An Introduction to Japanese Saws

[@MrSteamDragon]

I had been using traditional Western saws with no issues for years. However, i developed rheumatoid arthritis in right hand and holding and using the push saws was starting to be difficult. I tried a ryoba to start with for ripping. Due to the different cutting (pull) and grip and less weight compared to a western saw, I can now continue my woodwork with very little pain and the improved grip gives me very accurate cuts. I now have a set of the 4 most useful Japanese saws. Highly recommended for those who may be in a similar position.

[@MatthewHarrold]

I've started to wear out (bugger up) my Ryoba saw. Initially I hated the rip teeth as I wasn't trying long rip cuts. Recently I built a Tassie oak artist easel, 15 bird houses, and a queen size bed weighing 180kg all using the Ryoba, some chisels, and an f-ton of elbow grease. I've warped the cross-cut blade tip, tooth number 6, and you can see some discolouration in two other places where I didn't do great things. That's four newbie mistakes over around 3 years of woodworking causing minimal functional damage. It is still razor sharp and effective.

[@brianm.9451]

I just finished installing shiplap where I did the entire thing using my dozuki and kataba. Being able to work with little to no noise and producing less dust is a big deal. I love the quietness of using a handsaw and because no two cuts were the same I was able to scribe and cut without having to setup a miter saw each time.

[@zacdredge3859]

Thanks for confirming they're Gyokucho; I've also been considering Gikoh/Kakuri but I've heard respected craftsman vouch for Gyokucho saws. For tough cuts you can start the kerf with just the closest end of the blade as these teeth are made closer together for this purpose. The single blade, spineless saw is 'Kataba', not "Kabata", just FYI.

[@timothydaniels504]

Excellent video. It’s so true about saving time with hand tools. I use a small router for long grooves but the set up time is crazy, not to mention the noise and dust. Hand tools are a pleasure to use.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Timothy. We are glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidclark9086]

I would like to add is that they are relatively simple to break. This occurs when the user pushes the blade forward but not exactly at the same angles as the saw cut. I bought a kataba specifically for hard wood and broke it in the first 5 minutes. A wedge or shim could have helped but the wood was very hard and the cut just started. Just a simple warning to be careful and don't rush the cut.

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks David. Much appreciated. However, remind us never to arm wrestle with you! :-)

[@tufankilinc636]

David, you're spot on. I bought my first Japanese pull saw 3 days ago. It was very awkward at first but when you hit the groove, no pun intended, it's a great cut. Thanks for your video and you just received another subscriber.

[@ぱぴやま]

Nice video! Kabata is actually Kataba(片刃)which means one side blade. Ryoba(両刃)is both sides blade.

[@rubencitostyle]

I got these three and also the flush cutting one and I love them - very often I work after dinner and it's lovely to do it without the noise of power tools, besides they give you so much precision - they are joy to work with - thanks for the video!!!!

[@SimopsAus]

Thanks for explaining it so well!

[@petergannon4916]

Really good explanation. Like the idea of cutting the noise. Probably too late to fix my tinitus.

[@BloodyClash]

Just bought a Dozuki and a Ryoba....and i looooove them

[@jamesking9262]

Good stuff, thx.

[@danbytp]

Finally,someone who knows what he's talking about and makes sense. And I learned more in 10 minutes than 10 hours from everyone else! Great job,Holcombe San!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Tim. We are glad that HolcombeSan was able to help. Patrick is an excellent teacher and presenter and we are proud to have him feature in so many of our videos. Be sure to check out his The Router Bits playlist too! So...we hope you have subscribed. There is more to come!

[@danbytp]

@@timbeconaus Good to hear, keep up the great job!!

[@karllove57]

Very good explaining. It's obvious by the way you handle them that you love good craftsmansship.

[@meealan]

thanks, a great intro to japanese saws

[@patrickholcomb9628]

excellent video....even better name!

[@MrFrancogi]

very clear and nice tutorial

[@adviertehoy777]

Nice way to explain..thanks.

[@landesnorm]

Nice video. How about mentioning that camellia oil (tsubaki oil) is good to put on the saws to prevent them from rusting?

[@zacdredge3859]

That's the traditional oil used in Japan, yes, but any oil or wax you can find will work fine.

[@211teitake]

@4:03 You said "Kabata." It's Kataba (Kata=single side, ba=blade). 片刃

[@SansP3ur]

Ah, so is "Katana" :: Kata = single sided & Na = sword ??

[@yannickduchene305]

So ryo = double ?

[@yoruhana190]

@@yannickduchene305 yes

[@3uphoria777]

CyberGolem Yes. That's the origin of the word "Katana". "Na" is ancient word of blade but present day, it's obsolete word.

[@lukmanaris1398]

Very well explained. The audio quality is amazing. What sort of microphone do you use, if I may know?

[@timbeconaus]

We use rode wireless mics

[@nonparticipant4671]

Excellent video.

[@mrjohnson9704]

Best Review I've Seen :)

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks! We are glad you enjoyed our video! There are literally hundreds more on this channel so please feel free to enjoy them too. There are many more to come to subscribe too!

[@AteuCu]

The Samurai Carpenter opening?

[@SirNoviTheChauvi]

Great Video, thanks for the effort!

[@timbeconaus]

Thank you. Its our pleasure. we hope you have subscribed because there is plenty more here! 👍

[@syphiliticpangloss]

How to stop it from folding?

[@2204thientai]

not just 4x2, i cut a 4x4 and 6x6 easy

[@chengliu872]

The dozuki reminds me of a giant straight razor.

[@AFCAWorldBodybuildingArchive]

Kataba* 💪

[@rla1000]

Thanks, good explanation, just what I wanted to know. Any info on the clamps? Brand/type? They look like some quick clamp/quick release hold-downs.

[@ChrisSierra]

Great video! Ty!

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks Chris. Very much appreciated.

[@MikkosFree]

Ok. I like the way you explain things. I like the simple editing. I like the video quality. But something is really bothering me about your background. I don't know if it's your focus, or a cgi background. But it's quite distracting.

[@timbeconaus]

Hi Mikhail, Its just the focus from the camera on the foreground that's blurring the background out. We are using minimal depth of field - a technique which gives us good clarity in the front but deliberately blurs the background.

[@leongt1954]

God if I started sawing in the longeroom my wife would kill me

[@gig777]

Well done!

[@daiburt1833]

Oddly enough I make my own and carpenters are always asking me to make them one . All I do is take the handle off a jack saw and turn it around and make a handle from a piece of roofing batten

[@kimchee94112]

What's a good feather file to sharpen those saws?

[@timbeconaus]

The teeth are impulse hardened which make them extremely sharp and long-lasting, but also make them brittle and unable to be resharpened. The blades are easily removed and replacement blades are available when they start getting blunt.

[@mattivirta]

blade can change new, wery cheap buy and change new blade, but no need change manytime have wery strong and longlive sharp saw.

[@chengliu872]

Does the dozuki make straight cuts, rip cuts or both?

[@thatguyonyoutube807]

Cheng Liu there are dozuki saws with both rip and cross cut teeth, but generally they’re used for cross cutting

[@lax9115]

Excellent video, thanks for clarifying all the points, now I just need my credit card.....

[@h3Xh3Xh3X]

What does rip cut and cross cut mean?

[@keirfarnum6811]

Rip cuts are when you cut with the long grains/fibers of the wood while cross cuts are across the wood grains/fibers. Usually a piece of wood is cut and processed so the grains/fibers are oriented parallel to the length of the board while crosscutting is perpendicular to the wood fibers. Hope that helps.

[@squarelevelplumb]

Ree Oba. The Y is ee like Tokyo.. Like the tools Reeobi(Ryobi)

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks SL&P! Very much appreciated. We hope you enjoyed our video.

[@Kevin_geekgineering]

they good quality one, they are not even cheaper than a jigsaw

[@mattivirta]

what need use plywood ? rip cut or crosscut ?

[@thatguyonyoutube807]

Matti Virta crosscut, however if you have the money or work with a lot of plywood there’s actually a Japanese saw made specifically for plywood, since plywood is especially hard on blades due to the glue and anything that’s stuck in between the layers.

[@David-qm8xm]

@@thatguyonyoutube807 link?

[@wermisstmisstmist]

Seems your product links don’t work anymore

[@timbeconaus]

Thanks for letting us know! Problem now corrected! :-)

[@michazeegers]

"Kabata" is actually "Kataba"

[@davidiwata7063]

"Kata" = one side "Ba" = teeth

[@terryb3388]

Japan Woodworker has it as KATAHA ... who knows?

[@teflongoon]

@@terryb3388 Um, every Japanese saw maker. And everyone who can read Japanese. It's not a "Who knows?" situation. There is NO mystery to it at all. 🤣

[@mmercier0921]

Why do some saws draw the essence of the wood to the body, while others push this away..?

[@batmo2769]

A four by two?

[@timbeconaus]

Otherwise known as a 'two by four', or a 'ninety by forty-five' 🤣

[@batmo2769]

@@timbeconaus you guys go W x H x L?

[@ManicallyMellow]

Have my housemates been speaking to you?

[@danbytp]

How do you get a great cut? Same way you get to Carnegie Hal...practice,practice,practice!

[@lancebaker1374]

Hall

[@terryb3388]

YOU CAN PULL A TRAIN BUT YOU CAN'T PUSH A TRAIN

[@chengliu872]

You can't push a train? Tell that to most American commuter railroads.

[@danbytp]

Helper engines in the middle push and pull.Also go to a busy yard and see trains pushed and pulled.

[@terryb3388]

@@chengliu872 a single human being can and has "PULLED" a train, but never the opposite.

[@terryb3388]

@@chengliu872 no one has poetry anymore ... this is in reference to the beauty of sawing on the pull and not the push ... don't overthink it.

[@terryb3388]

@@danbytp this is in reference to the beauty of sawing on the pull and not the push ... don't overthink it. A single human being has and can "pull" a train, but not the opposite.

[@lancebaker1374]

I once owned a Japanese saw, sorry, I don't recall which one, but my research showed that I should NEVER push it, only pull it through the cut. Any comments?

[@robohippy]

Well, it seems like the modern version of these saws, they expect you to toss the old blade rather than just sharpen it and go back to work. Why? Wasteful to toss the old blades...

[@paulmazurek3608]

Hold the saw on about a 15 degree angle it will cut straighter , you will feel it when it's the correct angle

[@kaylummitsch5030]

#Triple-Like! Greetings from Switzerland, Kay

[@lancebaker1374]

You didn't mention that most Japanese saws produce a narrower kerf than western saws.

[@MrFrancogi]

Very nice and clear, but... kataba, not kabata :-)

[@leongt1954]

Use In the loundgroom my wife would use the saws on me

[@RandleMcMurphey]

....hand made is hand made....by hand tools only!....Mass produced is made for profit with no love or feeling!.. :)

[@edwinghysebrechts9377]

Kataba, not kabata

[@timbeconaus]

thanks!

[@chewningwitmer5806]

I'm sure you will find amazing woodworking plans on woodprix plans.

[@tya04]

Why replace the saw blade when it gets dull? With how broad the blades are, it looks like they can take a hundred re-sharpenings. There's a world of difference between a sharp saw and one that isn't dull enough to replace yet and files are cheap.

[@andrewdunn9605]

tya04 the blades are too thin to be resharpened. There are Craftsmen in Japan who do it but it is very difficult and expensive.

[@gizmo7396]

tya04 Most Japanese Saws have hardened teeth. They can be sent to Japan for resharpening, but the blades are designed to be replaceable

[@mattivirta]

saw blade can change, wery cheap buy new blade and change new, i want see men who sharpeninin 0,6mm thin saw whit file haha, lot work ,easy change new blade and super cheap.hardened blade not need change manytime all your life about maybe onetime, but old shit bush saw need sharpen ewery week.

[@tayyabsafdar7069]

These are throw aways, not a worthy tool to be kept and cherished. Double edge is the best for cutting fingers for some one who might have been using safe western saws, the proper saws which lasts you life time day in day out.

[@timbeconaus]

Hello Tayyab. Thanks for your comment. Very much appreciated. There are many who would agree with you and many who would not. So, we have something interesting for you to watch on our channel tomorrow - LIVE. At 10:00am AEST tomorrow morning - Saturday 24th of July - we will be livestreaming an event which will compare the two methods - push vs pull. We suggest you join in and be a part of the active chat that will no doubt accompany this livestream. Hope to see you there.

[@weedeater64]

Throw away garbage saws are throw away garbage.

[@999porte]

jesus christ stop rubbing your fingers on the edges!

[@amezcuaist]

Japanese rule for sawing-- Only cut the surface you can see.-- So from 9.42 you break the golden rule. In this video you have a nice straight grain piece of soft wood. So you were "lucky". But for a teaching video about Japanese saws you broke the rule . Most videos don`t explain how the Japanese rip saw should be used . You got close to the right idea and then shot yourself in the foot by not demonstrating Rip Cutting. You switched back to cross cutting . So I don`t think you understand how a Japanese rip saw works . Just as 5 other videos get it wrong as well . You are not alone .