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Here is my complete review of the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (Part#356-36) Saw by Silky Saws.
In this
Silky Saw review, you’ll see:
- What the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) does well
- What the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) doesn’t do well
- My opinion of the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36)
- Whether the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) is worth the price
- And so much more
Let’s get started.
Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) Overview
This is the big picture overview of the saw’s features and design.
This saw boasts some impressive stats right off the bat that will catch the eye of any professional:
- 14.2” Folding Blade
- Hard Chrome Plated Curved Blade
- Taper Ground Non-Set Teeth
- 5.5 Teeth/Inch Blade
- Double-Fisted Rubber Cushion Handle
With a blade that’s over a foot long, you know this isn’t any ordinary blade. No. It’s a freakin’ beast.
You’ll find yourself asking:
- ‘What’s the point?’ I did.
- ‘Who needs this size of blade?’
- ‘Is the Big Boy worth it compared to smaller models, like the Pocket Boy?’
Let’s break it down:
Quick Stats
Here are some quick stats about the the saw:
- 30” Total Unfolded
- 3” Wide Folded
- 16” Long Folded
- 14.2” Blade
I tried to emphasize this above, but if I didn’t let me reiterate:
this hand saw is huge.
You might think it’s huge, but unless you hold an almost 3’ saw in your hands, you don't really know.
The only larger version of the Big Boy is actually the Katana Boy.
(I cover the Katana Boy in my post on the Best Hand Saws of 2023. Be sure to check that out if you are interested.)
But what do you actually use it for?
Application
It’s perfect for:
- Forestry work
- Pruning
- Trail Work
- Limbing
- Cutting up firewood
- Survival & Bushcraft
The rubberized handle is nice on the hands, and the way the teeth are designed make it ideal for sawing through large wood.
The blade has two cutting positions: the normal, slightly curved position:
This is for normal use of the blade, typically limbing tree limbs that are still standing.
And then the over-extended position:
This is good for putting more pressure on branches or deadwood close to the ground.
It can basically cut through anything:
Better Than A Chainsaw?
If you are big into forestry or limbing, a Big Boy is actually a great alternative to a chainsaw.
You can cut through some of the same size limbs without:
- Needing gas
- A face shield
- A Hard hat
- Chaps
- Hearing protection
- Oil
- Bar
- Expense
- Noise
Using a hand saw is just a better experience in some situations.
But is it better than a chainsaw? No.
You won't see an arborist carrying this up a tree. It's too long and cumbersome to use in high-risk situations.
But that doesn't mean it can't cut through large logs or deadwood lying in your way:
Silky Saw Big Boy (356-36) Pricing
The pricing is where I’m going to lose some of you. For this model, the price is $79.99.
That’s pretty steep, considering you can get a semi-decent Corona hand saw for under $20.
The model below the Big Boy is the Gom Boy, which comes in at $54. One more below that is the Pocket Boy at $44.
And then, if you really want to go high end, you can get a Katana Boy.
Silky Katana Boy’s start at $235 and beyond that we can’t really see why you would want or even need to go much higher on a hand saw.
Even though the pricing is a bit steep, these saws are head and shoulders above some of the other blades you get at a local hardware store. The Coronas simply can’t compare.
At the end of the day, these are expensive saws.
But with over 3500 positive reviews on Amazon, the product speaks for itself:
Silky Saw Big Boy (356-36): Things I Like
Folding Hand Saw: One of the best features of the Silky Saw Big Boy is that it’s a folding hand saw.
To be honest, if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have bought the blade.
It would be dangerous to carry around an almost 3’ saw through the forest unsheathed.
You can fold it up and pack it away with relative ease. Of course, it’s a bit big for a normal pack out, but we’ll cover that more later.
Fast & Aggressive Cuts: If you ever saw the survival show Alone, you’ll remember the people on the show were cutting through timber extremely fast.
They were using Silky Boys.
Silky Boys are known for their Japanese Steel that is quick to tear through limbs with no effort.
The XL Teeth on the 356-36 can easily cut through small 4” limbs or even larger logs.
Smooth Cuts:
You would thing with a saw that has coarse teeth designed for aggressive cuts that the wood would be left rough or damaged. That is not the case.
With just enough pressure, and you let the saw do its thing, the limbs are actually incredibly smooth. That’s not something I would’ve expected.
Great Reputation: Silky Saws are renown for being high-quality products.
Even if you aren’t sure about the product, the price tag or even the need for the tool, you can be comfortable knowing you aren’t buying some random company's tool.
No.
Silky Saw his a high-quality company that delivers.
Silky Saw Big Boy (356-36): Things I Didn't Like
You Need Two Hands: The way this monster is designed, you simply can’t work it well enough with only one hand.
You need to use two hands on the saw to have enough tip pressure to cut through a limb.
In a lot of scenarios, you need to be cutting a branch with the saw in one hand, while the saw is in the other.
Your cutting hand gets tired real quick holding and cutting a lot with this blade.
Again, the ergonomics from the handle will not help you if you use one hand. Your forearm will be burning!
It’s Too Big:
This goes along with the previous note about needing two hands, but the blade is just too big. Even when folded up, the thing is 16” long and 3” wide. That’s a lot for a packout.
It’s just kind of… ridiculous. Maybe that’s the appeal. Kind of like a Big Pickup Truck… we don’t always need them but…
Doesn’t Cut Much Faster Than Smaller Models:
Compared to the smaller Pocket Boy, this saw really doesn’t cut much faster despite it being almost double the price.
Try cutting through a 3-4” diameter limb and you’ll find no real difference between the Big Boy and the Pocket boy despite their differences in size.
Straight Blade:
The blade on the Big Boy is a bit too straight for my liking. When you go out into the forest to limb those high-up branches, you need something with a bit more curve to it.
Blades that have more curve are able to cut the top of branches better. That makes for a much better cut in the end.
Straighter blades cause higher branches to pinch more, leading to the blade getting caught, and the cut isn’t smooth.
Silky Saw Big Boy (356-36): The Bottom Line
The Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) is an absolute unit of a saw.
Silky Saws in general are one of the industry leaders for pruning saws.
It’s no wonder they’ve established themselves as industry favorites for bushcraft, survival, and more.
Personally, I think the Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) is an excellent tool. It’s massive and fun to use to cut through tons of different stuff.
That being said, it is a little bit big and can get cumbersome during long days in the field.
Overall, I highly recommend anything from Silky Saws. But no matter what, my favorite is still the
Pocket Boy.
The Pocket Boy can cut just as well as the Big Boy.
Both blades have their place but the Pocket Boy gets the edge.
No, you won't be able to cut through large logs or deadwood as fast as the Big Boy, but not by much.
And what you lose in cutting speed, you gain massively inconvenience.
Conclusion
So that's it for my Silky Professional Big Boy 2000 (356-36) review.
What do you like about the saw?
What do you think needs improvement?
Let me know by sending us an email.
Before you go...
If you are into hand saws, be sure to check out our other guide on the Best Hand Saws of 2023. We go over every type of hand saw you can imagine.
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Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson is an avid outdoorsman with a keen interest in writing about and reviewing tools. He has over 20 years of writing experience and the only time he isn't feverishly typing away at his computer is when he's outside in nature working on his projects. You can learn more about him here.
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