How long does your Dozuki blade last?

[Shawn Pixley]

I love japanese saws. However, I sometimes work with very hard wood. Yesterday when I went to make a cut on small, thin stock, I noticed about 10 teeth were broken. This happen a couple of years ago too. It's not a big deal, but out of curiousity, how long do yours' last?

[Jack Curtis]

Replaceable blades? Hardened and brittle? Put too much pressure (defined as any at all) on the teeth when sawing? If yes, I'd guess one use to muck up the blade.

If not, if you have hand made blades and are willing to let the saw do the work, forever (not really, but long enough not to remember when you last sharpened it).

[David Weaver]

I use one only to cut dovetails and only sometimes dovetails. but it hasn't dulled yet. I've cut everything from pine to ebony with it. The impulse hardened tooth saws really shouldn't break off. The better saws might be a little more brittle but they still shouldn't break off with dozuki type work.

[Danny Thompson]

I love japanese saws. However, I sometimes work with very hard wood. Yesterday when I went to make a cut on small, thin stock, I noticed about 10 teeth were broken. This happen a couple of years ago too. It's not a big deal, but out of curiousity, how long do yours' last?

My Dozuki Z-saw began losing teeth on about the 10th cut and reached 10 lost teeth in about 40 cuts. It feels unusable at this point It particularly seems to hate Walnut. That kind of performance is a real disappointment.

Looking forward to hear any Dozuki recommendations (or whatever else everyone uses for quick crosscuts of dowel and other small pieces) that come from this thread.

[Chris Vandiver]

Ring porous woods can be pretty rough on Japanese crosscut teeth. Care must be taken.

[Brian Ashton]

Ya I notice the teeth in japanese saws are prone to snapping off easily in really hard wood when the cut is real short. I've found the HSS plywood saw from LeeValley is a bit more durable.

Usually they last quite long even when dull because they're so thin. I have a few in various states of missing teeth and or dull that I use when I think I'll be running into difficulty and or cutting dodgy wood, and keep the newest ones for when a real clean cut is necessary.

Last shop I worked in I introduced the owner to Japanese saws... He brought a good one back one day all happy about his purchase... Gave it to another guy in the shop who wanted to try it. We worked mostly with recycled fir back then and the first cut he hit a nail and took off half the teeth The look on the bosses face was priceless LOL.

[glenn bradley]

I have used one for years (although not much over the years) and do have a few teeth right back near the handle that have snapped. Dozuki Z and I picked up the spare b;lade when I bought the saw. If the second one lasts as long as the first, the saw was a bargain.

[Mike Henderson]

Mine has lasted forever. The first one I had, I tried to cut something on my lathe (with the lathe running) and I broke teeth. After I bought a new blade, I've used it and used it (mostly for dovetails) and no broken teeth.

The great thing about Japanese saws is that you don't have to sharpen them - you just buy a new blade. There's so many things to learn in woodworking that I really don't want to take the time to learn how to sharpen a saw, nor the time to actually sharpen the saw. Being able to just buy a new saw blade is one of the most important advantages of a Japanese saw.

Mike

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

The great thing about Japanese saws is that you don't have to sharpen them - you just buy a new blade. There's so many things to learn in woodworking that I really don't want to take the time to learn how to sharpen a saw, nor the time to actually sharpen the saw. Being able to just buy a new saw blade is one of the most important advantages of a Japanese saw.

Mike

Of course, the great thing about old western saws is that I don't have to run out and buy a new blade, I can just spend a few minutes with a file and get back to work!

I'm half joking, of course - I can easily see the appeal of this equation from both sides, and use both replaceable blade Japanese style saws and "traditional" style western saws with some regularity.

[Tyler A Anderson]

Ive had mine about a year and a half,and haven't broken any teeth yet and I have cut a lot of different hard woods. Who knows, the teeth may all break off tomorrow.

[ian maybury]

It seems like Japanese saws vary quite a bit in terms of aggressiveness of cut and suitability for hardwood. The more traditional ones are reputedly normally aimed more at softwoods, cut pretty aggressively (those I have anyway) and need delicate handling.

The link below is Dieter Schmid Tools in Germany (great service, good prices) - they do lots of Japanese saws and some (about half way down the page) for hardwoods:

http://www.fine-tools.com/japsaege.html

This is a long recommended saw in the UK for cutting hardwoods - I've had one for years and it holds up well. The cut is not aggressive:

http://www.thanettoolsupplies.co.uk/product/8085/sunchild-dozuki-nokogiri

This has just come on the UK market, and is claimed to be another optimised for hardwoods:

http://tiny.cc/19betw

ian

[Wilbur Pan]

Ive had mine about a year and a half,and haven't broken any teeth yet and I have cut a lot of different hard woods.

This is exactly my experience, except it's three years. ;)

The woods I've cut with my dozukis include most North American hardwoods, including maple, mahogany, cherry, walnut, red oak and white oak.

I have broken a tooth on a ryoba, but that was due to an encounter with a cast iron table, due to my not being careful as to where I was placing my saw.

[Stanley Covington]

Technique is everything. That said, the teeth are more delicate than a western saw. If one tooth breaks off and sticks in the cut, following teeth are either broken or dulled when they hit the quickly increasing pileup. You might want to develop your skills in hard woods a bit more using a western saw and go back to a dozuki in hard woods later.

[Terry Beadle]

Ditto for me as Wilbur Pan stated.

Still sharp and still strong.

A lite touch lets the saw dictate the speed of cut.

The current saw has a replacement blade from Highland Hardware. The original blade lasted almost 5 years ( I think ! ).