Whenever someone tells me they are getting more involved with hand tools they inevitably have a bunch of questions about hand planes and which ones to get. I usually disappoint them when I tell them to buy a jack plane and move on to getting saws. I consider hand sawing to be the most important skill to master and the path to the most enjoyment and success. Maybe it’s the same thing when using hand tools to build your projects. After all, there is no better feeling than sliding together a dovetail or mortise and tenon right off the saw. It’s also pretty fast when you don’t have to finesse the joint with a chisel or a plane. Hence my focus on saws.
So the next logical question I get is “what saws do I need?” Really any “what tool do I need” answer is highly dependent on the type of work you do. Moreover how much of your work is hand tool related. I’m a nut who does everything by hand so I put a lot of emphasis on full-sized hand saws. But for those of the more hybrid bent, the answer could be more focused on back saws for joinery. Let’s start with some definitions and get you started with just a few saws.
BACK SAWS
Back saws have, well, a back. That folded or grooved metal spine stiffens the saw and makes
