Which dovetail saw?

I just ordered the Lie-Nielsen and it should be here in a couple of days. I will let you know

-- My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist....medic20447@gmail.com

I’ve been thinking the same thing but am leaning towards the new Veritas…But often I get crazed over the latest gadgets – I like the new Veritas block planes too, but I already have a Lie Nielson apron plane so can’t justify it on coolness

-- Its never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

I own all the Adria saws and you won’t go wrong with that DT saw, you can read my reviews of it.
I also am thinking of picking up the Grammercy as well since I do think the finer ppi will benefit the 1/2” stock on drawers as you have noted. The review of the Veritas saw was good for what it does, so it sounds like it depends on the old question of balancing what you can afford to what you want and want you do.
Good luck with your choice and keep us posted on what you decide.

-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"

You have posted a very interesting inquiry and you will get many suggestions and will be left with various alternatives. But that is the piurpose of your post and I am sure you will buy the best DT saw. Pl let us know your choice.
Sharad

-- patanjali

What about a dozuki, Robert? I can’t think of a better choice…

Yeah, I know, it’s a totally biased answer but I can’t help myself. I just happen to love them.

-- Jojo, shopless in Kyoto · http://twitter.com/kagushokunin

Robert, in the price range you are considering I really don’t think that you will “make a mistake” irrespective of the saw that you decide to buy. You will be getting a premium dovetail saw. I have the Lie-Nielsen dovetail saw and it is a world of difference between the saws I tried before (offset and dovetail saws from Lowe’s and HD that I bought because of the price). While my dovetails still need a lot of work I can cut a passable one now whereas I could not before.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I have a dozuki and after much personal debate I bought a Lie Nelson to which I am very happy with the results I can [produce with it.

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

Jojo, I’ve got a dozuki now, but am tending back towards Western saws. Even after a lot of practice, I just don’t feel comfortable doing fine joinery on the pull stroke. <chuckle> Too much gaijin in me!

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

I cut big dovetails with a bowsaw – like Frank Klaus or Yeung Chan.

Smaller dovetails I cut with a Dozuki but I don’t like the way the
sawdust gets all over the scribe lines.

-- Would you like to recession-proof your present business using the internet? - my revealing 9-page free report gives you the straight facts: http://copymatch.com/rec/cap.html

I was in the same boat, trying to decide between the LN or Gramercy or Wenzloff and the like. But when the new Veritas showed up, I went for it. Great saw, easy staring, tracks well and is very comfortable in my hands. I like the looks as well. It will take the place of my old saw that was an ebay find.
Now I only hope Veritas will come out with a tenon saw as well.

-- Tom, Grove City, Ohio

Yep Robert and Roman, the great debate between Eastern and Western saws is a much personal choice. It is like the Mac/Win thing going on in computers. There’s no such thing as a “good” or a “bad” choice. Just work with the ones that you are comfortable with and allow you to produce good results.

All my life I felt uncomfortable hand-sawing. To me it just felt unnatural to cut pushing, and this was years before knowing about Japanese saws. Actually, I recall more than twenty years ago tweaking my metal and coping saws so I could cut on the pull. Imagine how happy I was when I married the daughter of a ”daikusan”, a traditional Japanese carpenter/home builder/cabinetmaker and he introduced me to the amazing world of Japanese tools.

Unfortunately, that leaves me without any knowledge of Western saws. ;o)

-- Jojo, shopless in Kyoto · http://twitter.com/kagushokunin

I have (2) LN Independence saws, one filed rip, the other crosscut. I like them a lot, they work incredibly well. They replaced a Dozuki, as I prefer Western saws. The Veritas was not yet available when I purchased my LN’s. I still use the Dozuki for work where I don’t want to mess up the LN’s with.

LN and Lee Valley offer satisfaction guarantees on tools purchased directly from them. LN is 30 days, Lee Valley is 3 months. Tools for Working Wood offers a satisfaction guarantee on Grammercy, but doesn’t list exact details on the web. So, it appears that all three of those brands would be returnable if you don’t like it.

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Good point on the return policies. I believe Adria has a one-year policy as well. I’m starting to get the feeling that I will eventually wind up with two saws—a 14-15 ppi or so for 3/4” or greater wood, and a 18-20 ppi for 1/2” drawer sides. I wonder how a rip tenon saw would work for thicker stock?

You know, this handsaw thing can get out of hand really fast! (Sorta like planes)

-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle

Gravedigger, I can not speak to the saws on the market. I use a Hirsch Brand (not sure where I got it, one of the box stores), it was a little course on the cuts until I took all the set out of the teeth and re-sharpened the saw. Now it works great and I am able to use that money somewhere else.

T – Chisel from the Rough Cut Show has a video out on how to tune up a hand saw that I used.

http://www.tchisel.com/Video/Episode_44.html

-- Norm (AKA - The Maddhatter), Middletown DE

is it just me or does Lie-Nielsen make a bad tool? iv’e got 3 dovetail saws the oldest being a a two cherries.. i don’t even know if you can still buy them but it’s done the job for decades.. but my newer Lie-Nielsen is almost like a piece of art.. starts clean, tracks perfect andif you look at it sideways, it will nick a finger

-- it's not a sickness, i can stop buying tools anytime i want

I have a dozuki and LN. The dozuki will give smoother sides, but I much prefer the LN.

-- Martin, Kansas