The Tool Gathering Odessy #11: Where Was THIS When I Needed It?

Some time back, I was finally able to pick up a Disston dovetail saw. If I remember correctly, these are rare animals out in the wild to some extent, and I paid more than I really wanted to. Again, this was a while back so I may be remembering this wrong. I do remember it being a pain in the butt trying to snag one off eBay.

This difficulty of finding decent vintage saws at reasonable prices, coupled with the cost of new dovetail saws that are worth a flip, have been one of the driving forces behind the popularity of Japanese dovetail saws. Sure, you can get a Gent’s saw reasonably, but they’re the exception, rather than the rule. Personally, I want my saw to have a handle like a saw, and the Gent’s saw doesn’t!

Then, low and behold, Lee Vally puts out this! That’s right folks…Lee Valley has put out a much more reasonably priced dovetail saw. Now, it’s not made traditionally, which is fine by me. Frankly, for the beginner, this is a great introductory saw. Those who I’ve heard from who’ve tried it seem to like it. Others compare it favorably to Lie Nielsen, Adria, Gramercy, and Wenzloff & Sons and at a fraction of the price.

Oh how I wish this had been on the market a year ago. I’d have snagged one and felt fine about waiting until a Disston came walking on by at the price I wanted to pay. Oh well, as others told me in another blog, patience. However, if you’re in the market for a dovetail saw, and don’t really care about whether it’s a traditional or not, then this might be right up your alley!

In fact, I might just get one for the fun of it :)

-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!