Which Folding Hand Saws Brand Wins?
In our test we compared 17 folding hand saws options head to head. Corona came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Corona
Price shown in test: $17
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Samurai
Price shown in test: $24
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Corona
Price shown in test: $17
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“the Corona came out on top in the showdown with an average finish of second place... I really like these showdowns when the affordable products outperform the more expensive brands and that's exactly what the Corona did in this showdown. It's a very good handsaw and would definitely be my choice if the price was right.”
Best in 3 of 6 measurements, including Softwood Dowel Strokes, Hardwood Strokes and Edge Retention Retest Strokes.
Placed top three in 2 of 7 measurements.
Best in 3 of 6 measurements, including Softwood Dowel Strokes, Hardwood Strokes and Edge Retention Retest Strokes.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Weight
- 1Corona196 g
- 2Samurai234 g
- 3Fujiwara216 g
- 4Gerber154 g
lightest of all saws tested
- 5Kakuri Gikoh220 g
- 6Silky Pocket Boy224 g
- 7Workpro170 g
lightest of all saws at the time it was tested
- 8Ginword332 g
- 9Gruntek226 g
- 10Bahco188 g
- 11Kershaw224 g
- 12One Stop Gardens198 g
- 13Amazon Basics258 g
- 14Flora Guard218 g
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 1266 g
- 16SOG266 g
- 17Ever Saw292 g
Initial Sharpness Score
- 1Corona2552nd
second sharpest of all saws tested initially, lower is sharper
- 2Samurai230
sharpest of all saws tested initially
- 3Fujiwara3355th
fifth sharpest of all saws tested initially
- 4Gerber3204th
fourth sharpest of all saws tested initially
- 5Kakuri Gikoh2703rd
third sharpest of all saws tested initially
- 6Silky Pocket Boy375
similar to Gerber
- 7Workpro555
- 8Ginword5952nd
second sharpest at the time it was tested
- 9Gruntek820
- 10Bahco1,490
second dullest of all saws tested initially
- 11Kershaw590
- 12One Stop Gardens475
- 13Amazon Basics915
- 14Flora Guard845
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 11,000
tied with SOG for dullest at the time it was tested
- 16SOG1,000
tied with Mossy Oak for dullest at the time it was tested
- 17Ever Saw1,835
dullest of all saws tested initially
Softwood Dowel Strokes
- 1Corona2 passes
best result of all saws tested
- 2Samurai4 passes
- 3Fujiwara2.2 passes
best result at the time it was tested
- 4Gerber2.2 passes2nd
tied for second best at the time it was tested
- 5Kakuri Gikoh8 passes
- 6Silky Pocket Boy4.5 passes
- 7Workpro6.2 passes
- 8Ginword11.5 passes
- 9Gruntek7 passes
- 10Bahco9 passes
- 11Kershaw10 passes
- 12One Stop Gardens8.5 passes
- 13Amazon Basics14.5 passes
- 14Flora Guard15 passes
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 115 passes
- 16SOG18 passes
- 17Ever Saw32 passes
worst result of all saws tested
Hardwood Strokes
- 1Corona11 passes
best result of all saws tested
- 2Samurai16 passes3rd
- 3Fujiwara14 passes2nd
- 4Gerber20 passes4th
- 5Kakuri Gikoh33 passes
- 6Silky Pocket Boy24 passes
- 7Workpro28 passes
- 8Ginword48 passes
- 9Gruntek47 passes
- 10Bahco33 passes
- 11Kershaw57 passes
- 12One Stop Gardens123 passes
- 13Amazon Basics144 passes
- 14Flora Guard212 passes
worst result of all saws tested
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 179 passes
- 16SOG110 passes
- 17Ever Saw62 passes
Cutting Speed 2 X 4
- 1Corona4.8 seconds3rd
- 2Samurai3.28 seconds
fastest of all saws tested
- 3Fujiwara3.44 seconds2nd
- 4Gerber5.1 seconds
- 5Kakuri Gikoh4.08 seconds
fast but with some blade deflection
- 6Silky Pocket Boy4.1 seconds
- 7Workpro6.5 seconds
- 8Ginword7.3 seconds
- 9Gruntek7.2 seconds
- 10Bahco6.8 seconds
- 11Kershaw7.6 seconds
- 13Amazon Basics
very close to 10 seconds
- 14Flora Guard15.7 seconds
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 19.4 seconds
- 16SOG8.6 seconds
- 17Ever Saw9.6 seconds
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
Edge Retention Retest Strokes
- 1Corona2.7 passes
best result of all saws tested after 100 passes through cured hardwood
- 2Samurai3.2 passes3rd
- 3Fujiwara3.1 passes2nd
- 4Gerber4.4 passes4th
in one mention and 4.2 in the video's final summary of this test, fourth place
- 5Kakuri Gikoh7 passes
improved from new
- 6Silky Pocket Boy7.2 passes
lost ground from 4.5 when new
- 7Workpro6 passes
- 8Ginword11 passes
slightly better than new
- 9Gruntek7.2 passes
- 10Bahco7 passes
improved as the coating wore away
- 11Kershaw13 passes
lost ground from 10 when new
- 13Amazon Basics15 passes
almost the same as new
- 14Flora Guard14 passes
slightly better than new
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 116 passes
- 16SOG16 passes
slight improvement from 18 when new
- 17Ever Saw14 passes
the largest improvement from new of any saw tested
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
Overall Average Finish
- 1Corona
best average finish of all saws tested, described as second place
- 2Samurai
second best average finish at 2.2
- 3Fujiwara
third best average finish at 2.6
- 4Gerber
fourth place overall
- 5Kakuri Gikohnot tested
- 6Silky Pocket Boynot tested
- 7Workpronot tested
- 8Ginwordnot tested
- 9Grunteknot tested
- 10Bahconot tested
- 11Kershawnot tested
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
- 13Amazon Basicsnot tested
- 14Flora Guardnot tested
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 1not tested
- 16SOGnot tested
- 17Ever Sawnot tested
Blade Thickness
- 2Samurai0.87 mm
- 5Kakuri Gikoh0.6 mm
extremely thin and wobbly
- 8Ginword0.88 mm
- 11Kershaw0.8 mm
- 1Coronanot tested
- 3Fujiwaranot tested
- 4Gerbernot tested
- 6Silky Pocket Boynot tested
- 7Workpronot tested
- 9Grunteknot tested
- 10Bahconot tested
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
- 13Amazon Basicsnot tested
- 14Flora Guardnot tested
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 1not tested
- 16SOGnot tested
- 17Ever Sawnot tested
All measurements (2 more)+
Blade Bend
- 7Workpro1.25 in
of lateral sag under 2.5 lb, tied with Flora Guard for stiffest blade of all saws tested
- 10Bahco1.4 in
of lateral sag under 2.5 lb, tied with Kershaw
- 11Kershaw1.4 in
of lateral sag under 2.5 lb, tied with Bahco
- 14Flora Guard1.25 in
of lateral sag under 2.5 lb, tied with Workpro for stiffest blade of all saws tested
- 1Coronanot tested
- 2Samurainot tested
- 3Fujiwaranot tested
- 4Gerbernot tested
- 5Kakuri Gikohnot tested
- 6Silky Pocket Boynot tested
- 8Ginwordnot tested
- 9Grunteknot tested
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
- 13Amazon Basicsnot tested
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 1not tested
- 16SOGnot tested
- 17Ever Sawnot tested
Lock Strength Test
- 13Amazon Basics
struggled, the only saw of all those tested that had trouble holding its blade lock under 10 lb of force
- 1Coronanot tested
- 2Samurainot tested
- 3Fujiwaranot tested
- 4Gerbernot tested
- 5Kakuri Gikohnot tested
- 6Silky Pocket Boynot tested
- 7Workpronot tested
- 8Ginwordnot tested
- 9Grunteknot tested
- 10Bahconot tested
- 11Kershawnot tested
- 12One Stop Gardensnot tested
- 14Flora Guardnot tested
- 15Mossy Oak 3 in 1not tested
- 16SOGnot tested
- 17Ever Sawnot tested
How it was tested
- initial blade edge sharpness measured with a sharpness tester
- tooth geometry and blade tip cutting speed on a 3/4 in softwood dowel using a weighted tester
- cutting speed through green hedge apple hardwood using the weighted tester
- unscientific cutting speed test through a 2x4 without the tester
- blade edge retention retest on the softwood dowel after 100 passes through cured hedge apple hardwood
- blade lateral bend and stiffness under 2.5 lb of tip weight
- blade thickness measurement
- blade lock strength under 10 lb of force
“the Corona came out on top in the showdown with an average finish of second place... I really like these showdowns when the affordable products outperform the more expensive brands and that's exactly what the Corona did in this showdown. It's a very good handsaw and would definitely be my choice if the price was right.”
