Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Home Improvement Tools - hand saws, handsaws
Let me start by saying that I love this saw, not like, love. The best saw I've ever owned in over 15 years of framing. I've used this saw over the past year on post and beam joinery, finishing custom homes, renovations, commercial and industrial jobs and it just keeps on amazing me. It cuts cleaner than any push saw I've ever owned and it does so while getting into places I just couldn't get to with a conventional saw. Be careful with this baby however, because this is one razor sharp saw that will remove meat from your fingers if you don't treat her with the respect that she's due. One of my all time favorite tools, period. So you must be asking yourself, if he loves this saw so much why did he only give it 4 stars instead of 5 stars?. Simple, the saw is great but the cheesy plastic handle is bad, really bad. It broke after only 1 week and I've had to bandage it back together with tape several times to keep it working. The problem is with the cheap, hollow plastic handle that is so lightweight that it tends to split in half the first time that the blade binds on you. I've seen the latest incarnation of this saw and they have beefed up the handle and reinforced it with a steel core so that should solve the problem. Make sure you get the new handle or it's going to be a sad case of Caveat Emptor for you just as it was for me.Eric Wainwright Orillia, Ontario Shark Corp 10-2440 Fine Cut Saw
I have had this saw for several years and have used for both fine cabinetwork and for cutting 2x4s. It is amazing how fast and how fine it cuts. I prefer it rather than my regular handsaws for almost all work. The only problem I have had is that the handle is getting loose so I would not recommend getting the extra blade. I do need a new blade because it does not seem to cut nails very well.
I write a tool review column for an online magazine and also a bimonthly printed magazine. I am going to write a featured report on these saws. I can actually cut a kerf faster with this hand saw than I can with a jigsaw with a famous Swiss made blade.Saws of this caliber should cost much more. I can also assure everyone that the handle problem is no longer a problem. I have one warning though. This saw is an extremely sharp professional tool and not for any type of play or monkey business. Make sure that this saw is put away around children.I can say without any reservations that this saw should be in every woodworkers tool box. If you don't have one buy it now because it is the best deal on this site.
Shark 10-2440 Fine Cut Saw - I don't know that I really need this (that didn't enter into the decision of whether or not to buy it); but after reading the Japanese woodworking books and seeing them work, I just had to have a long straight handled saw. 'Nuf said.
These saws are: 1. sharp; 2. affordable; 3. easy to use (after a short learning curve).
These saws: 1. cut a thin kerf; 5. are very sharp; 6. allow you to do precision cutting.
And: they are very, very sharp (keep bandages with them - even though you've been warned - you'll have to find out for yourself).
I have moved ALL of my other hand saws to the back of the shop. These are a joy to use. I want to have each type (and have probably bought more than I have a need for). You will have to make a new miter box because these blades are too thin for any you have.
Some tips: 1. Don't pitch them in your toolbox or truck bed. These are precision tools and though they are quite strong, they are easily damaged. Use the blade guards that come with them. 2. Don't try to "muscle" them through a board. The old adage of "let the tool do the work" has never been truer. 3. Don't place the blade edge anywhere you don't want a mark left. I think I mentioned that they're very, very, very sharp.
(Since I don't know which review you might see first, I have left the same general review for each of these I own and added any specific thoughts for the individual saws.)
The replacement blades are ridiculously expensive, especially relative to the price of the saw, but this is a fine tool. great for all types of cutting in wood or plastic. I have found it most useful for shim and trim purposes.Everyone should have one of these in their toolbag.
Let me start by saying that I love this saw, not like, love. The best saw I've ever owned in over 15 years of framing. I've used this saw over the past year on post and beam joinery, finishing custom homes, renovations, commercial and industrial jobs and it just keeps on amazing me. It cuts cleaner than any push saw I've ever owned and it does so while getting into places I just couldn't get to with a conventional saw. Be careful with this baby however, because this is one razor sharp saw that will remove meat from your fingers if you don't treat her with the respect that she's due. One of my all time favorite tools, period. So you must be asking yourself, if he loves this saw so much why did he only give it 4 stars instead of 5 stars?. Simple, the saw is great but the cheesy plastic handle is ..., pure .... It broke after only 1 week and I've had to bandage it back together with tape several times to keep it working. The problem is with the cheap, hollow plastic handle that is so lightweight that it tends to split in half the first time that the blade binds on you. I've seen the latest incarnation of this saw and they have beefed up the handle and reinforced it with a steel core so that should solve the problem. Make sure you get the new handle or it's going to be a sad case of Caveat Emptor for you just as it was for me.Eric Wainwright Orillia, Ontario
The greatest advantage this saw brings is its versatility. It is small and cordless and very sharp, so that when you have to cut something in an inconvenient place, you can do so without a lot of the collateral damage that would come with the circular or reciprocating power saws. It's small enough to fit in a backpack or briefcase or toolbox, which makes it much more convenient for taking to a little job where you don't want to take a full array of tools, such as the trim in your sister-in-laws apartment or a little patching job high up on a roof. It's particularly good for interior molding because of its small kerf and because it doesn't spray dust all over the place. The fast-cutting afforded by the sharpness and precision afforded by the increased control brings us in the building biz one step closer to our cousins in cutting: the surgeons. In fact, a surgeon friend of mine told me that if he were stranded on a desert island without power and had to cut a femur or something, this is what he'd use if access to his own familiar tool bag were barred. "My choice would be the Shark, and not the cordless Sawzall, even if I did have plenty of backup batteries. The blade is not stainless steel, so tetanus would be a concern, but the cutting power is nearly up to the level of the best surgical saws." - Handsaws - Hand Saws - Pull Saw - Hand Saw'
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