In contrast to Western saws, Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke, placing their fine hard steel in tension (stretching). The teeth are angled up toward the handle, which is what allows for this blade to cut on the pull stroke. This also permits the use of a thinner, harder steel that produces thinner kerfs, a smoother cut, and better control, in addition to longer teeth and deeper chip channels. Because of their shape and construction, Japanese saws need to be sharpened with special files. In addition, care should be taken not to press on the push stroke, as you may inadvertently break a tooth. With care and a little practice, these saws will give you exceptional performance.
In this article, we refer to measurements of the blades you would find in our Japanese saw collection, so measurements may vary among similar saws. However, the saws depicted are those used by Japanese craftsmen and are considered traditional Japanese saws.
