Is this a decent brand of Dozuki Saw?

[Frederick Skelly]

Ok, so now that I solved my small tenon cutting problem, I got interested in trying Japanese saws. I am going to place an order tomorrow with one of a several possible sources. They aĺl carry Gyokucho Razorsaw Dozuki (#370 crosscut and #306 rip). Woodcraft has them too, but they are much more costly there for some reason.

They look to be a mid-priced brand, which is what I want. Does anyone have experience with this brand - positive or negative?

Thank you!
Fred

[Allan Speers]

They are "good enough." Impulse-hardened, so they stay sharp a really long time. I have a few & use them mostly for plywood, at which they excel.

For hardwoods, I have a number of very expensive, handmade nokogiri, all sharpened by an experienced matate. (Mark Grable.) There is definitely a difference with the good ones, they are quieter and give less vibration to the hand. If you can afford a handmade one, you will not be sorry. However, the difference is not that huge. Small enough that I doubt I'll ever pay over $300 for a saw again, unless I hit the lottery.

If you're only looking at the cheap, implulse-hardened types, then Gyko is as good as any other. These days they seem to all be pretty consistent.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Allan. I think for this initial foray, I'll go with the Razorsaws then. I appreciate it!
Fred

[Alfred Kraemer]

Gyokucho is a good brand. David Barron uses them in his youtube demonstrations regularly. As with any saw used for dovetails, do some test cuts to get a feel for the saw first. There are some differences in the way saws work especially for very precise operations. The start angle , etc.


Alfred

[Tony Wilkins]

Those are the ryoba I have and they have served me well. Stu at toolsfromjapan.com has a big assortment and would trust anything he carries. I'd read Wilbur Pan's advise on his blog before I bought to get the size and saw that serves you best.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Alfred!
Thanks Tony - I'll go look at that blog.
Fred