#HTE

A Fast, Manual Alternative to Chainsaws: The Silky Katanaboy 650

A chainsaw is a huge improvement over its unpowered predecessor, the buck saw a/k/a the two-man crosscut saw. Yet both have their advantages and disadvantages. The buck saw is fuel-free, but does require you have a guy named Paul help you out (everyone knows that Pauls cut faster than fellows with other names). The chainsaw lets you fire Paul and do it yourself, but you need a supply of gasoline and some maintenance know-how.

Enter Silky’s Katanaboy 650, which offers the best of both worlds. It folds up for compact storage, weighs less than three pounds, can go a long time between sharpenings, and has an absurdly long 650mm (25.6") blade that cuts incredibly fast. 

It also, due to the aggressive design of the teeth, doesn’t require as much physical effort as you’d think:

While I lament the length/lack of editing of most disaster prepper videos, I can’t deny that they offer the most in-depth tool reviews, carefully going over every design detail and comparing the tool to its alternatives:

At $235 the saw costs more than entry-level chainsaws. But if you don’t require the production capacity of a chainsaw and are willing to put in some elbow grease, the Katanaboy 650 provides a relatively fast, quiet, fuel- and maintenance-free alternative.