is my saw a Rip or Crosscut?

If its 20tpi is probably a crosscut. Here is a site on sharpening but gives a good description of the difference in the teeth. http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

And here is some history http://lumberjocks.com/Brit/blog

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

David, if the teeth are so small that you cannot tell how they are cut, try cutting on a piece of wood.

If it is a rip cut, the shavings will look like they were cut with a chisel on the rip cut with the grain and on the crosscut they will be jagged and the cut will have tear out cutting across the grain.

-- Mike

Don, i would have to agree with you on being a crosscut saw. (confirmed by the first link you gave me) {and i think its where i got some information a long time ago, so thanks for that refreshment!}

Paratrooper 34, that is the quick information i was looking for! (if i didnt have the links above, that would have been my quick number 2) ill be cutting with is soon, so im going to try that technique anyway!

20tpi is most likely crosscut. Look and see if there is fleam filed into the teeth, if it has fleam then it is crosscut.

-- Bondo Gaposis

I own that exact same saw, No. 120 purchased in late 1970’s from Leichtung Co as a “Miter Back Saw”. I had queried Glen Huey of Poplar Woodworking Magazine as to whether it was a dovetail saw and how W. Tyzack and Sons compared to newer saws such as Veritas, or Cosman.. His answer was being so many tpi and is so short, it was most probably ment as a dovetail. LJ’r Scott Tinker just recently resharpened it for me and verified that it is a crosscut toothed and was in fine shape, but works extermely well for hand cutting dovetails with the grain.

-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 bassboy40@msn.com

I also have that saw (and its bigger, 12” brother). It’s crosscut.
Good score btw. That Tyzack line is pretty respectable IMO.