I’ve owned Japanese saws for a long time and have used nothing but. Great saws but they’re easy to damage and recently damaged mine. In hardware store recently saw (observed) a Marples version with fancy plastic handle. I bought one and later my wife bought another Americanized version of the the Japanese saw, both priced about the same as Japanese blade without handle, and both with a downward angled handle.
These things are like a golf club with a curved shaft shaft: you may be able to hit the ball with it, but it aint going where you want it to go. I found out the hard way that There’s a good reason why Jap saws have a straight handle — it provides the greatest amount of control. One cannot cut straight with the curved handle job.
Secondly, the downward angled handle interferes with the way the saw is designed to function. With Jap saw you’re supposed to cut flat, not start at an angle as with Amer. saw.
Beware. though cheaper by half, these westernized versions are not an acceptible substitute for a traditional Japanese saw.
Replies
Boatman, don'tcha hate it when good tools get bast*rdized like that. A whole bunch of guys will buy them and brag about what a great deal they got on a Japanese saw. Then they will complain for years how Japanese saws are a piece of junk and you can't cut with them.
BJ
Boatman --
In contrast to you, I like the pull saws with the western (curved) handle. Before they became available, I used the traditional Japanese style with the straight handle, but now I use the hybrid. I find it easier to control than the traditional style. Incidently, the hybrids I use are made in Japan.
Jamie
In my view, one of the strengths of the design is flat sawing which can yield a perfectly straight cut. How do you get around the curved handle being in the way?
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