I need a tenon saw.

[Jim Koepke]

I have acquired and rehabbed a fair few old disston backsaws. I think the most I've paid was $15. Aside from making handles for my own entertainment the time spent on each has been about an hour including filing. They are excellent saws. I have never had the need to buy a new premium saw, but I cannot imagine one being 10 or 20 times better saws. For that matter I cannot imagine needing anything better than a vintage disston.

My epiphany on this hit me during a Tool Event up in Seattle. One of the vendors offered his saw for me to 'test drive.' After a few cuts it occurred to me, all things being equal the quality of the saw depended the filing. The boutique saw did not cut any smoother or more accurate than my own saws.

My only new saws were bought at hardware stores in my early years of woodworking and a saw kit from Ron Bontz. For me the extra price for a quality thin plate dovetail saw was worth it. Though if there were a lot of dovetails to be cut my Bishop #10 with a blade depth stop might get the work. My mind tends to wonder during repetitive work. A depth stop helps on such occasions.

jtk

[steven c newman]

backsaw.jpg
What I have been using....

[Jeff Heath]

My epiphany on this hit me during a Tool Event up in Seattle. One of the vendors offered his saw for me to 'test drive.' After a few cuts it occurred to me, all things being equal the quality of the saw depended the filing. The boutique saw did not cut any smoother or more accurate than my own saws.

jtk

I think this sums it all up in a nutshell. Once you learn how to properly file, there isn't much difference, functionally, between any of the saws discussed. I have owned a few saws with terrible handles. Once you make a new handle (I have extra large hands) that fits your hand, along with a proper hang, you're all set.

Still, the new saws from the fine makers today look great in the till, and I enjoy, very much, using my Wenzloff and Bad Axe saws. Shiny!

[Jim Koepke]

I think this sums it all up in a nutshell. Once you learn how to properly file, there isn't much difference, functionally, between any of the saws discussed. I have owned a few saws with terrible handles. Once you make a new handle (I have extra large hands) that fits your hand, along with a proper hang, you're all set.

Still, the new saws from the fine makers today look great in the till, and I enjoy, very much, using my Wenzloff and Bad Axe saws. Shiny!

To me, the feel in the hand is more important than who made it. Though the sight and feel of a splendid tool in hand makes me want to do work deserving of the tool.

Two of my saws are very near the same. The one with the handle of my own making is more often picked up from the till than its, almost, twin.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

My Bontz kit saw is 3"X24 " with a curly maple handle. It is gorgeous and cuts like a saw mill.

[Phil Mueller]

Hi Tom, I don’t disagree with your interest in a vintage western back saw. If your interest is to get the thing and start sawing, I would highly recommend looking for a refurbished saw that’s sharpened, set, and ready to go. The learning curve to re-sharpen a well tuned saw is a lot less steep than the learning curve for rehabbing a saw with poorly filed teeth. And keep in mind, backsaws tend to have a higher tooth count...which adds to the challenge of sharpening (particularely if you have eyes as old as mine!).

Of course you’ll pay more initially, but you’ll be sawing right away.

Alternatively, you can get a new saw (pull saw, or the Veritas saws), with a relatively small investment. While you will have those to get sawing, you can then spend time aquiring vintage western saws and learn to rehab.

[lowell holmes]

Not to be outdone, one time I filed the teeth off of an old saw and re-toothed it. I taped a paper pattern to the saw plate for tooth spacing and marked the spacing with saw file.
I then filed the teeth making making several progressive passes, filing 6 strokes each pass until the teeth were shaped. I then put the fleam on and set the teeth.