The top 3 recommendations and buying guides

Our recommendations

The Stanley Foxtail has everything a craftsman or gardener could wish for: a long one Saw blade, a relatively dense toothing and the practical stop aid. In addition, buyers of the hand saw at Amazon are extremely positive about the quality of workmanship. The price-performance ratio is considered excellent.

The Amazon reviewers are extremely enthusiastic about the quality of the Bahco handsaw. They praise the handle, the low weight and the high-quality teeth, which should stay sharp for a long time. The cut and the lead are also described as "great" and absolutely unproblematic.

The Presch foxtail has similar properties to the test winner in our comparison. Only because of the coarse intermeshing he “only” gets third place. One advantage over the Stanley model is the centimeter measure of up to 32 centimeters. It helps to get precise results. Amazon customers love the saw. Typical descriptions: "super sharp", "great to use and very stable".

Purchase criteria

Art

Foxtail: The foxtail saw is, so to speak, the everyday classic and a must for every do-it-yourselfer and gardener. It consists of a handle, a saw blade and usually seven to eleven coarse or fine teeth. Depending on the specific design, the foxtail is suitable for shortening boards, cutting roof battens, sawing off branches or even for cutting insulation boards. As a rule, this type of hand saw is only suitable for sawing wood.

Precision saw: The precision saw is more delicate than the hand saw. In general, it also has a narrower and more rectangular saw blade. This is significantly longer than the handle and has a reinforced back. Usually, the teeth are "crossed", which means that they alternately point to the left and right. In addition to the classic European fine saws, there are also the so-called Japanese saws. These differ from the European models in the following characteristics:

• long handle with a shorter blade
• no back reinforcement
• mostly no interlaced teeth
• typically pull saw (only saws when retracting)
• ideal for very narrow, fine, visually appealing woodcuts
• more expensive

Fretsaw: The fretsaw consists of a short handle, a fret saw bow and a saw blade as well as a fastening. It is intended for fine handicrafts with thin wood. The electric version of this hand saw is called a scroll saw.

Pruning saw: The pruning saw is sometimes referred to as a pruning saw. As the name suggests, it is used for cutting and sawing thin to medium-thick branches. With the often slightly rounded handle and the long saw blade, it is reminiscent of a saber. For this reason it is sometimes called a reciprocating saw.

Hacksaw: The hacksaw is the only hand saw that is not used solely (or primarily) as a wood saw. Depending on the material and condition of the saw blade and the teeth, it is also suitable for sawing harder workpieces, whether made of metal or stone (e.g. concrete, Sandstone, Bricks, ytong et cetera).

drive

Our guide is primarily about real hand saws - i.e. models that are both guided by hand and driven by its power. There are also electrically operated hand saws - either wired or with a battery. These make the work easier, but usually do not produce as precise results as correct hand saws and also cost significantly more.

Material of the saw blade

The material of the saw blade, together with the type of toothing, determines which workpieces the respective hand saw can be used for. In essence, you can orientate yourself on the following subdivision:

• Steel for most wooden workpieces
• Carbide for really tough things

Length of the saw blade

The following basically applies here: the longer the saw blade, the thicker workpieces you can cut through. Of course, other factors always play a role as to which work the respective hand saw is actually suitable for (material of the saw blade and type of teeth). Example foxtail: Small models are 30 to 35 centimeters long, larger versions 45 to 60 centimeters.

Perforation

In principle, hand saws with coarse teeth are recommended for quick cuts in soft wood. Coarse teeth are understood to mean that the saw has relatively few teeth and that they are further apart.

Hand saws with fine teeth, on the other hand, are the right helpers for cleaner cuts. Also, when it comes to sawing harder wood or even metal or stone, you need a handsaw with more teeth that are closer together.

The TPI values ​​are always decisive. The abbreviation TPI stands for “teeth per inch”. One inch corresponds to a length of 2.54 centimeters.

First of all, again the guideline values ​​for the foxtail:

• seven to eight TPI for coarse teeth
• ten to eleven TPI for the fine teeth

And now some recommendations for metal saws, i.e. hand saws with which you can cut through metal:

• eight to 18 TPI for aluminum, structural steel, copper (also for plastic)
• 19 to 22 TPI for brass, very strong steel, cast iron
• 23 to 32 TPI for chilled cast iron, sheet metal, thin-walled pipes

weight

Of course, it is more convenient if the handsaw is not too heavy. But: Under no circumstances should it be too light, otherwise it is guaranteed to break quickly, even with rather thinner wooden workpieces. Even a simple hand saw should be at least 400 grams.

Extras

If you want to buy a classic hand saw, it is worth paying attention to one or the other extra. An angle stop and a ruler are popular and useful.

• Crosscut fence helps to set the hand saw at the correct angle (45 or 90 degrees)
• Ruler helps to make marks on the wood without the hassle of having to use a separate ruler

Both additions are not absolutely necessary - but they can certainly make your work easier. In this respect, it doesn't do any harm if the handsaw is equipped with these features - provided that the quality of the saw itself does not suffer.

frequently asked Questions

What is a handsaw?

The hand saw is a very practical tool for the workshop and / or the garden. As a rule, manually operated devices are meant, which are composed of a more or less ergonomic handle, a saw blade and a certain number of teeth. Depending on the material and teeth, the respective hand saws are suitable for different workpieces (wood, metal; thinner, thicker).

Which hand saw should I use for what?

Use the following recommendations as a guide (not set in stone!):

• Foxtail: thin to medium-thick wood
• Fine saw (also Japanese hand saw): wood (ideal for fine, precise cuts)
• Fretsaw: thin wood (perfect for handicrafts)
• Pruning saw: thin to medium-thick branches
• Hacksaw: wood, metal, stone, plastic (depending on the saw blade and teeth)

Which brands offer good hand saws?

The most popular brands for hand saws include:

• Fiskars
• Bosch
• Stihl
• Gardena
• Bahco
• Makita
• WOLF garden

Where is the best place to buy a handsaw?

Either in the hardware store (OBI, Bauhaus, hagebaumarkt, toom et cetera) or at Amazon. There is a large selection of high-quality models there. You can sometimes find cheap alternatives at discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

How do I sharpen the teeth of the handsaw?

This is shown in the following video:

How do I change the saw blade?

Also for this image material: