Tried a Japanese pull saw on a trim job in Portland last fall and it threw me for a loop

I was trimming out a window casing in a old Victorian and figured my trusty western handsaw would do the job, but on a whim I grabbed a $35 Japanese pull saw from the hardware store around the corner. The cut was so smooth and clean I didn't even need to sand the edge, which never happens with my push saws. Has anyone else switched saws mid-project and gotten way better results than you expected?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew9161mo ago

Wait, isn't it more about pulling straight along the cut line rather than letting it bite on the pull? I always thought the real trick was keeping the blade from flexing side to side.

maxm501mo ago

Man, you're overthinking saws now too?

-1

elliotl241mo ago

oh yeah, that pull saw thing is a game changer once you get the hang of it. i had a similar moment on a baseboard job in a tight hallway, where i was using a coping saw and getting frustrated with the splintering. swapped to a small ryoba pull saw and it cut through like butter, no tear out at all on the finished side. the trick is you gotta let the saw do the work, don't push down like with a western saw, just let the teeth bite on the pull stroke. takes a little getting used to on your grip, but once you do it's night and day for clean trim work.