Round saws get all of the wood-cutting glory, however they’re loud, and so they want an influence supply—and oh boy, are they ever harmful.
Handsaws, which “progress” has elbowed to the facet, current a a lot gentler possibility, one which depends on a extra tactile strategy.
Saws usually are not important for gentle DIY work, however when you’re changing a deck board, constructing a treehouse, or fixing a chunk of rotted trim, a noticed is essential—and yow will discover much better choices than the traditional American handsaw with its lengthy, trapezoidal blade. I’m a carpenter, and I requested three different carpenters to check seven saws. Our unanimous selection is the Shark 10-2315 Carpentry Noticed 15-Inch.
Our choose
Professional carpenters had been blown away by how briskly this noticed lower. Its pull-stroke chopping model makes it correct and simpler to make use of than a conventional push-stroke noticed.
For general-purpose wooden chopping, the Shark 10-2315 Carpentry Noticed 15-Inch has no equal. In our assessments, it sliced via wooden at the least twice as quick as many of the different saws; on a single stroke via a chunk of pine, this Shark noticed went 30% deeper than the second-speediest noticed. Along with being quick and aggressive, the 10-2315 was probably the most exact noticed we examined, chopping alongside a marked line with straightforward accuracy. It additionally left the cleanest lower, producing little or no shredding of the wooden fibers and nearly no blow-out on the edges, even once we despatched it via the fragile face of veneered plywood. The Shark 10-2315 cuts on the pull stroke—not the push stroke, as with conventional American saws—so it places much less pressure on the arm. You would get a fundamental wooden noticed for $10 or $11, however this Shark mannequin far exceeds these and is properly value its larger price ticket.
Runner-up
Although it’s not as quick at chopping as our prime choose, this smaller mannequin is a really good noticed with a snug deal with.
If the Shark 10-2315 will not be obtainable whenever you’re buying, we additionally just like the Irwin 12-Inch Normal Carpentry Noticed 213101. This Irwin mannequin is analogous in that it’s a pull noticed, although it doesn’t have the uncooked pace of the Shark noticed. The blade can be 3 inches shorter, so every lower isn’t as lengthy, which slows issues down, too. However in our assessments it was nonetheless sooner than the remainder of the saws we tried, and we appreciated its snug deal with.
Additionally nice
This mannequin is a pruning noticed, but it surely works for gentle carpentry, too. The quick blade makes a slower lower, however not like our different picks, it folds up for fast and straightforward storage.
Should you’re okay with buying and selling chopping pace for portability, we just like the Silky Pocketboy 130 mm Folding Noticed Medium Tooth 340-13. This Silky mannequin is a pruning noticed, designed for trimming branches, however in our assessments it nonetheless made good, clear cuts on lumber. Its blade is about one-third of the size of the blades of different saws we examined, so as compared it takes a very long time to make a lower—which will get exhausting however works nice for smaller, faster duties. The distinguishing function right here is how the Pocketboy folds up, which each protects the blade and permits for very compact storage; as well as, it comes with a plastic carrying case, which reinforces its safety and portability. We’ve been utilizing this noticed for years, and its mixture of chopping energy and portability have made it a instrument we attain for sometimes, whether or not we’re making a fast lower on a board or on the lookout for a noticed to tackle a tenting journey.
Additionally nice
Designed to extend lower accuracy, this mitre field holds bigger items of wooden than the competitors and comes with bench clamps so as to add stability.
For a low-investment technique to make correct cuts with a handsaw, get the Stanley 20-112 Clamping Mitre Field. This system stabilizes your noticed blade at a wide range of angles so as to make straight, constant cuts, which is very useful when you’re becoming a member of the ends of two boards collectively. It’s not an ideal possibility—mitre bins can maintain solely comparatively slim items of wooden, and inevitably you’ll noticed away a bit of the plastic sooner or later—however in contrast with the opposite fashions we examined, this Stanley mitre field has a bigger capability, and it comes with two little bench clamps that safe the wooden to the mattress of the mitre field. The unhealthy information: Accompanying this mitre field is a noticed that’s so ineffective and troublesome to make use of that it’d as properly not even be there. The excellent news: This Stanley mitre field is suitable with the Shark 10-2315, which we strongly advocate pairing with it.