Time for a new Silky. Fixed, straight. But which one?

the video of Silky Australia with that gorgeous woman.

link please

Here's my attempt. I do it so infrequently that I always forget how it's done. Apologies if it does not embed. The first video explains the rationale behind the choice between straight or curved blades, which I was not aware of. So thanks for starting this thread.

Tim

https://youtu.be/Aw07LJ0DOI0

https://youtu.be/n_nlmrstjc4
 
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  • #27
I also prefer a curved sword.
Yeah, I also like curves. In women, specially. I cannot really explain why. Not sure if it is physic, metaphysic, chemical, or animal.
But if I was to choose a sword, I would at least know that if I want to cut somebody like in the Samurai movies, from top to bottom, a curved sword would be good. While if I want to stab somebody like in Middle Age movies, a straight sword would be better.
A straight sword is also better for actors who cannot use swords, so they can do that typical thing of crossing the swords up and down in a fight.
Why/when a curved handsaw should be better, that is unfortunately still a mystery to men, women, hollywood, and even wikipedia.
I have made a promise to myself and decided that when I am rich I buy the straight and curved version of the same saw, in same length, and will post all the differences which I can notice of what can each do better than the other.
In the while, till I am poor enough to pay one saw, I stick with straight on saws and curves on women.

Here's my attempt. I do it so infrequently that I always forget how it's done. Apologies if it does not embed.
Yeah, it works. I actually had posted the first video on my last post. The word "she" in the sentence "isn't she lovely" is a secret link. Difficult to notice, as it is not shown in a much different colour and gets lost in the background. Thanks for reposting.
I did not know the second video, I had promised myself not to watch all her videos till I have money to travel to Australia to see her curves, I mean, her curved blades, personally.
:)


So, I had a brief interchange of emails with the, apparently, biggest expert on Silky in Germany.
He said that a curved blade has more of a "point" contact with the wood, while the straight has got more of a "line" contact. So, on a curved blade there is less part of the blade making contact with the wood during the cutting. So, the whole force is concentrated on a lesser part of the blade, and the cut is faster and easier. He also said that the chippings would be better guided out of the cut with a curved blade.
He said that a straight saw is mostly preferred when a more precise cut is requested, and when the curve of the blade could make it more difficult to go between tight branches.
So, in few words, he confirmed that, basically, a curved blade is faster, a straight one is more precise and more "handy".
He is of the opinion that when cutting small branches anyway the speed advantage of a curved blade is irrelevant (which makes sense, as on a small branch also a straight blade -if long enough- would have a small point of contact).

So, for my needs (precise pruning of mostly small branches, possibly tight) a straight blade is to be preferred.
He did not suggest the Tsurugi as main/only saw, because he believes that by being so narrow it tends to be difficult to control when cutting bigger branches (bigger than 10 cm) and require an even slower or a very careful cut.
For this same reason he does not even sell the curved Tsurugi because he believes that it is much more difficult to control (curved = speed).
He mostly suggest the Tsurugi to people who already have another wider saw (like the Gomtaro) and wants something narrow for special jobs.


So Tsurugi 300-10 for me
And also Gomtaro 240 for roots. For two reasons: I want to see how long it really holds its edge, and I can use it when the Tsurugi should feel like too narrow.
About this saw, he said that it is twice chromed. I knew it was twice hardened (which is a process used also in knives, called secondary hardening).
So he thinks that it does not really holds much more of an edge than a normal saw, and no chances if the saw meets a stone even just once, instant dull.
Let's see...
 
Any rule of thumb for how long a blade should be in relation to limb diameter? Or a diameter range for a given blade length?
 
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  • #30
I am about to take a decision which could change the course of my life, and surely the weight of my wallet (which anyway will not weigh enough if I do not receive some money for Christmas).
I've decided to buy three saws:
the Tsurugi 300-10 for general pruning.
The Gomtaro 240 Roots for roots and for if ever that man is right and I would feel the Tsurugi is unstable in the cut of >10cm branches.
the long reach Zubat (the longest of the three long reach Zubat). As I am not a climber, this may be good to me. As far as I see it is also the only Silky long reach which could (or I hope so) be used also without pole, as a normal handsaw. It has got the form of the rubber handle, although not of rubber. Does anybody here have any experience with it?
 
Sounds like you have a plan...go with it!

I have a 21' Hayauchi, but have often looked at the long reach Zubat, so if you're not making great high cuts, I reckon the Zubat will serve you well.
 
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  • #35
Do not scare me! I have had enough with knives already. Last but not least, wanting to try out a pair of Showa Kevlar Gloves, the GP-KV2R, I have lightly pulled my new Buck knife on the upper part of the glove, while wearing it. Very clever...
Apparently the GP-KV2R are not really level 4. Or the Buck are level 8 :)

I am thinking, how do you do a undercut with a pole saw? A perfect horizontal undercut is not possible. So, do you just do one from one side and hope for the best, or do you do the cut from both sides?
 
I'll try to undercut with a pole saw but it's not always possible, but a little bit of whatever amount of undercut you can get in is better than absolutely nothing. Sometimes you can cut downwards quickly enough at the end to sever the limb before it has time to tear.
If you use another pole or extendable pruner (Fiskars stick pruner...it has it's own thread somewhere) to help support the branch as it sags that can work too.
Otherwise cut the main amount of weight off further out and then do a final cut with just a stub left.
 
I'm going back to a straight blade, just preference I guess. 330mm Gomtaro on the way from Japan.
Still got a scar on my left hand from my curved Samurai saw when that was brand new. Stupid mistake.
 
Have to agree on the curve being superior to straight. (Maybe it's a masculine thing -- we like curves...)
 
I'll finish small back cuts in the tops with my handsaw if I wanna reach up and push with my other hand. Curved saw always wants to cut one side of my hinge while leaving too much in the center. For that reason I much prefer a straight blade.
Been using Samurai's curved handsaw ( very much like zubat, but not full tang through the handle) for a couple years and miss the gomtaro.
I got a zubat pole saw that I like alot, and once swapped the pole with my gomtaro handle essentially making a zubat handsaw and gomtaro polesaw ( handles are exactly the same on both). Didn't care for either really and swapped em back where they belong. Straight blade pole saw was especially useless.
 
Been rocking the natanoko straight blade from silky for about two years. I kinda got used to the straight now and it's nice on certain cuts. That said I bought a tiny echo back in the summer and the silky is collecting dust.
 
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