Thomas Flinn Sawmakers looked to 18th-century Sheffield, England, for design inspiration for the new PAX 1776 line of saws.

The PAX brass-backed tenon saw I tried sets a high standard of quality, performance, and design. Its thin 10-in. blade, made from alloy steel, had been precision ground and polished. The 15-tpi blade had been filed for a crosscut and given a minimal set that produces a narrow kerf of roughly 0.026 in. The blade is held in tension by a hefty back made of folded brass. I found the PAX saw surprisingly rigid for having such a thin blade.

The blade and back in the PAX tenon saw are secured to the handle with two brass screws. The handle is made of English elm, a strong and attractive wood. The comfortable handle, the angle at which the handle is secured to the blade, and the weight of the brass back all give the saw a nice balance.

With this saw, it was extremely easy to start the cut, and the saw tracked a line smoothly throughout the cut. The PAX tenon saw is well suited for dovetailing and cutting small tenons, but its 10-in. blade would be challenged by larger tenon work.
The blade can be purchased with either 15 tpi or 20 tpi and filed both rip and crosscut.

—Chris Gochnour teaches woodworking and builds furniture in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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