Nice comparison. I do tree work with the Silky as a park ranger. I find I use it about once a week unless we are doing fire prep. Then I use it daily. It reaches into juniper thickers without snagging and has two positions to change the blade angle for ergonomics. They make a bi directional blade but I might prefer the one direction cutting blade as it cleans out the kerf with the dull side acting as rakers. I can also reach further for high limbs unlike the Agawa While I still like the Agawa, I like the silky so much I have purches them for friends.
I love the background music! It reminds me of the old westerns I used to watch with my grandfather. I’ve had the Bigboy for about three years and it’s a beast. I’ve had an audience before with people amazed at how fast it is; I’m sure I’ve sold a few saws for Silky. I just bought the Boreal 21 and haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. I did buy an extra Sidney aggressive blade and the cordura case.
That’s exactly what we were going for! Glad you liked it. I’m looking forward to trying out the Sidney blade as well. Just waiting for the replacement to arrive. Both saws are great and the Bigboy is a beast! Let us know what you think of the Agawa!
Lmao I ABSOLUTELY did LIKE & SUBSCRIBE. This was the BEST video I've seen, you didn't miss anything & actually made me reconsider which saw to get. You talked about stuff nobody would ever think about (cutting from the bottom so it won't pinch the blade) BEST REVIEW A+
Boreal Canyon offers different types of blades for different wood - seasoned and green. I'd like to see the test with the other blade on the Boreal Canyon.
Silky does as well. Small, medium and large to go with the xl teeth on the bigboy. Also, to really make it fair get the silky blades without the curve.
Well done video fella's, good idea pointing out about clearances and under cutting, I watched several videos today about the Silky saw and you are the first to talk about this. Subscribed. Cheers from Nova Scotia!
This was a nice review. I think you make it clear that neither one is really "better" overall than the other. They both have compromises and strong points. Which unfortunately makes my decision that much harder, lol.
The risk of injury from folding type saws such as Silky is significantly higher than with bow type folding saw. The risk of serious injury is especially high with a the Silky brand because they are EXTREMELY sharp. (My most used Silky has seen 6 years of use and its still pretty much as sharp as the day I got it). I have cut myself on several occations and I have the scars to prove it but while I got away with fleshwounds its clear they will dig deep with very little effort. Certainly something worth concidering if you head out alone. That being said - relative to size/packability there are no saws out there that will rival a Silky in versatility and efficiency and once you get the proper technique in where you push down on the pull stroke and let go on the push stroke they will absolutely power through wood. Another great thing about these curved folding saws is that they lend themselves well to be lashed to sticks in order to cut down branches. Silky blades will not snap, they are differentially hardened so the teeth are extremely hard at the tips while the blade itself will bend to the point of deforming but it can be easily bent back.
Absolutely agree. As we mentioned in the video, the teeth are absolutely vicious but for that reason, they cut very well. Lots of people have broken these blades but I would agree that it is not easy to do. Thanks for watching and the comment, cheers!
Right at the 3min 40 sec mark of the video, it sounded like the bow saw blade snapped. Exactly when the video was edited. Great point about the ability of the silky being able to reach into tight spaces and being able to cut a log from the underside when the log is close to the ground. Try that with a bow saw!
Thanks for pointing that out - it does kind of sound like a snapped saw blade. However, no blades were harmed during the making of this video. The sound is entirely a coincidence and probably a result of the transition from that scene to the other - our video editor guy is pretty terrible at this stuff. Honestly don’t know why we keep him around. Agreed, you probably aren’t going to have a good time trying to cut in tight areas with a bow saw. Thanks for watching!
The few seconds of difference is simply the teeth per inch on the blade. That blade on the agawa was a greenwood or "all-purpose" blade, so 1/3rd of the space is taken up by the sawdust scrapers, where the silky blade is just pure cutting teeth. The bowsaw is actually thinner, so if you compared it with a drywood blade against the silky you probably would have beaten the silky speed! I use and own both, and the bowsaw is the saw I'd trust my life with, also because it can be easily field sharpened with a file that only costs 1-2 dollars and because they don't break. I typically use the greenwood blade most of the time, even for dry wood simply because I like a one case solution
Great points! With the bow saw not only do you get a bomb proof design but you have the option to use different blades depending on what you are using it for. I like the general purpose blade too and the speed is so close it seems negligible. I just got the Rancher II blade and am looking forward to trying that out - again, a simple swap. The fact that you can sharpen the blade in the field is pretty important too for long term use. Thanks for your input!
Ahh! Well, at least 50% of the buschcraft bros think you made the right decision! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed - it’s a great saw and it is very versatile! What do you think of it so far?
@@buschcraftbros7434 It hasnt arrived yet. I just placed the order. I originally bought it because I also need it for some arborist work. I have always leaned towards just a bucksaw so this is my first..."flimsy" blade
If tree pruning is one of your needs, the Silky is definitely the right choice since it actually IS a pruning saw by design. You will appreciate the "flimsy" blade as it can get into tight spaces between branches. Hope you enjoy using it!!
I read somewhere that you can use any blade with the right size for the Agawa Canyon Boreal? If that's the case, that's a plus for the ACB. Silky's blades are specially made for their handles and if someone is "too motivated" while sawing, the blade can be ruined. I own a Silky Gomboy Medium 2010-10 and love it, but I'm also looking for something that does not need their company's blades if such are not available. And I can confirm the sharpness of Silky. I already cut myself twice and the first one was mean. Cut some flesh off my finger, just because the saw slightly touched my finger when it softly swang against it. I know this is obvious when working with sharp tools, but Silky is so sharp, it's best to double check everything and everything that can go wrong. Learned my lesson and the finger is fine...just a tad angled on the tip. Thanks for the review! Cheers from Germany!
Yes, you can use any 21" bow saw blade. They are cheap and you can find them in hardware stores etc almost anywhere. With the Silky, you would need to order from them and they are not cheap. You are correct, the teeth on the Silky are "vicious". If you had to teach a child to use a saw, I would definitely Choose the Boreal. The Silky excels however, at cutting performance and versatility. I personally prefer the Silky but each saw has its place. Thanks for watching and glad your finger is ok.
@@buschcraftbros7434 I haven't seen that point made in other reviews, and as somebody using this for camping with kids, I think that may just be what sways me. I just don't like how long it is, not really ideal for hiking.
@@buschcraftbros7434how long do you have silky and have you ever change the blade on silky? My fathers silky is 3 months old and teeth are al ready blunt... He cut through 30 wooden pallet(from warehouse) and just through thick parts and teeth are far more different like new... Ist seem so quick...
@@Jesuswillbeback I had my first silky for a couple of years. Only cutting trees out in the middle of nowhere. If the blade got dull on your father‘s saw, after only 30 pallets, I would say maybe he hit a screw or a nail or a staple. That would blunt the edges it shouldn’t be dull that quickly. No, I haven’t needed to replace a blade on the silky and you would have to order it online and I think they are around $50. I lost my first silky in the snow while snowshoeing. That’s one of the benefits of the boreal 21. You can pick up a cheap blade almost anywhere. In the future, maybe use a circular saw for the pallets, lol.
Ours is the "Multi-purpose" blade. Didn't make sense to get the green wood blade since we can't cut green wood here. The green wood was from a downed tree that had just fallen. Thanks for watching!
@@buschcraftbros7434 the "multi-purpose" blade IS a greenwood blade, FYI. It works for both. Drywood just has no scrapers and more cutting teeth per inch.
@@escapetherace1943 Years ago you could get an actual green wood blade OR the multi-purpose blade. I believe they also had a dedicated dry wood blade. You were able to pick when you chose your saw. I don't see those blades on their site anymore. With regards to the "teeth per inch", I think that would be a good indicator if you were comparing two bow saws with different blades but, one could argue, that the silky and boreal are two completely different designs. I suppose you could even get into the fact that one saw only cuts on the back stroke conceivably doubling the cut time since the boreal cuts on both. Again, just a matter of the different designs. Also worth noting that on the agawa website, the multi-purpose blade IS designed to cut both types of wood. Thanks for watching!!
I think both saws are good. Depending on what you are doing. One would be better than the other. In my opinion the Silky is good for tight spaces and pruning. The Boreal21 is good for cutting a lot of wood. That could just be because I broke my wrist when I was a kid. So the angle of the Silky causes my wrist to hurt after awhile. The Boreal21 keeps my wrist in a normal position. So it doesn't hurt.
Ignore that guy, get the boreal and pick up a tiny file you can sharpen the blade with. It cuts more efficiently, the blades are easy to replace and cheap and you can sharpen them. More of a tool for life than the silky which will eventually break. I own both and love both but for survival/firewood processing? No contest.
@@danquarterman it's still a great saw. Just don't accidentally push into your push stroke too hard. Hope you picked it up cheap, I regularly see them under 70 dollars, even recent. If you want the same quality but cheaper you can always go for the Corona brand. Mine's held up the same as my Silky and it cost far less. Same steel and all.
Nice comparison. I do tree work with the Silky as a park ranger. I find I use it about once a week unless we are doing fire prep. Then I use it daily. It reaches into juniper thickers without snagging and has two positions to change the blade angle for ergonomics. They make a bi directional blade but I might prefer the one direction cutting blade as it cleans out the kerf with the dull side acting as rakers. I can also reach further for high limbs unlike the Agawa
While I still like the Agawa, I like the silky so much I have purches them for friends.
I love the background music! It reminds me of the old westerns I used to watch with my grandfather. I’ve had the Bigboy for about three years and it’s a beast. I’ve had an audience before with people amazed at how fast it is; I’m sure I’ve sold a few saws for Silky. I just bought the Boreal 21 and haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. I did buy an extra Sidney aggressive blade and the cordura case.
That’s exactly what we were going for! Glad you liked it. I’m looking forward to trying out the Sidney blade as well. Just waiting for the replacement to arrive. Both saws are great and the Bigboy is a beast! Let us know what you think of the Agawa!
Lmao I ABSOLUTELY did LIKE & SUBSCRIBE.
This was the BEST video I've seen, you didn't miss anything & actually made me reconsider which saw to get. You talked about stuff nobody would ever think about (cutting from the bottom so it won't pinch the blade)
BEST REVIEW A+
Glad you enjoyed the video. We definitely wanted it to be a fair comparison. Hope it helped with your decision.
Boreal Canyon offers different types of blades for different wood - seasoned and green. I'd like to see the test with the other blade on the Boreal Canyon.
exactly, the battle is uneven!
Silky does as well. Small, medium and large to go with the xl teeth on the bigboy. Also, to really make it fair get the silky blades without the curve.
Hi from Alberta. Great video thanks guys I just purchased the Agawa from Canadian outdoor equipment.
Thanks again
Glad the video was helpful. Both are good saws just a matter of preference depending what you will use it for. Cheers from Calgary!!
Well done video fella's, good idea pointing out about clearances and under cutting, I watched several videos today about the Silky saw and you are the first to talk about this. Subscribed.
Cheers from Nova Scotia!
Glad you liked the vid!! Thanks for the sub, stay safe! Cheers from Calgary
This was a nice review. I think you make it clear that neither one is really "better" overall than the other. They both have compromises and strong points. Which unfortunately makes my decision that much harder, lol.
You can't go wrong with either saw. They are both light, well made and effective. Thanks for watching.
The risk of injury from folding type saws such as Silky is significantly higher than with bow type folding saw. The risk of serious injury is especially high with a the Silky brand because they are EXTREMELY sharp. (My most used Silky has seen 6 years of use and its still pretty much as sharp as the day I got it). I have cut myself on several occations and I have the scars to prove it but while I got away with fleshwounds its clear they will dig deep with very little effort. Certainly something worth concidering if you head out alone.
That being said - relative to size/packability there are no saws out there that will rival a Silky in versatility and efficiency and once you get the proper technique in where you push down on the pull stroke and let go on the push stroke they will absolutely power through wood. Another great thing about these curved folding saws is that they lend themselves well to be lashed to sticks in order to cut down branches. Silky blades will not snap, they are differentially hardened so the teeth are extremely hard at the tips while the blade itself will bend to the point of deforming but it can be easily bent back.
Absolutely agree. As we mentioned in the video, the teeth are absolutely vicious but for that reason, they cut very well. Lots of people have broken these blades but I would agree that it is not easy to do. Thanks for watching and the comment, cheers!
Great review guy's.... I have both saws and agree totally with everything you said👍
Awesome! Thank you!
Right at the 3min 40 sec mark of the video, it sounded like the bow saw blade snapped. Exactly when the video was edited. Great point about the ability of the silky being able to reach into tight spaces and being able to cut a log from the underside when the log is close to the ground. Try that with a bow saw!
Thanks for pointing that out - it does kind of sound like a snapped saw blade. However, no blades were harmed during the making of this video. The sound is entirely a coincidence and probably a result of the transition from that scene to the other - our video editor guy is pretty terrible at this stuff. Honestly don’t know why we keep him around. Agreed, you probably aren’t going to have a good time trying to cut in tight areas with a bow saw. Thanks for watching!
The few seconds of difference is simply the teeth per inch on the blade. That blade on the agawa was a greenwood or "all-purpose" blade, so 1/3rd of the space is taken up by the sawdust scrapers, where the silky blade is just pure cutting teeth.
The bowsaw is actually thinner, so if you compared it with a drywood blade against the silky you probably would have beaten the silky speed!
I use and own both, and the bowsaw is the saw I'd trust my life with, also because it can be easily field sharpened with a file that only costs 1-2 dollars and because they don't break. I typically use the greenwood blade most of the time, even for dry wood simply because I like a one case solution
Great points! With the bow saw not only do you get a bomb proof design but you have the option to use different blades depending on what you are using it for. I like the general purpose blade too and the speed is so close it seems negligible. I just got the Rancher II blade and am looking forward to trying that out - again, a simple swap. The fact that you can sharpen the blade in the field is pretty important too for long term use. Thanks for your input!
Very well done and detailed review guys. Hi from Vancouver BC. Just subbed. Keep up the great videos.
Cheers,
Dave.
Hey thanks for the sub. lots more videos to come!
Good comparison / review video guys! Love the "Hoodoos" in the background!
Yeah the hoodoos are pretty cool, thanks for watching.
Excellent review guys ! Most of the others are just newbs.
Thank you for a unbiased real review
Glad it was helpful!
hope you boys are keeping well!
Yup we are plugging along. Got a few new videos in the queue. They will be out shortly. Hope all is well with you.
ah the video I needed 3 days ago, when purchased my silky. great comparison!
Ahh! Well, at least 50% of the buschcraft bros think you made the right decision! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed - it’s a great saw and it is very versatile! What do you think of it so far?
@@buschcraftbros7434 It hasnt arrived yet. I just placed the order. I originally bought it because I also need it for some arborist work. I have always leaned towards just a bucksaw so this is my first..."flimsy" blade
If tree pruning is one of your needs, the Silky is definitely the right choice since it actually IS a pruning saw by design. You will appreciate the "flimsy" blade as it can get into tight spaces between branches. Hope you enjoy using it!!
I read somewhere that you can use any blade with the right size for the Agawa Canyon Boreal?
If that's the case, that's a plus for the ACB. Silky's blades are specially made for their handles and if someone is "too motivated" while sawing, the blade can be ruined. I own a Silky Gomboy Medium 2010-10 and love it, but I'm also looking for something that does not need their company's blades if such are not available. And I can confirm the sharpness of Silky. I already cut myself twice and the first one was mean. Cut some flesh off my finger, just because the saw slightly touched my finger when it softly swang against it. I know this is obvious when working with sharp tools, but Silky is so sharp, it's best to double check everything and everything that can go wrong. Learned my lesson and the finger is fine...just a tad angled on the tip. Thanks for the review! Cheers from Germany!
Yes, you can use any 21" bow saw blade. They are cheap and you can find them in hardware stores etc almost anywhere. With the Silky, you would need to order from them and they are not cheap. You are correct, the teeth on the Silky are "vicious". If you had to teach a child to use a saw, I would definitely Choose the Boreal. The Silky excels however, at cutting performance and versatility. I personally prefer the Silky but each saw has its place. Thanks for watching and glad your finger is ok.
@@buschcraftbros7434 I haven't seen that point made in other reviews, and as somebody using this for camping with kids, I think that may just be what sways me. I just don't like how long it is, not really ideal for hiking.
@@plmn93 If kids will be using the saw, I would ABSOLUTELY go with the Boreal 21. The teeth on the Silky are vicious.
Bahco 21 in bow so blade fits fine.
Super cheap but high quality blades & tools
finally a comprehensive and unbiased comparison
Glad you liked it! Both saws have pros and cons. Just a matter of deciding which is best for you. Cheers.
This is a beautiful place! Where is it, roughly?
Fairmont BC, thanks for watching!
The silky does come with a sheath that prevents the risks mentioned
The best honest review 👍🏼
Thanks for watching.Hope you get the best saw for you!!
@@buschcraftbros7434 al ready have silky big boy😉
@@Jesuswillbeback Nice! Personally, it’s my favourite saw. My brother Mike prefers the Agawa canyon. To each his own…
@@buschcraftbros7434how long do you have silky and have you ever change the blade on silky? My fathers silky is 3 months old and teeth are al ready blunt... He cut through 30 wooden pallet(from warehouse) and just through thick parts and teeth are far more different like new... Ist seem so quick...
@@Jesuswillbeback I had my first silky for a couple of years. Only cutting trees out in the middle of nowhere. If the blade got dull on your father‘s saw, after only 30 pallets, I would say maybe he hit a screw or a nail or a staple. That would blunt the edges it shouldn’t be dull that quickly. No, I haven’t needed to replace a blade on the silky and you would have to order it online and I think they are around $50. I lost my first silky in the snow while snowshoeing. That’s one of the benefits of the boreal 21. You can pick up a cheap blade almost anywhere. In the future, maybe use a circular saw for the pallets, lol.
should have used the dry wood blade of the boreal 21 not the one for green wood
Ours is the "Multi-purpose" blade. Didn't make sense to get the green wood blade since we can't cut green wood here. The green wood was from a downed tree that had just fallen. Thanks for watching!
@@buschcraftbros7434 the "multi-purpose" blade IS a greenwood blade, FYI. It works for both. Drywood just has no scrapers and more cutting teeth per inch.
@@escapetherace1943 Years ago you could get an actual green wood blade OR the multi-purpose blade. I believe they also had a dedicated dry wood blade. You were able to pick when you chose your saw. I don't see those blades on their site anymore. With regards to the "teeth per inch", I think that would be a good indicator if you were comparing two bow saws with different blades but, one could argue, that the silky and boreal are two completely different designs. I suppose you could even get into the fact that one saw only cuts on the back stroke conceivably doubling the cut time since the boreal cuts on both. Again, just a matter of the different designs. Also worth noting that on the agawa website, the multi-purpose blade IS designed to cut both types of wood.
Thanks for watching!!
I’m a silky user the pros far outweigh the cons katanaboy 500
I think both saws are good. Depending on what you are doing. One would be better than the other. In my opinion the Silky is good for tight spaces and pruning. The Boreal21 is good for cutting a lot of wood. That could just be because I broke my wrist when I was a kid. So the angle of the Silky causes my wrist to hurt after awhile. The Boreal21 keeps my wrist in a normal position. So it doesn't hurt.
They want 140 ish each for both of them in Canada right now. Unreal... Leaning towards toe Boreal 21.
That was a few years ago. I guess the prices have gone up. Not surprising. Thanks for watching.
Also, if you have to pick one, I would personally get the silky.
Ignore that guy, get the boreal and pick up a tiny file you can sharpen the blade with. It cuts more efficiently, the blades are easy to replace and cheap and you can sharpen them. More of a tool for life than the silky which will eventually break. I own both and love both but for survival/firewood processing? No contest.
@@escapetherace1943 Got the Silky today ;) Thanks.
@@danquarterman it's still a great saw. Just don't accidentally push into your push stroke too hard. Hope you picked it up cheap, I regularly see them under 70 dollars, even recent.
If you want the same quality but cheaper you can always go for the Corona brand. Mine's held up the same as my Silky and it cost far less. Same steel and all.