What sized Silky blade for which sized branches?

If you’re wanting to know which sized blades you should use when cutting branches, then today you’ve come to the right place.

We regularly get asked this question especially when we get to meet Silky fans at Shows. Now this is always a brilliant question to ask before investing in a blade, as choosing the wrong blade for the job could cause damage to the blade and potentially snap the blade due to misuse.

As a rule of thumb, we’d suggest that you only ever cut anything that measures 2 thirds of the blade length in diameter. But we want to give you a bit more information than that to really help you delve in to which blades will help you do that pruning job easily.

So here goes, let’s try to explain the question in a bit more detail:

·         Very small branches up to a 20mm diameter – we’d always recommend using a short blade anything from 130mm – 180mm in length would do the job it’s supposed to do. Any of our Pocketboys would make the perfect pruning companion for you. Small, foldable and lightweight and can easily be stored in a backpack if you are on the move. These are great for more detailed pruning, shaping and for using to make small cuts.

·         Small branches that are approximately 20mm-50mm in diameter – branches like these would need a blade that was around 180mm-240mm. Why not try an F180 saw? Still foldable so it’s comfortable to use without being bulky and more than able to cut quickly through wood!

·         Large branches measuring from 120-165mm in diameter – get a Silky Saw that has a blade that measures 330mm-420mm. Pick a Tsurugi 330, Bigboy 360, or a Zubat 330 + (which you nearly always find in an Arborists kit) . A longer blade will cut through wood of this size efficiently and with ease.

·         And for those very large branches 165mm in diameter upwards go for a blade length of 420mm plus. You’ve the choice of a Sugoi 420 or a Sugowaza 420 Saw. Or how about our Katanaboy 550 Saw, that is so powerful and just as effective as a chainsaw. Did you know the Katanaboy family of Saws are the largest folding saws produced in the world?

The teeth size you choose matter too!

The tooth configuration of the saw you choose depends on what you’d like to cut with the blade.

The larger the teeth the more aggressive they will cut and are suitable for cutting green wood and large branches. A blade with medium teeth is good for general purpose pruning especially for pruning in the garden. Whereas a fine-tooth blade will give clean cuts and is good for dry and hardwood.

Don’t forget Silky blades are interchangeable so you can always swap over the blades depending on what you are doing.

Do I need a curved or straight blade?

So now you’ve got the lowdown about which blade sizes you need and which blades to use to get the job done correctly you then need to decide whether you want a curved or straight blade.

So, we generally say a curved blade is perfect for jobs above your shoulder or a below your knees.

Straight blades are perfect for precise and straight cuts and are easy to use on flat surfaces and work done in front of you.

Curved blades are good for fast cutting of branches especially when working overhead and on curved surfaces and are always recommended for cutting branches that are at awkward angles.

There is nothing more important than getting the technique correct when using a Silky Saw.

To begin with make sure you start with a light and controlled stroke using short and gentle pull strokes, let the teeth naturally bite into the wood without using any pressure.

When you’ve created a kerf in the wood now you can switch to doing longer pull strokes, using as much of the blade’s length as possible, as your Silky Saw will cut faster when you get the entire blade working. Remember the blades are razor sharp so you need little force when cutting.

Never push or twist the blade when cutting, you will break it, also avoid cutting through soil, dirt or nails as this will damage the teeth.

If you remember anything, always keep in mind to cut on the pull stroke!

So, if you’ve got to the end, we hope all this information has helped in helping you choose the right blade for the job. As always feel free to shout if we can help with anything else you’d like to know about our Silky Saw range!