With a handsaw you can do a lot of work in the workshop and in the garden. But a hand saw is not just a hand saw. There are different types intended for different uses. You can find out what else you should pay attention to when buying in our guide!

A hand saw is not just a hand saw

Our recommendations

our recommendation
Stanley JetCut fine hand saw 2-15-595 in 450 mm length - Saw for wood, plastic, laminate - With handle made of bi-material, improved toothing & 45/90° stop for precise sawing
19.29 EUR To the product
kind foxtail
Length of saw blade 45 cm
Perforation 11 TPI
Weight 430g
extras 45°/90° stop
for wood, plastic

The foxtail from Stanley has everything a craftsman or gardener could wish for: a long saw blade, relatively dense teeth and the practical stop aid. In addition, buyers of the handsaw on Amazon are extremely positive about the quality of the workmanship. The price-performance ratio is considered excellent.

our recommendation
Bahco 2600-16-XT11-HP BH2600-16-XT11-HP-A hand saw ErgoXT Superior 400mm
30.99 EUR To the product
kind foxtail
Length of saw blade 40 cm
Perforation 11 TPI
Weight 400g
extras none
for fine-medium coarse wood

The Amazon reviewers are extremely enthusiastic about the quality of the Bahco hand saw. They praise the handle, the low weight and the valuable teeth, which should stay sharp for a long time. The cut and the guide are also described as "super" and absolutely unproblematic.

our recommendation
Presch foxtail saw 450mm - Sharp wood saw with 45° and 90° stop - Professional hand saw for sawing wood and laminate
To the product
kind foxtail
Length of saw blade 45 cm
Perforation 7 TPI
Weight 415g
extras 45°/90° stop, cm dimension
for wood, plastic

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

Purchase Criteria

kind

foxtail: The foxtail saw is the everyday classic, so to speak, 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 cutting insulating boards. As a rule, this type of hand saw is only suitable for sawing wood.

our recommendation
Silverline 793762 Hand Saw with Hardened Teeth 350mm, 7 tpi
To the product

fine saw: The precision saw is more filigree than the foxtail saw. It also commonly has a narrower and squarer saw blade. This is significantly longer than the handle and has a reinforced back. Usually, the teeth are "interlocked," meaning they alternately point 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 shorter blade
  • no back reinforcement
  • usually no twisted toothing
  • typically pull saw (only saws when pulling back)
  • ideal for very narrow, fine, visually appealing woodcuts
  • more expensive
our recommendation
Augusta fine saw 250 mm for miter cuts in wooden sticks and strips, 2135 250 AMA
7.75 EUR To the product

jigsaw: The jigsaw consists of a short handle, a jigsaw frame, a saw blade and a fixture. It is intended for fine handicraft work with thin wood. The electric version of this handsaw is called a scroll saw.

our recommendation
Avit AV09030 jigsaw with replacement blades
11.04 EUR To the product

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

our recommendation
Fiskars Large Hand Saw for Green Wood, Coarse Tooth, Saw Blade Length: 25.5 cm, Retractable, Stainless Steel, Black/Orange, Xtract, SW75, 1000614
25.79 EUR To the product

hacksaw: The hacksaw is the only hand saw that is not used solely (or primarily) as a wood saw. Depending on the material and properties 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).

our recommendation
Stanley FatMax 5-in-1 multifunction saw 430mm 0-20-108 - hacksaw for metal, hand saw & short saw with 45° stop - easy tool-free saw blade change
27.82 EUR To the product

drive

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

our recommendation
Black+Decker KS880EC 400W universal saber saw (for sawing wood, metal or plastic, incl. wood saw blade (239mm))
67.56 EUR To the product

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. Essentially, you can orientate yourself on the following subdivision:

  • Steel for most wood workpieces
  • Carbide for the really tough stuff

length of the saw blade

Basically, the longer the saw blade, the thicker the workpieces you can cut through. Of course, other factors always play a role as well, for which work the respective hand saw is actually suitable (material of the saw blade and type of toothing). 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 toothing means that the saw has relatively few teeth and these are therefore 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 is equal to 2.54 centimeters in length.

First of all, the guide values for the foxtail:

  • seven to eight TPI with the coarse toothing
  • ten to eleven TPI with the fine teeth

And now some recommendations for hacksaws, i.e. hand saws that you can use to cut through metal:

  • eight to 18 TPI for aluminum, mild steel, copper (also for plastic)
  • 19 to 22 TPI for brass, high strength steel, cast iron
  • 23 to 32 TPI for chilled cast iron, sheet metal, thin-walled tubes

Weight

Of course it is more comfortable if the handsaw does not weigh too much. But: Under no circumstances should it be too light, otherwise it is guaranteed to break quickly, even with rather thin wooden workpieces. Even a simple foxtail saw should weigh at least 400 grams.

extras

If you want to buy a classic foxtail handsaw, it's worth looking out for one or two extras. An angle stop and a ruler are popular and useful.

  • Angle stop helps to set the hand saw at the right angle (45 or 90 degrees).
  • Ruler helps to set marks on the wood without the need for a separate ruler

Both of these additions are not absolutely necessary - but they can certainly make your work easier. In this respect, there is no harm if the hand saw is equipped with these features - provided the quality of the saw itself does not suffer as a result.

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 toothing, the respective handsaws 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 crafts)
  • Pruning saw: thin to medium-sized branches
  • Hacksaw: wood, metal, stone, plastic (depending on saw blade and teeth)

Which brands offer good hand saws?

Some of the most popular hand saw brands 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. You can sometimes find cheap alternatives at discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

How do I sharpen the teeth of the handsaw?

This is what the following video shows you:

youtube

How do I change the saw blade?

Also image material:

youtube

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