Top 7 Best Hand Saw For Fine Woodworking

A handsaw is undoubtedly an essential yet vital tool in woodworking, whether you’re running a small workshop in your garage or bigger industrial lumber. It’s a versatile saw that works fine for rip cut and crosscut while handling different sizes of pieces of wood very well.

However, various handsaw products available in the market and choosing the best hand saw for fine woodworking could be tricky. We’ve listed some handsaw products along with the buying guide you can check out below.

Top 7 hand saw for woodworking

1. CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw

CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw is a fine-finish hand saw made in Denmark that comes in 15-inch and 20-inch blades. CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw 15″ is the best hand saw for fine woodworking designed for a fast clean cut with an engineered tooth geometry that caters to square and miter cutting.

The handsaw comes with induction hardened teeth 8 TPI that keep it sharp even for long woodworking use. The handle is made from plastic and rubber to provide better control and comfort to users when sawing larger pieces of wood, laminates, or plastics.

It’s coarse enough to cut woods easily and suitable for workshop or home usage. The all-purpose CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw 15″ is currently one of the top handsaw products on Amazon.

Top Feature

1. Sharp-Coarse Hardened Teeth: The 8 TPI blade allows you to cut the different size of woods with little effort
2. Perfect for Woodworking: Can clean-cut square and miter faster.
3. Flexing Blade: This gives you more flexibility when cutting woods, but you also need to be careful
4. Precise Cuts: CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw 15″ can deliver precise frame cuts that you can improve with a miter box.
5. All-Purpose: The handsaw can be used for crosscut and rip cut on different materials, including woods, laminates, and plastics

Pros

• Reliable for woodworking
• All-purpose hand saw that works for various materials
• Lightweight
• Perfect blade length
• Good Value of Money: It works perfectly for writing saw under $100

Cons

• A little bit too flexible, need more cautions when using the handsaw
• Unsafe paper cover, be careful when using the American worker

Recap

CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw 15″ is undoubtedly a reliable all-purpose hand saw for wood that’s the best value of money. If you’re looking for non-carbon-steel woodworking hand saws that can cut different materials, you must consider CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw 15″.

2. WilFiks 16″ pro hand saw

WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw is a versatile handsaw with a razor-style sharp blade made from high-quality carbon steel. Coming with extra precision, WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw is the best hand saw for fine woodworking that works perfectly for woodworking and cuts diverse materials with no problems.

The deep gullets throughout the blade allow quick strokes even if it’s featured with nine teeth per inch(TPI). The stable carbon steel material and pro-class build quality will enable you to cut dovetails, tenons, or miters tidily in your workshop.

WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw comes with rubber-coated plastic handles to provide a perfect yet comfortable grip when used.

Top Feature

1. Precision: WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw comes with a high precision blade for woodworking
2. Durability: Carbon steel material makes a durable construction that stands wear for long-term use
3. Easy To Use: 9 TPI blade with Deep Gallets allows smooth chip removal that boosts stroke speed so you can save time in your workshop.
4. Comfort: With a lightweight body, ergonomic design, and nonslip rubber handle, you can use WilFiks 16″ comfortably.
5. Versatility: Despite woodworking, WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw can be used for gardening, pruning, and trimming.

 Pros

• Sharp and highly reliable for the functions
• Heavy duty
• Precision
• Pro Handsaw but still easy to use
• Best value of money

Cons

• Frame saw that’s not flexible
• Not too rigid for tree cutting

Recap

WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw is ideal for woodworking and precise cutting like for jointing, crosscutting, or frame cutting. If you’re looking for a hand saw that cut wood frame effortlessly, WilFiks 16″ Pro Hand Saw could be your best choice.

3. AIRAJ 12 inch Adjustable Hacksaw

AIRAJ 12 inches Adjustable Hacksaw comes with high-tension frame construction for various sawing purposes. You can adjust the tension of the hacksaw blade for diverse cutting functionalities. The manufacturer uses high-quality steel to build the frame construction so you can have a solid and durable hacksaw.

AIRAJ 12 Inch Adjustable Hacksaw is the best hand saw for fine woodworking that has a wide application, whether it’s for handcrafts or heavy-duty works in construction. The rubber front handle grips for better and comfortable handling even if you’re using the hacksaw for a long time.

Your purchase of AIRAJ 12 inch Adjustable Hacksaw already includes ten black saw blades. It’s a practical tool to cut different materials, including metals, PVC, plastics, and woods.

Top Feature

1. Adjustable Tension: You can adjust the tension to get perfect set up for your applications
2. Durable Material: Steel-built frame hacksaw can last for years, only need blade replacement
3. Exchangeable Saw blade: Replace your blade anytime it’s been consumed and get the hacksaw performance back
4. 12″ Hacksaw Blade: This allows you to more extensive materials in your workshop
5. 10 Saw Blades in the Package: Very economical if you use the hacksaw more frequently
6. Ergonomic Handle: Rubber coated handle that supports perfect grips and prevents wounds

Pros

• Robust Frame
• Adjustable tension
• A lot of spare saw blade
• Acceptable sawing results with 18TPI blade
• Perfect home gadget
• Easy to use
• Great design
• Great saw for the money

Cons

• Not really a heavy-duty saw despite the robust frame
• Missing parts(like tension screw or lock) would be a problem
• Quality control issues reported by some customers

Recap

AIRAJ 12 inches Adjustable Hacksaw is a workable hacksaw for cutting metal, wood, and plastic materials. The key feature is the adjustable tension for wide sawing applications. With many spare saw blades, AIRAJ 12 inch Hacksaw is an excellent deal for your purchase.

You can also replace the saw blade with better but compatible products. If you need a multipurpose hacksaw for home usage, you may consider the AIRAJ 12 inch Hacksaw for sure.

4. Shark Corp 10-2312

Shark Corp 10-2312 is a 12″ carpentry pull saw that can cut wood pieces and ABS or PVC plastic pipes. The carpentry saw is for fine cutting with the 14TPI blade. You can still expect a fast cutting.

Shark Corp 10-2312 is the best hand saw for fine woodworking that allows smooth cuts on diverse types of wood materials and plastic. The flexible blade allows you to flush cut any excess materials in joints that you can’t reach with a generic hand saw.

The 14TPI pull saw blade is replaceable with the genuine part from Shark Corp. With moderate dimensions of 16. 5″ x 3. 3″ x 0. 4″, it fits the workshop and home usage.

Top Feature

1. 14 TPI Blade: Allows delicate and smooth cutting on wooden and plastic materials
2. Super Flexing Blade: Allows trimming or flush cutting excess on joints
3. Replaceable Blade: More economical in the long run
4. Multi-Material Cutting: Carpentry pull saw works on diverse wooden and plastic materials
5. 12″ Blade: Fine cutting for more extensive size materials

Pros

• Sharp 14TPI blade for fine cutting
• Fast cuts for high-TPI blade
• Replaceable blade
• Reliable for general carpentry and trimming
• Work well on miter boxes

Cons

• Pistol-style handle that’s less comfortable for some people
• Slower cuts compared to low-TPI handsaws
• Not versatile 

Recap

Shark Corp 10-2312 is a carpentry pull saw that’s designed explicitly for finer sawing. The flexible blade allows flush cutting so that you can tidy up joinery in woodworking projects. Moderate-sized power saw fit in most workshops and home toolbox. Shark Corp 10-2312 is ideal for carpentry works instead of all-purpose works. 

5. NIRAJ 18″ Premium hand saw

AIRAJ 18″ is another all-purpose hand saw that cuts woods, plastic pipes, and drywall. It’s designed for flat and fast cutting for manual woodworking with high precision.

AIRAJ 18″ is the best hand saw for fine woodworking that offers high-performance sawing with its 18″ blade for smooth and easy cutting. Despite woodworking, you can also use AIRAJ 18″ for gardening, pruning, and trimming.

Say goodbye to stick saw with hard, sharp grinding teeth on its three sides. AIRAJ 18″ also comes with a chip removal groove design that eliminates obstacles on every stroke you do with the saw.

The handsaw is equipped with an aluminum alloy handle for a more sturdy and durable handle. It’s very safe to use AIRAJ 18″ as it comes with serrated protection.

Top Feature

1. Crosscut saw
2. Hardened tri-ground teeth: Quick cutting, no need for sharpening even for long-term use
3. Anti-back Groove: This allows the saw to remove chips more effectively that prevents stuck sawing when used.
4. Ergonomic Construction: With rubber grip and aluminum handle, AIRAJ 18″ provides more stable control.
5. All purposes: Can cut wooden logs, branches, plastics, perfect for woodworking and gardening.

Pros

• Reliable crosscut performance
• All-purpose saw
• Groove blade design that prevents wood from stuck
• Big hand saw that still fits your backpack
• Quick Cutting

Cons

• You sent some flawed products to customers, like an unattached handle or flimsy blade
• Quality control issues

Recap

AIRAJ 18″ is an all-purpose hand saw that works best crosscut. Even though it’s claimed to be a general-purpose saw, some customers find issues when they use it to cut trees and branches.

If you’re looking for a bigger hand saw to cut larger wood pieces, you may consider AIRAJ 18,” but you may need another saw for your garden.

6. Crown FLINN1 10-Inch Dovetail Saw

The dovetail saw comes with a steel back strap throughout its 10-inch blade that assures a straight crosscut when making dovetails. Crown FLINN1’s saw blade is made from high-quality steel, and so is the back support.

This dovetail saw has 18TPI that allows fine cutting for dovetail or other wood joinery. The beech handle of the best hand saw for fine woodworking is employed for rigid handling when crosscutting woods for tidy dovetails.

The manufacturer of this saw is Crown Hand Tools Ltd, England.

Top Feature

1. The dovetail saw: Ensure acceptable sawing results for woodworking
2. 18TPI: Perfect for crosscutting
3. Backstrap: Prevent the blade from flexing when making a straight crosscut
4. Steel Blade: Ready for woodworking

Pros

• Very cheap for a dovetail saw
• Best value of money
• Accurate cuts

Cons

• Not enough depth for lap joints in larger wood pieces due to the back strap
• Some customers get dull saw blades
• Harder woods are harder to cut\

Recap

Crown FLINN1 10-Inch Dovetail Saw is a great hand saw for its price. It still works for dovetail and crosscuts for smaller slabs of wood. If you desire a dovetail saw with backstrap support, Crown FLINN1 could be your best purchase. There are many better products than this dovetail saw but not at that price.

7. GreatNeck N2610 Hand saw

GreatNeck N2610 is a crosscut saw with a 12 TPI, 26″ blade that’s made from high carbon steel. The best hand saw for fine woodworking is claimed to have a powerful performance to cut woods and caters to diverse sawing tasks but remains portable.

It’s designed for more aggressive cuts that come with moderate-coarse teeth along its 26″ blade. You can cut various woods with GreatNeck N2610 for long-term usage. For better handling and sturdy grips, the handsaw is featured with a hardwood handle.

It’s generally perfect for woodworking, but you can also cut trees with GreatNeck N2610. The hand saw is ideal for workshop and home woodworking usage.

Top Feature

1. Woodworking Blade: GreatNeck N2610 with a blade designed explicitly for woodworking
2. 12TPI Long Blade: With 26 coarse blade, it works perfectly on cross-cutting
3. Super Durable Materials: High carbon steel last for a very long time
4. Heavy Duty: GreatNeck N2610 can be used to cut large wood pieces
5. Hardwood Handle: Not only premium looking, but the hardwood handle also provides better grips

Pros

• Long blade with a moderate number of teeth per inch
• High-performance hand saw for woodworking
• Cutting larger wood logs
• Cutting straight and fast, less power needed
• Best value of money

Cons

• Plain, no angle marking or ruler
• Teeth aren’t induction hardened

Recap

GreatNeck N2610 is long woodworking saw with a 12 TPI 26″ blade that would cut all woods in front of you. If you’re looking for a bigger handsaw for an actual woodworking project, GreatNeck N2610 could be your reliable artillery.

Made from durable high carbon steel, you can use GreatNeck N2610 in your workshop for years. The handsaw is an excellent value for your money.

What to Look before buying the hand saw for woodworking

Hand saws or handled saws are hand-powered saws with the primary function of cutting wood into pieces in woodworking. It refers to diverse types of saws, including plate saws, pulls saw, back saws, hack saws, frame saws, and so forth.

Handled saws are the essential tool in traditional woodworking, even though hand saws are also used to cut other materials like PVC, plastic, drywall, or metal.

Hand saw comes with different technical specifications like teeth per inch(TPI), blade materials, etc. In woodworking, hand saws are used to rip cut and crosscut woods.

How to Choose the Best Hand Saw

The best hand saw for woodworking is the one that suits your needs. So, you’d need to be clear about what materials you’d cut and how you’d cut them. There are various handsaw products available in the market, but you can consider the factors below to get the best suitable one.

Tension

Some hand saws like frame saws or hacksaws are the best hand saw for straight cuts allowing you to adjust the blade’s tension. The adjustment flexes your way in cutting different materials. On other saws like plate saws or pull saws, the stress of the edge is fixed or depends on the materials.

Handle

Hand saw manufacturers might use different designs and materials for the handle constructions. Handsaw handles can be made from wood, ABS plastics, metals, and rubber. For non-wooden, hand saw handles are usually coated with rubber for an anti-slip grip. Poor hand saw handles can lead to comfort and safety issues.

Length

Hand saws come in different lengths from 3″ to 26″ for plate saw or longer for frame saws. It would depend on the size of wood or materials you want to cut, whether you need shorter or longer strokes. You may also consider investing in several handsaws with different sizes.

Teeth per Inch(TPI)

A handsaw with a smaller number of TPI allows you to cut wood materials faster but results in a rougher surface. The higher TPI, the more delicate cuts you can obtain from a handsaw. Generally speaking, more TPI is ideal for crosscuts, while handsaws with fewer TPI are ideal for rip cuts.

Weight

Some handsaws come in lightweight as they use light materials like carbon steel. However, some people still prefer metal hand saws with heavier weight. It would depend on functions and your preferences.

Price

The prices of handsaw products available in the market are very competitive, but they typically speak for the quality. A cheaper handsaw on similar types and technical specifications would likely have a lower rate.

More expensive premium hand saws usually have better materials and craftsmanship that give you a more durable and reliable handsaw. Always do your research when choosing a handsaw.

FAQ

What is the best hand saw for cutting wood?

There are two significant ways of cutting wood, including rip cut and crosscut. Rip cut refers to cutting or splitting/ripping a piece of wood parallel to its grain. Crosscut is about cutting a piece of wood across its grain.

You should choose a rip-cut saw for rip cutting, and a crosscut saw for crosscutting. If you only need one handsaw, then it would better be a crosscut saw.

What hand saws do I need for woodworking?

Woodworking is a more complex task than cutting a tree wood, so you would need more than one handsaw to complete your projects. For starting your woodworking career, you must have panel saws, crosscut saw, dovetail saw, and coping saw.

What hand saw cuts sleepers?

For cutting sleepers typically made from hardwoods, you’d need a heavy-duty plate hand saw that can do miter cutting. A crosscut saw would do a great job, but you need to get one that’s without backstrap support as sleepers could be as thick as 8″.

What are the two most common hand saws used?

The two most common hand saws used in wood cutting or woodworking are rip cut saw, and crosscut saw. They’re still divided into subcategories like backsaw, frame saw, plate saw, coping saw, and so forth.

What Differences Between Crosscut saws and rip saws?

Crosscut saws typically use smaller teeth and high TPI so you can cut across the wood grain more effectively. Rip cut saws employ more prominent teeth and lower TPI so that you can cut along with the grain more effectively.

What is the best handsaw for cutting trees?

All-purpose hand saws with sharp blades could have been the best hand saw for cutting trees that would do a great job cutting the woods and branches. Many hand saws available in the market can be used for woodworking or cutting tree woods with no problems.

What do you use a handsaw for?

A handsaw is a valuable tool to cut pieces of wood with your hand power. It comes with handles where you control and power the strokes along and across the wood grains. There are also hand saws used for cutting plastics, wallboard, metals, or other materials.

What are different types of hands?

Handsaws stand for different types of hand-powered saws, including basic handsaw, pull saw, crosscut saw, rip cut saw, hacksaw, coping saw, bow saw, fret saw, backsaw, Japanese saw, veneer saw, keyhole saw, wallboard saw, and so forth. Each of these hand saws has its specific functions to cut woods or other materials.

How Can A Hand Saw Do a Good Job?

Hand saw it would do a great job if they have suitable technical specifications and perfect conditions for the task. It must at least have sharp-even teeth, a straight blade, and good balance for reasonable control.

On the other hand, you must use a hand saw with correct tooth geometry, tension, and thickness for the sawing jobs.

Final Word

Looking for the best hand saw for fine woodworking could be daunting, but you can do your research with the guide above.

In the end, the best hand saw is the best suitable one for the job. As there are different types of saws for other jobs, you’d need multiple saws to complete your woodworking projects.