Replies

1. 
   AlanTurner | Oct 14, 2003 11:00pm | #1

   You migaht ti8nk in terms of a pre-WWII Disston back saw, which you should be paying aobut $30 or less for.  If properly sharpened, and all saws need this even if new and from L-N, you will have a great saw for a very reasonable price.

   Alan

1. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 15, 2003 12:08am | #2

   I'm gonna disagree with ya on that one. The saws lie-nielson sells work flawlessly right out of the box. No sharpening necessary. An old disston with a proper sharpening job would work just as well though. Tom

1. 
   AlanTurner | Oct 15, 2003 01:32am | #3

   I thought so to, till I sent my L-N to Tom Law.  When it came back it was quite different, and better.  But, it was still good out of the box.  Don't mean to diss L-N as I am an all too frequent contributor to thier coffers, and wish them the best of success in the niche market.  We need to support these guys.

   Alan

1. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 15, 2003 01:46am | #4

   Interesting. I can't imagine how my LN could cut any better. I have an old saw that belonged to my grandfather. I may have o send it to Tom Law and see if he could resurrect it. I don't dare try that one on my own. Too much sentimental value for my limited sharpening skills.  It sure would be great to be able to cut dovetails with it though.Tom

1. 
   rod | Oct 15, 2003 03:55am | #6

   I purchased Frank Klaus's video on hand tools, in particular because he shows how to sharpen a dovetail saw.  After viewing it, I thought I could do that.  I tried what he showed on a $10 dovetail saw I had.  It really worked.  That saw was much improved!  I looked at the teeth through a magnifying glass, some weren't pretty.  Next time I will wear magnifiers.  I recommend Klaus's video for the sharpening.

   Rod

2. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 15, 2003 04:03am | #7

   I've seen Frank sharpen saws in person and he does a great job. Funny thing about the story is he said you can learn to sharpen one or you can buy the LN and have it work perfectly right out of the box. I had already bought the lie-nielson at the time and didn't have another to try to sharpen. Since I got the one from my grandfathers estate I just have't taken the time to learn. The LN works flawlessly though.  Tom

   Douglasville, GA

2. 
   Tao | Oct 15, 2003 02:49am | #5

    

   >I'm gonna disagree with ya on that one. The saws lie-nielson sells work flawlessly right out of the box. No sharpening necessary. An old disston with a proper sharpening job would work just as well though. <

   I had this discussion with a couple of the boys at the local Woodcraft store about a year ago.  So I took my freshly-sharpened no-name English dovetail saw down there for them to compare.  They were amazed at how much better my saw cut.  Of course, the L-N would cut just as well with a better sharpening job, but it really is mostly the sharpening, not the saw -- up to a point.

   A decent old $30 saw and a good sharpening will perform at least as well as an L-N will out of the box.  Plus, I like the handles on the old saws better.n  The L-N saws are very nice, but I'm too cheap to spend that kind of money when I can get equal or better performance for much less money.

   Michael R

   
2. 
   Alan | Oct 16, 2003 03:01am | #8

   Dave,

   To actually answer your question...

   I bought the Garrett-Wade saw.  I'm sorry I did.  Rather than the best of both types, it's more like the worst of both types.  As Japanese some saws are wont to do, the teeth crumbled the first time I tried to cut some hardwood, not even particularly hard hardwood:  two-quarter red oak.  Save your money and get the Lie-Nielsen.

   Alan

1. 
   DaveBarker | Oct 16, 2003 03:15am | #9

   Alan,

   Thanks for the info. The price seemed too good to be true for a decent backsaw. I may try and pick up an older saw and have it sharpened. Thanks again.

3. 
   Telemike | Oct 16, 2003 08:33am | #10

   Sorry to highjack part of this thread, but I was looking at the PAX dovetail saws in the latest Lee Valley catalog (the one with the cover that you can lose yourself in for an hour or two). It's half the price of the LN. If anyone has tried it, whadda you think? Especially if you've also tried the LN.

1. 
   AlanTurner | Oct 17, 2003 01:43am | #11

   One of my students went this way.  Then, he saw the quality of the old Disstons, and replaced it immediately. 

   Alan