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Note: This brochure site is a companion site for The Wood Works Book & Tool Co from where we manage the secure fulfilment of our orders. Links in this site will take you to The Wood Works site for further information and purchase options. Of the several classes of Japanese woodworking tools which have been introduced to Western markets over the last few decades, it is hand saws which have been most widely accepted, followed probably in order by synthetic sharpening water stones (which also represent a remarkable advance on Western equivalents), chisels (which are in a class all of their own but require management of the ultra hard edge steel and rear scallops) and planes which are bit more confronting to many because of their manual adjustment. (An excellent read on the subject - Toshio Odate "Japanese Woodworking Tools: Tradition & Use")
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See here for major classes of saws and direct links to purchase
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Hand Saws
Travelling east from Europe the direction of teeth on hand saw blades change from pointing forwards to pointing rearwards. The cut is executed the same way, just the cutting stroke direction reverses. The reasoning is straightforward, saw blades cutting in expansion (the pull cut) can be finer and thinner than blades cutting in compression (the push cut). A ultra thin Japanese razor saw if pushed is likely to buckle and fold up under a push cut.
The magic then lies in the pull stroke, quality of the steel, the sophisticated tooth geometry (for crosscut blades in particular) and a supreme, centuries old metal smithing tradition such as exists in Japan. The result is the sensation that Japanese saws have become across discerning Western markets.
We at The Wood Works have marketed these saws for over 25 years and for us they continue to outsell Western equivalents about 100 to 1. We offer a range of saws made by high precision machines in specialised factories and a deluxe range sourced from master blacksmiths producing what are in effect hand made saws. Most of the factory made saws are made by Gyokucho and have replaceable blades. The deluxe range have fixed blades for which we can quote for resharpening at source.
Tooth Geometry for Crosscut
Crosscut teeth each have no fewer than three ground faces, all in shear, in contact with the wood during the cut. Rip teeth closely resemble western tooth patterns with a more or less vertical raker ground square across. To assist with getting rip cuts started rip teeth of most ryobas are graduated in pitch, finer at the heel to larger at the tip. Universal teeth take some features from both crosscut and rip patterns and are preferred for dovetail cutting where angled end grain rip cuts have an element of crosscut.
The majority of the saws we list are ground and set from ultra fine, flat steel plate, as thin as 0.2mm in the case of the deluxe range and, more typically for many dozukis, 0.3mm. Blades this thin require a stiffener. These thin blades mostly have set where the teeth are flared at their tip to provide clearance in deeper cuts. Exceptions are unset fret saws and unset flushcut saws neither of which are required to make deep cuts in which an unset blade might bind.
The orikomi blade uniquely has a few rip interspersed among crosscut teeth along the cutting edge.
Arborist saws are different again and have a thicker blade which is taper ground across their width. The specified thickness of these blades is measured from setless teeth of the cutting edge, the back of the blade is thinner to provide cut clearance. The side faces of these blades is typically ground smooth to prevent flared teeth scratching the cut faces of bonsai and similar.
Arborist Tapered Blade
Saw Construction
Many of the saws have a wooden handle wrapped with traditional rattan cane. This wrapping is very durable and if cared for will not unravel. Other saws have modern plastic handles. Some deluxe saws have resharpen-able fixed blades which we can usually return to the makers for resharpening.
Most have replaceable blades with case hardened teeth which can be honed with special diamond FEATHER FILES for those with the skill and the eyesight. These case hardened teeth last far longer than the resharpen-able equivalent - we regularly replace blades after 8 or 10 years for customers who take good care of their blades.
Cheaper saws, especially those made outside Japan in Taiwan and China, have hardened teeth where the whole tooth is hardened. Gyokucho case harden their teeth one at a time which means the teeth have conventional, relatively flexible, tool steel in their core and a case of impulse hardened steel. The result is a greatly reduced incidence of teeth snapping off as is the case with fully hardened teeth.
(For the technically minded "a cutting edge is heated for 0.003~0.005 seconds by applying an electrical current at 27.12MHZ. This creates a shock wave on the surface of each tooth that hardens it to Hv900~1200. For comparison, sharpening files are hardened to Hv800~850").
Dozuki saws have a stiffener which is re-used when changing blades. An extended full length STIFFENER is available to suit Items T1400 and T1401.
To assist with rust prevention and reduce friction in the cut, Gyokucho blades have a micro thin nickel coating which is applied chemically (not by electroplating). Despite this blades will rust (any quality steel will) so rust prevention practices are indicated.
See HERE for a selection of rust management products.
For saw care we market a range of saw CASES and EDGE GUARDS.
Our three best sellers from Gyokucho all have replaceable blades.
Gyokucho 'Sunchild' Dozuki blade & stiffener connection to handle.
Gyokucho 05 Kataba blade connection to cane handle. 
Gyokucho 651 Ryoba blade connection to cane handle.