Reply To: Hand Saws

I have the PAX (not 1776) tenon saw.  Its a great saw (my favorite), but you should think of it a kit, not a ready to use saw. They pack it in a thick varnish, so you will need to remove that or the saw will bind like crazy.  I had the rip version, so I re-set it and refiled it rip with a just a little bit fleem like a sash saw.  This way it works for both rip and cross cut easily.  The handle stock isn’t very conferrable from the factory, but its really nice clear beach.  I took a rasp and some sand paper and filed down all the hard edges till it fit like a glove.  I sanded off  the rest of their paint and finish and refinished with two coats of  linseed oil.  The saw is now my favorite saw, and I use it for everything thing.  it looks absolutely fantastic. One last thing on the pax saw is that the brass back is very thick and very heavy which is great, but if you trying to cut the tails on dovetails it can make the saw feel kind of top heavy.  A light dovetail saw is easier for me to hold at an angle then the pax tenons saw.

I have the vertias carcass saws, and they are nice, but they just too short.  I would go with the PAX or other longer tenon saw.

I also have the PAX full size rip and cross cut handsaws.  They are really long.  I’m 5’9″ and I had to cut them down by about 4 inches so I didn’t hit the ground while at my saw bench.  I don’t like the rip saw, its too aggressive at 5pt, and the crosscut saw is too fine.  I ended up getting two distons to suplement them.  A less agressive rip saw and a more aggressive crosscut saw.  The PAX handsaws seem to have less tension in then the old distons, I prefer the distons to the PAX saws, but in my option the PAX saws are ground better and have better steel.  The PAX handles are quality beach, but they need to be fit your hand with a rasp and some sandpaper.

No mater what saw you get gets some files and sets and learn how to sharpen them.  Its not hard and it makes any saw so much better.

-James