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What Are The Best Hand Saws?

Best Hand Saws

I recently wrote about woodworking tools used in my previous post. Here I wanted to go in a little more depth about hand saws.

Today we will be talking about hand saws. They are most commonly used for cutting large pieces of wood. Sometimes you might see them used to cut thinner metal. Being I have been focusing on woodworking recently so most of these will be focusing on that application.

But there are several types of hand saws. So I’ll sprinkle in some hand saws for other applications. Many of these will be familiar but some will need a little more clarification.

Short list of Hand Saws

    • Rip Saw: Uses for cutting with the wood grain. This can cut pretty fast but will leave a rough edge. These measure in about around 2 feet long and 4 to 7 teeth per inch (TPI)

Rip Saw

  • Cross-Cutting Saw: Uses for cutting across the wood grain. This does not cut as fast as the rip saw but will leave a smoother edge. These measure in about around 2 feet long and 8 to 11 teeth per inch (TPI)
  • Short Cut Saw (Box Cut): Uses for cutting across the wood grain. This is a smaller saw made for portability 12 TPI
  • Coping Saw: As the name states this saw is used for coping. The thin fine blade helps with crazy angles and very delicate cuts.
  • Backsaw: Moulding and trim are cut with this saw. Along the back of this saw is a piece to reinforce the blade. Binding becomes less of an issue when this the blade is strengthened.
  • Pull Saw: Moulding and trim are cut with this saw just like the backsaw. The reason it is called the pull saw is because the cutting is done on the pull only. This provides more control and the saw won’t bind on the kerf when pulling.
  • Dovetail Saw: Used for wood joint cutting. Some confused this with the backsaw but this one has finer teeth and is often smaller.
  • Keyhole Saw: This saw is used for cutting smaller tight radius curves and circles… (keyholes). The blade itself is thin, designed for finer work.
  • Compass Saw: The compass saw is aptly named because it is used for cutting curves and circles. It has a long course blade. More so than the keyhole saw. You will use this to make holes for electrical wiring or plumbing.
  • Drywall Saw: This is self-explanatory, these saws are used to cut drywall. Drywall can be made of wallboard, gypsum, or backing board. Remember the compass saw, it is like that but has a courser tooth profile.
  • Hacksaw: This one is used for cutting metal. Because it is cutting metal it has very fine teeth with thin blades. The blades are held in tension by the handle.
  • Door Saw: Used to create a space for flooring under door jambs. The handle is offset to allow a close cut to the floor.
  • Laminate Saw: Used for cutting plastic pipe and molding. The front of the blade is rounded so you can start plunge cuts. 16 TPI

Looks like I got away from myself. I might do it again. This list grew a little more than I planned. There a lot of saw out there and they all have their place and their purpose.

If  doing everything by hand isn’t your thing don’t worry there are power saws. These power tools can save you an enormous amount of time.

The only problem with them is that if you are not careful the finish won’t look like it is handmade. So if you are making something to sell, aesthetically it may not look right.

I have shared some links with you that are some of the best hand saws by type. Getting the best tools will help you in the long run.

I know people will say this is getting expensive, but the truth is that is the nature of this hobby. I will say there are several places you can go to get second-hand tools.

The only reason I might stay away from that is because they might be stolen. Then you are supporting the economy of the stolen tools trade…lol. No, I don’t know if that is a real thing.

But if there is a market people will try to take advantage. So don’t be afraid to get new tools. If you buy quality tools and you find yourself not using them they are easily sold.

That is about it for hand saws. Check out all the rest of the tools here. It is a general overview of the most common tooling. Let me know what you think in the comments.

We do more  woodworking here. Have fun, be safe and do what you love, Check out the rest of woodworking!