Originally Posted by
IanW
On the subject of saw size/length, we've discussed this before. In my view, the size saw you prefer a very personal thing, & judging by the sheer range of saws available in years past, has always been so. I tend to like to use the smallest saw that will fit the job, but other folks like to feel they have a real saw in their fist when tackling any size job, it seems. At the workshop I had last weekend, two people wanted to make 4" x16" tenon saws. I warned them I was unsure about using 25 thou plate for such a large saw, and even more unsure if a 3/4 x 1/4 spine would be stiff enough. However, I was wrong (again!) - they turned out fine. The spine holds the blade firm & straight despite the depth, and you probably wouldn't want the spine any heavier, or the saw would be just too unbalanced for comfort.
Apologies for the long-winded answer, but I thought you wouldn't mind a bit of explanation..... :U
Cheers,