Hand saws.

Naduska · 1 Jul 2015

Has anyone purchased or used a Thomas Flinn handcrafted hand saw ?

The reason I'm asking, is I'm fed up of the usual Bahco, Spear & Jackson etc etc etc throw away hand saws, I'm looking for quality not quantity throw away, the amount I've thrown away, would have purchased several handcrafted Thomas Flinn hand saws.

Dave54 · 1 Jul 2015

Depends what you are cutting. If you're cutting anything apart from solid wood, that is ply, mdf etc. then you want "hard point" saws which AFAIK can't be resharpened or set. Saws like those on the Thomas Flinn site are for cutting solid wood and can be resharpened, and reset to your own preference. They don't need resharpening that often though. They are often better finished and have brass backs and wooden handles and are expected to last a lifetime. Or several! I have a Pax dovetail saw I bought new, which (As far as I remember!) I took a bit of set off and touched up for sharpness once. I've cut many, many dovetails in oak with that.

Naduska · 2 Jul 2015

Thank you Dave54 my intention is to start collecting high end carpentry hand tools, as in the not too distant future, I will be working with hardwoods, I intend to make my own garden furniture, as everything I want, is cheap, poorly constructed, uncomfortable and not aesthetically pleasing at all.

I'm not a joiner nor a carpenter, that said, I have done quite a lot of timber construction over the years on my own projects, and for friends and family, I am also a perfectionist with patience, lots of patience, and I'm not afraid to ask questions, listen, learn and do lots of research when my self taught skill is pushed beyond my limits of knowledge and understanding.

^woody^ · 2 Jul 2015

I think these saws are very much 'old technology' and have little practical use nowadays.

I recall that these were a favourite with the daywork chippies back in the day, purely for the number of hours they could spend sharpening and setting the teeth, instead of working.

Naduska · 2 Jul 2015

^woody^ said:
I think these saws are very much 'old technology' and have little practical use nowadays.

I recall that these were a favourite with the daywork chippies back in the day, purely for the number of hours they could spend sharpening and setting the teeth, instead of working.

They may well be traditional crafted saws which do indeed require maintenance, however, maybe it's my age (48) I can remember my father and grandfather owning such aesthetically pleasing saws, I can now see the aesthetic beauty whilst appreciating the craftsmenship skill that it takes to create and maintain such a saw, if we let such craftsmanship skill die out, it's gone, gone forever.

And if Christian from Thomas Flinn is willing to teach me how to sharpen, set and maintain my saws, still to be purchased, then I would like to think I am doing my bit for British engineering, keeping tradition alive, showing the upcoming joiners/carpenters and DIYers and those that admire craftsmanship tools, looking good in their workshop, maybe seldom used, that there is an alternative to the ever increasing throw away whirlwind way of life.

^woody^ · 2 Jul 2015

Do you still use a bit and brace or a cordless drill?

My view are that tools are tools, and the craftsmanship is in the use of tools and end product, not in using a tool that was in vogue 100 years ago before we knew how to make better tools.

I've got a lovely rosewood plumb bob level, brilliantly crafted. I won't be using it on any walls though, that's for sure.

I can see the allure of fine traditional tools, but perhaps they should just be used to make a nice display cabinet and then put in it?

It's important to select a tool for the right reasons.

Belboz · 2 Jul 2015

As Dave said, all depends on the task.

No point spending oodles on a hand saw for it to sit and look nice in the workshop even if you are going some way to keeping British craftmanship alive.

I have a number of saws. I have a couple of regular large saws for rough cutting (usually for exterior stuff) but I also have several precision saws for furniture work. These include a couple of fine tenon saws and three Japanese saws. I also have a mitre saw and a thin kerf cordless saw.

For furniture work, you will most likely not be cutting large material so a large handsaw won't often be needed. I find that larger pieces of stock can easily be cut down using the mitre saw. I can then use the finer saws to finish the work to the correct size.

If you intend making furniture from hardwood then I would suggest the money is better spent on fine finishing saws.

Only IMHO though.

Naduska · 2 Jul 2015

^woody^ said:
Do you still use a bit and brace or a cordless drill?

My view are that tools are tools, and the craftsmanship is in the use of tools and end product, not in using a tool that was in vogue 100 years ago before we knew how to make better tools.

I've got a lovely rosewood plumb bob level, brilliantly crafted. I won't be using it on any walls though, that's for sure.

I can see the allure of fine traditional tools, but perhaps they should just be used to make a nice display cabinet and then put in it?

It's important to select a tool for the right reasons.

I can see you're point of view, that said, I'm not a joiner or carpenter, nor do I work in the construction industry to earn my living, so to me speed in construction is not a priority, if what I'm constructing could be constructed in 2 weeks by whirlwind professionals with very modern tools designed to get the job done, as time is money, or by me, where time isn't a factor, but perfection is, and the job takes 2 years, then I would rather do it once doing it right over time, with traditional tools, to learn the craft.

I do indeed have a cordless drill/driver (Makita) that said, most of my DIY work is more of a hobby with timber, and most of my holes to be drilled are done in my workshop on my traditional good old fashioned pillar drill.

Dave54 · 2 Jul 2015

It depends what you're doing. I sometimes use a brace and bit for furniture, because it's less "instant" than power tools, and gives you a chance to think what you are doing. Most of my bench tools have wooden handles and are "traditional". A lot of them are older than me. My fine tenon saw is a Disston, which I bought 25 years ago off an old guy who had been a joiner, he had thinned the lower part of the handle off, and apologised to me for the fact that he'd done a beautiful mend on it after he'd dropped it once. I bought several other tools off him too. Again that saw has done a lot of work, but has had little attention in the way of sharpening.
I have three sets of woodworking tools. Bench tools, which are kept just for bench work on new wood. I don't use them on man made board or painted wood etc. House tools (that's how I think of them) that I don't fuss about as much and are kept in a box to be carried about. And some "outside" tools, that I use for rough work around the place. I need to use them more!

Burnerman · 2 Jul 2015

Excuse the pun, but that's hit the nail right on the head.....

If you are using 'traditional' quality saws, avoid chipboard, ply and MDF like the plague.....the adhesive content takes the edge clean off.
John

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Hand saws.

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