Dovetail saw?

[vanhoesenj]

Hi all -

I'm interested in buying a dovetail saw to start practicing making sawdust with a hand tool instead of a power tool... ha!

Anyway, I see a lot of different types of saws, numerous different brands, different tpi, etc. SO, what is a good brand (does it really make a difference), how many tpi, etc. They range from $10 to $60 from what I've seen, there is a lot of wiggle room in there for a beginner I think BUT I also don't want to buy a POS only to have to replace it in 4 or 5 years when I get the knack... I seriously hope it doesn't take that long, just being a little glib. :)

Thanks for any input!

cheers
John

[arcticfox46]

Hey John,

I gotta tell ya - I am a super experienced hand cut dovetail kinda guy. Just kiddin - but I did make ONE handcut dovetail.

I did get a Sheffield Gents saw. It was only about $20.00 I thought it was a pretty nice saw.

I do not plan to keep it for a really long time though. First I don't know how to sharpen it and second it is cheap enough that when I need a sharp new saw, I will just buy a new one.

[TDHofstetter]

I'm really fond of the Japanese-form saws, myself - specifically a "dozuki" for dovetails & similar cuts. No particular brand name, but a steel-backed dozuki is a world better than a plastic-backed one.

You could even fart around with your first dovetails in thin stock with nothing more than an X-Acto knife handle and their backsaw blade for it - that's a very credible (if tiny) saw for the purpose. The teeth are astoundingly small, so the saw won't cut fast, but they're dang sharp and the kerf is nearly microscopic.

-- Tim --

Passion is the weather;
Love is a climate.

[Woody 1]

I`ve got two cheapies, one is made by Crown in Sheffield and the blade is a little short. I have one with the round handle from Sears I like better. I saw one I liked but it was way to high priced. Barry