Thread: Dovetail Saw recommendations wanted.

I use a Lie Nielsen dovetail saw. I find it does the job very well.

Hi Joe,
If you are looking at a high end saw, it is worth your while trying out the grip on the handles for comfort.
I know that this seems trivial, but saws like Adria and Lie Nielsen are going to be near identical in performance. In the case of these two the Adria has a smaller handle and may not be comfortable in larger hands.
Also, some saws have an exaggerated curved "bump" that fits into your palm as you grip the handle. For some hands this is perfect while for others it is irritating.
Adria handles are bubinga, while LN are curly maple. Both are beautiful timbers - you may prefer one over the other.
Whichever saw you get, make sure that it has been, or can be sharpened in a rip pattern with a fine tooth-set, so that the kerfs are narrow.
There are some very good brass or steel backed dovetail saws available second hand. Anything by Henry Disston, Simonds, Ibbotson, Slack Sellars, Tyzack and Sons and the earlier Spear and Jacksons are all very good saws and one of these in good condition will cost half of an Adria or a LN.
Happy hunting
SG

My Lie-Nielsen does the job nicely.

If you are going for a high quality new saw though, you might also consider one made by Mike Wenzloff (he goes by MikeW on this forum). I don't have any of his saws but I have only read good things about them on various woodwork forums.

I have an Adria. I lurve it.

AlexS kindly picked me up a Thomas Flyn d/t saw at the last trad tools show for the princely sum of $8.

Cleaned up a treat and cuts nearly as well as the Adria. It would probably cut as well as the Adria if it hads a professional sharpen and set.

Depends on what you want to spend.

As Scribbly said, there are some very acceptable used saws out there that can be cleaned and sharpened for dovetail work. I have several of these old saws, and love them dearly. Sharpening them is not that hard either. Mine are Disstons, Tyzack, Newbould and Sanderson, and several others.

If you're stuck on a brass back that pushes the price up a little, but you should still get away with it for less than $40 secondhand - at least by my reckoning.

I also use a fairly cheap Japanese dozuki (backsaw). Mine is a 'Razorsaw' with a rubberised handle. I love it. Deadly sharp, accurate and clean in its cut. There's a guy on eBay who seems to flog off a lot of new Japanese saws at a good price, most with bamboo and rattan handles.

Bottom line: you don't have to take out a second mortgage for a dovetail saw.

Granted, you can buy a gorgeous new Wenzloff or L-N saw if you want to, and it's a perfectly legitimate way to go. All the guys who have these seem to rave about them. Don't let people accuse you of tool snobbery if you go this route.

We all have our different ways of going about this woodworking thing. There are guys on this forum who create beautiful things with character-filled old tools, and guys who create beautiful things with stunning new tools.

Just keep both eyes open, that's all.

Happy shopping!
GW

Originally Posted by joez

I just want to get something good that will hopefully last me a lifetime.

joez71

Joez:
You may or may not be interested in the Lie Nielsen handsaw I just listed for sale in the "buy and sell" section.

Warm regards,

If you want The Best dovetail saw of Western style, then go to Mike Wenzloff. No question. Just be aware you will wait about 3 months. But I am certain that this will be worth it.

I have a few saws, including a LN and the saw that LN is based on, an IT. Mike sharpened the IT for me and I put the two side-by-side here.

Having said this, there is no reason that you need to spend big bucks. There are other saws that are cheaper and easier to access - much of it is in the (re-)sharpening and (re-)set. I have one that I did myself that is terrific if I say so myself. But with Mike you will get exactly what you want.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Joez,

While I'm sure the carcass saw LuckyDuck has for sale would be a lovely little saw, it is not really what you want for dovetailing. LuckyDuck's saw has the teeth filed for cross cutting but for dovetailing you really want a rip saw. You could of course re-file the teeth if you felt up to it.

Originally Posted by derekcohen

If you want The Best dovetail saw of Western style, then go to Mike Wenzloff. No question. Just be aware you will wait about 3 months. But I am certain that this will be worth it.

Still about 2 months left to go.

Japanese saws are nice, and give a much finer kerf then western saws, however they are not made for hardwoods let Australian hardwoods. The Japanese saws are to prone to broken teeth and my enthusiasm has been severely dampened by this fact.

I second Wenzloff and Sons, and they are even a smidgen cheaper then the Lie-Nielsen and Adria saws. Plus they have some amazing designed saws.

See Wenzloff & Sons Saw Makers by Christopher Schwarz review.

Old saws are also good to practice with but you must be careful when purchasing. Make sure they are straight.

Haven't read the rest of the post but... I can see there are many. I comes down to what you prefer. I like the concept of a pull saw (jap) as opposed to a western (push) style of saw. What it boils down to is.... it doesn't matter. Both methods are equal, i.e. equally good results are capable with either method of pull or push. So.... what do you want... If you apply yourself and learn how to use the saw your results will be satisfactory. How's that for a non-confrontational answer that really does nothing to contribute to what you really wanted to hear.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback, I shot an email through to Mike Wenzloff and I am on the waiting list (approximatley 19 weeks ) for one of his dovetail saws.

Well I suppose it gives me time to practice

joez

Originally Posted by joez

Well I suppose it gives me time to practice

joez

With what?

With what?

The most suitable handsaw I have at the moment is a tenon saw, I suppose it'll have to do for now.

joez<!-- / message -->

Originally Posted by joez

The most suitable handsaw I have at the moment is a tenon saw, I suppose it'll have to do for now.

joez<!-- / message -->

Well yes, you can cut a d/t with a tenon saw (I think I have a pic of Wood Borer doing just that somewhere ) but it would probably be better to spend your time practising your tenons with it.

Enjoy your new saw.