The Silky Big Boy 2000

Most of you guys that ride with me know that I'm a trailwork fanatic. I'm often distracted mid-ride to pimp some trail, cut a downed tree, carve a turn a little finer, etc. So I carry a big saw - the Silky Big Boy.

Here's a sample of the Big Boy in action. It will cut ANYTHING. And oftentimes the places I ride are so remote that carrying a chainsaw to most of the deadfall is impossible. So having a saw small enough to fit in my pack but still highly capable is a real convenience.

Since I'm at risk of sounding like an advertisement for Silky Saws, let me lace some profanity in here to really drive my point home in the most secular way:

This fucking saw will cut through a goddamn refrigerator.

Now that you know Silky isn't paying for this, we can continue. Although, let's be honest, the minute Silky is ready to sponsor trailwork and trailworkers, and they stick about 30 of these monsters in the mail to us, I will happily remove or edit that phrasing to better fit their specific marketing environment, whatever that may be.

On with the story.

Well, sadly, after a long summer of some real abuse, my Big Boy 2000 broke last week. The blade actually split where the smallest tooth meets the handle (probably the weakest point.) In the future, I now know to avoid wielding my expensive folding saw like a bush machete. But this time out I pretty much assumed I was out of luck.

With no real expectations, I emailed Sherrill Tree down in North Carolina to see if they had a replacement policy.

I got this in response:
Subject: RE: Broke my Big Boy 2000
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 13:26:51 -0400
From: idemaio@SHERRILLTREE.com

David,

I will be sending a replacement Big Boy 2000 blade today, no charge and no freight. Please accept this replacement for your trouble with the Silky saw.

We appreciate your business and your good words about Silky products.

Regards,

Irene DeMaio

Customer Service Manager

SherrillTree

200 Seneca Road

Greensboro, NC 27406

Yeah, no questions asked replacement policy. They didn't even make me pay to ship it. Kick ass. Trail pimping to recommence this weekend.

Speaking of things that kick ass in North Carolina, this just in...
PISGAH KICKS ASS.
As of Friday, I've ridden Black Mountain as an out and back. The out and back are separated by 6 years and 6 months. Both ways pretty much rocked my socks.

Cunningham doing a little trudging to get to the action.

same spot, going the other way, 6 years ago and 6 months ago. Nice i-drive you ninny.

It's been a good year already. And on that subject of riding far away places and the once-mighty GT brand, I thought I'd put this picture up as a little parting shot.
Moore Fun in Fruita, Colorado, 2004ish. My addiction to the madhouse descent off of that Mesa, coupled with mankinds' inability to make a durable, aluminum full suspension bike in 2003, are probably the main two reasons that bike was reduced to scrap metal shortly after this photo was taken. But what a ride down.

Go stick it to something tall, Kids. Take your saw.