What To Look For When Buying A Hand Saw

When Buying hand saws it can be hard at first to know what to look for. but with a few quick tips, the items that separate a great saw from a cheap junky saw will be obvious.

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[daqt]

I have been a full time carpenter since 1966. we had electric saws then but they weren’t all that common until about the late 70‘s. At least that was how it was on all of the crews I worked. I personally didn’t fully motorize until 1983. Even now I’ll grab one of my old pre WW 2 handsaws over an electric without a thought. Almost all of the cutting on every one of the houses we built in those days was done with hand saws and I agree with everything this video has to say. The old saws just work way better. I had noticed that the new modern handsaws don’t cut worth a darn and are just difficult in every way. I had no idea why. Now I know. Thanks for this video and the info!

[keatondraper]

This guy does know what he’s taking about. I appreciate him not spewing garbage.

Great video

[TheJoetuffguy]

Absolutely fascinating, you’ve given me a brand new appreciation for the hand saw. At 63 yrs old that’s saying a lot.

[j.d.]

Bro I'm a retired phone guy. I just started playing with my dad's old carpenter tools. You are a motivation for many of us as we tinker with this craft. Thanks man

[dustyoldhat]

Good information. I am looking for a crosscut and rip saw now. I have narrowed it down to 24-26". I don't mind having to restore and sharpen them. I have seen some, but they wanted $50-$65 for them. I passed. Thanks again for all the skills you teach, tips and tricks you pass on and the information you share to help us become more knowledgeable of the trade and tools.

[chriswhalen]

Thanks, I have about 20 handsaws that we’re either my fathers or I’ve picked up at estate sales. This really helps me decide which ones to restore and use, and which ones to put in storage.

[joelhall]

One of the better videos on buying old saws.

[hollysmith]

Good advise and easy for a beginner 2 understand because a lot of people try 2 give 2 much information at once and confuses or scares people

[MikeBramm]

Great information, thanks. A bonus is to have a right angle between the back and the toe. A lot of times, I just put a small "V" on the board at the cut location. I'll line the back of the saw along the board with the toe at the center of the "V", then draw a line down the toe across the board. If the board is wide, I'll then place the back of the saw along the line I just drew and extend the line all the way across the board. I then have a nice square line to follow. It's not a necessity, but if you don't have your square around, it's a nice feature to have in the saw.

[darioboscato]

Could have listened to you for hours....nice video

[terihomer]

I am a new subscriber but not new to wood working. I love the videos on hand saws and sharpening. Even "experienced" individuals can learn something new and sometimes our younger teachers can get a thought across better than those who are "more experienced" BTW experienced does not relate to skills. LOL. Thanks for the videos.

[bpower]

This was a great video. Answered a few questions I didn't know I had. I just purchased a saw on those exact principles. Nice handle, no kinks, felt good in the hand. That was all I needed to know to buy it. Now to clean it up and sharpening. :)

[rick]

I'm on the tired side and taking a nice little break while I watch you James...cheers...rr

[Stefano]

Lot of good info in this video, thanks!

[paul-rk]

Makes me want to go check out the antique stores…

[austinvickymoore]

Great guide! Plan to pick a few more up for myself im restoring my pa in laws saws to use since he hasn't been able to use them for so long

[brandonbeaumia]

Great info, James. Don't cast off all the oversharpened saws, though: cutting the shallowest 6" off the front and retoothing to a higher PPI gets you a 20" panel saw.

[InfiniteCraftsman]

Love great advice that goes against the grain. Great tip about steel hardness and medallion matters.

[wb_finewoodworking]

Very interesting James. I’m mostly a power tool woodworker but am somewhat interested in using more hand tools. If I ever start shopping for saws I now know what to look for. Thanks.

[markharris]

My main hobby is photography where we talk about G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). If I keep watching your channel I’m going to get the same syndrome for woodworking tools, and I only wanted to make top quality archival frames for my images! But it isn’t going to stop me watching as I think yours is by far the best channel for people like myself. You not only tell us what to do, but how, why and more importantly what not to do.