Mel, I have never tried these. I thought the length would be too short for them to be useful.
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Glad to hear the positive review. I will give these a try.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I'd prefer it to cut on the push stroke.
Ed
The Excel #13 blade is longer and can be inserted in the handle to cut on the push or pull stroke.
Mel,
Does it leave a clean cut similar to a knife or have to smooth it with something?
kasskaboose Mel, Does it leave a clean cut similar to a knife or have to smooth it with something?
RR_MelI prefer a pull cut on a saw,
I also prefer to cut on the pull. I have found that blades described as "Japanese Saws" are designed to cut on the pull.
Nice find, I haven't seen those before either. Will definitely check it out, I can see a multitude of uses.
Add me to the "cut on the pull" crowd. Much easier to control, even when you DO have steady hands. I guess it all goes back to my Dad teaching me to cut lumber with a hand saw, and making that starting cut by using a bent thumb to align the blade with your mark and then slowly draw the saw back. Guarantee trying to push instead of pull would make the blade wander. On small stuff, say you have your hand braced on the workbench, if you draw a blad back, you are coming more into the supported area, if you push away, at the end of the cut you are in the more unstable position.(I'm thinking of holding the handle sort of like a pen, with the side of your hand resting on the bench to steady it. As you draw the thumb and forefinger back, you move more into the stable area, if you try that and push away, you end up tilting your hand to get the reach. Plus i think the muscles that clench the fingers towards the palm are both stronger and steadier.)
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Heard of those Zonas but never tried any. The Excel sawblade has its uses and has the advanatage in some,but not all tight spaces. But I tend to bend the Excel regularly and the stiff back on the Zona will definitely be a strength advantage.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
All of which begs the question, which is better, a push saw or a pull saw?
Rich
Alton Junction
While I start a cut the same way as Randy, saws are usually meant to cut in one direction. You wouldn't think of putting a circular saw blade in backwards nor would you cut a 4x4 just on the backstroke with a handsaw.
The materials we work with are soft and thin, and the margin for error is small. Control is more important than speed or cutting in volume.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley