Last summer a local fisherman, visiting my island workshop in Nova Scotia, picked up a new Japanese saw lying on the bench. He ran his fingers along the teeth to see how sharp they were. Well, he’ll never do that again nor will I leave such tools lying about!
I’ve tried a lot of different makes of Japanese saws and my favorite is the Zeta ™ brand. You can buy a dozen different blades that all fit into the same comfortable, rattan-covered handle.
I find the most useful to be the 300 mm. Alpha saw, a cross-cut blade, slightly convex, so you can start a cut in the middle of a board.
In addition, there are the much heavier timber blades, dovetail saws, a metal cutting blade and one for cutting circles and shallow curves. Also a powerful rip saw, with graduated teeth, and flush-cutting blades with zero set on one side — right or left.
There are various outlets for the Zeta™ saws, but I get mine mail order from Frank Tashiro in Washington state.
