First, the saw manufacturers will not send you a “test” saw unless you give them a “test” credit card. I guess I should have stressed a little more the concept of getting together with a group of woodworkers, such as a guild or club, where you might be able to test drive several saws before you buy. Lie-Nielsen has done nearly every show I did this past season so, you should have plenty of opportunity to check out their saws. Lee Valley was also at many of the same shows. If you can’t wait until the Fall show season starts, daddy-O, you are welcome to make an appointment to come over and test drive my LN saw since you live so close.

Second, the jointer analogy isn’t really a fair comparison. My first saw was the Tyzak but I never had the problem of not being able to cut dovetails because of the tool. In fact, my support staff asked after I finished the last of my research for the post which of my three saws I would use if they were all in perfect working order. My answer…the Tyzak. The reason is, I “know” that saw better than the others. It’s not that I don’t like my LN saws (I said in the post that I really like them, actually) it’s just that the Tyzak feels good in my hand, it works and it stays sharp. What else is a saw supposed to do?

The Lie-Nielsen saw takes some getting used to. They even state in the instructions that come with the saw something to the effect that ‘the saw is sharpened properly, if it doesn’t cut accurately the most likely cause is poor form or technique’. It is, in a sense, less forgiving than some of the other saws. That said, I do like it.

When I do the dovetailing demonstrations at the shows, I use the French saw I own. I also bring along my Tyzak and allow the audience participant to choose which saw they would like to try. No one has ever said “man, if only the saw was better my dovetails would have turned out”. In fact, most people do a great job. It’s technique and form driven not tool driven. Give me the cheapest backsaw on the planet and I’ll still turn out decent dovetails because I know how to make the tool work for me instead of against me.

When I looked over Alan Turner’s Gramercy, we started talking about the fine details of the saw. Some of which a novice would never even be able to notice because they are concentrating on “how” to use the saw instead of the minutia of its performance…connoisseurship.

Buying a saw to “grow into” is a fine thing. I am not advocating you buy the cheapest saw you can find. What I am saying is, you don’t NEED to buy the most expensive. I’m a practical woodworker. If you can figure out a way to get your hands on examples of the saws you’d like to try, I suggest you buy the one that “feels” right in your hand. For how to figure that out, check out the next to the last paragraph in the post. If it “feels” right, it doesn’t matter who made it or how much it costs.

I hope I’ve cleared up the mud a little.

BTW , daddy-O, which saw did you use when you cut dovetails in your class here at the shop?

May be a little story will help everyone understand. about 8 years ago i didn’t have a jointer but was getting more into wood working and realtized i needed a jointer if I was going to use rough lumber. ( I all ready had a planner) So I set out to buy a jointer the question ? what size? Well I ended up with a 6″ free standing machine for many reasons which cost about $550 shortly after i had it i realized i should have bought a 8″ or larger and if I had taken my 550 towards a 8″ i would have only needed a few hundred more . Which I would have had to wait a little longer to get the money together before buying the bigger machine. which i would have been ok with but, i didn’t wait because i figured a 6″ would do the job but it didn’t. So i spent more money in the long run and should have just gotten the 8″.

So to make a long story short I havn’t done alot of dovetailing but would not like to buy 2 saws so I’m still leaning towards 2 custom saws on the higher end. Plus I would like to stack the chips in my favor so to speak with good quality tools that i don’t have to rebuy later as i grow or kind of grow into them. There are a few great points you made Chuck Frist I didn’t see the differnt grip angle unitl you talked about it. Also the point per inch, the kref size and the height of the blade are a few things i learned to look for. Chuck you talked about asking a tool company to send you a saw to try. Will they really do that? do you have to buy both saws and return one? This sounds like a great thing but I’m not awear that companies will do that? I guess with out tring one out I’m down to 2 saws drum roll please!!!
Either the LN or the Wenzloff & sons saws. I would really like to test both. Chuck as you know I have been to wood shows in the past but have not seen both of these saws there. Does anyone know of a show were both saws would be there at the same time? Chuck you have giving me a few more things to think about and it is now as clear as MUD! thanks for the frist ever tool reveiw. Keep up ALL the great work and Also i wanted thank your support staff .