April 2010 Hand Tool SIG – Handsaws

Well, April has come and gone.  All that is left are the memories, a few pictures and a pile of sawdust.  For the April 2010 Hand Tool SIG we sat down and took a look at some of our favorite collector, user and shop-made saws. Seems that most of those in attendance prefer western style hand saws that cut on the push stroke, but the ever popular Japanese Dozuki, Ryoba and Kugihiki made a good showing.  It is also comforting to note that should the KCWG ever be presented with either a side of beef or a Civil War re-enactment gone horribly wrong we have members with the skills and the proper bone cutting saws to get the job done!

The most common saw exhibited was the “I would like to sharpen this up and use it again” saw so a portion of our time was spent looking at the additional equipment needed for bringing that garage-sale gem or family heirloom back to fighting trim.  Examples of saw wrests, saw sets, saw files and saw vices could be seen.  Each illustrating how we so often need more tools just to keep our tools in fine fettle.  Yes, I do need to keep all this “stuff”!  Sharpening the average rip or cross-cut hand saw isn’t difficult but it does take a few more tools and a modicum of patience.

Another style of saw present in great number was the bow saw.  Some shop-made, some purchased but all enjoyed by their owners.  These are fine examples of how saws are adapted to specific purposes.  Here we see Ken Grainger demonstrating his patented and highly controversial two fisted sawing technique whereby he rips stock with his left hand while simultaneously cutting the fine details of a Chipendale secretary cornice with his right.  Further applications in the construction of bamboo fly-rods are apparent.

Finally, we saw examples of saws that aren’t saws: stock removal and shaping tools that have much in common with a saw.  The VIXEN file and the Shinto Rasp as shown by Ken Grainger and Jerry Watson.  Some of you may remember the Shinto Rasp as demonstrated by Marc Adams.  It is a series of blades, very much like bandsaw blades that have been gathered and formed to resemble a rasp.  Shinto rasps cut very quickly but do not clog and some models are available as doubled sided for a rough & fast cut on one side and a smooth cut on the opposite.  The VIXEN file will look familiar to old-car buffs who enjoy or at least appreciate the fine art of using lead to fill body panels or spent their youth shaping metal in aircraft and auto plants.  With its aggressive, large, parallel cut teeth it resembles a saw in profile but cuts rapidly and amazingly cleaning across its surface.

 Participants walked away with their heads spinning with terms like fleam, rake, rip, cross-cut, Dozuki, wrest, taper and Disston.  Good advice on the restoration and use of vintage western style hand saws and backsaws can be found at www.vintagesaws.com and www.disstonianinstitute.com  The Japanese hand saw use has a brief introduction at www.city.sanjo.niigata.jp/chiikikeiei/howtosaw.html.  We would like to collect your favorite hand saw resource links for the web site, please forward them to Rob Young (rwyoung@ieee.org).