The Best Folding Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Silky Gomboy Professional 240

Check price on Amazon See why it wins Compare all

The Gomboy has the finest published tooth geometry here, a chrome finish and a blade that locks in two sawing positions and for storage. The Laplander is the pick when you want a shorter, tougher saw that locks both open and closed.

A folding saw is the tool you actually carry: it cuts firewood, clears trail deadfall and prunes the garden, then folds away safely. We compared the Japanese benchmark, the bushcraft classic, a big-bladed pruning saw and the budget saw that fills the cheap end of the listings, using what each maker publishes and what owners report.

RBE top pick

Silky

Silky Gomboy Professional 240

Buy it

The Japanese pull saw that every other folding saw is measured against: chrome finish, induction-hardened teeth, 10 teeth per 30 mm.

Best for: Backpackers, hunters and gardeners who cut green wood often and want the cleanest pull saw in the category.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• 240 mm blade with 10 teeth per 30 mm (8.5 TPI), a taper-ground, chrome-plated blade and a triple-edge, non-set tooth design.
• Induction-hardened teeth that Silky pitches for pruning as well as dry, hard timber; replacement blades are sold separately.
• Non-slip rubber-clad handle, a blade that locks in two sawing positions and locks again for storage, and a limited lifetime warranty against defects.

Know before buying

• With a 240 mm blade and a 270 mm folded length it is long for a backpack saw and feels oversized for small camp chores.
• At about 285 g it is the heaviest of the backpack-sized saws here.
• Replacement blades are a real running cost, so it pays to avoid binding the blade in a kerf.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Bahco

Bahco 396-LAP Laplander

Buy it

The classic bushcraft folder: a 190 mm blade, a lock that works both ways, and teeth for green and dry wood alike.

Best for: Bushcraft, hunting and trail kits where a compact, lockable saw that shrugs off dry wood and occasional plastic or bone beats raw speed.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• 190 mm blade with XT hardpoint teeth at 7 TPI, rated by Bahco for green and dry wood, plastic and bone.
• Safety lock secures the blade both open and folded, so it cannot swing free in a pack.
• Two-component grip with a leather strap and a rust-protective low-friction coating on the blade.

Know before buying

• At 7.5 inches the blade is short for logs; you will stroke more often than with a 240 mm saw.
• Hardpoint teeth cannot be resharpened; when they dull you buy a replacement blade.
• The coarse 7 TPI cut is rougher than a fine Japanese blade, which shows on finished pruning wounds.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Corona

Corona RazorTOOTH Folding Saw RS 7265D

It depends

A 10-inch curved pruning blade that Corona rates at twice the speed of a conventional hand saw, but it packs like a garden tool, not a camp tool.

Best for: Homeowners and orchard pruners who want one saw for limbs up to 6 inches and do not need it to disappear into a pack.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• 10-inch curved higher-carbon steel blade with three-sided impulse-hardened teeth, rated by Corona to cut branches up to 6 inches.
• Corona claims twice the cutting speed of a conventional hand saw; it does not publish a TPI figure.
• Rubberized non-slip grip and a folding latch that fully covers the teeth when closed, with a lifetime warranty against defects.

Know before buying

• Big for a backpack saw, and Corona publishes no weight or folded length; it is sized for the yard and the orchard, not a hipbelt pocket.
• With no published TPI or lock detail, there is less to judge it on than the Silky or Bahco; Corona only says the blade is easy to lock.
• The blade is chrome-plated but the steel is not stainless: oil it or it will spot-rust in a damp sheath.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Coghlan's

Coghlan's Sierra Saw

Skip it

The cheap folding saw that fills the bottom of every retail shelf: a blade Coghlan's itself calls flexible, 7 inches of tempered SK-5 steel in a plastic handle.

Best for: A keep-in-the-car emergency saw; anyone cutting regularly should spend up for one of the three above.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• 7-inch SK-5 high carbon steel pull-stroke blade that locks with a metal clasp, light at 155 g (5.5 oz) and cheap enough to leave in a glovebox.
• Folds flat and is fine for an occasional small branch or kindling on a casual trip, and Coghlan's sells a replacement 7-inch blade.

Know before buying

• Coghlan's describes the 7-inch tempered blade as flexible, and a flexible blade wanders in a deep cut where a stiffer one tracks.
• Coghlan's publishes no tooth count, so there is nothing to compare against the Silky's and Bahco's published tooth geometry, and the warranty is 1 year against lifetime cover on the Silky and Corona.
• The shortest blade here: each stroke clears less wood than the Bahco's 190 mm or the Silky's 240 mm, so real pruning becomes work fast.

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

A folding saw lives or dies on four things: how fast it cuts, whether the lock and hinge stay tight, whether the blade keeps an edge, and how well it packs. Cutting speed comes from tooth geometry and steel; packability from folded length and weight; and longevity from whether a replacement blade exists. We do not cut wood with these saws ourselves. We read what each maker publishes and what owners report, and the gaps in a spec sheet count against a saw.

We compared the Japanese benchmark, the bushcraft classic, a big pruning saw aimed at the yard, and the budget saw that keeps showing up under new names in the discount aisle.

The Gomboy is the saw the rest are judged against, and it is the only one here with a full spec sheet. Silky lists a 240 mm blade with 10 teeth per 30 mm (8.5 teeth per inch, its medium pitch), 270 mm folded and about 285 g. The teeth are induction hardened in a triple-edge, non-set design, and the taper-ground blade is chrome plated. The handle is non-slip rubber-clad steel, the blade locks in two sawing positions, and it locks again for storage. It carries a limited lifetime warranty against defects.

The cost is size and price: it is long for a pack saw, and the whole package costs what several budget saws do. Silky pitches it for pruning and dry, hard timber, not plastic or bone. Replacement blades exist, which is the point of paying this much. If you cut wood on purpose, that is the right trade.

The Laplander is the other name everyone knows, and it earns it. Bahco lists a 190 mm blade with XT hardpoint teeth at 7 TPI, a tooth count it rates for both green and dry wood as well as plastic and bone. With a blade 50 mm shorter, it is meaningfully smaller than the Gomboy, and the blade carries a coating Bahco describes as rust-protective and low-friction.

Its lock is the standout: Bahco specifies a safety lock that holds the blade folded as well as open, so nothing swings free in a pack or pocket. The two-component grip with its leather strap is comfortable in the cold. The plain limitations are a short blade for logs and hardpoint teeth that cannot be resharpened, which is why it sits a half-step behind the Silky on cut quality.

The Corona is the biggest saw here: a 10-inch curved blade in what Corona calls higher-carbon steel, chrome-plated, with three-sided impulse-hardened teeth and a stated branch capacity of 6 inches. Corona now lists this 10-inch RazorTOOTH folder as the RS16150B, and its replacement blade, the AC 7265, is listed as fitting both the RS16150 and the RS 7265, so the two numbers are the same saw in different packaging. Rubberized grip, a latch that conceals the teeth when folded, lifetime warranty against defects. Corona claims twice the cutting speed of a conventional hand saw but publishes no TPI, no weight and no folded length.

That is exactly why it is an “it depends.” At this size it is a yard and orchard tool, not a hipbelt saw. Corona says little about the lock beyond calling it easy to lock, and its carbon blade wants an oil wipe in damp storage. For someone pruning property rather than packing a saw, it is the right answer.

The Sierra Saw is the cheap folding saw you meet in every hardware aisle and discount listing. It is real Coghlan’s gear: a 7 in (17.8 cm) tempered SK-5 high carbon steel pull-stroke blade, a 9 in handle, 5.5 oz (155 g), a plastic handle with a metal clasp lock, and a price that makes it easy to add to a cart. Coghlan’s also sells a replacement 7-inch blade, which is more than many saws at this price offer. For an occasional saw it will do the job.

The problem is in Coghlan’s own description. It calls the blade flexible, and a flexible 7-inch blade is the one most likely to bend and bind in a cut through anything thicker than kindling, where the Silky and Bahco blades are built to track straight. There is no tooth count, so the teeth cannot be compared against the geometry Silky and Bahco publish, the warranty runs only 1 year, and a 7-inch blade clears less wood per stroke than anything else here. It is a saw for a glovebox, and the Bahco is a different class of tool for a little more money.

Silky Gomboy vs Bahco Laplander: which should you buy?

This is the real fight. The Gomboy has the longer, finer-toothed blade, so each pull clears more wood and leaves a cleaner face. The Laplander is smaller and tougher-feeling in the hand, and both saws lock closed for carry.

Choose the Silky if cut quality matters most and you do not mind the extra length. Choose the Bahco if you want a compact bushcraft saw that locks positively, is rated for dry wood, plastic and bone, and costs less. You cannot pick wrong between them; they split on what you pack it for.

What to look for

• Blade length and TPI: longer and lower-TPI is faster on big limbs; shorter and finer is smoother and lighter.
• Lock quality: a lock that works open and closed is the difference between a tool and a hazard in a pack.
• Steel and teeth: impulse-hardened teeth stay sharp longest; chrome or a rust-protective coat matters outdoors.
• Replacement blades: check the maker sells one. All four here do, which is rarer than it should be at the cheap end.
• Weight and folded size: a saw you leave behind is useless, so folded length and weight matter for packs.
• Grip in the wet: rubber or textured handles beat smooth plastic when hands are cold or wet.

Our final take

For most people who actually cut wood outdoors, the Silky Gomboy Professional 240 is the folding saw to buy once: a published spec sheet, a replaceable blade, and a limited lifetime warranty. The Bahco Laplander is the pick when compact size and a two-way lock matter more than raw speed. Yard and orchard pruners should take the Corona RS 7265D. Skip the Coghlan’s Sierra Saw unless all you want is a glovebox emergency tool.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Silky Gomboy Professional 240 vs Bahco 396-LAP Laplander.

More in Outdoors & Fitness

Silky Gomboy Professional 240 vs Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Head-to-head → The Best Hiking Gaiters: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Beginner Golf Club Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Golf Launch Monitors: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Golf Push Carts: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Golf Laser Rangefinders: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)