Japanese Saws Buying Guide...

Dozuki

Dozuki saws features ultra-thin, universal teeth for sawing across, along and diagonally to the grain. Due to the finest of kerfs, Dozuki saws are indispensable for cutting dovetails and other fine joints and for making precise shoulder and crosscuts. The universal tooth pattern allows for the rip-cut of pins and the crosscut of side pins when making dovetails in both hard and soft wood. Dozuki saws have a reinforced back that stabilises the ultra-thin blade to ensure backlash free saw blade guidance for straight, chatter free performance.

Kataba

Kataba saws have slightly thicker blades, that are very robust and don't require a reinforcing back, allowing for deep cuts flush to the surface and for long cuts on large workpieces. Kataba saws have a blade with impulse hardened, trapezoidal teeth for cutting across and diagonal to the grain. Each tooth is sharpened on three edges in an alternating pattern to cleanly slice, rather than tear the wood fibres leaving an extremely clean, smooth finish. The tooth geometry is excellent at clearing the kerf to prevent clogging. With its wear resistant, super hard teeth Kataba saws will perform trimming, shoulder and flush cuts in hardwoods, exotic and tropical hardwoods, soft woods, particle boards and glued woods.

Ryoba

The Ryoba is the most versatile Japanese saw for cabinetmaking and joinery as the blade has two different tooth patterns to allow for both crosscut and rip work. Ryoba saws have blades with impulse hardened, trapezoidal teeth for cutting across and diagonal to the grain on one side and triangular teeth for ripping along the grain on the opposite side. The trapezoidal teeth are sharpened on three edges in an alternating pattern to cleanly slice, rather than tear the wood fibres leaving an extremely clean, smooth finish. The triangular rip teeth become progressively finer from tip to tang to make starting the cut easier and to use less force as the stroke progresses. Ryoba saws have slightly thicker blades, that are very robust and not require a reinforcing back, allowing for deep cuts flush to the surface and for long cuts on large workpieces in hardwood, softwood and particle board.

Flush Cutting Saws

Flush cutting saws are used for trimming dowels, plugs and tenons leaving them flush to the surrounding surface. They are available in either a Kataba or a Ryoba type, but rather than having longer handles, the flush cutting saws have a straight handle and a flexible blade allowing it to bend and lay flat on the surface of the work. Flush cutting saws normally have around 20 teeth per inch and with no set to the teeth, will not scratch the surrounding area when cutting.

Rattan Handle

Traditional in style, these wooden handles wrapped in rattan are lightweight for fatigue free working and have excellent comfort and hold.

Power Grip Handle

These handles are made from TPE which is very robust and resilient material that features a hatched grip that is both slip-proof and extremely comfortable to hold.

Japanese saws have teeth that are symmetrically set to ensure straight, drift free sawing and the blades are electronically surface plated to minimise friction and prevent resin build up and corrosion. Each tooth is impulse hardened for superior sharpness and to stay sharper for longer. A narrow kerf means that the saw removes less material and requires far less energy to achieve a super-fine, tear free and clean cut.

Saw Polish

Saw polish contains a cleaning agent that eliminates pitch and resin build-up on Japanese saw blades and allows you to polish the blade to create an as-new finish to allow for smooth and consistent movement of the saw blade. It contains a cleaning agent that attacks the acids contained in pitch and resin and once applied, makes the acids in the pitch counteract and breakdown causing the pitch to release from the surface of the blade and deep from within the teeth. To apply you simply spray the blade, leave for 5 minutes and then wipe down and polish with a dry cloth.

Camellia Oil

Camellia oil is made from pure natural plant extracts that come from the seeds of the Japanese Camellia tree. The oil is clear, acid free and is not volatile. Camellia oil will not discolour and is moisture, dirt and UV resistant, making it the ideal oil to protect tools from corrosion and rust including saws, knives, turning tools, carving tools and chisels. It has the added benefit that the oil will not transfer from the tool to the workpiece.

We strongly recommend either a bag or roll for the protection and storage of Japanese saws. Due to their shape and length, Japanese saws can be difficult to store and transport safely; there is often a risk for the saw getting bent or damaged in some way.

Saw Rolls

The Japanese saw rolls have five individual compartments to keep the blades apart and prevent the teeth of the blades from contacting and potentially damaging each other. Woven from natural jute, the canvas is tough, hardwearing and will not snag on the saw's teeth. The large flap folds around the roll and ties securely with the woven tapes.

Saw Bags

Made from hardwearing woven nylon, a Japanese saw bag is water resistant and features leatherette at the blade end of the bag for additional durability. Inside, the bag has three dividers allowing four saws to be accommodated without the blades touching. Outside, the bag has two zipped pockets which are ideal for storing spare blades.

Our comprehensive range of saws have been exclusively produced for Rutlands® by Gyokucho, the world's leading Japanese saw manufacturer.