Where to start with Hand saws?

[Shawn Stennett]

I would like to start picking up a few hand saws and don't know where to start. I have a Japanese dovetail saw, the LV Fine Dovetail saw and crosscut saw ( thanks for the suggestions with them, they are great but I doubt they will be my last), and two Disston back saws from a member here. What should be the next saws in line? I look at ebay all the time but don't know which to start with.

[David Weaver]

What do you want to do with your next saw? Is it going to be for more coarse work? Ripping, crosscutting? How large of stock are you going to cut?

[Bill Houghton]

What do you want to do with them? What size is your work? How tall are you and how long are your arms (no, not a silly question).

Last thing first: if you're average guy height or taller, a 26" saw should work fine, and will probably be easiest to find. Shorter, look for 24" or 22".

If you're looking for handsaws to cut your wood to size from the board and work in 4/4 to 8/4 (nominal one inch to two inch) wood, an 8 tpi (tooth per inch) crosscut and a 5-1/2 tpi rip saw would be good. This assumes that you're doing rough cutting with the saws. If you want to use them for the final trim (final in the sense that you're getting it ready for a shooting board or final planing), a 10 or even 12 tpi crosscut would be better. A shorter saw may make more sense here, too. Final width is most often done with a plane, so the coarse rip should still be OK.

The first important thing in a saw, besides that it's sharp, is that it not be kinked. Unless you know the eBay seller well enough to trust him/her, or have good word from people you trust that s/he is reliable on saws, I'd be reluctant to buy a saw that way. There are some folks who sell saws who have great reputations; it might be worth spending a little more for that reassurance (I can't offer names because I get my saws from garage sales).

For Disston saws, the Disstonian Institute (http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/) is a good source of information. I have learned that, like planes, a quick field test is to look at the handle: the older, prettier handles seem to correlate to good saws, assuming the saw's not kinked. Some time spent drooling on your keyboard as you look at the handles and saws on that site will be good education.

Disston is to saws in the U.S. as Stanley is to planes: the big name. There are other reputable sawmakers like Atkins and Simonds that, in general, don't command the same prices but can be excellent saws. You'll also find saws made by one of these firms that were rebadged for hardware stores or similar places. Some of them are major collectibles, but others aren't. I have a Strelinger backsaw that appears (from the handle design) to have been made by Disston that's in great shape. I paid more for it than I've paid for some of my Disston backsaws only because what was said to be an estate sale was actually an Older Gentleman Moving Into a Rest Home sale, and he was sitting right there quoting prices; I don't haggle in a situation like that. Had it been a garage sale, I'd have made skeptical faces at the seller about this unknown name on the saw.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Depends on what you want them for. You're not going to use the same saw you use for rough ripping for cutting dovetails. You need to figure out what tasks you want to do with hand saws and then pick your saws appropriately for those tasks. Here's my recommendations based on tasks:

Part 1 (http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2010/03/the-right-saw-for-the-job.html)
Part 2 (http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2010/03/more-on-saws.html)

Here's a podcast on cutting accurately with hand saws:

Sawing Mechanics (http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2009/07/episode-4-the-mechanics-of-sawing.html)

And here's one on sharpening your saws (you should learn to do this; they don't stay sharp forever):

Saw Sharpening (http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2009/09/episode.html)

Have fun!

[Andrew Gibson]

Shawn I usually start in the middle of the blade and pull back to start the cut, then make full smooth strokes from toe to heal using as much of the blade length as possible.

OOh thats not what you ment... :P
I would say from the list you mentioned a pair of pannel saws in the 20" to 22" range would be good, then a pair of hand saws in the 26" range would be next.

[Shawn Stennett]

I am probaly looking at mainly finish type work prior to shooting board. For the most part I will be working in 4/4 and 8/4, I do have some 12/4 walnut laying around the shop too. I eventually want to do rough work but one thing at a time. I am 6 ft if that helps. I am starting to think it is faster doing it buy hand than setting up the tablesaw for one or two cuts. Also I have started trying to do some real simple inlay with the tongue from a tongue and groove plane and I would feel better cutting it free with a hand saw than on the table saw.

[john brenton]

I used to work bamboo when I was in my late teens and used Japanese saws...but had never considered them for woodworking. I picked up a Silky ryoba saw with the tapered grind a few months ago just because somebody in town was selling it dirt cheap and I am very happy with it. Even though there is a downside to the Japanese saws (sharpening), I think $30 for a perfectly sharpened, whisper set, hollow ground replacement blade for a x-cut and rip saw is a good deal.

There are larger japanese timber saws (not those gigantic monster saws) for large stock that I've been thinking about. I saw some at Highland and the price is right.


I am starting to think it is faster doing it buy hand than setting up the tablesaw for one or two cuts. Also I have started trying to do some real simple inlay with the tongue from a tongue and groove plane and I would feel better cutting it free with a hand saw than on the table saw.

[Peter Evans]

Here are two lists of saws you might need:

http://wenzloffandsons.com/faq/31-general/43-sawselection.html

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/CommentView,guid,e47bc9e8-a5b9-4ea8-9834-a6ea34d88dae.aspx#commentstart

and there must be other lists/opinions, also in books and magazines.

Like many here I suspect, I have a wide range of saws to choose from. Given the low price of old saws, there is no reason not to have custom tweaked saws for each type of task. Even if you buy new saws you eventually have to sharpen them.

Cheers
Peter

[Mark Roderick]

I just watched the (relatively) new LN video on handsawing basics. Although it is indeed very basic, I learned some things I didn't know about choosing a saw, so you might want to take a look at that.