Outdoors & Fitness · Head-to-head
Silky Gomboy Professional 240 vs Bahco 396-LAP Laplander
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Folding Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Gomboy cuts faster and smoother than anything else here and stays sharp season after season. The Laplander is the pick when you want a shorter, tougher saw that locks both open and closed.
Silky Gomboy Professional 240
Buy itThe Japanese pull saw that every other folding saw is measured against: chrome-plated, impulse-hardened, and very fast.
- 240 mm blade with 10 teeth per 30 mm, Mirai-Me teeth cut on the pull stroke with four cutting angles, and a chrome finish that resists rust and friction.
- Electro-impulse hardened teeth stay sharp far longer than a conventional saw, and the non-set tooth design leaves a smooth cut.
- Rubber GOM handle grips well wet or gloved, the lock is positive, and the blade folds to 270 mm with a limited lifetime warranty.
- At 500 mm open it is the longest saw here and feels oversized for small camp chores.
- The aggressive tooth geometry is for wood only; plastic and bone will dull it.
- Replacement blades cost nearly half a new saw, so it pays to avoid binding the blade in a kerf.
Bahco 396-LAP Laplander
Buy itThe classic bushcraft folder: a 190 mm blade, a lock that works both ways, and teeth for green and dry wood alike.
- 190 mm blade with XT hardpoint teeth at 7 TPI, rated by the maker for green and dry wood, plastic and even bone.
- Safety lock secures the blade both open and folded, so it cannot swing free in a pack.
- Two-component grip with a leather strap, a rust-protective low-friction coating, and replacement blades sold separately.
- At 7.5 inches the blade is short for logs; you will stroke twice what a 240 mm saw clears per pull.
- Hardpoint teeth cannot be resharpened; when they dull you buy a replacement blade.
- The coarse 7 TPI cut is rougher than a fine Japanese blade, which shows on finished pruning wounds.
Side by side
| Silky Gomboy Professional 240 | Bahco 396-LAP Laplander | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Backpackers, hunters and gardeners who cut green wood often and want the fastest, cleanest pull saw in the category. | Bushcraft, hunting and trail kits where a compact, lockable saw that shrugs off dry wood and occasional plastic or bone beats raw speed. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Silky Gomboy Professional 240 - The Japanese pull saw that every other folding saw is measured against: chrome-plated, impulse-hardened, and very fast. Choose the Bahco 396-LAP Laplander instead if bushcraft, hunting and trail kits where a compact, lockable saw that shrugs off dry wood and occasional plastic or bone beats raw speed.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Folding Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).