Andy Hines is a director, filmmaker, and fabricator of antler firestarters, who has been grammy-nominated for his music videos. Originally from Nova Scotia, he’s now based in the Sierra Mountains of Northern California near Yosemite, where, over the years, Hines has become an avid overlander…and fan of Silky saws.

“I came to Silky by way of a friend who had one,” said Hines. “I am a huge fan of anything Japanese in general. I love everything they make. And when I saw Silky is a Japanese brand, that just deepened my love for the saws.”

Hines started with a Bigboy 2000, and he says he never turned back. “It’s in my Bronco always, and it’s gotten me out of many tricky situations, some at home, some on the road.”

About six months ago, a windstorm hit Hines' home, and a big tree in his yard was getting beaten and whipped. Hines grabbed his Bigboy and was able to trim it back quickly enough that the tree wasn't uprooted in the storm.

“It was such a save,” said Hines. “I was so thankful to have the saw at my fingertips to be able to save the tree.”

On the trail, Hines comes upon downed trees and large limbs all the time. “I can buck them up or trim them back so that they don’t scratch my vehicle, and I can do it with speed,” said Hines. “The saw blade on these things has such a great tooth pattern. It eats through the wood with amazing speed. And it means I don’t have to carry a chainsaw all the time.”

Hines has a Katanaboy on order, and he can’t wait. He also ordered two Pocketboys for his daughters who are six and seven, who overland with him, who love whittling and are sure to find plenty of projects for those saws out on the road.

Keep an eye out for Season 1 of OVERLAND.tv on YouTube, which follows Hines’ family travels around the West Coast of the U.S. In episode 1, they’re on the Rocklander Trail, a horseshoe shaped trail that dishes out everything from heavy rock crawling to dirt roads. In that episode and many others, you’ll catch Hines putting his Silkys to the test.

Hines is happiest on the road, whether that’s for one night or two weeks. “I’ll go as long as I can go,” he said. “And where we live facilitates us getting out for any length of time. When I’m not on set, I’m in the wild—off-roading, overlanding, or camping with my family. That connection to the land isn’t just a reset, it’s a source of clarity and creativity. I’ve always kept a close eye on where culture is headed, but I’ve learned the best ideas often come from silence, sweat, and stars overhead.”

Most of the time, his wanderings take him to Utah and Oregon. But last year he shipped his Bronco to Nova Scotia, where he was filming a movie, then drove back home to California with his dad. “We did 5,800 miles with only 700 miles on the highway,” said Hines. “We used OnX and discovered dirt roads and one-lane highways. It was really great.”

Hines has spent over a decade working on pop videos and commercials with artists like Lizzo and Kanye West. In addition to OVERLAND.tv, in September he is premiering his first movie, Little Lorraine. It’s based on a true story about three friends who are coal miners in Nova Scotia. When the mine closes due to an accident, the friends get hired by their uncles to work on a lobster boat, which is at the heart of a drug smuggling operation.

While there are no Silky saws featured in Little Lorraine, Hines says, “I’ve always got at least one on me.”

“I love converting people to the Silky family,” says Hines. “I’m always telling people I see who are struggling with their saw to try Silky. I love to support a brand that makes a great product and stands behind it and has their own community that stands behind it.”

Follow Andy on Instagram @OVERLAND.tv and watch his upcoming series on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@OverlandTV. Episode 1 will be dropping in November.