Bahco Laplander Saw Review
I have owned and used the Bahco Laplander folding saw for years, and I still take it on camping and hiking trips today. It is lightweight, simple, reliable, and remains the only folding camping saw I have ever really needed.
I first saw the Bahco Laplander on an early episode of Ray Mears when I was getting into bushcraft. I bought one not long afterwards and have owned one ever since.
That makes this less of a first-impressions review now and much more of a long-term one.
After years of cutting firewood, branches, and general camp timber, I still think the Laplander is one of those outdoor tools that gets the fundamentals almost exactly right.
It folds safely into your backpack, weighs very little, cuts surprisingly fast for its size, and doesn’t require the space or commitment of carrying an axe.
LONG-TERM VERDICT
Best for: Camping, bushcraft, hiking, firewood preparation, pruning, and general outdoor use.
What I like: Lightweight, excellent cutting performance, comfortable grip, secure locking mechanism, and replaceable blade.
Main downside: It is still a small folding saw, so it isn’t designed for processing large logs or replacing a full-size bow saw.
Would I buy it again? Yes. I still use mine today.
Bahco Laplander Specifications
- MODEL: Bahco 396-LAP
- WEIGHT: Approx. 200 g / 7.1 oz
- LENGTH FOLDED: 230 mm / 9 in
- LENGTH OPEN: 405 mm / 16 in
- BLADE LENGTH: 190 mm / 7.5 in
- BLADE: XT hardpoint teeth
- COATING: Low-friction, rust-preventive blade coating
- LOCK: Safety lock in both open and closed positions
- REPLACEMENT BLADE: Available
My Long-Term Experience With the Bahco Laplander
When I first bought the Laplander, I remember going outside and cutting branches for hours just because I was impressed by how well such a small folding saw worked.
Years later, I still use it.
It regularly comes with me on camping trips and hiking trips where I know I may need to process some wood.
That long-term use is probably the strongest recommendation I can give it.
Outdoor gear has a habit of getting replaced by something newer, lighter, or supposedly better. The Laplander hasn’t really given me a reason to replace it.
The design is simple, there isn’t much to go wrong, and it continues to do exactly what I bought it for.
Cutting Performance
The Bahco Laplander cuts extremely well for such a compact saw.
The XT tooth pattern bites aggressively into wood and cuts on both the push and pull stroke, so you are making progress throughout almost the entire sawing motion.
For larger branches, I normally start with a few controlled strokes to establish a groove.
Once the blade has somewhere to track, you can increase the pressure and speed considerably.
Smaller branches require very little effort.
One reason I still prefer a saw for certain camp jobs instead of always reaching for an axe is the amount of control you get.
A saw wastes less wood, produces a cleaner cut, and requires less room around you to work safely.
It is particularly useful for cutting longer pieces of deadwood into manageable firewood lengths.
How Easy Is It to Use?
This is one of the Laplander’s biggest strengths.
It weighs around 200 grams, so you don’t feel like you’re carrying a serious woodworking tool in your backpack.
The two-component handle is comfortable and provides a surprisingly secure grip even when you’re cutting from awkward positions.
A push-button mechanism locks the blade in place.
Importantly, it locks both when open and when folded.
That means the blade can’t accidentally swing open inside your backpack, which is something I consider essential for any folding saw.
The supplied leather wrist strap is also useful when cutting at awkward angles or in wet conditions.
For frequent use, you can also carry it in a Bahco Laplander Holster Sheath instead of repeatedly putting it back into your backpack.
Blade and Teeth
The blade is around 190 mm long, which is enough for surprisingly substantial branches while still allowing the entire saw to fold into a compact handle.
Bahco uses its XT hardpoint tooth design on the Laplander.
The alternating tooth geometry helps clear material from the cut and allows the saw to work efficiently through both green and dry wood.
Bahco also applies a low-friction protective coating to the blade.
In real use, this helps the blade move through the cut without binding as easily and provides some protection against corrosion.
I have used mine in wet conditions plenty of times over the years without the saw becoming something I need to constantly worry about.
That said, I still wouldn’t deliberately put it away soaking wet. Like any steel cutting tool, drying it before long-term storage is sensible.
Durability After Years of Use
This is where I can give a much stronger opinion now than when I originally wrote this review.
I had only owned my current Laplander for around 18 months at that point.
Years later, it is still going strong.
The locking mechanism remains simple and dependable, the handle has held up well, and I still haven’t felt any need to replace the entire saw.
Bahco sells replacement blades, which is another reason I like the design.
If the teeth eventually become damaged or worn after enough use, you don’t need to throw away the whole tool.
For something that gets tossed into backpacks, used around dirt, timber and campsites, and occasionally gets wet, mine has held up extremely well.
Bahco Laplander vs an Axe or Hatchet
For processing wood in the outdoors, a small folding saw and a hatchet overlap slightly but aren’t really the same tool.
A hatchet is better for splitting wood, chopping, shaping stakes, and heavier bushcraft work.
The Laplander is much better at efficiently cutting branches and logs into shorter lengths.
For hiking, I am much more likely to carry the saw.
It weighs very little, folds safely into a backpack, and takes up almost no space.
If I were setting up a more permanent camp or knew I needed to split a lot of firewood, I would consider taking both.
But if I could only carry one lightweight cutting tool for an ordinary camping trip, the Laplander usually makes more sense to me.
What Size Wood Can the Bahco Laplander Cut?
The Laplander can physically cut surprisingly thick pieces of wood.
I’ve comfortably used it on branches substantial enough for normal campfire processing.
However, there is a point where the limited blade length makes the job unnecessarily slow.
I think of it primarily as a tool for branches and small logs rather than large timber.
If you regularly need to process much larger logs, a bow saw, larger folding saw, or axe becomes a better choice.
The fact that it can tackle fairly substantial branches doesn’t mean that is always the most efficient use of it.
Best Uses for the Bahco Laplander
After owning one for years, these are the situations where I think it makes the most sense:
- Camping – Cutting deadwood and processing small logs into firewood lengths.
- Hiking – Lightweight enough to carry on trips where you may need a saw without wanting a full-size tool.
- Bushcraft – Excellent for shelter building, camp projects, and processing poles and branches.
- Pruning – Cleanly cuts branches without the rough damage you can get from chopping.
- Hunting and outdoor work – Compact enough to carry easily while still being a useful cutting tool.
- Emergency kits – Small enough to keep with outdoor equipment without occupying much space.
What I Don’t Like
There isn’t much I dislike about the Laplander, which is probably why I’ve kept using it for so long.
The main limitation is simply its size.
A 190 mm folding blade is never going to compete with a large bow saw when you need to process lots of thick timber.
The other consideration is that a folding saw doesn’t replace an axe if you need to split logs.
It cuts wood extremely well across the grain, but once you’ve cut a large round of wood, you still need another method if you want to split it.
I don’t really consider either of these faults.
They are simply the limitations of what is deliberately a small, lightweight folding saw.
Is the Bahco Laplander Worth It?
Yes.
And after years of ownership, I am considerably more confident saying that than I was when I originally wrote this review.
The Bahco Laplander is one of those pieces of outdoor gear that has barely changed because there isn’t much that needs changing.
It is light enough that carrying it doesn’t feel like a burden.
It cuts far better than its size suggests.
The blade locks securely both open and closed.
Replacement blades are available.
And mine has lasted for years of camping, hiking, bushcraft, and general outdoor use.
I own plenty of axes and other cutting tools, but the Laplander is still the only folding camping saw I really need.
If I lost mine tomorrow, I would buy another one.
Thanks for reading this Bahco Laplander Saw Review. If you have any questions about how mine has held up over the years, leave them below.
