Introduction to Buying a Hand Saw for Wood Working

At first glance hand saws seem to be simple tools. Heck, they look like they’re just a piece of flexible steel with sharpened teeth and a handle.

But most woodworkers who are new to hand tools quickly get confused when trying to understand which hand saw for wood working they need (or which hand saws), and what all the confusing terminology means. Words like “fleam”, “rake”, “tooth count”, “nib”, and “saw taper” are enough to make someone’s head spin.

But hand saws for wood are indispensable for traditional furniture making, so it’s important to understand the different types of woodworking saws and how to use them. In this article I’ll attempt to simplify everything for you, and help you understand which hand saws you absolutely need to get started, which ones can wait until later, and which ones you probably won’t ever need.

Woodworking Hand Saw Characteristics

Before jumping into the hand saw buyer’s guide, there are four hand saw characteristics that are important to understand, which I’ll cover below: (1) Hand Saw Type, (2) Hand Saw Tooth Shape, (3) Hand Saw Tooth Count, and (4) Parts of Hand Saws.