Bow saw?

[David Torrison]

I am new to this hobby, and I have been reading several books on woodworking. One author highly recommended using a bow saw for hand sawing. He said he found a bow saw superior to a normal handsaw.

Has anyone had any experience using bow saws vs regular hand saws?

Thanks for any advice. I have found reading the threads on this site very useful. Thank to all who write and pass along their expertise to others!

[Mike Wenzloff]

Welcome, David!

Sounds like we've been reading Tage Frid...

Really it all comes down to either what one is comfortable with, or can most easily get comfortable with. I grew up with western saws and so find them easier for most sawing tasks.

I do like a frame saw for extensive ripping, though I have done without for many years since mine walked away along with a lot of other tools.

Some like eastern-tradition saws, so don't discount them, either.

Probably didn't really answer your question. My suggestion is to try them all for various tasks. I assume you can make your way to a Lee Valley store. If so, go in and give each type a try. The Pax line they carry will give some indication of what a decent western handsaw will do for yo, and they carry some decent Japanese saws. What they don't carry as far as I know is a decent--or any--bow saws. For those, hopefully another will be able to answer you and point you to either a source, or another woodworker will be close enough and have one for you to try.

Take care, Mike

[Mike Wenzloff]

David--there is a person here named Harry Strasil which probably has the most experience with bow saws. Another member, Dave Anderson, makes bow saws.

Either gentleman will be able to answer regarding bow saws better than I. Dave is the moderator in the Hand tool forum, and Harry posts frequently.

If you don't get a response here, try in that forum...Mike

[Jerry Crawford]

Bow saws are very adaptable for cutting cross grain and can use several width's of blade for curved cuts where a traditional hand saw can only cut straight on lines and you need a coping saw for curved work. This is a bow saw I made some time ago as part of a set.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/JerryCrawford/finish2c.jpg

For ripping one would use a frame saw which come in a variety of widths to accomodate the width of a plank you are ripping.

[harry strasil]

David, I will reply to your post over in the Neanderthal Haven part of the forum as that is where the post properly should be.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

They take a tad of getting used to. They have less friction resistance as they don't have the big back.