Blue Spruce Coping Saw

[Alan Schwabacher]

I think Patrick Chase's argument about the engineering complexity is key: this is an expensive saw. That said, my impression from trying the saw in Amana is that this high priced tool actually offers significant unique function for the price. This is the only coping saw I've ever seen where you can accurately follow a curve with the tensioned blade and the spine swivels freely and completely independently of the direction of the cut. You could cut into a long edge, and then cut a tight spiral of many turns without any readjustment of the saw or pause in cutting. It feels very different from other coping saws.

Whether that is something you want to pay for is a separate question.

Incidentally, I don't think the light weight is needed in this saw because the weight is only relevant in twisting the spine rapidly back and forth as you cut complex curves. With this saw, the spine does not need to flop back and forth as you cut a complex curve. I don't see the weight making much difference to the sawing stroke itself, but I could be wrong.

[Patrick Chase]

I think Patrick Chase's argument about the engineering complexity is key: this is an expensive saw. That said, my impression from trying the saw in Amana is that this high priced tool actually offers significant unique function for the price. This is the only coping saw I've ever seen where you can accurately follow a curve with the tensioned blade and the spine swivels freely and completely independently of the direction of the cut. You could cut into a long edge, and then cut a tight spiral of many turns without any readjustment of the saw or pause in cutting. It feels very different from other coping saws.

I plan to try one at some point, and I honestly hope that my previous comments will be shown to have been off-base. I think Dave has done a lot for the current woodworking renaissance and wish him success.

[Jim Koepke]

What is it about these coping saws that make them worth 300+ times more than I paid for mine at a yard sale?

My inexpensive coping saws had a problem with a wobbly back and they stripped out at the handle tightening mechanism for the blade tension.

A fret saw is a different piece of kit than a coping saw even if they are close cousins. My old fret saws were useful, but they are nothing like the Knew Concepts fret saw.

I suppose that if you have an insurmountable objection to red tools then that would make it much more attractive.

If one doesn't like it red, buy a can of spray paint.

That's frankly a "don't care" for me.

Same here.

jtk

[Ted Phillips]

I have been looking at Dave's saw as it evolved over the past year or so - and while I like the design, I was a bit taken aback by the price tag. Dave's a stand-up guy and I'm sure he's charging a fair price for the saw he's building. But I'm not sure I need it at that price point. I already have a good Knew fret saw for dovetail wasting.

Instead of a coping saw, I'm thinking about buying the Gramercy Bow Saw from Joel at Tools for Working Wood. It is just a little beefier than a coping saw and would probably work for most things I would do that are larger than a fret saw could handle. The blades are 12" long and 1/8" wide and pinned like coping saw blades. I guess this saw could also be described as a classic "Turning Saw".

What do you guys think?
TedP


https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/...em/GT-BOWSAW12

[Tony Wilkins]

I have been looking at Dave's saw as it evolved over the past year or so - and while I like the design, I was a bit taken aback by the price tag. Dave's a stand-up guy and I'm sure he's charging a fair price for the saw he's building. But I'm not sure I need it at that price point. I already have a good Knew fret saw for dovetail wasting.

Instead of a coping saw, I'm thinking about buying the Gramercy Bow Saw from Joel at Tools for Working Wood. It is just a little beefier than a coping saw and would probably work for most things I would do that are larger than a fret saw could handle. The blades are 12" long and 1/8" wide and pinned like coping saw blades. I guess this saw could also be described as a classic "Turning Saw".

What do you guys think?
TedP


https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/...em/GT-BOWSAW12

The TFWW bow saw is a very nice piece of kit and would definitely work for what you’ve described.

[lowell holmes]

Stephan,
Have you considered making a fat handle for your coping saw? Try wrapping saw handle with rag and then masking tape.

[Derek Cohen]

Ted, for consideration, KC now have a coping saw with 360 degree turning.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[mike holden]

This is precisely what has kept me from ordering one, an unbelievably poor choice of color for such a fine tool.

The red is what *I* find attractive about the tool. Tastes vary.
Mike

[Simon MacGowen]

This is precisely what has kept me from ordering one, an unbelievably poor choice of color for such a fine tool.

Andy, Finally the truth came out: You dislike SawStop because of its COLOR!

Just a joke, of course.

Simon

[steven c newman]

Keep saying it isn't the size of the handle..it is the shape....and the angle my wrist has to be bent at, to use even a coping saw. Maybe something more in the line of a frame/ bow saw' handles would be better.

[Simon MacGowen]

Because the ones found at yard sales are not boutique tools. A boutique tool may be 1 time or 2 times better in functionality or performance, and the rest of price differential is due to perceived prestige. I know a couple of guys who own a vesper square, but such ownership has no relationship to the quality of their work.

Simon

[Patrick Chase]

Because the ones found at yard sales are not boutique tools. A boutique tool may be 1 time or 2 times better in functionality or performance, and the rest of price differential is due to perceived prestige. I know a couple of guys who own a vesper square, but such ownership has no relationship to the quality of their work.

I don't think that's quite fair to the "boutique" makers. I broke down the economics of the Blue Spruce saw earlier in this thread, but suffice it to say that what you're paying for is amortized up-front tooling costs, not prestige.

The Vesper square is another good example. I have one, and it's exceptionally well-finished and square to less than 0.0005" over 6". I don't have any other sliding squares, combo or double, that can match it in either respect, and I have a fair number of expensive measurement tools. It's total overkill for woodworking, but at the same time you're clearly not paying for "prestige" but rather for flawless execution and extremely high accuracy/precision.

[Simon MacGowen]

I don't think that's quite fair to the "boutique" makers. I broke down the economics of the Blue Spruce saw earlier in this thread, but suffice it to say that what you're paying for is amortized up-front tooling costs, not prestige.

The Vesper square is another good example. I have one, and it's exceptionally well-finished and square to less than 0.0005" over 6". I don't have any other sliding squares, combo or double, that can match it in either respect, and I have a fair number of expensive measurement tools. It's total overkill for woodworking, but at the same time you're clearly not paying for "prestige" but rather for flawless execution and extremely high accuracy/precision.

Patrick,

You are looking at the price of a tool from a seller's point of view. My comments are made in response to a question made from a consumer's point of view.

Please demonstrate if the prestige factor is not a big factor in people's buying fancy boutique tools (which isn't a derogatory term), how any fret saw or coping saw can be 100 times or 300 times better than a decent yard sale find?

Or, how the use of a square with a tolerance of 0.00001" could result in work or result that is 250 times better than using a square that is good to 0.003"?

If I could choose only one between these two in a challenge: supreme tool or supreme skills; I would pick up the latter...and win over someone who picked up the best or most pricey tool in the world.

By the way, "flawless execution and extremely high accuracy/precision" matters to you; but most other owners of a Vesper tool talk about its beauty and finish.

Simon

[Warren Mickley]

I have used the Eclipse coping saw for over thirty years in production work. I use it both on the push stroke and the pull stroke. It costs about $18, maybe three times what a cheap coping saw costs, but most of the cheap ones are near useless.

I met Chris Vesper one time. As I looked over one of his bevel squares, he told me that the Stanley No. 18 bevel squares did not work. I said "I have used that type since 1978." He said "They don't work. They don't hold their setting." The guy took me for a fool. I don't want to say what I thought of him.

[Simon MacGowen]

Speaking of coping saws, the Knew Concepts fret saw is great for dovetail work, giving good control.

But the KC fret saw is NOT a replacement of a good coping saw (with the right blade). The KC is no match for the aggressiveness of a coping saw when gang cutting or sawing 3/4" or 1" thick hardwood dovetails. The difference is like a pruning saw and a chainsaw when you have a tree to fell.

Simon