The other day while building some new steps out of 4x12 cedars beams I needed a hand saw "that I didn't have" to connect my cuts that the skill saw wouldn't reach so I used a chainsaw it worked but was kind of crude so now I'm looking for a quality brand of hand saw that can be resharpened . I know most China made saws are too hard to resharpen so does anyone know of a good brand ? I would like one for cutting lumber and one for larger things like logs or bigger beams .
I use an Irwin Universal Hand Saw in both 15" and 20" lengths. It is not re-sharpenable??, but it has never failed me.
I also like the "Japanese" pull saws for timber cuts. They work well.
Rich Miller
I am sure there are several on here that refurbish and re sharpen old saws. I personally know a member who does. I have an old Stanley he sharpened and use it all the time. The metal in the old ones just seems to be so much better.
The Irwin Universal mentioned by dukndog is a great saw for that kind of work and it's easy to carry around. Just protect the teeth (obvious, I know) when you stick it in the tool box. Even the little cheaper versions work well for framing cuts and are disposable.
I do like handsaws and have a number of good old ones that get sharpened frequently. It's hard to beat the old stuff if it's got good steel. There are quality NEW handsaws available from some of the better woodworking tool retailers like Woodcraft or Highland Woodworking, and other sources. A GOOD new traditional handsaw is expensive though.
I have a pretty cheap little Japanese saw with replaceable blade that I use for finishing circ saw cuts and it works great. Small and easy to carry around and replacement blades are about the same price as a sharpening. Cuts fast and accurate.
These days I prefer something like the Irwin or the Japanese saw for construction tasks and leave my good saws in the shop for fine work. Just my $0.02 worth.
One of the oldest and most common names is "Disston" They are all over E bay and they were made when sharpening was common. Sometimes you can get 5 or 6 of them for $20.00 or so plus shipping. Like Yukon said, there are folks who restore them and they will last you a lifetime and can be re-sharpened as much as necessary.
I learned cutting with hand saws.
My uncle who taught me to be a carpenter used hand saws to cut all our exterior trim and siding .
I still have 5 Disstons and a Freud rip saw .
The Freud is great for beam and log work .
I use a pull saw all most every day .I leave my good hand saws at home so help don't break them .
Bruno
I'll look around for some of the old brands mentioned until then I may just buy a couple of the cheap ones to get me by .
Thanks for the help
I have about 50 of them. :D :D
Yukon's Stanley cost me $2.50 from a flea market and it has been resharpened and set and works like new. It isn't an old saw and probably has no value to a collector but it is perfect for a working saw which it sounds like that's what you want.
If you want to learn about hand saws, go here:
http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/index.html
Back when carpenters and professional woodworkers alike were relying on their hand tools to make their living, Disston made the finest saws in the world. If you see an older saw from before 1945, there's an excellent chance that Disston made the spring steel that the plate was made from, even if their name is not the "maker" of the saw. Back then, they made the best quality spring steel (which is what hand saws are made from) and every other sawmaker bought their steel from Disston.
I have a lot of hand saws, and even though I have a few that are modern saws made by a modern maker, Mike Wenzloff, nothing made today is any better than the Disston's from before the war. The spring steel was better back then, which meant that it was easier to re-file, over and over and over.
Buy yourself a couple of flea market finds from Disston and learn how to file them yourself. It's really easy with a little bit of practice and a $10 saw vise (or, you can make one yourself out of wood).
I've got a couple of saws that cost me $150 or more, and my favorite joinery saw is still my 1927 Disston 14" sash saw that I paid $20 for. It has London Spring Steel, which was the best of the best, and cuts as fast and as accurate as any $400 saw made today.
If you look around the sight I linked to, there are several links to pages that will teach you how to file a saw correctly. Plenty of info on the web on the subject, too.
Edit: Here's a link to a good article on saw filing
http://www.vintagesaws.com/cgi-bin/frameset.cgi?left=sawcare&right=/library/primer/sharp.html
I get my handsaws from a tool restoration man. Most are disston and are in like new condition.
Hi Folks ,
A tool i picked up 2 years ago .
Its new old stock .
Its never been used .
Thought it might fit in good with this tread .
Bruno
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Cross-cuts are all I know anything about. Here are some that appear to be better quality.
http://www.woodcraft.com/category/HT117-01/hand-saws.aspx?pagesize=100 (http://www.woodcraft.com/category/HT117-01/hand-saws.aspx?pagesize=100)