Life of a Woodsman - Sharpening a Saw

One aspect of bow saws that contributes to my reasons for carrying them over different saw types is that they can be so easily maintained in the field. After another incredible day in the backcountry I settle down in my tent for the night and share my process on sharpening my bow saw. This is a 21" Bahco Peg-Tooth (dry wood) saw blade mounted on my 2-piece bow saw frame. I bought this blade for ~$10 and have been using it for the past 4 1/2 years. Since these blades are so inexpensive most would simply replace them rather than taking the time to sharpen them. I believe in making my gear last and having the skills to maintain my gear has always been beneficial. This sharpening process is very simply and only requires a small triangle file to achieve great results. The difference between the dull saw blade and how it cuts after sharpening is night and day. The sharp saw cuts like a dream and is a pleasure to use once again.
Don't fight with your saws. Sharpen them up and enjoy the cut.
Thank you to everyone who watches!

[@rquest3059]

Excellent video, I don't recall anyone else showing the effects of a dull saw blade and how the teeth look when in need of sharpening. Thank you.

[@terrym1065]

It's important to keep a saw blade sharp, skipping/skating is absolutely dangerous. Thanks for pointing that out. Good demo on the process with the file. See ya soon.

[@robertmeadows7508]

I purchased/ rescued a two-man logging saw from a junk shop several years ago in a very poor state! I've completely renovated it including sharpening & setting the rather complicated tooth/ raker blade after watching it done on KZbin ! Love all your videos Sir! Thank you!

[@Wordsmyth8]

You have a lot more patience than I do! I think I’d be tempted to just replace the blade. ☺️

[@IncompleteTheory]

Always nice to see how resource values swap places when you compare the civilized way of life with the one in the wilderness. In the the urban world, material is cheap and worker time is scarce and expensive, so you tend to replace worn out stuff with new ones. In the wilderness it is exactly the opposite and so you repair stuff. A few centuries back this was the norm, and restoring even the file itself(!) was an actual profession. Talk about our global footprint - that's where it's hiding. Thanks for sharing your adventure!

[@vanillacube8159]

I just saw you and I just wanted to say you're an amazing man and I'm lucky that I came across your videos. Your editing is immaculate and keep doing what you're doing!

[@scottiebunch]

True woodsman knows how to take care of their tools. Great video and instructions on one thing often overlooked. Most would just buy another saw blade lol. Thanks for taking the time to show an important lesson.

[@Trondro]

Wow that's a really good knowledge! Thank you for showing that to us!

[@awayinthewilderness4319]

One of those channels that you can save the video to your "bushcraft maintenance" playlist before you even watch the video. 👍 Literally did that 😂

[@NewHampshireJack]

Excellent demonstration. The ability to maintain the saw teeth on a bow saw was the exact reason I added one to out outdoor gear, The brand I purchased offered a choice of two blades. One designed for dry wood and one designed for wet wood. They were inexpensive so we purchased both to learn by experience if there is in fact a difference. We still have our folding saws but will only carry one.

[@jackvoss5841]

To protect your file, and other contents of your fix-it kit, get a piece of thin cardboard. The back piece of a lined tablet is about right. Mark a piece that is about 1/2” longer than the full length of the file, and about 2 and a half times wider. Cut it out. Lay your file flat on the cardboard with an edge of the file parallel to an edge of the cardboard, back 1/4”. Holding the file straight, fold the cardboard over the file. Tape the cardboard together. You now have a sheath for the file. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@robertdelorme8779]

Thank you for the vid Kusk! I was able to sharpen my folding camping saw blade for the first time and it went perfect!!

[@user-di7we1cb3z]

Люблю твої відео, вони доступні і душевні

[@gordaro2828]

Routine maintenance prevents risk management. (CCG ret.) cheers from Victoria. Keep up the good work.

[@les3449]

Thank you for showing that simple is best in many situations. I replaced my bow saw blade this summer but kept the old blade. You just showed how easy it is to freshen one up.

[@kekipark77]

nice. one suggestion though, just from my personal experience sharpening knives and chisels, if you file pushing (as you did) it may create a bur that folds outwards towards the larger flat (outside) part of the tooth (knife), which is the cutting edge, but if you file pulling, the bur should form inwards towards the smaller flat (inside) part of the tooth, which is not the cutting edge. food for thought

[@kingrafa3938]

Thanks for showing and sharing this one Ryley.

[@mervmartin2112]

Hi. The file you're using is a triangular file. The cant (cantilever) file will get in better. You might want to invest in a saw set also. A saw set adjusts your kerf. You'll probably only use the saw set at home, so, it doesn't add to pack weight (I grew up pruning olive trees :-) ) Your videos are great. And tool care is always appropriate! In my family the tool care bag has always been labeled PWD (public works department). If you want to take a break yet look busy, break out the PWD bag. Take a look at scythe stones. They're oval cross section and 6"-8" long. Scythes are kept pretty sharp. If they fit your style they can be an interesting tool.

[@martinsobkowiak5767]

Can you show how you made your saw? I like the design, watched the sharpening video and you have very good pointers. Now it's time to show us how ro make the saw! Thanks😉

[@joeweber4537]

Excellent demonstration!

[@herikurniawan6627]

I'm from Indonesia, I really like the videos you make and I always follow them... I hope you are always given health and everything is made easy

[@Surviveislife]

Keep it up❤️🔥

[@dr0bi]

Couple things I learned when sharpening saws: You want to make sure theres enough set left in the teeth. You may need to bend them out of line to make a bigger kerf so the saw makes enough room for itself. As you sharpen, you take the set out slowly but surely. So the set will depend on how much material youve removed. If your teeth aren't all at the same height, they aren't all cutting effectively and your saw can wander more. Once in a while it helps to take a bastard/flat file and run it along the top of the teeth to establish a flat spot on all the teeth. This tells you what depth to stop when sharpening. If your saw has a belly, jist make sure all of the teeth can reach the file when you run it along, no need to have teeth in a straight line.. typically youd do this once and if you sharpen evenly youd never have to do it again, but id say for me it helps to do it every 5-10 sharpens just to check that it's still cutting effectively.

[@levireidhaar7557]

a good explained sharpening video, will be back for other videos great job my man;)

[@MASI_forging]

Such a great work ☺☺

[@kirkterwilliger6407]

Thanks Ryley 👍

[@stevefisher2121]

Lovin' this series!!!!!!

[@wrkeith1]

Thanks, great video.

[@Wundrdawg1]

Excellent content as usual. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find a new piece of work from Kusk Bushcraft. Many thanks.

[@LShapedAmbush]

Excellent! Subscribed.

[@Travis_Hackney]

Nice, man 👍🏻 Be safe out there, I know you’re having fun 👍🏻

[@SMOKIN-STICK]

Very cool👍🏻 I can’t stand the throw away culture! Love seeing some maintenance and how you really enjoy making/caring for your gear👊🏻

[@seedy-waney-bonnie4906]

Very cool.

[@richardholappajr.6184]

Nice instructional video! Instead of changing the blade, I will give sharpening a try.

[@b3ura3k]

thank you for your videos but can make them longer please

[@mikefeddersen2476]

Maybe you cover it in another video, but I would think a nice wood brace for cutting your logs on would save you time and make the sawing easier.

[@doberski6855]

Enjoying the feeling of stepping back in time in these Camp videos, to an era when the skills to live off the land were more important then they are today. When people can hop in a car and head over to Canadian Tire or Home Depot to get a replacement saw blade, and food can be delivered to your door, and heating your home is a simple as plugging in a heater or turning a dial on the wall. If is great to be reminded of what it took to survive and thrive in this country, not that long ago! Still wish you were a tad more careful when cutting with that saw sir. Work gloves on your hands, maybe not using your leg as a prop for the log. Kind of hard to get an ambulance out to where you are if required I would imagine.

[@gordaro2828]

Truth

[@SimplengKristyano]

this is one way of testing someone's patience 🙂

[@jhtsurvival]

Good video. Not many talk about this

[@PATCsawyer]

You can touch up a little saw like that in the field (as you did) but they get out of joint with repeated field filings which causes some of that chatter you mentioned. Put it in a saw vise at home and you can keep two hands on the file for better control.

[@kokopelau6954]

Nice to see someone show that. I learned when I was 8 years old in 1955 or so. My dad taught me the way his dad taught him as his dad taught him etc. You must be able to maintain your tools or you should jot have them. That's how I was taught. Do you ever offset your teeth to make a wider cut for less binding on any of your blades?

[@mattzza6665]

The Teacher. 🏹

[@masterful7574]

"Defnuhly" is not a word. "Ahvenchly" is not a word.

[@kingrafa3938]

Masterful is not a human name 😂

[@jackvoss5841]

Those teeth do all of the cutting with the pointed tips. With offset on the teeth, the points are wider than the sides. Point width determines the width of the kerf. The entire saw is just a support system for those pointy tips. But, sharpening the edges helps maintain full length of the tooth. Another thing to watch is that all teeth are the same length to insure that they can all reach the bottom of the kerf. A tooth that doesn’t reach out as far as its neighbors, isn’t doing its job. Laying a straight edge along the row of tips will show teeth that are too short or too long. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@user-zh3pn2xy8u]

👍👏

[@Mrinsan_outdoors]

👌

[@mem7048]

I always reset the kerf in the teeth before re-sharpening the blade myself.

[@donaldhofman5257]

I use a clean, dry rag to wipe it off! When I'm back home, I use a soft wire brush to clean the teeth out!

[@seedy-waney-bonnie4906]

I'm going into the wilderness tomorrow for a few days looking for a new bug out site.

[@tkskagen]

How do you clean/clear your file in the field?

[@ronactive]

Sehr interessant. Grüße ronactive

[@trooper2221]

So, you do sharpen every single tooth right?

[@richardkight4482]

Don't forget a setter

[@XaLoiVlog]

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