Who's your favorite saw maker?

[Mike Cogswell]

Present day artisans, not antiques.

I'm a Bad Axe fanboy, but I'm sure there are other worthy saw makers out there that I'm unaware of who deserve a mention. So, bring them on - who is your favorite. (If you can narrow it down to only one.)

[Ron Bontz]

Mike Wenzloff.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Well, for me, it's Ron Bontz!

[Ron Brese]

Isaac Smith (Blackburn Tools) is doing some very impressive work. Just recently received this saw. Not only does it look fantastic it functions quite remarkably as well.

Ron


http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t320/ronbrese/Isaac1_zps71a5a8b4.jpg

[Chris Griggs]

If we aren't talking people who are marketing their saws George Wilson. His work and posts about his and others saws inspired me to make a couple of my own showed me how to make them look good.

If we are talking about people selling saws. Mike Wenzloff... He's got a nice variety of old designs and his prices remain very competitive. I also like that he has been selling parts for so cheap for so long. When he gets caught back up after what I gather was a rough year or so, I will be the first in line to order his folded saw backs.

- I quite like the Gramercy designs as well, in looks and on paper anyway, I haven't actually used them though.

- The LNs remain a lot of bang for buck in terms of traditional saw designs and I must admit I'm pretty stoked that they are now offering canted plates.

[Larry Fox]

Mike Wenzloff.

+1 for Mike

[Sean Hughto]

My favorites to use day in and out are the Gramercy offerings.

[Jim Matthews]

Our very own Ron Bontz gets my vote.

(My money, too.)

[Zach Dillinger]

I haven't owned many modern saws, but I really like my Wenzloff half-back. I also really like my Gramercy dovetail saw and my LN thin plate. I probably should try some other makers.

[Jeff Heath]

Mike Wenzloff makes a terrific saw. I own 3 of them, and they are all excellent.

I have often wanted to purchase a saw from Bad Axe, but everytime I look into it, the wait is very long, and the price keeps going up and up and up......

Good for him, but not so good for woodworker who already owns 10 saws, and has put 3 kids through college recently.....

Wah, wah wah wah wah........

I also am impressed by the work of Ron Bontz. One of these days......

[Jim Matthews]

Wah, wah wah wah wah........

I know - I have a similar problem. Every year, my view of the ocean is blocked by my yacht.

[Mike Allen1010]

I know - I have a similar problem. Every year, my view of the ocean is blocked by my yacht.

Hysterical!

We are lucky to have so many outstanding saw makers working today. I fully agree with all of those already mentioned above. I have to say this list wouldn't be complete without including Two Lawyers Saw works - the saws Klaus and Pedder are making make my jaw drop -- truly functional art!


All the best, Mike



the saws Clouston patter are making and two lawyers saw works

[Chris Vandiver]

My favorites to use day in and out are the Gramercy offerings.


+1. The Gramercy saws are very good.

[fred west1]

I know - I have a similar problem. Every year, my view of the ocean is blocked by my yacht.

Hey Guys,

I have to say that I think Mark is being treated a little unkindly. His wait is approx. 7-9 weeks right now but that is also for every saw that he carries in his inventory. Klaus and Pedder make fantastic saws but due to a horrible situations Klaus is SO allergic to wood that as of this moment they can ONLY produce their gents saw. Mike also makes incredible saws but due to his health issues he is still trying to clear a TWO YEAR backlog. I am immensely impressed with Isaac's saws and if Ron Brese compares them to Andrew Lunn's saws, they may be the best out there but I have three of his saws on order and Isaac told me that it will be a three month wait. I apologize as I am not at all familiar with Ron Bontz's saws nor with the time it takes him to make them, they sound great and I obviously need to order at least one. I also have several LN, Gramercy, LV, Adria and LV and they are all wonderful saws. In addition I have some wonderful older panel saws from Daryl Weir and Eric.

What I am saying is that yes, you can usually order a production saw from LN, Gramercy, LV and Adria and have them delivered very quickly but they are mass produced and there is a difference. Right now, if you want a hand built saw with commensurate sharpening and a very large choice of sizes and the ability to choose from several styles of hardbacks, types of nuts, types of wood for the handles it appears to me that no one is actually FASTER than Bad Axe. I just looked at Ron's site and he too has beautiful saws and choices. However his lead time appears to be the same if not longer than Mark's with very similar prices dependent upon how basic or customized you want your saw. I am very excited about ordering from Ron but please be fair.

The vast majority of you do not know me and you will read the above as me being a collector and not a user. You would be wrong. I build furniture and I use every tool I own. I just do no use them all on a daily basis. :) Back at the 2009 WIA in Valley Forge it appeared to me that we were in another golden age of hand tool makers. I made a vow back then that I would do what I could to support these makers. It seemed to me that I could do this in three different ways. I could write about them which is my weakest area. I could speak to other woodworkers about them and finally I could purchase and use them. Frankly, I have far too many tools and at times it really bothers me but I believe in these guys and whether they are saw makers, plane makers, chisel makers, marking knives, marking gauges, etc., I do what I can. The only thing that makes me despair are nights like tonight when I find that I am missing great tool makers like Ron Bontz and Jeff Heath.

Thank you for reading this and please go back and give Mark his due. Please understand that I would write this exact same thing if I thought Isaac, Ron Brese, Raney, Dave Jeske, etc. were also being taking to task unfairly. Fred West

[David Weaver]

I can't fault mark, either. When you make a few saws and start counting your hours, if you don't start making broad compromises, you find that it takes a lot of time to just to make the saws (let alone all of the other stuff).

That's one of the reasons I admire Mike the most, he always has had an eye toward trying to reduce the price of his saws so that more people could use them, but without making them cheap.

I don't buy new saws or planes from folks, but I do buy parts. I've bought a lot of parts from mike and a few from ron brese and they've all made excellent tools.

[Mike Cogswell]

Although I'm not noted for being patient, I found the wait from Mark reasonable for a couple of custom saws with a number of non-standard options. When I ordered them he was advising an 8 - 10 week wait. I actually was cutting wood in 6 1/2 weeks from the evening I pushed the PayPay button. I think Mark, being a savvy guy, tends to under promise and over deliver.

[Mike Cogswell]

A big thank you to everyone who has replied. You have introduced me to some interesting saw makers I might not otherwise have ever known about.

I'm planning on ordering a new dovetail saw soon and now have some really good choices. At the moment I'm leaning towards Blackburn, who wasn't on my previous shortlist.

Thanks again.

[Steve Meliza]

It depends on your definition of "artisan" and what saw you are looking for. If it can include saws not for sale I'd vote for Bob Rozaieski because he freely shares information on his sources and techniques such that any of us can make our own dovetail saw from a scrap of wood and a couple items from the home improvement store. If artisan means a quality tool maker with long wait lists and a wide variety of tools to choose from I'd say Wenzloff. If artisan can include a quality tool maker with a wide variety of quality saws that any one of us can order and have on our hands with minimal wait then Lie-Nielsen is head and shoulders above the rest. Case in point, I want a high quality 20" panel saw and would like to have it in hand in under a few months so none of the previously mentioned saw makers can help me, only Lie-Nielsen can.

[bob blakeborough]

I will speak up for Mark and happily call myself one of his fan boys as well! I have had the good fortune to try a few other premium saws from other makers, and while there is no denying that they are all great tools, Marks saws just speak to me differently. Every time I pick one up and go to work it puts a smile on my face and I am happy. I now have 4 of his saws and will probably add another couple as time goes on. I can't wait for the day he starts to build panel saws! My wife disagrees though, I am sure... lol

[Jeff Heath]

Fred

Just to be clear, I wasn't taking Mark at Bad Axe to task at all. I have never heard anything but great things from him. Most of my saws are Disston's that I have reconditioned and re-filed myself. When I was in the market and had the cash set aside to purchase a couple of new saws about 18 months ago, I was making my choice between Mike Wenzloff and Bad Axe Saws. I called Mark, and he told me 3 months. Lee Valley had the 3 saws I wanted, made by Mike, in stock, and I had them in 4 days.

If Mark had saws available at the time, I would have split the order between them, for sure.

I also agree with you that we are in a golden age of hand tools, and I hope that everybody else feels the same way you do, that we need to support the small toolmakers. I feel strongly about this, as I am one of them, making wooden hand planes for sale because a lot of woodworkers didn't want to wait 2 years to get planes from Clark and Williams (now Old Street Tool). Now, Larry isn't even taking orders anymore, so hopefully I'm filling a niche need. That's the plan, anyway.

Cheers,

[Mike Cogswell]

It depends on your definition of "artisan" and what saw you are looking for. If it can include saws not for sale I'd vote for Bob Rozaieski because he freely shares information on his sources and techniques such that any of us can make our own dovetail saw from a scrap of wood and a couple items from the home improvement store. If artisan means a quality tool maker with long wait lists and a wide variety of tools to choose from I'd say Wenzloff. If artisan can include a quality tool maker with a wide variety of quality saws that any one of us can order and have on our hands with minimal wait then Lie-Nielsen is head and shoulders above the rest. Case in point, I want a high quality 20" panel saw and would like to have it in hand in under a few months so none of the previously mentioned saw makers can help me, only Lie-Nielsen can.

I was looking for people who make saws for sale and offer a good selection. I suppose Lie Neilsen qualifies, since they certainly make high quality saws. In fact, I have two of them and consider them an excellent saw at a decent price. But, I find them less pleasing to use than my Bad Axe saws. Like Bob Blakeborough, I just find Mark's saws a joy to use. I expect from other comments that many of the people here feel the same way about the saws they purchased from Mark's competitors that I'm learning about in this thread. Mark also allows a very high degree of customization, both functional and cosmetic. With my 14" sash saw I had to select the type of filing, pitch, plate thickness, back material & finish, handle wood, handle size and fastener style & finish from drop-down menus when I placed the order. With all the different options, Mark could make 21,600 sash saws without a duplicate. As if that isn't enough, he'll customer file it to other pitches that aren't on the menu or make the handle out of any wood you desire (and supply). Lie-Neilsen offers two choices in a 14" back saw, rip or cross-cut.

For your 20" panel saw, Lie-Neisen seems to be your only choice for a quality new saw. Mike's website for Disston style panel saws hasn't been functional for a long time, and his illness has unfortunately made him unavailable for a while. You can find plenty of nice original cross-cut Disstons in 20", I have a couple myself, but a 20" rip is very scarce. So much so that I've been contemplating buying a Lie-Neilsen.

[Mike Cogswell]

I will speak up for Mark and happily call myself one of his fan boys as well!
. . . [snip] . . .
I can't wait for the day he starts to build panel saws! My wife disagrees though, I am sure... lol

Put me on that waiting list too!

[fred west1]

Hey Mike,

I just picked up several Disston, an E.C. Atkins and a couple of Wheeler, Madden & Clemson panel saws from 18" to 28". Some I got from Eric Gude and some from Daryl Weir but all you have to do is ask one of these guys to change the configuration over to rip if that is what you want. By the way, Mark will also do the same. Nothing wrong with LN panel saws but you are by no means trapped in your search for 20" panels.

Take care,

Fred

PS Speaking of great backsaws. Have any of you tried Mark's Beastmaster? It was made specifically to cut out the five inch deep tenons on the French Roubo bench. :o) It works incredibly well. :o)

[Mike Holbrook]

I like restored from classic Atkins, Disston #9 & #12 saws. My favorite recently made saws would be the two backsaws I have from Tools for Working Wood. The Gramercy Sash Saw is just a whole other sawing experience. I like my Wenzloff half backsaw, made from a kit, too.

[Ed Looney]

Henry Disston

Someone copying your product is the highest from of flattery.


Ed Looney

[David Wadstrup]

I also am lucky enough to have a few each of Bad Axe, Wenzloff, and Blackburn. All excellent saws, all beautifully made -- I love each one. I have to say, though, that the 2 that Isaac from Blackburn made for me this past December are without question my all-time favorites. I can't imagine better saws.

[Rick Fisher]

Juntaro Mitsukawa


I have a Wenzloff, Lie Nielsen, Guykucho and Juntaro Mitsukawa.

All are good saws .. I reach for the Mitsukawa ..

[Mike Holbrook]

If we want to consider bowsaws too, Glenn at Woodjoy makes some fine tools. I am about to order a 400 mm jigging saw. I want something a little larger than the Gramercy 12" bowsaw. I think the Turbo japanese blades overcome the problem of finding a good blade for a bowsaw. I believe Tools for Working Wood/Gramercy overcame this issue by having blades made specifically for their small saw.