# descent hand saw



## mikef (Apr 22, 2008)

i am fairly new to wood working and am still trying to put together a few basic tools. i am looking for a hand saw, probably western back saw, witha cross cut set. but i am not sure what to get, i was wondering if anyone had some suggestions for a good saw for someone on a tight budget. but i dont want a peice of junk since i do almost all of my work by hand with no power tools. any suggestions would be nice thanks.


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## allenn (Apr 13, 2008)

*hand saws*

Mike,

Haunt garage sales, estate sales, flea markets. Disston is considered by many to be the finest handsaw ever made in America. Henry Disston, Disston & Son, Disston & Sons. Before you buy a saw, look it over. Hold it out in front of you with the teeth up. Look down the blade. If the blade is flat and straight, you may have a keeper. If the blade bows to the right or the left, or has kinks in it, or cups from back to teeth, it needs straightening before it will be useful. If there's a saw sharpening shop in your area, give them a call, they might know of a source for reasonable prices and quality. The heart of any saw is the steel of the blade, but what makes one comfortable is the handle. If there's a crack in the handle, it'll pinch every time you do sumpin' wrong. If you cannot hold the saw comfortably, do not get it. Check your local library for the book, _The Comlete Guide to Sharpening _by Leonard Lee. He explains how to sharpen anything and everything you'll ever need in the way of hand tools, and is the founder of Lee Valley and Veritas Tool Companies. A sharp saw is a joy to use, and a dull one is a nightmare. Learn how to joint, point, set, and test your saws, and you'll not have to pay someone else to do it for you. Check out public school surplus auctions, too. They bought good tools, and good machines, but the stuff got lots of abuse, too, so look it over carefully. If there's a woodworking store relatively close to you, ask the staff about their experiences. They love to talk woodworking.

allen norris


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## Lumberjack2153 (Jul 13, 2008)

*novice, too*

Hi, well I am also buying some hand tools for my self, I dont have a lot of recommendetations, since I have little experience, but I purchased couple of saws from http://www.thehardwarecity.com/?sku=4420972 (that is the one I purchased first) and since then I am happily using it, works fine, I think its a good quality compared to price, good for starters...of course there are more saws and tools to browse on the site, I dont know what specifically you are looking for and what is your budget, but I recommend you check it out...


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## TheRecklessOne (Jul 22, 2008)

I will forever swear by traditional Japanese pull stroke saws. They're little wonders that can handle any task and are very easy to control. Japanese saws are the way to go.


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