Cutting firewood manually

[horselogger50]

I want to cut the firewood with either a buck saw or a Bow saw. Which would work better and best place to purchase either?

[stumper]

I think it is more a matter of personal preference.  I guess if I wanted to go retro I would build my own buck saw. 

Either way buy a good blade.  The blade does the work and makes all the difference in the world.

[Holmes]

 I would go with the bow saw , it has a smaller kerf and the blades are easy to sharpen.  My dad used his almost to his 90's.

[stumper]

Smaller Kerf???  Guess that depends on the blade you buy? 

I may be nuts but I beleive a bow saw consists of a small thin blade held in a metal frame holding tension on the blade.   A buck saw (also known as a swede saw) consists of a small blade held in a wooden frame holding tension on the blade. 

As I recall the buck saw was invented by someone originally from sweden ( therefore swede saw) stretching a thin peice of spring steel in a wooden frame and filing the teeth into the steel.  The result was a saw that could be built locally at a considerable cost savings over a crosscut saw (misery whip).  This evolved into a bow saw with the advent of cheap steel.  They take the same blade.

[bill m]

I would go with something like a Fanno Protooth saw. I have one and it cuts better and faster than any bowsaw ever could. Check out Shelter Tree in North Attleboro Ma. or Sherrill Tree in Greensboro North Carolina.

[thecfarm]

I know of a guy in his 70's that cuts his wood with a metal bow saw. He does have it delivered to his house,mostly small wood. He had a heart attack and needed to exercise. Instead of gym dues he does this. He buys his blades from a hardware store. He told me of getting some brands that did not saw good right out of the box. He only buys this one brand now.He does not re sharpen his blades. Has a saw horse to saw up his wood on. Looks funny to see it there when I first saw him.

[snowstorm]

I want to cut the firewood with either a buck saw or a Bow saw. Which would work better and best place to purchase either?

drive north to maine. liberty tool its like a step back in time. they wount have new saws. but should have some pretty old stuff. i bought an old crosscut saw to hang on the wall many years ago there for maybe 5 bucks

[pineywoods]

Stumper, I think the name varies in different parts of the country. Down here in the pine woods of the south, a buck saw is the metal frame and thin blade. I own 2 of them. When I was young, my dad kept food on the table cutting stick pulpwood with a buck saw. I have never seen the wooden frame saws except in pictures.

[beenthere]

If you've used them both, then I've found out the bow saw is a good campfire wood saw for small (less than 5" or so) wood.
If sawing up larger diameter, then the buck saw will feel a lot better and have more depth to get through the larger diameter wood. Anymore, I use neither if the chainsaw is handy.
Good sharp blade is very important.

[Corley5]

Poulan chainsaws can be had really cheap at WalMart  ;D

[stumper]

I do understand that the name buck saw is at times used for both designs.  Buck saw being derived from the primary use of the saw, bucking wood.  In this age of political correctness swede saw has fallen out of use. 

That said the question was buck or bow, so I must assume that Icefisher47 was recognizing a difference (as do I).  As a forester, former horse logger and someone who likes logging history I have iterveiwed and befreinded a few old timers and I will stand by my definitions.

Plus you folks down south all talk funny :D

[Logging logginglogging]

Poulan chainsaws can be had really cheap at WalMart  ;D

And are just as hard to cut with a manual saw as well!!
:D

[Al_Smith]

I have my grandmothers buck saw or what they called it anyway .It's a wooden frame with a thin blade .

A long saw with only one handle resembling a two man cross cut was often refered to as buck saws also .

Nice saws in their respective places .Mind find their best use hanging on a nail in the shed in proximity to the 40 some chainsaws that also reside therein .Those get used ,the old hand operated deals just get looked at . ;D

[stumper]

I have one of those as well.  In fact mine has a removable handle on one end so it could be used by either one man or two.

Back when I was on the the woodsmans team in college we used to pit two men on a cross cut against my husky 61 or anothers sthil 032?.  The two man cross cut alway won.  But that was lpitting a race car against mom's station wagon.