Tool Tuesday - Handsaws
It’s time for another instalment of Tool Tuesday, an inside look at the tools Red Mountain Rigging uses to get the job done!
Today we’re looking at handsaws, an essential piece of equipment for a number of reasons!
We introduced ANSI Z133 last week, detailing safety requirements for Arborist operations. Within ANSI Z133 is a requirement for a handsaw to be available to any arborist working aloft. Handsaws carried while at height can be a folding type or must be contained in a scabbard to ensure protection from the sharp teeth the saw has. This prevents accidental damage to climbing gear and ropes and also keeps the arborist protected from any knicks or cuts from accidental contact with the saw. But beyond the safety considerations and requirements, handsaws are incredibly useful tools to have around!
Handsaws can be used for a number of tree service tasks, from removals to pruning. Whether it’s controlled removal of limbs and tops at height, pruning back dead branches on a tree or shrub or thinning out brush before it feeds in to the chipper, the design of handsaws are directly related to the task to be performed.
There’s a number of fantastic handsaw brands on the market, but our crews definitely prefer Silky handsaws for their ergonomics, durable scabbards and razor sharp cutting teeth. Silky saws are widely regarded as some of the best handsaws in the world throughout the Arborist community.
Each manufacturer also offers a plethora of options, each individual style having its own unique applications. In broad terms, handsaws can be a folding design or a solid tang design. Folding designs are much more compact and can feature a longer blade while remaining quite short when stored. Solid tang saws offer more rigidity due to their blade running as one piece through the handle. While larger when stored, the lack of two-hand opening requirements make them popular when up in a tree. In order to remain compliant with ANSI Z133, solid tang handsaws utilized at heights when climbing must have a proper scabbard for storage when not in use.
Blade length and design also vary. Handsaws are typically divided into straight blade and curved blade designs. Curved base saws are more aggressive and cut quicker, due to the curved design creating maximum pressure into the wood throughout the pull stroke (and handsaws such as these are designed to cut on the pull stroke). Straight blades are more precise and accurate, making them well suited to pruning.
The pattern and size of teeth on the saw also vary widely. Smaller teeth allow for more teeth per inch of blade and result in a finer finish to a cut. These fine cuts are perfect for pruning and ornamental work. Larger teeth result in fewer teeth per inch of blade but allow a far more aggressive cut. While this makes for a quicker cut, it can be a far rougher finish and so is more suited to removals or activities where the long-term health of the tree is not as concerning.
So to boil it all down, a straight blade with fine teeth is perfect for delicate pruning, while a curved blade with XL teeth is great for limbing branches and other activities associated with removals.
Did you know pruning off disease from your trees and then moving on to a healthy tree with the same tools can spread the disease? Our crews like to distinguish between pruning saws and removal saws, and disinfect our pruning saws in between trees to help mitigate the chances of spreading disease.
The three handsaws pictured are just a select few of the many our crews use depending on the task at hand. The orange handled folding saw can typically be found at the chipper, where it gets used to cut apart larger branches to ease the burden on the chipper’s feed wheel. A Stihl saw, it features a short straight blade with smaller teeth. This makes it a great saw for delicate pruning as well.
Next up is the black handled solid tang handsaw, and perhaps the most quintessential saw Silky produces, the Zubat. The Zubat comes in a variety of blade lengths and teeth considerations and features a form-fitted retention scabbard. Our crews carry these a lot when climbing, matching the blade length with the size of tree we’re working on.
The final saw pictured is the biggest our crews have available and gets used for large removals. The Sugowaza from Silky features a 420 mm curved blade with XL teeth and is designed to make large cuts incredibly quickly and efficiently. This saw also features a form-fitted scabbard to ensure compliance with ANSI Z133.
Handsaws will forever have their place in the equipment of any tree service company, and the crews here at Red Mountain Rigging certainly rely on them every day to get the job done!
Written by Sean Sterna - The Rocky Mountain Arborist & Used with Permission