requirements were simple: I need the best, most necessary, cheapest tools I can find. Since you're here looking at this, I'm going to guess you may fall into one of those categories as well.A saw is secondary to a knife (as is pretty much everything), can be carried with, or instead of an axe. Men like Mors Kochanski carry bowsaw blades around their waists on special belts. While a 24" bow saw is going to do things this saw can't, buying a belt like that will run you about $180 from a specialist company, OR you'll need to make it yourself, AND you'll also already need the skill to craft a bowsaw frame in the wild as well. For a beginner, this is a daunting task. This is where this saw comes in.First let's talk pedigree. Bahco was founded by Johan Petter Johansson, the man who invented the adjustable wrench. Formerly the Tool & Saw division of Sandvik (acquired 1991), and as recently brought to my attention by another reviewer, it is now owned by Snap-On. If you know any of these names, they should strike a chord. However, name isn't anything, nor a guarantee of quality.However, the reviews on this thing speak for itself. Swedes love their bushcraft and essentially have yet to be surpassed in terms of quality for the money (Mora) or just outright quality regardless of money (Gransfors Bruks). The 396-LAP is no different. When I got it, it was surprisingly big, and surprisingly light. The handle is 9" from tip-to-tip, meaning I can wrap both my hands around it and still have a bit poking out either end. Realistically, this gives you the option of operating it double-handed.However, you'll find that utterly unnecessary. By depressing the very secure lock (you must release the lock both to extend and retract the blade, a really nice feature), you can release the 7" general-purpose blade. The saw has 7 extremely aggressive teeth per inch, and cuts on both the fore and backstroke; this is important because it means you don't waste any energy, super important in a real survival setting, and making cutting through brush and wood in your backyard like slicing through bread with a chainsaw.The saw blade itself has a 1/16" kerf, which is half of a full blade kerf that you'll find on your typical circular saw. While I don't necessarily agree that this is a weight-saving option (I don't think an extra ounce or two of metal would be that drastic), as some note it can make the blade feel flimsy. When retracting it, sometimes it can bend and strike the handle. However, anyone who has worked with handsaws will know that it's inevitable there's some give in what is essentially a long, narrow piece of sheet metal. A few people mention problems with the saw bending (particularly on the push), I haven't experienced this but this problem can also be aggravated by cutting knotty wood or a dull saw.This product typically sells around half its MSRP on here (~$20) making it pretty much indispensable for bushcraft, survival enthusiasts, camping or anyone who has to contend with branches that are too thick to use a machete or the like on but too thin to justify an axe or chainsaw. Furthermore, just like the Mora, this thing cuts way outside of its own class. Highly recommend.Not shown in the picture is the fact it comes with a tan leather wrist strap. While this is okay for home use (but not really meaningful in such a case and will degrade eventually anyway), if you use this in any rugged (bushcraft, portage, survival) situations, you should really switch that to a synthetic (paracord), preferably a high-visibility colour because this thing is the same colour as a forest floor, and if you drop it, especially at night, you're never going to see it again.And finally, let me tell you, in a survival situation, if you pull this thing out, there's definitely an intimidation factor, like staring down the maw of an alligator.Got this in my quest to learn bushcraft construction, and although I've never used a silky saw, I don't feel like I'm really missing out on too much except for paying more money. Cuts like a charm for stuff that I don't want to break out the chainsaw for. What sold me on this saw was the price and availability of replacement blades should I need it.Really in two minds about giving this a poor review. I have the same saw that I bought 15 years back and have been using it on and off since then.The reason I got this one was because it was only a couple of quid dearer than a replacement blade for my old saw.You can't blame a company for trying to find cheaper more efficient ways to make product lines. It's a natural part of being in business in the first place.What is unfortunate is when by doing this the end result suffers.The locking button now seems to function only as an ornament. By adjusting the tightness of the screw that holds the blade in place you can kind of get it to lock closed. And kind of get it to lock open. But in each case you're never confident that the saw will remain that way.The blade is sharp and cuts well so if you're going to go to the trouble of designing in a safety feature at least have the QA in place to ensure it works.I'll have to get my old saw out to compare the grip material too. It could be that the new one just feels different because it's so new, but it definitely feels more plasticy than the old one.**EDIT 17/01/2018**. Have to admit I am wrong here, the handle on the new one is more rubberised and pleasant to hold. I can't recall if the old one was like that when new and just wore smooth over time.Come on Bahco. You had a modern classic bushcraft and garden saw. Don't let it slip just to wring a few extra pence out of your customers!The Bahco Laplander is a great little saw, perfect for gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts. Having mis-placed my first saw on my last adventure into the woods (why do they make them green!!), I took to Amazon to order a replacement., they were after all the cheapest by some margin. It arrived the next day but I was disappointed to note that it didn't lock in the closed or open poisition. I immediately reported the matter to Amazon and asked for a replacement. Amazon acted swiftly by dispatchng a new saw and sending me clear instructions for returning the faulty item (Hat's off to Amazon for their amazing service in this regard).The second saw arrived yesterday and I was disappointed again to see that it also would not lock in the open or closed position. I was intrigued this time though as the Bahco saws are very simple in design and have a great reputation for being solid, reliable workhorses. I figured there can't be much wrong with it as there was no obvious signs of breakage. So I removed the screw which holds the blade in place, removed and re-seated the blade, re-fastened the screw and was careful not to over-tighten it. Happy days - the saw is locking again both in the open and closed position.I'm not sure why the blade wasn't locking in the first place, I wondered if perhaps it may have been a bit too tight and/or was simply not seated correctly. Either way, it was very easily fixed and I'm confident this saw will give me a few years of good use.Yes they're very popular, mostly thanks to a ray mears book years ago that inspired so many bushcrafters. BUT, despite its brilliant cutting ability, its lightweight design and folding ability it has one vital flaw. One share by many a folding saw; weak blades that easily bend. The reason is the design. I've had so many brands and finally replaced my Bahco one recently. If they fold the folding point will provide a pivot for a bend somewhere down the shaft to occur. I full tang (fixed blade) saw lasts much better and doesn't suffer from this nearly as much if at all in my experience. So yeah, folding to pack for lightweight packing is great but if you're planning one of these as an INCH bag addition, think again. It wont last the apocalypseOwned one of.these many moons ago but it went walkabout & I wanted a replacement to process wood into manageable sizes for.whittling & general bushcraft purposes.First thing that struck me was the weight of the saw. I could be imagining things but it seemed lighter and a bit flimsier than my old one. I guess lighter means less packweight when you're carting it around but I used to think my old one felt reassuringly substantial.Nonetheless, the saw felt comfortable in the hand and the saw blade was sharp enough. However, the blade had a lot of bend in it, again more than I remember. Still, you can process good size branches in a respectable time.The locking mechanism is easy enough to use but straight out of the box, it was loose. It's a simple enough thing to remedy; just tighten the screw at the side but the first impression it gives is not a good one.Don't get me wrong, this is still a good saw and a big of kit which will retain its place in my rucksack. However, I can't help but feel the production value has dropped slightly- whether this has been sacrificed for a lower weight or just to cut costs, I don't know.While looking for a saw I consulted reviews from all over the place and time and time again this one kept coming up time and time again as a fantastic product. So I decided to get myself one. The price was very reasonable.My first impression before I’d even had it out of the packaging was just how light it was. I’ve not weighed it but it’s considerably lighter than my Leatherman Surge.I’ve seen a few people who had issues with the lock button but I haven’t had that problem, the lock works perfectly and when opened has no movement in the blade at all.I took it to a few 4-6 inch branches to cut some logs for drying out and I am amazed at just how quickly it cuts with hardly any exertion on my part.All in all I’m very happy with my choice and would absolutely recommend this product to anyone looking for a light but tough folding saw.