Saws, Machetes & Axes

These are three different answers to cutting wood, and they are not interchangeable. A folding saw cuts green limbs faster and with far less effort than anything with an edge, and packs flat. A machete clears brush and vines where a saw is useless. An axe splits and fells, and does neither of the other two jobs well.

For most people the saw is the one that earns its space. It is lighter, safer to use when tired, and quicker on anything under about six inches. Axes and hatchets demand technique and a clear swing radius, and a glancing blow from either is one of the more serious injuries available in the outdoors.