# Anyone disappointed by a Lie-Nielsen dovetail saw?



## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

I'm looking for a DT saw, was intrigued by the Winsor Saw company out of Colorado. Then I read this in the Winsor FAQ:

*Q: What is the difference between your saw and the Lie-Nielsen*
A: I recently acquired a LN dovetail saw. My saw came with a loose handle, the blade had a crown in it, the teeth needed to be sharpened and the handle had a split. After fixing those things and tuning the saw I set out to dovetail some 3/4 cherry. The saw bound on the cut. Probably because of 1) not enough tooth set and; 2) the crowning blade. I also didn't like the small handle. WinsorSaws have larger handle, deeper blade for cutting. Our blades are epoxy set into the handle to provide a custom snug fit so the blade does not rattle or come loose in the handle. We offer more slightly tooth set for easier and faster cutting in a wide range of woods.

I've never read anything other than L-N dovetail saws were impeccable. 
I'm wondering if this says more about Winsor than L-N?


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

It makes me suspicious of Winsor. A good company doesn't need to rely upon badmouthing the competition to sell a product. Secondly, any saw as bad as the one described above would have been sent back for replacement by any normal customer.


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## mackcr (Dec 22, 2011)

I have a LN dovetail saw as well as a tenon saw and carcass saw; all arrived in perfect shape. I have never had a problem with any of the LN tools I have purchased other than waiting for a tool to be made. I am confident nothing as described would have ever left the LN shop.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

I agree, I don't think L-N would ship anything that bad out the door, and if they did of course they would offer a replacement. I've bought stuff from them, the workmanship is guaranteed for life.

I noticed the Winsor guy said he "acquired" a saw, didn't say he bought it new. He may have picked it up in his back yard by accident after it had been thrown out of an airplane, who knows. I've read good stuff about Winsor saws but it rubs me the wrong way to put down a company with a reputation as fine as L-N's.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Notice it says "acquired". They aren't saying they bought it new from Lie Nielsen, but it's just as shady. So I agree with everything JAAune said.

Edit: Hah, I see you saw that. I don't know how long Lie Nielsen has been making saws specifically, but there definitely are used LN tools out there for purchase.


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## richardwootton (Jan 17, 2013)

Even though that's a dodgy thing to post on their site, they do make some beautiful saws.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

I think the whole FAQ section stinks of advertising. There's very little information on the whole page in general. The saws are nice but the verbiage used throughout the site needs to be altered. Too much pomp not enough substance. My guess is that while he got a LN that was beat on. Why would a new owner of a $200 saw ship it out to have it repaired? Id send it back and demand a refund or a new saw, not have it fixed.


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## RB61 (Nov 30, 2012)

I saw this text quite some time ago and based on my experience with a variety of LN tools, my first thought was the same as many voiced here- this was not a new saw and Winsor lost me as a potential customer forever.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

I've tried a LN dovetail saw once, and I was astounded by the quality. It was like the saw could read my mind. Strongly leaning towards buying one soon.


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## DocBailey (Dec 9, 2011)

No idea whether or not the saw in question was new, but it matters not to me.

I'm in agreement with the above posters; the bashing technique makes the basher look small

That alone would be enough to stop me from doing business with them.


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## JohnChung (Sep 20, 2012)

I own the tenon saw from LN. In short it is perfect! I would even say the build quality is better than LV but the price is a lot more for it. Anyway I use the LV dovetail saw. It works well!


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

I am more than a little suspicious. L-N is the gold standard of hand tools IMHO. Every L-N tool I have purchases is flawless. I would avoid any company that makes badmouthing quality competitors a part of their marketing practices.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

It sure makes one wonder just how WINSOR deals with THEIR warranty issues when customers contact THEM.

I do not own any LN, but sure wish I could afford to. I can dream about them though…


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## funchuck (Jan 11, 2010)

I have the LN tenon saw and it came perfect. Nothing loose, no crown, perfectly set, etc.

And I agree with the others. That "testimonial" seems very suspicious and I would avoid purchasing from any company that bad mouths their competitor. The flaws mentioned in the LN saw is way over the top… crowned blade, handle is loose and has a split, not enough set. Hmm.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

I have a LN dovetail and cross cut saw, both arrived to Mexico in perfect conditions. They are well sharpened, the cross cut has a nice set to the teeth and the thin kerf dovetail saw is the bees knees…..No regrets and if I had to do it again I would purchase them all over. With the exception that I would get the new dovetail thin kerf with sloped teeth…


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I wonder how long before the folks at Winsor see this thread and remove that little tidbit from their website? Perhaps after the horse is well out of the barn.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Crazy thing to put as an answer to a question. Got to say though Colonel, if I lived in the US and was looking to buy a new quality dovetail saw, I would look no further than http://blackburntools.com/new-tools/new-saws-and-related/9-dovetail/index.html. I don't think anyone makes a better saw than Isaac.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Quick follow-up - bought a L-N saw, opened it today and it is flawless. There are several great saw makers out there, and the reason I chose this L-N is because it was on amazon (so was Winsor) and I had a bunch of gift certificates out the yin-yang.



















Got some ash to turn into a tool cabinet with some help from this thing.


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## Texchappy (Apr 27, 2012)

I've got a couple of Mark Harrell's saws and they've been great but I was thinking of getting an LN dovetail because of the canted blade. I wouldn't hesitate now but because of this thread I just put down a deposit on a Blackburn (like linked above).


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## RichardHillius (Oct 19, 2013)

It's hard to imagine LN sending out a flawed saw like that so I'm also very suspicious of that FAQ. Having said that I think back saws are a very personal item and everyone has a different feel for what is best to them. The size of your hand, how you hold the saw, the type of material you are working on all come into play regrading the quality of the cut you get out of the saw. It's safe to assume that if you buy a saw from LN it will be top notch quality wise, if its really a comfortable saw to you or not is a different story.

The best thing I would recommend is to find a LN traveling road show near you and try the saw for yourself. Pay attention to how the saw fits in your hand and how comfortable it is when you are cutting. It's really hard to say how well the saw will work for you until you try it.


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

editted, removed previous post

My saw cuts perfectly. It has almost no set since it is a rip saw… dovetail saws rip.
Also you want the cut to go straight, not wander, so you better get alignment right from the start.


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## ZacharyD (Oct 2, 2009)

I use the Lie-Nielsen thin plate dovetail saw in my shop virtually every day. It is an excellent saw and I have no reservations in recommending it.


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