Thread: LN are tapering (or canting?)...

I watched Chris Schwarz demonstrating saw cutting on the weekend. He said the cant on backed saws was to make it easier to cut to the bottom line. Easier to lean forward after the closest side of the cut reaches the bottom to see the far side. You keep the top of the saw level with the floor. He made it look easy. Now I have to try it.

I'm not too keen on Chris's 'reverse engineering' reasoning for canting. The first thing an apprentice learned (after sweeping up and making the tea) was to cut to a line and depth mark accurately and quickly. Knowing the position of the teeth in relation to the work=piece would rapidly become second nature. I would be interested to know if any of the old texts advocate a similar method.

Jim, I'm entirely in agreement with you. We were encouraged by our school woodwork teacher to get the 'feel' of a saw so we could keep the tooth line level & cut to the line on both sides simultanrously, regardless of what saw we happened to be using. I don't believe for an instant that a canted back makes it any easier to do this - I use canted & straight backs every day, & I'm blowed if I can notice the slightest difference in ease of keeping it square. What does make a difference, for me, is having a grip angle optimised to the level at which I'm cutting, i.e., at bench top level or higher, etc. I was going to say 'bollocks' to Mr. Schwarz, but 'reverse engineering' is more polite.....
Cheers,

lightwood - I was actually wondering whether the principle of the Bridge City Toolworks jap saw could be applied to a conventional western (push) saw......then I saw your post

Nothing new in the world it seems.