After 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.
| Brand | Bahco |
|---|---|
| Color | Green |
| Blade Material | High Speed Steel |
| Surface Recommendation | Plastic,Wood |
| Special Feature | Foldable |
| Included Components | Laplander Folding Saw |
| Product Dimensions | 7.87"L x 7.87"W x 11.81"H |
| Item Weight | 200 Grams |
| Blade Length | 7 Inches |
| Number of Teeth | 7 |
| Number of Batteries | Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Handle Material | Plastic |
| Manufacturer | Snap-On Industrial Brand BAHCO |
| Part Number | 396-LAP |
| Item Weight | 7.1 ounces |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 396-LAP |
| Batteries | Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 9 inches |
| Style | Folding Saw |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Special Features | Foldable |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Limited Warranty: Snap-on Industrial Brands warrants that BAHCO products shall be free from defects in workmanship and materials for the usable life of the product. |
