Handsaws
I use smaller hand and miter saws a lot, especially when I'm working on lamps. I don't use big handsaws much, but I love having them around. My father used them a lot and taught me how to make clean cuts with them. Perhaps one day I'll use them more.
Compound angle miter ·
Handsaws ·
Handcrafted
Side note: Sharpening resources
Compound angle miter handsaw
I've used a few different hand miter saws over the years, but the Nobex 22″ Proman won me over. The Nobex blades, made in Sweden, are a work of art.
I made one modification to the saw (in addition to mounting it): I purchased the locking lever part from their larger saw and added it to this one so I can lock in any angle.
I do primarily fine work with this saw (for example, I fashion the kumiko in my lamps from ¼″ × ¼″ stock); their larger saw probably would be better suited for molding. The Nobex is manufactured by Plano Systems AB of Sweden.
Handsaws
I have a Pax (now manufactured by Thomas Flinn & Co⩘ ) 22″ 10 tpi panel saw (crosscut) and 26″ 4½ tpi rip saw. These are quite nice saws from Sheffield, England that feel good in the hand. I reworked the handles to remove the two-tone gloss finish that was put on over the beautiful beech wood, and to round all the sharp edges, as I prefer rounded edges on everything I hold.
Handcrafted handsaws
I also have a Wenzloff & Sons 16″ 9 tpi half-back crosscut saw just for the thrill of owning a beautiful and unusual handmade saw. [Unfortunately, Wenzloff & Sons has closed shop.]
This saw is patterned after an original Disston #8 saw that was made from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. It has a Swedish spring steel blade, a partial brass back, and a beautiful, 3-finger bubinga handle, though once again I did a bit of work on the handle to round the edges to match my personal preference.
Push versus pull
Given that my main woodworking hobby is to create shoji lamps, you may be surprised that I use Western-style push-stroke saws rather than Japanese-style pull-stroke saws. If I were to start over again I might switch, but by now my hands know push stroke saws with a muscle memory that I think would be quite difficult to reverse.
Handsaw sharpening resources
Disstonain Institute's Glossary of Saw Terminology⩘
The Essential Guide to Saw Tooth Design⩘
A Guide to Honing and Sharpening⩘
