Crosscut and rip saws?

A rip saw usualy has less teeth and not much kerf. The tops of the teeth are ground flat like little chisels. They are made to be aggresive because ripping a long board is extremely labor intensive.

A crosscut saw has more kerf and the edge of the teeth are filed at an angle into little points. This gives the saw an advantage when cutting across the grain.

I think most saws manufactured today are crosscut saws as most of us don’t use handsaws to rip. The exceptions are specialty saws like tenon and/or dovetail saws which most people want filed as rip saws because they are used to cut with the grain.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

So would it be safe to say that most if not all the saws you would find in the store, unless they say otherwise, are crosscut saws?

Yup

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

I suggest you take a look at this info from Freud. They manufacture saw blades as well as shaper and router cutters.
http://www.freud-tools.com/sawblades.html

I use a 14 tooth x 12” diameter ripping blade on my tablesaw. It is the safest, quickest, and most accurate of my ripping blades.

One should never use a combination or crosscut blade when ripping wood thicker than 1”. The risk of injury from kickback is high. It is easy and good safe practice to change the blade from one operation to the other. Plus, it will give you the opportunity to learn why certain types of blades are used for a particular operation. The ripping blade should have deep gullets and few teeth in order to have the time to clear the sawdust. Heat buildup on the blade can cause it to warp rapidly and also build up a sticky pitch which can grab the wood and cause a kick back.The teeth also dull quicker.
Please take some time to understand the different blades and you will have a more enjoyable and safer woodworking experience.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

ChicoWoodnut said it all. As for finding rip saws I’m partial to the japanese ryoba because they usually have one side for ripping and one for crosscutting. You get two for the price of one.

But of course, I can not be impartial in this business… :o)

-- Jojo, shopless in Kyoto · http://www.japanese-woodworking-tools.com/ · http://twitter.com/japanesetools

Excuse me. I misundertood the question. Chicowoodnut is correct.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

Thanks for your replies guys.