Thread: Hand Saw Recommendations

cog, here's a thread on much the same initial question. It might have some useful insights for you.

The problem with personal experience is it is just that - it's personal. Sawing experience, hand size, jobs tackled, and attitudes to woodwork vary so much; what suits me to a 'T' would quite likely be the opposite for you. However, there are a few general principals that might help you make decisions.

First up, would you prefer to push or pull your saws? If the latter, consider Japanese saws, they come in a variety of tooth sizes (pitches), are fast-cutting, and when dull, you chuck away the blade & fit a new one. The advantage is, no tedious learning to sharpen, or finding someone competent to do it for you. However, they are very different to use than the 'western' backsaws. I am too rusted onto the traditional western saws to get on with them, but many fine woodworkers swear by them - love 'em or hate 'em seems to be the rule.

If you prefer the western style 'push' saws, there are plenty of choices to be had. I'll stick my neck out & say that as far as the quality of the blades go, there is no significant difference between them - they are all adequate for purpose. The high-priced boutique saws will come very nicely (hand) sharpened & set (usually - I've seen a couple that somehow slipped through QC under par!). But the first time you sharpen them, they all become equal.

The main (lasting) difference between something like the Pax you mentioned and a high-end like a Bad-axe is the quality of the handle. The bit of wood stuck on Paxes looks like it's been cut out with a laser & given two licks of medium paper before being stained & stuck on the saw; it feels like it, too! But that can be solved with a bit of time and a few simple tools. A few minutes work with a rasp & come cloth-backed paper can work wonders. Or you can go the full hog & replace it. The first new backsaw I bought, a long time ago, was a Tyzack. It was an excellent saw in all respects except the handle. By the late 70s saw handles had degenerated to the pathetic things we see now; it was awful! A friend had an old pre-WW2 Disston with a handle I liked, so I made a copy & stuck it on. I'd just seen some very appealing open-handled saws at the time, and I wanted that look, so I left out the return bit from the toe of the grip to the cheek: Original replacement.jpg

At the time I was mighty pleased with it, and that saw was my go-to dovetail saw for decades. However, years down the track, with many more saw handles under my belt, I decided it just didn't look right, so I re-made a handle closer to the original Disston handle: Second replacement.jpg

Hang angles (the angle of the grip part relative to the tooth-line) vary, both within & between brands and it's surprising how just a few degrees change can make a very noticeable difference to perceived comfort & control of the saw. There is also some variation in the size/weight of the spines, giving the saws different 'balance', which is a bit of a silly term, because any tool with a handle at one end and the rest of it hanging off that is inherently UN-balanced. I prefer to use 'heft' to describe the feel of a saw in your hand. Whatever you choose to call it, it's a combination of the setting of the handle and the weight of blade & spine. It matters because if the saw feels right to you, you will use it more intuitively & not force it, which causes binding & erratic cutting.

But these are details you can really only decide for yourself. There is no way I'd drop $300 or more on a saw I hadn't taken for a decent test-drive. It's difficult when you happen to live in a small regional city but if you plan on going to one of this year's wood shows somewhere, you should be able to play with some of the more popular brands to get an idea of what works best for you. I often recommend people try the Veritas saws with their eyes closed - they look so fugly to me, but the ones I've tried feel ok & cut well. They offer pretty good bang for your buck..

If your budget is limited, far and away the best option (imo), would be to scratch around for a couple of old saws in reasonably good condition. In an old timber town like yours, there must be an aged saw-doc or someone who can sharpen & set a saw properly. For a total outlay of $100 or less (including the sharpening) you could end up with a coupe of excellent saws. As well as the valuable learning to be had from this approach, there is huge satisfaction in bringing old tools back into work.....
:U
Cheers,

IanW
Thanks so much for the comprehensive reply, I will have a good look through the link provided. Cheers


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I think your best optimum of quality and pricing for a Western style saw is Lee Valley/Veritas or Lie Nielsen. Both come sharp straight from the box and both will do the job nicely. I have a LN with a handful of un-set teeth.

I have reservations about the utility/$ ratio of the boutique saw makers, they will generally be prettier but not necessarily more functional tools. I have saws made by several of the bigger name boutique makers and most have characteristics that disappoint.

Older saws tend to have thicker plates (blades), meaning that in use more effort is needed to accomplish a given cut, and they typically also need a touch of file to be useful in most cases.

Given that you're asking the question i'd assume you're new to hand saws.

With that assumption in mind I'll suggest getting any saw and get sawing, your biggest hurdle is your technique. Once you've used an average/cheapie saw for a while consider getting the Veritas or Lie Nielsen saw.

This way you'll learn what an "average" saw will do compared to a premium brand and also save you the heartache of ruining a premium saw as you bed down your technique. You'll ultimately acquire both anyway, as for me i work with both reclaimed lumber and new and won't let my Veritas saws touch any reclaimed lumber.

Technique is the key. Proof: Watch Rob Cosman making dovetails with a hack saw on Youtube.