Adria Toolworks - Tenon Saw
This mid-size tenon saw from Adria Toolworks is available with its teeth sharpened for ripping or crosscutting.
Aug 01, 2004
Recently, I had a chance to use a small tenon saw from Adria Toolworks, a company in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, known for making high-quality handsaws. For several weeks, I gave the saw a good workout.
Visually, the saw is a beautiful blend of steel, brass, and African rosewood, also called bubinga. But the saw offers more than good looks. A 12-in.-long polished blade, made from spring-steel hardened to Rc54, measures 2-1/2 in. wide under the back. It has 13 tpi in a rip pattern. The saw has minimal set, producing a narrow kerf of 0.025 in. The thin (0.020-in.) blade is housed in a sturdy brass back that holds it steady and gives the saw nice heft.
I used the saw to cut dovetails in a cherry chest. Held in the typical three-fingered grasp, the handle fit my hand nicely. The angle of the blade, in relation to the handle, also felt natural.
I liked the thin kerf because it enabled the saw to cut through the wood with little resistance. And the minimal set ensured that once the cut was established, it stayed the course without drifting.
The saw was a bit grabby at the start of the cut, but with a really light touch, the cut was established and proceeded smoothly.
I also used the saw to cut some tenons for a chair. In spite of its rip teeth, the Adria still cut cleanly across the grain when sawing tenon shoulders.
In short, I was impressed with the performance of this saw. It’s available for about $125 from Tools for Working Wood. For further details, call 800-426-4613 or go to www.toolsforworkingwood.com.
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