Originally Posted by
Derek Cohen
Thomas, ideally you want to try the saws out to decide if they are comfortable in the hand and cut the way you like.
The teeth of the Veritas are distinctive for having a 14 degree rake. This makes the saw cut less aggressively, but smoothly. Most other dovetail saws are filed more aggressively, with rake around the 5-6 degree range, and I recall my LN came with zero degree rake. This makes the LN very fast cutting but more tricky to start. The Veritas is a terrific saw to begin with, and may be better suited to thinner boards. I prefer using the LN. partly because it is better for very hard woods, and I have had enough years to learn to use a light touch when starting a cut. I like the LN. Compared with saws below, it has a thicker handle, and will suit a larger hand.
These comments are simply to illustrate that there will be differences among saws out if the box. In reality, if you sharpen you own saws, after a couple of years, what you are left with is a handle and saw plate. The teeth may or may not be the same rake, but what remains is the way the saw feels in the hand. Having said this, one should not be afraid to modify a handle - for example, on many I have found the bump on the grip to be too high, and take it down.
Some if the very best handles were made by Wenzloff. One of my go-to saws is an IT, which is the fore runner if LN. It has a slimmer handle compared with the LN. It requires a lighter touch. Today these original maker if these saws has started making saws again - Pete Taran. Consider him the father of the modern dovetail saw. The other saw I would look at is the Gramercy. Another go-to for me. It is a more advanced design with a higher aspect angle and also a thin handle that demands a light touch. These are saws for more advanced dovetailers.
Regards from Perth
Derek