Mad_Mat wrote on Nov 18^th, 2010 at 1:57pm:

"3) cutting implement-saw (ring saw, skilsaw blade, hacksaw blade, etc)  Some of the saw blades were cut down to fit inside the tin.  Some had the "hand end" covered with a bit of tape.  One unit had a small bolt and a hole in the altoid tin so the saw blade to be attached and the tin used as a handle." that's a joke, right ?   what in hell is anybody going to accomplish with one of those wire/saws or 4" mini hacksaw blade  ?  cut down a Redwood tree and hollow it out into a dugout ?  build themselves a log cabin ?  Oh, I know, instead of just laying chunks of log over the middle of your fire to burn into smaller pieces, you could saw your firewood into nice neat pieces!  I get the idea, that this stuff needs to be small to fit into an altoids tin, but these saws would be essentially worthless, and you'd be much better served to carry a second packet of matches or match book in doubled ziplok bags, or more twine (dental floss) or more wire to wire together a shelter, or a small knife (not one of those silly little swiss army knives, but something like a small Gerber LST (3.5" closed) and a small sharpener to keep the blade sharp (like the DMT style that's the size of  a 1" band-aid and 3/16" thick.  There isn't anything you can accomplish with a bit of saw blade that you couldn't do better with a knife, and at least you'd have something useful that way. I've had one of those wire saws - didn't last very long, but I admit it will cut logs until it breaks, but why bother?

Well, I DIDN"T say that what I've seen others place into a ditch kit was a good idea.  I've tried a couple of ring saws, and while they didn't come apart, I felt that I'd have a better chance playing beaver and trying to chew a branch apart.  The saw blade is only marginally better, but in one of Les Stroud's shows, he used the saw blade on his multi-tool to cut down a few thumb-sized saplings to make the frame for his shelter (but sometimes I felt his show was "move 10 feet and make a shelter").

In reality, I just picked up a   (You need to Login or Register.  The question remains as to whether I'd wear this around my neck, get a belt clip or just put in in one the pockets of my PFD.  The write-up indicates the item to weigh 2.5 oz., but that's only for the knife ... with sheath, its more like 4 oz.  Since it just arrived in the mail yesterday, I haven't had a chance to give it any exercise, but it appears substantial enough to do some serious work.  I'm hoping to make this more of a utility knife that gets used on some degree of regularity and leave behind some of my "less capable" knives.  (I did find it online for under $30 ... just barely.)  

AND, joy of joys, at least the knife part is made in the USA!

dd