Corp 10-2440 Fine Cut Saw

This is a fine example of the Japanese-style saws, which cut on the pull stroke instead of the push stroke as conventional Western saws do. The blade is thin and the kerf or width of cut much narrower than most Western saws. After making the mental adjustment to pulling rather than pushing I found that this saw was very easy to use making accurate cuts without difficulty. The blade has two cutting edges, fine and coarse, making it a very versatile tool. I doubt whether I could sharpen this saw by conventional means especially with the close spacing of teeth on the fine cut side of the blade. I ordered this saw as a replacement for a similar one bought many years ago which had lasted a very long time but was no longer available locally. I considered the price reasonable. If this is to be your introduction to Japanese-style saws I think you will not be disappointed.

Have you ever seen something that seemed to good to be true? For instance, a Japanese Ryoba saw for TWENTY DOLLARS! I've used saws like this before, in other woodworker's shops. I'd seen ones that cost over $200 and some that were around $100 (usually made somewhere other than Japan). I use a lot of dowels in my furniture building, also plugs to cover the places I have to put in screws. So when I saw this, I thought it would be a cheap piece of junk that would be dull after cutting a couple dowels and rake angles so off it would take 20 minutes to cut off a 1/2" dowel. I have never been so happy to be wrong about something in my life! This saw is great! It saws through white oak and maple dowels like a hot knife through butter. The blade is flexible enough to trim right at the surface without marring the surface. The problems some others have had with the quality of the handle seem to have been addressed because I have no complaints about it. (Yes, a nice hardwood handle would be nicer than this...but we're woodworkers, right? Make one.) I will give this one piece of advice. Keep the blade guards on until you are ready to cut, keep your fingers and any other appendages you want to keep away from the saw while you're cutting, and put the guards back on as soon as you finish the cut. THIS SAW IS SHARP! I can tell you that after cutting hundreds of hardwood dowels, plugs, trimming ends, and even a few dovetails just to see if it would do it...this saw will draw blood without much effort on your part. So, in summary...be cautious when using this saw...but BUY AND USE THIS SAW! This is probably the best $20 I've ever spent on a woodworking tool.

For whatever reason, probably because of no training, I was never good with a hand saw. Cuts always veer right instead of square. So I learned with power tools that cut straight. Now that I'm getting into more hand tool work, I needed to learn the right way to saw, point index finger at the work, use lines on 2 sides, less pressure, less speed, more practice. It's not rocket science but old habits die hard. My grandson wanted a pull saw for his birthday, so I did the research on Amazon & bought this one. He liked it though isn't doing much woodworking any more. Since I already had done the research, I bought another one for myself, hoping I'd be more accurate pulling than pushing. It works, I am. This saw is so sharp, it takes very little pressure to make fast cuts. The blade is much thinner, and the wider edge means better cuts with less force. There's some getting used to the different cutting angle than a back saw, and tearout is on the front instead of the back of the cut. This type saw doesn't work as well with a bench hook since that's designed to hold for push strokes. But I like it for use in a miter box, especially home made, to keep a thin kerf. It's excellent for dowels and small moulding. Having both rip and crosscut on the same saw is very useful. I bought this because its blade is a little longer than others, and replaceable. I like having both types of saws now. I'll keep practicing with the backsaw so eventually my dovetails won't such as much. But this is a nice addition to my saws.

This is my first ryoba-style saw, and so far I've used it mostly for cross-cutting white pine, 1x4, 1x6, 2x4 etc. and a few miters. I actually prefer it to my circular saw for this purpose, as it's easier to follow a measurement straight across. Compared to a regular crosscut saw, I estimate this cuts two or three times faster. The pull cut has a good controllable feel to it. I would be hesitant to use it on something like melamine, but it should work a treat for hard- and softwood lumber, ply, osb, mdf, and things of that nature. The blade is rather flexible, the teeth are exceptionally sharp and the plastic handle feels sturdy enough. Definitely a good value for the price. Update: The hardened crosscut teeth, while incredibly sharp, aren't very durable. I think I may have hit a staple in a recycled board, and now about half of the teeth on one side of the kerf are broken off. I'm getting a replacement blade because I like using this saw, and from now on I'll be careful to double check for anything that might break the teeth. Still a great saw, just wish the crosscut side was more durable.

THIS IS MY SECOND SAW IN TWENTY YEARS. IT IS SO EASY TO USE AND CUTS STRAIGHT. GREAT PULL SAW THAT CUTS RIGHT ON YOUR PENCIL LINE. ONE SIDE IS COURSE TOOTH THE OTER SIDE IS FINE. WORKS GREATSAW CUT THREW HARD WOOD LIKE ITS BUTTER. VERY HAPPY!!