With so many types of saws to choose from, it may be difficult for the beginner woodworker to decide where to start shopping and where to stop. To make things worse you have both western and Japanese saws to choose from.
Saws
Every toolbox should have at least two handsaws, one filled for rip cuts along the grain and another for crosscut. The rip saw, if used for ripping rough lumber, should be around 26″ long with 5 tpi.
The other essential saw should be a smaller crosscut saw like a 12″ long backsaw with around 13 tpi.
To complement your set of handsaws, and if you want to cut your dovetails by hand, you could add a dovetail saw which is a smaller backsaw with it’s teeth filled for rip cut and with a higher teeth ratio, usually around 16 tpi.
A small coping saw is also a good addition to any toolbox for those moments when you need to cut a curve on a small piece of wood and want to keep your fingers away from the bandsaw blade.
If you want to try the Japanese saws, the ryoba will be a good starter. This type of saw has teeth on both sides of the blade, one for rip cuts and the other for crosscut. You can pair the ryoba with a dozuki which is the Japanse equivalent of a backsaw. These can be found with both crosscut and ripcut profiles, the later being a great dovetail saw.
Next installment: Chisels
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4 comments
So what saws do you have?
Hi Eric,
I have a Japanese ryoba which I love and use quite a lot for general rip and crosscuts. This is the saw that sees most use in my shop.
I also have a 28″ long bowsaw with 5 tpi which I use to rip long boards. I want to make a smaller one for crosscuts but haven’t found enough time to do it.
I do most of my woodworking with these two saws and if I could have just two saws these two would be my choice. The ryoba is very versatile.
To cut dovetails I use a 7″ long Japanese dozuki. This saw has a very thin blade and leaves a very smooth surface.
Last in my set of saws is an Olson coping saw (this one enables me to turn the blade 360ยบ) which I use to cut the waste of dovetails and cut the occasional curve.
Hey Luis:
That’s a pretty good set of saws. Could you explain the bowsaw, I’m not sure I’m picturing the right saw.
Thanks…….Neil
Hi Neil,
Check out my latest post and you’ll see what I’m talking about. This thing has very large teeth and cuts extremely fast!!