Quick verdict
Hardwood dulls cheap saw teeth in an afternoon, so the folding saw for oak, maple and hickory is the one with hardened teeth that stay sharp. The Silky GomBoy 240 medium is the arborist standard and the best in hardwood; the Bahco Laplander is the compact saw that cuts hardwood from a pocket; the Corona RazorTooth is the value with a fast curved blade. Pull, do not push, and never twist the blade in the kerf.
Silky GomBoy Professional 240mm Folding Saw, Medium Teeth
Silky is the standard among arborists, and the GomBoy Professional 240 with medium teeth, 8.5 per inch, is its best-selling saw worldwide for a reason: precision-ground, impulse-hardened teeth that stay sharp in oak and hickory, a 9.5-inch blade 1.5 mm thick that does not bind, a 4.7-inch cut capacity and a premium handle. It comes in a hinged case.
The best folding saws for hardwood branches: Silky GomBoy Professional 240 medium teeth, Bahco Laplander 7.5-inch and Corona RazorTooth 10-inch, compared on tooth hardening, blade length, cut speed and price.
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Score /100 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silky GomBoy Professional 240mm Folding Saw, Medium Teeth | Best for Hardwood | 9.3 | Check price |
| Bahco Laplander 7.5-Inch Folding Saw | Best Compact Hardwood Saw | 8.8 | Check price |
| Corona RazorTooth 10-Inch Folding Pruning Saw RS16150B | Best Curved Blade Value | 8.6 | Check price |
The picks, reviewed
Silky GomBoy Professional 240mm Folding Saw, Medium Teeth
Silky is the standard among arborists, and the GomBoy Professional 240 with medium teeth, 8.5 per inch, is its best-selling saw worldwide for a reason: precision-ground, impulse-hardened teeth that stay sharp in oak and hickory, a 9.5-inch blade 1.5 mm thick that does not bind, a 4.7-inch cut capacity and a premium handle. It comes in a hinged case.
Reasons to buy
- Impulse-hardened teeth stay sharp in hardwood
- 9.5-inch blade, 4.7-inch capacity
- Medium teeth suit green and dry wood
- Replaceable blade
Reasons to avoid
- Costs the most
- Teeth are brittle if twisted
- Medium teeth are slower than large in green wood
Bahco Laplander 7.5-Inch Folding Saw
The Bahco Laplander is the folding saw of hunters and foresters, with 7 TPI XT toothing that cuts green and dry hardwood fast, a rust-resistant low-friction coating, a lock in both the open and closed positions and a two-component handle that grips wet. At 7.5 inches it fits a jacket pocket.
Reasons to buy
- 7 TPI XT teeth for hardwood
- Locks open and closed
- Low-friction coated blade
- Pocket size
Reasons to avoid
- 7.5 inches limits branch size
- Push and pull teeth are slower than Silky pull
- No case
Corona RazorTooth 10-Inch Folding Pruning Saw RS16150B
The Corona 10-inch RazorTooth has a curved blade that keeps more three-sided teeth in a hardwood branch on each pull, a lock-back folding mechanism and a non-slip handle, at a price well under the Silky. It is the saw for a homeowner who prunes hardwood a few times a year.
Reasons to buy
- Curved blade cuts fast
- Lock-back folding
- Non-slip handle
- Low price
Reasons to avoid
- Teeth dull faster than Silky
- Blade replacement is awkward
- Aggressive in small branches
Why hardwood sorts the saws
Any folding saw cuts a willow branch. Oak, maple, hickory and fruit wood are another matter: their density dulls soft teeth in an afternoon and pinches a thin blade that is twisted in the cut. The saws that last in hardwood have impulse-hardened teeth that cannot be filed but stay sharp for seasons, blades thick enough not to flex and a tooth pattern that cuts on the pull stroke, which is the stroke the arm is strongest on. The three saws here are the hardwood saws that arborists, foresters and serious gardeners carry, at three prices.
This guide is built from the published specifications of each saw and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these saws ourselves.
How the three compare
| Saw | Blade | Teeth | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silky GomBoy 240 medium | 9.5 in, 1.5 mm | 8.5 TPI, impulse hardened | 4.7 in | High |
| Bahco Laplander | 7.5 in | 7 TPI XT | About 3 in | Moderate |
| Corona RazorTooth 10 in | 10 in curved | Three-sided | About 4 in | Low |
Silky GomBoy 240: the arborist standard
The GomBoy Professional is Silky’s best-selling saw worldwide and the folding saw found in most arborist bags. Its teeth are precision ground and impulse hardened, which is why they bite hickory for years, and the 240 mm blade at 1.5 mm thick with 8.5 teeth per inch cuts a 4.7-inch branch without binding. The medium tooth suits both green and dry hardwood and leaves a clean face. It costs the most, the blade is replaceable and it is the saw to buy once.
Bahco Laplander: hardwood from a pocket
The Laplander is the folding saw of hunters and foresters because it cuts green and dry hardwood with its 7 TPI XT toothing, resists rust with a low-friction coating, locks open and closed and fits a jacket pocket at 7.5 inches. The two-component handle grips when wet. The short blade limits it to branches of about three inches, which for most pruning is enough, and it is the saw to keep in the truck.
Corona RazorTooth 10-inch: the curved value
The Corona curved blade keeps more of its three-sided teeth in the wood on each pull, so it cuts a hardwood branch faster than its price suggests, and the lock-back mechanism and non-slip handle are solid. The teeth are not as hard as the Silky and dull sooner in oak. For a homeowner who prunes a few hardwood branches a season it is the sensible saw.
Sawing hardwood well
Cut on the pull stroke and let the teeth do the work; pushing bends the blade. Keep the blade straight in the kerf and never twist it, which snaps hardened teeth. Make an undercut first on a branch that will pinch, then cut from above. Wipe the blade and oil it after sap. Replace a blade that has lost its bite rather than forcing it, and fold the saw before moving to the next branch.
Which one should you buy
Buy the Silky GomBoy 240 medium for the best saw in hardwood. Buy the Bahco Laplander for a compact hardwood saw that lives in a pocket. Buy the Corona RazorTooth 10-inch for a fast curved blade at a low price.
How we research
This guide is built from the published specifications, manuals and warranty terms of each product and from recurring owner feedback. We have not run these products ourselves; where a maker does not publish a figure we say so rather than guess.
What to look for
Tooth hardening
Impulse-hardened teeth stay sharp in hardwood for seasons; soft teeth are dull in a day.
Blade length
A 9 or 10-inch blade cuts a 4 to 5-inch branch; a 7.5-inch blade suits branches to about 3.
Pull cut
Japanese-style pull teeth cut on the stroke the arm is strongest on and leave a clean face.
Lock
A folding saw must lock open so it cannot fold on the fingers mid-cut.
Our verdict
Hardwood dulls cheap saw teeth in an afternoon, so the folding saw for oak, maple and hickory is the one with hardened teeth that stay sharp. The Silky GomBoy 240 medium is the arborist standard and the best in hardwood; the Bahco Laplander is the compact saw that cuts hardwood from a pocket; the Corona RazorTooth is the value with a fast curved blade. Pull, do not push, and never twist the blade in the kerf.
FAQs
Soft teeth. Impulse-hardened teeth, as on Silky and Bahco saws, are hardened to resist hardwood and stay sharp far longer.
Hardened teeth cannot be filed; the blade is replaced. Silky and Bahco sell replacement blades.
A 9 or 10-inch blade cuts branches to about 5 inches with patience. Larger wants a bow saw or a chainsaw.
Medium for mixed green and dry hardwood and a cleaner cut; large for fast cuts in green wood.
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