Shoutout to the guy who told me to try a Japanese pull saw

I spent 6 months fighting with a dull handsaw on a custom shelf job in Chicago. Finally gave up and bought a $45 Japanese pull saw on a whim last Tuesday. First cut was so smooth I actually laughed out loud in my shop. Now I'm wondering how many other basic tools I've been using wrong for 20 years. Has anyone else had a tool swap that just clicked instantly?

2 comments

2 Comments

max8088d agoMost Upvoted

I mean it's a saw, not a religious experience. Glad it works for you but I've been using the same cheap hardware store saw for like a decade and it's fine. People act like switching to pull saws solves world hunger or something.

the_wendy8d ago

Japanese pull saws actually cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke, so you're not fighting the blade trying to buckle on you. That's why it feels so smooth compared to a western push saw that wants to bend if you go too hard. It took me some time to get used to guiding it straight since the kerf is so thin, but once you trust the teeth doing the work it's wild how fast and clean it goes. Might want to grab a cheap miter box if you do a lot of crosscuts, that thin blade wanders easy without a guide.