Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Folding Saw, 9-Inch Blade, 7 TPI, Green

I recently purchased the Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Folding Saw, and it has quickly become an essential tool for my outdoor activities. The 9-inch blade with 7 teeth per inch (TPI) is perfect for cutting through both green and dry wood, as well as plastic and bone. The saw is lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry in my backpack.The blade locks securely in both the open and closed positions, ensuring safety during use and transport. The ergonomic handle is comfortable to hold, even during extended cutting sessions. The saw's performance is impressive, providing clean and efficient cuts with minimal effort.Overall, the Bahco 396-LAP Laplander Folding Saw is a reliable and versatile tool that I highly recommend for camping, hiking, and general outdoor use. It's durable, easy to use, and delivers excellent results.

I bought this saw back in 2019 and 5 years later it’s still going strong. I originally got it to replace a backpacking 21 inch collapsible Sven-Saw, which is a very nice fancy one and very compact but, a little awkward to assemble in the cold climate. I decided to simplify the backpacking saw and after countless comparisons with many others out there I went with the Bahco 396. I have zero regrets and love the thing. Compact, lightweight, blade locks in place and very comfortable to grip. I like it so much I started using it for pruning tree limbs. I avoid using it beyond a 4 inch cross diameter limb due to the blade length only being 7 1/2 inches. Anything more than 4 inches you’ll be sawing an undesirable amount of back and for motion. I’ve used this saw on backpacking trips and for pruning and it still cuts through wood with ease. This thing has shown to be very durable and for a reasonable price compared to other big name “high end” brands. I like the little toothy beast and highly recommend it. I like it so much I bought another one as a backup and to keep it in my bug out bag for a “just in case” situation.

I have had this saw since 2017 and i have used it so many times its ridiculous. It is as tough as a coffin nail. The blade is still sharp. The lock has never worked right, but im not using the back of the blade, so its not a problem. Its still as sharp as the day i bought it. I wish it would break so i would have an excuse to buy a new one. Its not for cutting down mighty oaks. Its for processing wood for a campfire. Dont get it confused with a chainsaw. A chainsaw is a chainsaw, this is a small folding saw. Ive never owned a silky or any of the fancier saws on the market, but this one does what i need it to do, very effectively.

There is no doubt this is a product worth the 4.5 star review it has at the time I'm writing this post. It has a pretty sturdy feel despite the light weight. The saw blade is nice. The handle is comfortable. The blade locks closed and opened and the locking mechanism is simple and so far fault free.HOWEVER, this was not the tool for me and you may want to make sure you're making the right purchase as well.GOOD USE: I think it's good for the outdoorsman who doesn't intend to use it often or at all. This allows you to have the blade on board, but it's so lightweight it is no bother if you don't need it.NOT SO GOOD: If you're planning on using this to make a nightly campfire... get an ax or heavy machete! I'd have a small heavier tool on my hip all day because you can chop 4 times as much wood with the heavy blade. My last trip I was on a canoe for a couple days, pulling over on the river to set up camp. After 10 minutes it was clear the axes were the most effective tools for large dead wood and machetes for small wood. Saw never came out of my bag again.Maybe I'm missing other good uses for this folding saw... But i'd rather have my $20 back to get a new hatchet.

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.