Knew concepts vs Blue Spruce fret saw

[allen long]

Does anyone have experience with the Blue Spruce fret saw vs the Knew Concept fret saw?

[Kendall Scheier]

I’m also curious to hear people’s experiences with both

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

I have the knew concept fret saw and the blue spruce coping saw.

honestly the knew concept saw is a better deal. It’s lighter and more nimble. I actually think my knew concept fret saw can be tensioned stiffer than the coping saw (which to my mind is ridiculous).
the ball bearing on the blue spruce are pretty great though.

I have a bad habit of deciding that I need high end tools. This is one of the first times I’ve regretted the purchase. It’s a nice saw. But the ball bearing feature is not worth the high price tag, and the weight distribution of the knew concepts makes it feel like a much. More premium saw. At half the price.

[Frederick Skelly]

I cant give you the comparison you're asking for. But I own the KC and it's a wonderful tool. I've never regretted buying it.

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

I think it is worth mentioning that I don't think that tensioning would be an issue with the Blue Spruce Fret saw. the tension is done be tightening two screws on either side of the blade that pull it into tension. the issue is, with the pinned coping blade provided, I can back the screws all the way back and it still feels not as stiff as the knew concepts fretsaw. it isn't an issue of flex in the frame. If you got the fretsaw version you don't need to rely on pins for tension - you could always shorten the blade if that is the issue.

I will also add that the handle and feel of the handle is miles better on the Blue Spruce saw.

the only things I dislike about the Knew Concepts Fretsaw is the color is a bit much and the handle feels flimsy and cheap.

is there any specific questions you have?

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I have the KC fret (5”) and coping (aluminum frame) saws. I like the fret saw more than the coping saw - better balanced. The advantage of these saws is the ability to achieve a very high tension on the blade and the stiffness of the frame, not necessarily their maneuverability. I agree with Assaf that the handles leave a lot to be desired, but I’m not willing to spend $100 from the company that makes those nice replacement handles. I’m sure the Blue Spruce saws are top notch, but $300? No thanks. Truth be told, I’m using my 80 year old Delta 1200 scroll saw for a lot of the work I used to do by hand, including sawing out the waste on dovetails. 🤫 It’s one of my favorite tools.

[Mike Henderson]

It's not very hard to replace the handle on a KC fret saw. I did on one of mine - see here for how I did it (https://mikes-woodwork.com/KnewHandle.htm). This assumes you have a lathe to turn a new handle, of course.

Mike

[Stephen Rosenthal]

This assumes you have a lathe to turn a new handle, of course.

Mike

Ah, there’s the rub, I don’t.

[Mike Henderson]

Ah, there’s the rub, I don’t.

A lathe, and the skill to use it, can be a valuable addition to your shop. You could purchase one of those benchtop lathes. You often find them used. People start out on them and when they upgrade, the small lathe goes on the market. But even new, they're not that expensive, and you can often catch one on sale.

Mike

[William Fretwell]

My knew concepts 5” titanium fret saw does have some issues. The aluminium below the blade holder screw split and had to be replaced. The main issue is the blade comes loose at one end or other however hard you tighten it. If you don’t notice right away the blade gets bent, now it won’t be straight when installed so not as tight when tensioned. The blade gets work hardened and snaps.
Rotating the blade after releasing the tension is stiff, sometimes very stiff. Want to oil it but then the blade will come loose far more often!
It is frustrating to use, not a pleasure. The blade holder and rotator should be re-designed. When you get it set up there is good blade tension, I just wish it would stay that way.

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

I've actually been meaning to put a review out there. I'll post something separately

[Derek Cohen]

I have had a bunch of the KC saws. I used to nag Lee Marshall to sell them with better handles, but he continued with the cheapies to keep the price down. He advertised a link to an aftermarket handle. I made a number of my own handles, preferring them to be longer ...

https://i.postimg.cc/g2zTVBrk/Saw4a.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/bvt3cXz9/saws1.jpg

I even have one I designed after the Blue Spruce design ...

https://i.postimg.cc/TYCQf80t/New-handle2.jpg

Reviews ...

Original and history: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/KnewConceptsFretsaw.html

Birdcage: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/KnewConceptsBirdcageFretsaw.html

Video ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6O4rY_0zQs&ab_channel=DerekCohen



Regards from Perth

Derek