

Additionally, some tools may be identified by other characteristics entirely, such as fine finish saws or heavy-duty models. Different hand saws all intended for cutting holes, curves and other precise shapes include punch saws, keyhole saws, compass saws, fretsaws, and more. Tenon saws might be listed as back saws or dovetail saws by some suppliers. Alternatively, even when the saw designs themselves appear to be different, their actual uses might, in fact, be similar.įor example, you may see ‘wood saws’ designed for straightforward timber cutting identified as either rip saws, panel saws or crosscut saws. In many cases, the precise differences between these various subtypes can be subtle. Moreover, you’ll sometimes find several of the common names listed above being used almost interchangeably, often referring to what looks like the same basic hand saw type. For example, some common saw types and naming conventions you could encounter while shopping for a simple timber saw might include:

Others are precision engineered specialist tools for optimal performance in far more specific sawing tasks.Īt this point, it’s worth noting that names for the various basic hand saw types aren’t always entirely consistent between different suppliers, manufacturers and users. Some are designed to be used as multi-purpose, general use sawing blades. As noted above, there are many different types of hand saws available.
