Is my Dovetail Saw Too Sharp?

I’ve always started my cuts on the pull and had no problems. Maybe pushing down too hard while pulling?

Ive heard of a lot of guys having trouble starting that saw. I believe that its the way it has been filed. If memory serves me correct it has 0 degrees of rake. Easing the rake on the first inch or two has seemed to help others out.

Basically what I’m saying is that the teeth have a 90 degree leading edge which makes it hard to start but once established it flies through wood like butter. If you have the ability to refile the first 20 teeth id go for that. If you don’t, a super light hand will help out in getting it started.

-- Something, something, something.

I ve always started my cuts on the pull and had no problems. Maybe pushing down too hard while pulling?

- Ub1chris

The saw gets stuck when I start the push and I don’t put any downward pressure, just the weight of the saw.

-- Ethan, https://instagram.com/ethan_woodworker/

Nibble, nibble, nibble to start a cut.

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive --

I had a similar experience with my LN saw when I first got it, but I learned that it was my technique or lack thereof… Someone gave me the advice to do as Smitty says, nibble nibble nibble, and actually take a bit of the saw weight off when starting the cut…ended up working well for me!

-- Jason K

GET YOUSELF A JAPANEESE SAW CALLED A DOZUKI ITS SHARP AS A RAZOR AND CUTS ON THE PULL. YOU WILL LOVE IT. IVE CUT A MILLION DOVE TAILS WITH IT.

-- Sheetzy

A saw can never be too sharp. Two things can make a saw hard to start. As Stef said, rake angle has a big influence. A rip saw should have a rake angle of 5 to 8 degrees. If your saw has less than 5 degrees, re-filing it will make it easier to start.

The other factor is hang angle. This is the angle formed by the handle grip and the toothline. When you push on a saw handle, the force is perpendicular to the grip. A lower hang angle puts more of the force forward. I higher hang angle puts more of the force downward. In looking at a picture of your saw, the hang angle appears to be around 45 degrees. This puts equal force forward and downward, making the saw hard to start. Disston backsaws have a hang angle of 35 degrees. Many old British backsaws have an even lower hang angle.

You can easily change the rake angle on your saw, but there’s nothing you can do about the hang angle short of making a new handle. Focusing on trying to direct the saw blade more in a forward direction than a downward direction may help. As others have said, starting with a backstroke, light pressure, and short nibbling strokes may also help.

-- Bob, Missoula, MT -- Rocky Mountain Saw Works http://www.rmsaws.com/p/about-us.html

Sheetzy nailed it. Once you use a Japanese hand saw you will never go back.

Have the same saw. Love it. Back stroke it and don’t put a just weight on the first push stroke and it’s like butta after that.

-- Shooting down the walls of heartache. Bang bang. I am. The warrior.

So the consensus is that it’s okay to backstroke to start the cut. I remember hearing somewhere that it isn’t good for the teeth, is that true?

-- Ethan, https://instagram.com/ethan_woodworker/

Maybe on cement :)

-- Shooting down the walls of heartache. Bang bang. I am. The warrior.

Maybe on cement :)

- TheFridge

Yikes, I think you just gave me nightmares…

-- Ethan, https://instagram.com/ethan_woodworker/

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/how-to-saw

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/video-not-sawing-but-nibbling

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive --

Consider letting go of the saw, like holding a butterfly….and like summerfi mentioned, more of a soft push, more from the lower palm of your hand, behind the pinky..almost trying to take some weight off the weight of just the saw..

Consider letting go of the saw, like holding a butterfly….and like summerfi mentioned, more of a soft push, more from the lower palm of your hand, behind the pinky..almost trying to take some weight off the weight of just the saw..

- widdle

I try to do that. I like the Schwarz’s metaphor of holding it like a bird, you don’t want to crush it, but you also don’t want to let it go.

-- Ethan, https://instagram.com/ethan_woodworker/